Carriage Cafe in Seville

Nestled in bushland about an hour from the city on the Warburton Trail, this unique café is fantastic for young families and makes a perfect venue for lunch on a sunny day.

Inspired by its location on the old Lilydale to Warburton railway, the café is housed in the shell of an old railway carriage complete with private booth seating and sliding windows. Accessible by a ramp and stairs, the train is raised up on stilts to align with the large undercover ‘platform’ offering spacious alfresco dining overlooking the open pavement and grass areas below. In this lower area, you are invited to park your bike, tie up the dog, tether your horse, or just let the kids run around whilst you enjoy a relaxing lunch up on the deck. There a couple of ride-ons to borrow and a toy box to keep the little ones entertained.

The last train to come through here was in 1965, however the railway theme is alive and well at The Carriage Cafe. Sitting out on the deck watching the cyclists and pedestrians arrive along the trail and the sheep grazing in the surrounding paddocks, you could well forget the time passed since that last train rolled into Seville Station.

Taking your order at the ‘ticket booth’, the staff are genial and relaxed, and meals are delivered to the table with a smile. The menu is basic and fairly uninspired, but family friendly and affordable. For only $3.50, your kids will love the Station Master Lunch with a train shaped sandwich, choc iced cupcake and a glass of juice. Offerings for adults include egg & bacon pie, lamp wraps, focaccias, salads, steak sandwich and chilli con carne, plus a specials board for breakfast.

Parking is available near the old Seville station at the end of Station Road. This is about a four minute walk down the Warburton trail so pack the trikes and bikes and let the kids ride across the old railway bridge down the track to the café, waving to all the cyclists and horse riders along the way.

After lunch, the now grassed over Seville station makes a nice place to sit and watch the horses in the paddocks beyond. Also, there are plenty of great produce suppliers only a short drive away so make sure you pick up some fresh fruit and veg on your way home.

The Carriage Cafe is located in Seville, about an hour from Melbourne off the Warburton Highway.

Playschool Concerts

Various Locations

It's that time of year again. Playschool concert tickets are now on sale for Victoria shows running from 2nd-25th March 2012.

Tickets are $14.50. Depending on location, show times available are 10am, 12pm, 2pm. For bookings visit Kids Promotions.

Dads n' Lads and Dads n' Daughters Adventure Weekends

Churchill Island, Phillip Island
Dads n' Lads - 11th/12th February 2012 (4-7 year olds)
Dads n' Daughters - 17th/18th March 2012 (4 to 7 year olds)

This sounds like great fun and a wonderful bonding opportunity for dads.

Ditch the TV, computer games, mobile phones and get back to basics with a weekend of action packed activities. Spend quality time with your child in the great outdoors of Phillip Island and enjoy the activities for both young and old.

Activities include: camping at Churchill Island Heritage Farm – sleep under the stars, tell tales round the campfire and enjoy a BBQ dinner and big breakfast (*own tent required)
- join a ranger for a rock pool ramble and beachcomb
- take part in the farming activities at Churchill Island Heritage Farm
- get competitive with the old time games
- visit the Koala Conservation Centre and see little penguins at the world-famous Penguin Parade.

The cost is $165 all inclusive (dinner, breakfast & activities for one adult & one child). $65 per extra child.

Bookings and information, contact Jade Cranton Tel: 5951 2802 or email jcranton@penguins.org.au

A swim at Lysterfield Lake

Cnr Horswood Road and Logan Park Rd, Narre Warren North (melways ref. 108 D2)

I wasn't sure what to expect when my sister suggested we take the kids to Narre Warren North for a swim in the lake. I had never heard of Lysterfield Lake Park and I was amazed to discover it is a massive 3400 hectare nature reserve only 45 minutes from the city. Until the 1970's, Lysterfield Lake was a reservoir for the Mornington Peninsula. It was opened to the public in 1986 and then revamped with 20 kilometres of mountain bike tracks for the Commonwealth Games in 2006.

This is a great place to take the kids for a swim on a sunny day, especially if you don't want to get in yourself. There are two protected swimming bays with sandy beaches and a gradual increase in water depth. It is only a very short walk from the car to the beach and the water is warm and clear. It would be a great place for a mothers group catch up or a picnic with friends. My 18 month old, 3 year old and five year old all had a wonderful time paddling about with their cousins.

There are two large picnic areas along the lake shore with tables, toilets and bbq facilities. There are also some great bike tracks suitable for families, so it would be worth packing the bikes or just taking a walk with the pram.

Lysterfield Lake is open every day of the year from 8.30am. Access is from Horswwood Road which is off the Belgrave-Hallam Road. For further information, visit the Parks Victoria website - http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/lysterfield-park

U Pick Berries in Silvan

Blue Hills Berries and Cherries
27 Parker Road, Silvan (melways ref 121 F11)

This is a great activity to do with young kids before the weather gets too hot. The fields of Silvan are abundant with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries & cherries at the moment and blackberries will be arriving in the coming weeks. The kids will absolutely love finding the ripe fruit to pick and put in their container, or put straight in their mouths as is often the case. My two year old ended up with an empty container but a very berry grin. The older kids, on the other hand, loved building their stash to take home - and man do we have a lot of berries to eat!

I'd suggest that weekends would get crazy busy during November and December, so if you can go midweek this would be ideal - today we basically had the fields to ourselves. Whilst it is a steep site, it is manageable with a pram if you have the energy. My 1 year old was asleep in our double stroller so because it was so quiet I was able to leave him parked at the bottom of the rows whilst we picked.

Entry is $10 for adults, $5 for kids over 3 and under 3's are free. The berries you pick to take home are $10 per kilo and $15 per kilo for blueberries. There are also containers of pre-picked berries to buy.

Silvan is about 10 minutes drive from Monbulk at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Visit the Blue Hills website for further information.

Caribbean Gardens

1280 Ferntree Gulley Road, Scoresby

This place has to be seen to be believed. Firstly, its amazing that 100 acres of undeveloped land still exists in Melbourne's suburbs Secondly, it feels and looks like a 1980's holiday park, ideal for a Griswald family picnic.

I'd suggest the best time to visit Caribbean Gardens with young kids is on Wednesdays or Fridays during school holidays. The train, chairlift and jungle boat rides all operate on these days at $4 each, plus there is the market and other activities such as face painting and jumping castle. It is free entry, there is ample parking, and there are plenty of great playgrounds for your kids to explore. Definitely worth checking out for yourself.

For more information, visit the Caribbean Gardens website.

10 Great Blogs for Parents with Under-Fives

I recently wrote a piece for my masters on mummy blogging and in the process I discovered some great blogs with fantastic ideas for under-fives. Blogs are usually something you come across in a search for something in particular, or are recommended by friends, so I thought my readers might find this list useful.


1. Irresistable Ideas for Play-Based Learning
Early childhood educators, Donna Burns and Sherry Hutton, provide consistently good ideas for pre-school children. My favourite posts include Colourful Bubbles and I-Spy Jars



2. The Artful Parent
A U.S site that has some great art activity ideas for young kids. I love the Rainbow Stained Glass Window



3. Childhood 101
Early-child educator, Christie Burnett, provides loads of great information and ideas for parents of young children. She has some useful tips on creating great playspaces for kids at home



4. Squigglemum
Catherine Oehlman, aka squigglemum, is another teacher/mum with some great ideas for entertaining kids. I like her Backyard Treasure Hunt.



5. Planning With Kids
Mother of five, Nicole Avery, is one super-organised woman. She has some great ideas for making motherhood more manageable. I particularly like her party planning ideas.




6. Bronnie Bakes
A friend of mine, Bron, has a great blog on baking sweet treats with kids. As a mother of three girls under five, her patience in the kitchen is to be admired and her animal cupcakes are so cute



7. Dad's Club
Father of two, Dave Woolbank, created Dads Club to provide dads with fast, useful information in a language they could understand. I particularly like the quick craft ideas.



8. Kids Travel Blog
Friends Donna and Andrea regularly have me craving a holiday with their blog on travelling with kids. Check out their reviews for Victoria.



9. My Book Corner
This is a great kids book review blog with age appropriate suggestions. Also, it links to Book Depository which offers competitive prices and free delivery worldwide. Our latest purchase is Imagine by Alison Lester.



10. Picklebums
Kate has four kids, lives on a pickle farm and regularly blogs about her life. She makes me laugh with posts like Thousands of Bicuits and Playing with Sticks.


A couple of tips;
- If you enjoy a particular blog, look at the links they follow or suggest. This is a great way of discovering new blogs that you might find interesting.
- Don't be concerned about signing up for a google account in order to follow certain blogs. In the three years I have had my account, I haven't recieved any additional junk mail to my email address. Same applies for newsletter & RSS feeds
- If you're interested in a particular blog, follow it or like it on facebook. This is the only way to keep the blog going.
- If you areinterested in starting your own blog, just do it on Blogspot or Wordpress (it takes 5 minutes),or consult Nicole Avery on Blog Coaching Boost

Some other special mentions for Melbournites are;
- Little Eats (Eating Out with Kids)
- Curious Kate (What's On in Melbourne)
- Lady Melbourne (Fashion)
- Melbourne Gastronome (Food)
- The Design Files (Design)
- Only Melbourne (blogging directory)

Angelina Ballerina's Big Audition

The Arts Centre
Tuesday 24th January - Saturday 28th January
10.30am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm

This magical production features the Royal New Zealand Ballet dancers performing to a recorded arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s music. With choreography, sets and costumes from the English National Ballet.

Miss Lilly prepares Angelina for her big chance to dance in front of the judges and, although excited about the possibility of an exciting new adventure, Angelina worries about leaving home and Alice behind. During her audition at the Camembert Academy, Angelina meets lots of new friends who introduce her to exciting new twists on traditional ballet, from jazz to hip hop. Will Angelina’s dream of joining the Academy end in tears, or will this be an exciting new chapter in her life?

Total running time is 75 minutes including a 20 minute interval. Suitable for children aged 3 to 8 years. A Reserve tickets are $35. For more information and to book tickets, visit the Arts Centre website or call 1300 182 183. If you book tickets in August, each child recieves a set of hot pink mouse ears which will be posted prior to the event.

Closed Loop Cool Kids Day 2011

Sunday 28th August, 10am-2pm
St Kilda Town Hall

Closed Loop Recycling are transforming St Kilda Town Hall into a kids green zone this Sunday for their 2nd Annual Closed Loop Cool Kids Day. Activities include rock-climbing, craft, face-painting, pot-planting, building and games. Plus there will be food and drink and plenty of information on the environment. This event is aimed at children aged 4-12 yrs. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for children (0-3 are free), and a family pass is $60 (2 adults/2 kids). For tickets and more information, visit the Cool Kids Day website.
Alll proceeds from this event go towards the expansion and further development of the Our Cool School Educational Program – the leading online environmental resource in Australia – reaching more than 125,000 students every year.

Kids Events @ Melbourne Recital Centre

Cnr Southbank Boulevard and Sturt Street, Southbank


Coco's Lunch: I want to be a mermaid
Friday 17th October, 10am and 11.30am

I Wanna Be A Mermaid is an interactive musical experience for 2 to 5 year olds featuring new seaside songs and classic Coco hits. Come and explore the magical world of underwater a capella, as the girls become singing pirates, scuba divers, surfers and mermaids for a day. Coco’s Lunch inspire young audiences to shuffle, clap, dance the mambo and sing in all kinds of creative ways. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. Book online, in person at box office, or call (03) 9699 3333 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.


Musical Picture Books
Monday 26th September, 11.30am

Designed for primary school age children, this concert may still be suited to under-fives as long as they can sit still and listen. Popular storybooks The Night Garden and The Rainbirds will be brought to life through big screen animation and a live orchestra. A perfect event for Granny or Grandpa to attend. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. Book online, in person or call (03) 9699 3333.

The Wiggles turn 20!

Flemington Racecourse
Thurs 1st - Sun 4th December, 10am & 1.30 shows

The fab four are turning 20, can you believe it! To celebrate, they are having a big birthday concert at Flemington Racecourse in December. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

As the main part of the celebrations 'The Wiggles Big Birthday in The Big Tent' is an unprecedented presentation for the super group with the venue allowing a 360 degree view of the stage in an a 3000 seat intimate setting.

This will be a show with the perfect combination of your favourite songs and some fabulous new tunes that will have children, mums, dads and grand parents dancing in the aisles!

Check ticketek for tickets prices and details.

Miniature Railways in Melbourne

My son is right into trains at the moment and we are loving our visits to miniature railways. This is a great outing with under-fives - cheap, exciting and a real crowd pleaser. Also, there is something about those old guys in their train driver hats that seems to instil good behaviour in everyone. Whilst the long queues are a put-off at first, they move quickly and its well worth the wait. Here is a list of miniature railways in Melbourne;

Altona Miniature Railway
21 Blenheim Rd, Altona North. Melways 55 5E
Every 3rd Sunday, 11am-4pm. $2.50 per person (babies under 12 months free)

Box Hill Miniature Railway
Cnr Elgar Rd & Belmore Rd. Melways Ref 47 B4
Every 3rd Sunday, 11am-4pm. $3 per person (babies under 12 months free)

Bulla Hill Miniature Railway
15 Green Street, Bulla. (8 mins from Tullamarine Airport).Melways Ref 177 B7
1st and 3rd Sunday, 12pm-4pm. $3 per person

Cobden Miniature Railway
Grayland Street, Cobden.
Every 3rd Sunday & every Sun during school holidays. $2 per person (under 2's free)

Como Gardens Miniature Railway
79 Basin Olinda Road, The Basin. Melways Ref 65 K7
Garden Opens Days - next one 15th & 16th of October.
$7.50 Garden Entry Fee for Adults. Kids under 14 are free.

Diamond Valley Railway
Eltham Lower Park. Melways Ref 21 H10
Every Sunday 11am-5pm. Public Holidays 1pm-4pm. School Holidays open wed 1am-4pm
$3 per person. Under 2's ride free.

Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club
1200 Ferntree Gulley Road, Scoresby. Melways Ref 72 D9.
Every Sunday. 11am-4pm. $2 per person

The Steam Locomotive Society of Victoria
128 Rowans Road, Moorabbin.
Every 1st Sunday. $2 each (under fives are free)

Campbelltown Miniature Railway
434 Belgrave-Hallam Road, Narre Warren North
Every Sunday, $4.50 for Boulder Mountain, $6 for Cavalier (under threes free)

SLIME recipe

This is a fun activity to do just before a bath. Lay out a disposable tablecloth and let them squish it all over the table, or alternatively keep it in a bowl. The sensation of the slime oozing through their fingers is bound to make them laugh. Then jump straight in the bath and use the slime as soap.


RECIPE
1 cup of LUX Flakes
2 cups of boiling water
A few drops of food colouring

Mix it all together and put in the fridge overnight.

A few school holiday ideas

School holidays are here and the good weather has officially disappeared. So, here are a couple of indoor options for under-fives.

WORKSHOPS
- Allsportz sports camp, Prahran
- Petit Atelier Cooking Workshops, Prahran
- Fizz Kids, Mont Albert & East Malvern
- The Art Factory,Balwyn, Malvern & Essendon
- Little Devils Circus Workshops, Box Hill South
- Junk Puppetry Workshop at Chapel off Chapel
- Lego Workshop at Docklands
- Pottery Painting at Glazeit Studios, Elsternwick

THEATRE / MOVIES
- Puss N'Boots at The Tivoli Theatre
- Toy Story 3D - The Gruffalo's Child at The Arts Centre
- The Mighty BUZZniks at Melbourne Recital Centre


SHOPPING CENTRE ENTERTAINMENT
Best to look up your local shopping centre, but here a couple of examples. Most events are free, but some may incur a charge.

CHADSTONE
- Disney Storytelling @ Chadstone - 10am and 2pm, 4th-8th July
- Lego Workshops - every half hour between 11 and 1.30pm, 11th-15th July

VICTORIA GARDENS
- Plaster Fun House - 10am-4pm, 4th-16th July
- Do you believe in magic show - 11am and 1.30pm, 11th-15th July

TOORONGA
- Cooking Classes, 11am - 2pm, 4th-8th July
- Craft Activities, 11am - 3pm, 11th-15th July

OTHER EVENTS
- Art of the Brick exhibition at Federation Square AND Holiday Program
- KIDS GO Expo at Mornington Race Course, 7-10 July
- Cheeky Chooks at CERES on Wednesday 6th July, 9.30 - 12.30

If weather gets better, you might also want to consider
- Diamond Valley Railway in Eltham, every Wed and Sun during holidays
- Kew Traffic School

If none of these activities are covenient for you, the best thing to do is check your local newspaper for event listings. Also, check the websites of all your favourite places to go and its pretty much guaranteed there will be some kind of school holiday event on offer. Have a great holidays!

Changes in Zoo Fees

Some exciting news thanks to the Victorian State Government and Zoos Victoria.

As of July 1, kids under 16 years will get free admission into all three zoos (Healesville, Werribee and Melbourne) on weekends, school holidays and public holidays.

For Zoo Members, this means that next time you renew your membership you will only pay for family members over 16 years of age - meaning free entry for under-16's every day of the year.