Playdough Recipe

A couple of years ago I did a playdough recipe post, but thanks to my friend Sophie (a kindergarten teacher) I now use this very easy recipe that doesn't require any cooking. This playdough has a great consistency (not too oily or sticky) and it lasts for ages when kept in a snaplock container in the pantry. This is a huge amount, so we usually split it into two bowls and make two different colours.

4 cups plain flour
2 cups cooking salt
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 packet of cream or tartar
4 cups freshly boiled water
food colour

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl
Add food colouring (if desired)
Pour in boiled water and stir with a wooden spoon. Add oil and mix again.
Once cool enough to handle, knead together on a board.
Store in an airtight container.

The Otways with Kids

This fantastic post on The Otways is courtesy of Romy Mangan, mother to three children aged 6, 5 and 3. The Otways are located on the Great Ocean Road, about three hours drive from Melbourne.



During the recent July school holidays my family and I decided it was time to get away and occupy the kids with more than the usual round of museums and parks. So I booked us a short get away to the Otways , one of my favourite locations in Victoria. I hadn’t been back since I was pregnant with my 6 year old and have since added a 5 and a 3 year old to the mix so I was looking forward to visiting with them.

Booking couldn’t have been easier, there are many websites to choose from but I selected www.stayz.com for last minute deals. I was delighted to find a two bedroom cottage that was self catering and would be perfect for our needs. So we packed our bags with plenty of warm clothes and gumboots and off we went to our cottage, Nellie Nook which is located in Lavers Hill on the Great Ocean Road.

It is a 3 hour trip from the Eastern Suburbs so I knew we would need to stop for a break and something to eat. We chose the Winchelsea Shire Hall Tea Rooms. It was pleasant and very affordable and provided good food and plenty of space for the kids to run off some steam before we headed back on our journey. On the way we played counting coloured cars, I spy, I went on a picnic and took a….., which always ends in something silly and usually with my kids something involving a bodily function. But it kept them occupied until we got there.

Neal (the owner of Nellie Nook) was there to greet us and had lit the wood heater for us. He was a great host and took us off on a walk around his property which has some woods and a small waterfall. There is also a damn with frogs in it. When we got back he presented us with homemade bread which we scoffed in about 2 minutes.
We then took off for an exploration of Lavers Hill, which to be fair is set in beautiful surrounds but doesn’t offer the kids much so we headed for Hopetoun Falls. There are many waterfalls in the area abut we chose this as we knew our kids would make the walk there and back.

The falls were great and the kids were amazed at sound of the crashing water. A huge tree had fallen into the falls and the kids loved this as it showed the scale and power of the waterfall. They made the walk there and back up the many steps without a moan. Great!

We stopped in Lavers Hill at the motel for dinner. Unfortunately the menu selection wasn’t great and the food though ample in size was just OK, however if the kids were asked the same they would say thumbs up to the chips and sausage rolls for dinner. Our next adventure was to see the Glow Worms which were only a 3 minute drive away in Melba Gully Visit Victoria Glow Worms.

By 6 o’clock it was pitch black so we needed our torches to walk the 10 minutes to where the glow worms are. Neal had given us directions so we knew where we were going; otherwise I think we might have wandered off. The lights of the worms were just lovely and looked like twinkling fairy lights in the trees. After this it was back for a movie and cosy up on the sofa.

Next day we were up and about exploring Nellie Nook again and then we bundled everyone in to the car and set off to Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. This place is great. The Kookaburras were calling on arrival and helped to build the kids expectations from minute one. We booked the Tree Top walk which cost around $50. There is a zip fly wire tour but our kids were too young and also due to the cost, we thought we would wait until they were older and would appreciate it more. The walk through the forest is beautiful with huge gums towering above and the freshest air I’ve ever breathed. We then came to the dinosaur trail. It is a walk that the kids and we loved. There are replica models of various favourite dinosaurs, including Stegosaurus, Triceratops and T Rex. Along this part of the walk there were plenty of really good photo opportunities, we had great fun posing with the dinosaurs. After this walk it was on to the tree tops. If you are afraid of heights this may not be for you but it is perfectly safe and gets you up really high. The kids went charging on and climbed the tower pretending it was a spaceship. My youngest struggled a bit so she needed a shoulder ride from time to time but was able to cope very well.

We had a snack in the cafe which was well priced and went on to Apollo Bay. On our way there we saw a pod of migrating whales. This was the highlight of the trip for me. The kids loved it too but then got fed up with that and played on the beach in the winter sunshine. We had lunch in Apollo Bay and went for stroll. It was busy but it’s a lovely seaside town with plenty of shops to browse through if you don’t have impatient little ones in tow.

From here we headed to the 12 Apostles. We went to the visitor centre but our kids weren’t interested in the geology of the area and got bored on the walk. I tried to liven it up by telling stories of shipwrecks and also about the penguins but they were over it so we headed back to our cottage. Maybe when they get older we will take them back. We saw heaps of Kangaroos on the drive back but sadly no wombats.

The next day we went to Johanna beach (Map for Johanna Beach) and went to the second car park which is closer to the river and if you fancy it can be an option for going for more explorations along its banks. We didn’t do it this time as the kids wanted to play on the beach. My two older boys got drenched playing in the rock pools and chasing waves. Great fun but I was glad they had a change of clothing. We also found huge cuttle fish bones washed up, the kids took home and have now been painted in technicolour glory!

On our way back to Melbourne we decided to stop off at Werribee Zoo. We have been here lots of times as we are Friends of the Zoo but thought as it was on our way it was a great choice for a break and dinner. The Zoo didn’t disappoint with the two highlights being the gorillas that were very active and in full view and the lions were right up next to the glass too. On the safari bus the rhinos were really close and in fact the bus had to move along to keep out of their way.

We got home tired and thinking that we must get down to the Otways again very soon.

Hot Rock Crayon Painting

I get heaps of great kids art ideas from The Artful Parent and this one is my new favourite.

Find some smooth stones from around the garden and give them a good clean. Then place them on a tray lined with baking paper and put them in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Get your crayons ready. This is a good way of getting rid of old bits and pieces of crayons, or just buy a couple of cheap packs.

Set up some work trays on the bench and find some mittens or oven mitts for the kids to wear. The stones will be very hot, so this activity is best suited to kids 3 years and over.

When the stones are hot enough, remove them from the oven and (using an oven mitt or tongs) place them onto the work trays. Larger flat stones will be easier for kids to paint without having to touch them, and longer crayons will make the task easier.

Let the kids melt the crayons onto the hot stones. They will discover that they get better results by slowly moving the crayons over the stones - more like painting than drawing.

Let the rocks dry and then use them as decoration for the fairy garden or grouped together in a bowl.

Glow Stick Bath-Time

I've seen this idea on a few blogs and I've always wanted to try it. It seemed like the perfect time tonight after our visit to the snow.

Basically it's as easy as throwing a handful of glow sticks into a nice warm bath and turning the lights off. Suddenly bath time is way more exciting.

To make it even more ambient, make a few glow jars to place around the bathroom.

Glow sticks are really cheap and you can buy them on ebay. They are also handy for carols by candlelight celebrations and kids birthday parties.

Tobogganing at Lake Mountain

Today we took the kids to see snow for the first time. Lake Mountain is only 90 minutes from our place, so that seemed the obvious place to go and chains are not required as with other ski resorts.

The kids were super excited and it was so lovely to see their faces at the first glimpse of snow. It is definitely one of my favourite activities we have done as a family.

Lake Mountain is a cross country ski resort and is the closest resort to Melbourne, making it perfect for tobogganing and snow play with young kids. Furthermore, Lake Mountain tourism supports the bushfire recovery effort.

Today there were two slopes open for tobogganing. The snow was quite icy but not too slippery and the slopes were gentle and short enough for our five and three year olds to manage on their own. Its certainly not the soft pure white snow cover you get at Bulla or Hotham, but the kids are none the wiser yet and they loved making us run up and down pushing them faster and faster - exhausting work, so a few hours on the mountain is probably ample with under fives.

Costs

Vehicle Entry is $40 midweek ($30 online) and $49 weekends/public holidays/school holidays ($40 online).

Chains - these are only required in certain conditions. Its worth ringing the hotline on the morning of your visit and checking the snow report and road conditions - 03 5957 7232

Hire - The best deals are in Buxton,Narbethong and Marysville where you can get overpants, boots & toboggan hire for $16 per child. The same thing is $30 on the mountain.

Food - There is a restaurant on the mountain that has hot food and drinks, and plenty of bakeries and cafes along the way. For a nice sit-down lunch, Innocent Bystander in Healesville is kid friendly and has fantastic pizza and tapas. The York on Lilydale is a good dinner option with kids as it has an indoor playroom and kids meal deals.

Ways to save money

Op Shop Ski Gear - Knowing we would probably visit the snow this season, I have been trawling the op shops for a few weeks, stocking up on warm and wet gear. They may not be the most attractive options, but they did the trick and the kids will outgrow them by next season. There are some good op shops in Healesville if you haven't got everything you need, plus the $2 shop have cheap kids snow gloves.

Self catering - we stocked up at the IGA in Coldstream on snacks, drinks and sandwich things and these kept the kids entertained in the car on the way up, plus the treats proved useful up the mountain.

Hardware Stores - I've seen a few hardware stores that sell toboggans for $20-30, This could be worthwhile if you will use them again - great for the slipperly slide in summer.

For further information, visit the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort website.

A fun way to warm up after a day at the snow is with a Glow Stick Bath.

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.