Foogo Drink Bottles

I have bought so many different drink bottles but these are the only ones that haven't ended up at the bottom of the plastics drawer. Made by Thermos, they keep drinks cool for up to 12 hours which is great in summer and they are super tough and don't leak. They are quite expensive but I can't say I've regretted spending that bit extra for what has proven to be a quality product. We got ours at General Trader but they are also available online

Alex Bath Stickers

I think these are a great gift idea for kids under five. We have a bit of a collection in our bath toy tub and they come out every night. The best ones I think are the scene builders or people builders which they can use to build a story on the side of the bath. I've seen them at Baby Bunting and many other toy shops, or online.

Shopping List Game

Our new nightly routine is to play a game with our three year old before putting her to bed. This way she gets an extra half an hour after her brother goes to bed and some quality time with us. It seems to be working quite well and the Shopping List memory game is her absolute favourite. Every player gets a trolley and a shopping list, then you take turns in turning over the pieces to find the items you need. If somebody else turns over an item that you need, you must remember where it is when it comes to your turn. The first person to fill their trolley wins.

A range of the Orchard Toys board games are available at Windmill Toys

GALT Floor Puzzles

We recently bought this floor puzzle for our three year old daughter and she absolutely loves it. She does it every night before bed. It's not super easy and they are not the traditional square shaped pieces so she has to think about it, but she is so proud when she completes it on her own. We also have the smaller farm version.

We bought ours from our local toy shop but I haven't seen them anywhere else. May be worth asking at your local shop though as GALT is a pretty popular brand. I also found them online at Always on Sale

Uimi Textile Design Studio

A very clever friend of mine designs the most beautiful range of eco friendly knitwear for body, baby and home. Her products are created from natural fibres, including wonderfully soft merino wool and organic cotton. Find them at the following retailers

Playdough Recipe

Could be the pregnancy but I'm feeling a little Suzie Homemaker today so thought I'd make the kids some playdough. I am so sick of buying commercial dough that dries out really quickly so I thought I'd try this recipe from Frills in the Hills

I highly recommend this recipe. It is easy and fairly clean to make, plus with a little less food colouring than the original recipe it makes a bright pink colour that my daughter loves.

Ingredients:
2 cups white flour
1/2 cup salt
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
2.5 teaspoons vegetable food colouring (we used rose)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method
In a saucepan:
1. Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Add water, food colouring and oil.
3. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 min.
4. When it forms a ball in the center of the saucepan, turn out and knead onto a lightly floured surface - careful as it's pretty hot.
6. Store in plastic container or ziplock bag.

Facebook Group

Join the Things to do with Under Fives Group on Facebook for review updates and a chance to have your say on our discussion board.

Little Eats

When I first discovered Little Eats it was one of those ‘I wish I’d thought of that’ moments.

In my first 18 months of motherhood, I visited so many cafes, either catching up with friends or following through on the promise of a babychino after an outing. Indeed, my daughter became such a chino connoisseur that she developed a three point check system. Chocolate on top, check! Spoon, check! Marshmallows, 1,2, check! A startled waiter got a serious dressing down from her one day for failing to provide the marshmallows on the side. Move over Gordon Ramsay!

But as any parent will tell you, a good kid-friendly café is not just about the babychinos. Highchairs, pram access, change table, kids menu, play area, crayons, atmosphere, friendliness of staff – these are all things you have to consider when you take young kids into a café and they are not easy to assess from a quick peek in the door or from your standard café review. This is when a visit to the Little Eats website could seriously make your day.

Searchable by area (north, south, east, west, out of town, other), Little Eats rate cafés out of five milkshakes with five meaning that it ticks all the boxes for parents and children alike. For each café, they provide basic info, a child-friendly checklist, a short ‘soundbite review’ and then a more detailed review which includes their own personal experience and the overall ‘vibe’ of the place.

Often the reviews are a little too amicable (four milkshakes seem popular) and it would be good to have multiple search options, but overall I find this website really appealing. There is something in reviewer Jemma’s style that makes you crave that special moment with your little one when their top lip is covered in milk froth and they’ve just set their eyes on a “teeny tiny little mini cupcake”. And as a mother, there is nothing better when you’re feeling sleep deprived and a little removed from society, than to get out for a good coffee and a tasty treat in a nice and welcoming environment.

Little Eat’s reviews are particularly focused on the good years for café outings – under two years old and one child only. But from the information provided it is pretty easy to assess whether a café is going to be the right choice for you and your brood. They also include some dinner suggestions which are handy, and their out of town reviews may provide inspiration for a day trip or even a trip to Bali.

So now I can refrain from pouring over the Epicure section of The Age every week and living vicariously through the reviews of uber cool and so not child-friendly cafes and restaurants. Instead I can visit the Little Eats website and find myself a nice workable option to try out with the kids. Lets just hope they have marshmallows!

www.littleeats.com.au

Churchill Island Family Fun Festival

Churchill Island - Phillip Island
Easter Weekend

This is definitely one to keep in mind for next year.

Just off the coast of Phillip Island, Churchill Island is an historic working farm that provides the perfect setting for this traditional family fun festival. Activities include wagon rides, a three-legged race, plaster painting and a Punch & Judy show, as well as wool spinning, wood crafting, sheep shearing and blacksmith demonstrations. There are lots of farm animals, a lovely kitchen garden and plenty of open space for a picnic and/or play. The absence of commercial rides and fast food options is refreshing and we found it to be a fun, relaxing and affordable event which the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

Parking is available on the Island. Admission costs $10 for adults and $5 for children over four. For more information, visit Phillip Island Nature Parks

A Farmers Market is held here on the fourth saturday of each month and this could also be worth a visit

Heide Art Bubs

Heide Museum of Modern Art
Friday 26th March, 10am - 11.30am

Heide Museum of Modern Art in Bulleen are running a series of events throughout the year aimed at parents and carers with children aged 0 to 6 years.

The session we attended was for their current exhibition - Sunday’s Kitchen: Food and Living at Heide. This exhibition provides an insight into the domestic lives of John and Sunday Reed who settled here in 1935 and transformed the old dairy farm into a creative space for artists such as Sidney Nolan and Charles Blackman. It is particularly focused on the role that Sunday Reed, an avid cook and gardener, played in establishing Heide as a sustainable and vibrant living environment with home-grown produce, seasonal cooking and a communal table. Coinciding with the launch of a book by the same title, it is a really interesting exhibition that brings together some of the couple’s photographs, personal effects and recipes with works from the Heide Museum collection.

The Art Bubs sesssion began with a guided tour of the exhibition but unfortunately I didn’t get to hear much of it. The kids were expected to sit down in a tight space and listen to a story then do a puzzle, but nobody really got their attention from the outset and as a result they showed little interest in either activity. The exhibition space remained open to other visitors during the tour so the guide spoke only to her immediate group and not to those who lingered behind with kids. Heide 1 is a heritage house with artworks at kids level so they are not free to just roam around, and the Sunday’s Kitchen exhibition is of no great interest to them – in fact they would probably prefer the cubism exhibition that is currently showing in the main building.

After the tour we ventured out into the pleasant garden behind Heide 1 for an Easter egg hunt. This had the desired effect of peaking the kids’ interest and after a chocolate treat they were far more cooperative. The hunt was followed by a walk through Sunday’s kitchen garden before heading down to the Sidney Myer Education Centre for morning tea. The kids were entertained with colouring in pages and given fruit and grissini sticks whilst the adults had cake and coffee. The Sidney Myer building was pleasant and well suited to kids and we were able to enjoy our coffee on the baby friendly steps outside whilst the bigger kids explored the gardens.

Overall, this event was disapointing. Despite its potential, it seemed poorly organised and inappropriate for the advertised age group. (In my opinion it's best suited to kids over 3 years of age who will happily sit and do an activity on their own). The children were not engaged and the tone of the event was very formal. I found it surprising that they didn't use the exhibition as a focus when devising the kids activities for the food and living theme would have lent itself well to this. Heide is a lovely venue and this could be a fantastic event if it was better organised and more clearly designed for kids.

The next Art Bubs event is on Friday 21st May for the exhibition Simryn Gill: Gathering. For further information on Heide Art Bubs, visit the Heide website .

Easter Activities

Make some Bunny Ears

Do an Easter Egg Pasting

Easter themed Colouring In

Make a Bunny Mask

Decorate Easter Eggs

Make an Easter Sign by painting the mdf shape with chalkboard paint and using twine or rope to hang

Other Activity Ideas

Easter Holidays - What's On

Scienceworks - Circus of Spin
20 minute performance by CircaNICA suitable for all ages. Daily until 11th April. 12pm and 2pm. Included in museum entry

Werribee Open Range Zoo
Three exciting activities for children under five years
Village Dance Party - Dance and sing along to a colourful musical show featuring silhouettted dancing characters on a large screen. Free with admission. Mon to Fri 11m to 3pm.
Mini Zoo Keepers - 1.5 hour magical journey around zoo including face to face encounters with many animals. Tuesdays 9.15am. Adults & Children $40
Junior Safari - 35 minute bus ride aimed at five year olds with puppets, music and amazing animal action. Monday to Friday during school holidys, Tuesdays during school terms. 11.30am. Free with general admission.

Kids at the Library
The State Library have two free events suitable for little ones. Storytime for Pre-schoolers on Wednesday 3rd March 11am - 11.45am and the Baby Bounce Session for 8 mths-2yrs on Thursday 4th March 11am - 11.45am. Bookings on (03) 8664 7099 or bookings@slv.vic.gov.au

Fantastic Friends at Royal Botanical Gardens
Create your own fantastic friend from a range of items straight from the garden, including gum nuts, seed pods and banksias. Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th April 10.30am to 2pm. $4 per child. Plant Craft Cottage near H-gate.For bookings contact Jean (03) 85881824 or Christina (03) 96902145

SkyHigh Mount Dandenong Childrens Week
From 4th April until 10th April there are a range of activities on at SkyHigh including an easter egg hunt, pony rides and storytelling. All activities are free of charge but gate fees do apply.

NGV Kids Corner
A new space for kids with creative installations and activities designed just for them. Check website for full list of events.

Family Day at Collingwood Children's Farm
Ride a pony, milk a cow, enjoy hay rides and visit all the animals. Sunday 4th April 8am to 5pm. Rides 10.30am - 2.30pm. Adults $8, Children $4.

Local Community Centre
Check out the school holiday program at your local neighbourhood centre. Many offer a range of kindy activities. We're doing kindy clay and kindy canvas at our centre this week.

Dymocks Melbourne

Dymocks Book Store in Collins Street have regular free Sunday events for children.

I have just booked for Spot's Birthday Party on the 30th of May. Other events coming up include Alice in Wonderland on the 28th of March and There's a Hippopotamus on my Roof Eating Cake! on the 2nd of May. These events usually include storytelling, games, activites and cake.

We went to Bob The Builder's Birthday Party last year and it was good fun. There was colouring in, dancing, and Bob made an appearance. The event space is a little tight so I'd suggest going pram-free if you can, and don't worry there are coffees available for those that baulk at being in the city by 10am on a Sunday.

Dymocks events are free but you still need to book. Visit Dymocks for further details or book on 03 9660 8500 or levents@dymocks.com.au

Tivoli Theatre Restaurant

In January I took my 3 year old and her 4 year old friend to The Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe at the Tivoli Theatre in Malvern.

Owned by showbiz couple Carole Ann and Terry Gill, the Tivoli Theatre is a bit of a Melbourne institution for seniors and children's theatre and they do four pantomime productions a year.

The 75 minute show (including interval) is a mash-up of different nursery rhymes structured in true pantomime style with the baddie being booed by the audience and the goodie triumphing with a song and dance number. But honestly for the under fives, the storyline is peripheral to the well-known songs and nursery rhymes which are scattered frequently throughout the show.

I can’t say that this is the most entertaining show I’ve ever seen, however given the lack of children’s theatre in Melbourne, I am reluctant to give it a critical review for at least they are giving it a go. Just don’t go there expecting a polished show in a modern theatre. This is traditional razzle dazzle local theatre which, if you accept for what it is, can be just as fun and entertaining as the big licenced productions. You also need to keep in mind that many of the performers are young kids from the local ballet school and given their age they do a fantastic job. They act alongside some of Melbourne's theatre veterans, such as owner Terry Gill who was fantastic as Humpty Dumpty.

I highly recommend bringing water bottles and a bag of snacks with you. The lemonade is very sweet and the fairy bread doesn’t come out until the interval. Also, snacks will entertain the kids if they get a bit distracted during the show. The audience are seated at long tables so the kids need to stay in their seats but food and drink are allowed. I’d also recommend leaving children under two at home if you can as prams won’t fit in the theatre and the tight seating would get uncomfortable with a wriggler. I have a good arrangement with a friend where one of us takes the older kids to the show and one of us stays at home with the younger ones – much easier.

We have just booked for the Tivoli's next production, Red Riding Hood, which runs from the 29th of March until the 9th of April. Tickets are $17 which includes the show , lemonade and fairy bread. For bookings, visit Tivoli Theatre or call (03) 9509 9066.

Day out with Thomas

Emerald Town Station
Melways Ref. 127 E5

There are very few children under five I would think that would not get excited by seeing a life-size Thomas the Tank Engine. The perpetually happy train engine is a major hit with this age group.

A Day out with Thomas at Emerald Station includes a 20 minute steam train ride behind Puffing Billy, a Pantomine, and free entry to various other attractions such as a jumping castle, animal farm and a ride on Green Bulgy Bus.

The train ride through the Dandenongs is definitely the main attraction and the train is designed so that everybody gets a window seat. Whilst the open windows mean your kids must stay seated, the fresh air on the face and the endless parade of waving Emerald residents make the ride such a joy. (It must be exhausting to live near Thomas!)

Following the excitement of the train ride, I thought the pantomine fell a little flat. Performed by members of the local theatre group, it was well intended but it dragged on and seemed to display gaps in their licencing agreement. For example, they did not use the Thomas theme song at all.

The other activties were good but fairly generic, and I have to say the ride on Bulgy the Bus was just a little bit scary. Maybe its been a while since I was on a bus but Bulgy was a bit fast for my liking.

Despite all this, the kids had a fantastic time and realistically it wouldn't have mattered how lame the activities were, they were just interested in seeing Thomas and every glimpse of him brought a smile to their faces.

Day out with Thomas tickets are $20 for adults and children aged 4 to 16. Toddlers (1 to 3 yrs) are $10 each. To book visit the Puffing Billy website

After Thomas, I would reccommend going to Emerald Park Lake for a play and a picnic. This is a great park with a good playground and lots of picnic and bbq areas - you can even book the rotundas ahead of time which is handy for groups. And, if you haven't had enough of trains for the day, the park has its own little model railway. For details, visit the Emerald Park Lake website