Walking with Dinosaurs

Hisense Arena
4th-15th May 2011

We're scaredy cats in our household so I doubt we'll be going to this life-size dinousaur show, but if your kids can cope with it I think this would be an amazing experience. Based on the award-winning BBC television series, this show is a "$20 million spectacle of unprecedented size and quality that travels from town to town in a staggering 33 semi-trailers." Pre-sale starts Friday 22nd October at 12 noon.

Danks St Playgrounds & Plum Garland Memorial Park

Danks Street Playgrounds, Albert Park
1. Cnr Victoria Av & Danks Street
2. Cnr Mills Street & Danks Street

This is a fantastic outing with the kids on a sunny day. Start out on Victoria Av picking up supplies at the IGA or grabbing a coffee from one of the cafes near Danks Street. Then head to the Danks St/Victoria Av playground where you can relax or catch up with friends whilst the kids explore the toddler-friendly playspaces and equipment including a birds nest swing (pictured above). Located on the median strip and fully fenced, this is a great playground for under-fives and a nice spot to just hang out with the kids. There is a good table setting for lunch and several bench seats with good visibility of the whole playground. From here you can walk down Danks Street and visit the other playground near the corner of Mills Street. This is another great playspace and it features a rocking tram that the kids will love.


Plum Garland Memorial Playground
Beaconsfield Parade, Albert Park (near Victoria Av)

Now its time for a walk. Put the kids in the pram and head up Mills Street, cross over Beaconsfield Parade and walk along the beach until you come to the Plum Garland Memorial Park near Victoria Av. This is a great playground for under-fives as its right on the beach and well covered with shade sails. Being all sand means the kids can kick off their shoes and you don't have to worry about the little ones falling over and hurting themselves. My kids loved the wooden boat with its wheel house and passenger seats, plus the cubby structure where they could scoop up the sand and haul it up to the top level via a pulley system. Being right on the beach means this site can get a bit windy and of course quite hot on a sunny day, but its a great spot and the kids will love it. If you're still there at dinner time, it would be worth checking out the fish n' chip shops on Victoria Av. Otherwise take a walk down Victoria Av to Bridport Street or to St Vincent Gardens where there is another great playground and some nice picnic spots.

Children's Week 2010

Saturday 23rd October - Sunday 31st October

This could well be a state secret with the amount of build-up its recieved. Such a pity as it promises to be a great event for under-fives.

Children's Week is a celebration of young people based on the articles expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child highlighting play, wellbeing and protection. Hosted by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in conjunction with local councils, schools and early childhoood services, it focuses on the central theme of 'A Caring World Shares' and offers a program of kids activities in various locations around Melbourne.

The official launch of Children's Week will be held at Melbourne Zoo with a family fun day on Sunday 24th October. Kids under 15 years are free.

Other highlights include;
- Teddy Bear's Picnic at Lilydale Lake, Monday 25th October
- Smartycats at your local library, Tuesday 26th October
- Free Fun in the Park, Boroondara Parks, Tuesday 26th October
- Romp and Stomp Fun Day at Melbourne Museum, Wednesday 27th October
- Kids Day in the Park at Mornington Park, Wednesday 27th October
- African Circus Skills at Werribee Zoo, Saturday 30th October
- Children Week Celebrations at NGV, Sunday 31st October
- Children's Week Picnic at Werribee Park, Sunday 31st October
- The Mudcakes Happy Halloweenie Party, Williamstown, Sunday 31st October

For more information on Children's Week visit the DEECD website. The Children's Week 2010 Event Guide is searchable by local council so its a bit fiddly if you want to find out whats on around Melbourne as a whole but have a look and see what you can find.

ArtPlay

Birrarung Marr, Federation Square


Light Fantastic
Imagine, create and play in outer ‘art’ space. On Friday 8 October children will journey to the moon and explore strange shadow shapes made by different objects. If sunlight suffices, children will also make a photographic print using found objects. The journey continues on Thursday 4 November when children will make light drawings in space using glowsticks and then create a glow-in-the dark wall painting using special phosphorescent paints. Come on both dates, or just one, and explore with artist Hayley Rivers.
Friday 8 October and Thursday 4 November
$15 per child, bookings essential
10.30am to 11.15am (two to three years)
11.45am to 12.30pm (four to five years)


AryPlay Bubs
Spend time relaxing with your little one, tune in together and enjoy playful movement exploration with Susan Maling, an early childhood dance movement specialist. Stay after the session and share a cuppa with Susan and other parents.
Friday 15 and 22 October
$15 per child
10am to 11.30am (Friday 15 – pre crawlers; Friday 22 – crawlers)
12.30pm to 2pm (Both days – walkers)


Wishhh
Grab your suitcase and help Pocketfool create a theatrical journey like no other. Preschool children and their families are interwoven into an adventure that uses original music, art and imaginative play. A bold new production from Pocketfool, and their world premiere to boot!
Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 , Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October
$15 per adult and child pair, bookings essential
Wednesday and Thursday: 10:30am to 11:30 and 1pm to 2pm
Weekend: 10.30am to 11.30am; 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Age: three to five years


Print Place
Print making is fun and creative – and a great activity for preschoolers. Artists Dominic Belvedere and Louise Saxton will lead this new 8 week course that’s bound to create skills, confidence and friendships. Each week children will explore aspects of printmaking such as mono-printing, block-printing, embossing, as well as collage and drawing to create robots, stars, moons, people, animals, the river and the city - a whole wide world!
Fridays 29 October to 17 December
$80 for eight classes, bookings essential
Fridays, 10.30am to 11.15am; 11.45am to 12.30pm
Three to five year olds

For more information on any of these sessions, visit the ArtPlay website

Romp & Stomp Fun Day

Wednesday 27th October 2010, 10am to 3pm
Melbourne Museum
Nicholson Street, Carlton

Yippee! An event designed specifically for the under-fives, not during school holidays, and at a great venue that the kids love. Best of all the kids are free! In celebration of Universal Children's Day, the Melbourne Museum are offering our little ones a day of fun and educational activities, including storytelling, singing, music, craft activities and more. Tickets are $8 for adults and you can pre-book to avoid queues. For bookings call 13 11 02 or visit the Romp & Stomp website for more information.

Planning with Kids

Check out our guest post on Planning with Kids this month. This is a great site with plenty of ideas for kids including recipes and craft activities as well as some interesting articles on subjects like preparing for school and discipline strategies. As a mother of five kids, Planning Queen knows what she's talking about and her articles are really informative, plus she has some fun and quirky suggestions for things to do at home including lego capes and newspaper swords. So become a fan and start getting organised.

Fairies in the Gardens

Fairies at the bottom of the Garden
Enchanting garden magic, storytelling, singing and planting. Fairies, bunyips and elves encouraged to wear own costumes. Suitable for children aged 3 to 5 years.
Royal Botanic Gardens - Children's Garden
22, 24, 28 & 30 September 2010
10am - 11am
$12 per child

Wildflower Fairies and Elves
Fly through the gardens looking for fairies and elves before settling among the wildflowers for fairy crafts. Fairies and elves encouraged to wear own costumes. Suitable for children aged 2 to 5 years.
RGB Cranbourne
21, 28 & 30 September 2010
9.30am - 10.30am
$6.50 per child

Tesselaar Tulip Festival - Childrens Days

September 22nd, 23rd, 29th & 30th
357 Monbulk Rd, Silvan Victoria (Melways Map 123B5)
Open daily 10am to 5pm.

Did you just buy a new digital SLR? No, well I'm sure you know someone who has (rest of Melbourne it seems) so grab them, dress the kids in their sunday best and go frolic in the fields of Silvan this month at the Tesselaar Tulip Festival. On a sunny day this could offer some fantastic photo opportunities and, with a great schedule of kids activities lined up, it sounds like a great day out with the kids.

Daily timetable
•Paul Jamieson 'The Music Man' 11.45am, 1.45pm and 2.45pm
•Black Snake Productions presentations at 10.45am and 12pm
•Fairy Monica 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm
•Animals on the Move 10-4 (breaks timetabled on the day)
•Linda Kent Pottery, Mez’ Card Works, Face Painting, Crazy Hair, Stax the Didgeman, Kids Artworks – various crafts.
•Donuts, Fairy Floss stall, Dutch food stall, our foods, party pies, kids sandwiches, hot dogs, funny faces etc. Icy poles and juices, ice cream stall.

Adults $18, Concession $15, Under 16 free
(Groups of 10 or more $15 each person)
Bookings available online
Food + Drink available, Free off street parking, Wheelchair friendly, Dogs on leads welcomed and most of all dont forget your camera

Also see my post on Children's Week at Skyhigh Mt Dandenong as there are some days that these two events overlap.

Children's Week at Skyhigh Mount Dandenong

Head to the hills during the second week of September school holidays and check out Skyhigh Children's Week at Mount Dandenong. The following children's activities are scheduled, dependant on weather.

Saturday 25th September
Black snake productions - Reptile displays 2pm-5pm
Bouncy castle from 10am to 2pm

Sunday 26th September
CFA display, fire engine and badge making. 10am - 3pm
Igor the Giant’s Treasure Hunt from 10.00am to 5pm

Monday 27th September
Half price maze entry from 11 am to 5pm.
Igor the Giant’s Treasure Hunt from 10.00am to 5pm

Tuesday 28th September
Pony rides from 1pm-4pm
Igor the Giant’s Treasure Hunt from 10.00am to 5pm

Wednesday 29th September
Adventure Walk with Parks Victoria 12.30pm & 2.00pm
Igor the Giant’s Treasure Hunt from 10.00am to 5pm

Thursday 30th September
Story Telling & Magic with Fairy Sarah 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Chalk drawing with Andrew the gardener @ 1pm – 3.00pm

Friday 1st October
Igor the Giant’s Treasure Hunt from 10.00am to 5pm
Didgeridoo Lessons with “Stax” from 12pm to 2pm

Gate fees apply but children's events are free. For more information on Children's Week, visit the Skyhigh website.

Also see my post on the Tesselaar Tulip Festival as there some days on which these two events overlap.

If possible, drive up via The Basin and visit Hand-me-Downs (see post under Shops category) and give the kids a play at the great playground across from the main group of shops there.

Playbooks

Black & White - Tana Hoban
This fold out playbook is a great way to entertain your bubs in their cot or on the floor during tummy time. It folds out accordian style and has pictures on both sides, black on white and white on black, so perfect for those early months when they are still finding it difficult to distinguish between colours.
(photo from greenwillowblog)


Baby Touch Books
We've had several books from the baby touch range and our kids still love them as toddlers. The Playbook is particularly good as it has mirrors at different levels so when they are doing tummy time they can gradually lift themselves up to the higher mirror. Baby Touch books also have different textures, shapes and colours for babies to explore as their senses develop, and words and sounds for toddlers to learn. This makes them perfect for siblings to look at together.

Both of these playbooks are available from Borders.

Name Labels

There is something a bit special about seeing your baby's name in print which is why name labels are a great gift for new parents. Stick on labels are great for labelling bottles & food containers and one pack lasts for ages. There are plenty of companies doing them but I've always ordered from That's Mine and I find their labels stay on bottles even after plenty of washes. Their pack of 56 medium sized labels in assorted brights costs $20. Postage is free for orders of $20 or more, but costs $4.95 for orders under $20.

Time to get out

With the arrival of Charlie last month we have been doing very little as of late. Not only has it been especially cold, but the whole process of getting out the door with three kids requires a level of effort and organisation that is a bit beyond me at the moment. As a result Matilda and James have been busy discovering new ways of entertaining themselves and making mess. James' latest game involves pushing rice bubbles into the heat vent and watching them fly back out, whilst Tilly has tried on every item in her wardrobe in increasingly eccentric arrangments. Yes I think cabin fever has definitely set in and maybe its time to brave the cold.

That being said we have done a couple of outings to some old favourites recently. Maisy's Birthday Party at Dymocks was fun last Sunday, followed by a play in the Birrarung Marr playground. Check out my post on Dymocks Events in the Free or Events category - the Wonky Donky is coming up. We also went to the zoo when my husband was on paternity leave and it was as enjoyable as always despite the cold - check out my zoo post in the Attractions category.

As for new suggestions, I am working on a Things to do with Babies post, so watch this space

Disney Live - Three Classic Fairy Tales

Plenary Theatre
Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre
28th, 29th & 30th January 2011
10am, 1pm and 4pm shows

The time-honoured stories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast will spring from the storybooks and onto the stage in Disney Live!

The enchanted journey starts when Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy find a magical storybook hidden among a treasure trove of costumes and belongings from classic Disney tales. The iconic objects lead them to three classic stories of ‘happily ever after’ featuring Snow White, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Along the way, you the audience are invited to join the fun by solving clues, dancing, clapping along and singing songs,as the stories unfold before your very eyes.

Ticket prices range between $27.50 and $32.50 through Ticketmaster. Tickets are available to the general public from 2nd September or pre-sale tickets are available from today with Kids Promotions code DL4KP.

Ben 10 Live Show

The Australian premiere of Cartoon Network's BEN 10 LIVE: Power of the Omnitrix is set to tour major arenas around the nation in September and October 2010 in time for school holidays. Everyone's favourite boy-hero, Ben Tennyson, and his alien heroes will come to life on stage in BEN 10 LIVE, a show filled with cool stunts, incredible action and awesome special effects.

Ben 10 fans will love this 95-minute adrenaline-pumping extravaganza of electrifying stunts, action flying sequences and cool BMX and skateboard tricks. All of this in an arena full of incredible costumes, brought to life against a huge digital backdrop, with jaw-dropping effects and lighting.

Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 September 2010, 11am
Hisense Arena (formerly Vodaphone Arena)
Tickets - $23 - $45
For bookings, visit the Ticketek website

Snow Works at Harbour Town Docklands

Rug up the kids and take them for a play in the snow at Harbour Town in Docklands. Running until the 25th July and open weekdays from 11am to 4pm and weekends from 11am to 5pm.

For free entry present a receipt from any Harbour Town retailer for $15 or more. Play sessions are 25 minutes.