Flat Stanley with actor Adam Sandler

In 1995, a Canadian primary school teacher created The Flat Stanley project, which was an extension of the book series and a creative way to bring a social experience to pen pal writing between school kids. And now in 2012, The Flat Stanley Project runs an amazing website that tracks Flat Stanley and other flat friends!) all over the world. Even in Australia –

You can sign up for a free account and connect with other school kids who are looking to swap and receive a Flat Stanley, and then organise the journey your Flat Stanley will go on! Your Flat Stanley can be tracked on the website or by the App and along the way you’ll get to know your new friends too You can do this via email or by traditional post – I think traditional post is a bit more fun!

I definately recommend this project for young kids to learn not only about books & characters, but how to connect and socialise with other kids in a fun, creative way. I love that there is an online and offline world for Flat Stanley and that he’s stood the test of time

To find out more about Flat Stanley and how to start your own Flat Stanley project, visit the official website
www.flatstanley.com

Image of Adam Sandler taken from Daily Independent

A Babymoon is a play on the word ‘Honeymoon’, however this time you’re going on a holiday before baby arrives. Generally taken between 12 and 28 weeks (with doctor’s consultation especially if you’re high risk or are flying), there’s no better time to take one last child-free holiday with your partner. I never got to go on a babymoon, but that doesn’t stop me from recommending one to you!

Just with any holiday, there are so many options for a holiday getaway for two – but today I am going to post about 5 great babymoon destinations within Australia.

Shanleys Huon Valley – Glendevie Tasmania
Set in the gorgeous Huon Valley, Shanleys is a private & relaxing retreat with panaromic views. A great place to stay if you’re after a quiet getaway for two.

The Lyall Hotel – South Yarra, Melbourne
Melbourne’s only privately owned and operated 5 Star hotel – The Lyall is great for those who want to be in the city and have a place to relax at the same time with The Lyall Spa set within the hotel itself.

The Olsen – South Yarra, Melbourne
For something a little more modern, The Olsen is my dream accommodation for a city stay with a difference. This boutique Melbourne hotel is complimented by a day spa and two delicious restaurants – but you’re also located right on Chapel Street so everything is a few steps away.

Echoes’ Boutique Hotel & Restaurant – Katoomba, New South Wales
Located on the edge of Jamison Valley at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains, Echoes is a popular quick getaway spot for babymooners. The fresh air from the mountains, and the services from the private spa will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Peppers Ruffles Lodge & Spa Willow Vale – Willow Vale, Queensland
Peppers is well known for it’s beautiful resorts – but they also specialise in babymoon packages. The Willow Vale resort is ideal for a relaxing getaway and is only 30 minutes from the Gold Coast.

Whether you’re up for some relaxation or are looking to explore, a babymoon with your partner is a great bonding experience before a new baby joins your family. Remember to consult your doctor before you make any solid plans and research your destination before you leave.

Happy Babymooning!

Sydney – yes it’s raining outside, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck at home during these last days of the school holidays.

If you have school aged kids, chances are you’ll know who Phineas and Ferb are. Popular on the Disney Channel in Australia, this FREE EVENT is an interactive series of fun activities for the kids. The kids and kids-at-heart will marvel at the wonder of Phineas and Ferb’s latest invention, the ‘Photo-Inator’, and get an awesome photo keepsake of their day.

Every kid attending will receive a free Phineas and Ferb photo frame, plus kids can also play Phineas and Ferb games, chill out on bean bags and watch Phineas and Ferb episodes.

Sounds like an awesome morning out!

‘Phineas and Ferb’s Brilliant Backyard Event’ will be at Warringah Mall, outside Myer, Ground Level, from Wednesday 18th – Sunday 22nd April. Open from 9am, 10am on Sunday.

Warringah Mall Shopping Centre
Cnr Condamine St & Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale

‘Phineas and Ferb’ airs Monday-Thursday on Disney Channel at 4.45pm.

If you ever run short of ideas for the school holidays, finding a new playground is always an adventure! The kids won’t say no, and if you find a great one, the playground will be your very own oasis too.

Playground Finder is a popular Australian website that lists hundreds of great playgrounds found around the country. Run by parents Ben and Suzette Hosken, they’ve spent the last 9 years maintaining their list of playgrounds in Australia. The playground reviews on the website are from real parents, not staff writers – so you can be assured that they’re honest reviews from parents like you and I.

Playground Finder has playground listings for Tasmania, the ACT and even the NT. Poking around for a few minutes, I found these playgrounds listed for the other states.

one. Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park NSW
We’ve only just visited this park over the long weekend, and will be back again soon! It has a few smaller playgrounds within the same area, so there’s age appropriate equipment aswell as a wheelchair access swing.
two. McIndoe Park, Leongatha, VIC
three. Marshmallow Park, Adelaide, SA
four. Apple Fun Park, Donnybrook, WA
How did I not know about this amazing playground?? It’s Australia’s largest FREE playground that is opened 24/7. Amazing.
five. Calamvale District Park, Calamvale, QLD

So what are my top wishes for the ultimate playground? Fences all the way around the playground, appropriate flooring, equipment for both infants to tweens, lots of shade over the playground aswell as the seating for the adults.

For more playgrounds in your area, make sure you bookmark the Playground Finder website
www.playgroundfinder.com

If you live in the area, you quickly get to know where you can go without either losing your child or losing your sanity, but if you’re looking for something different or if you’ve just moved cities – it can be tough!

Seana Smith has released the third edition of her book Sydney For Under Fives.

Find all the top spots for tots; cafes and restaurants, swimming pools, play centres, safe beaches and dozens of fantastic playgrounds, plus baby-friendly cinemas, art galleries, museums and more.

I love that this book has so many chapters – including Soft Play and Play Centres, The Joy of Playgroup (oh how I love a good playgroup!) and Stroller Walks to Stretch the Legs. There’s even an suburb index so you have a go-to guide for any suburb you’re planning to visit.

I think it would make a great present to any new mum or dad, a new neighbour with young kids or as a guide for discovering Sydney with your young kids.

The Sydney For Under Fives book is AU$25 and you can buy it online via the website.

When I had found out that there would be an event packed with performances, meet and greets, rides and other kid-friendly activities – I knew we couldn’t miss out. We had tried to take our then 3yo to the Sydney Easter Show last year, and while it had alot of things to do and see – it just wasn’t suited to 0-6 year olds. (Way too many people, way too much junk, too long of a day – better for the older kids in my opinion).

Held at the Sydney Showgrounds, the Target Kids Day Out 2012 was held on the 3 March, and while the threat of rain loomed over the festival, it didn’t damper the fun! There was a mini train ride available from the parking lot over to the front gates, very popular with the little ones.

Once inside the gates, you were handed a map and an ID wristband for your kids (which was a very good idea but my son ripped his off within 10 minutes). My plan for the day was to see our favourites first and inbetween do some roaming around. Yo Gabba Gabba was on the top of my list – and seeing them close up was really exciting for both of us. Meeting them afterward was even better and I cannot wait to see the professional photograph they took of my son! Here’s a shot from my iPhone –

The other highlights of the day include

Matt Falloon & his Trained Balloons who made my son an amazing mini volcano out of balloons.

Meeting Jimmy Giggle – who also got to meet alot of adoring mothers & aunties, lol.

The Erth Dinosaur Petting Zoo show – we caught them at 10:30am and 2pm because my son was blown away that he could pet a baby dinosaur! The 2pm show was packed though I think the noise from the rides & the general amazement to see the dino’s walking around meant the presenter really had to work for the crowd’s attention.

The ABC2 stage had a perfect sized floor space so that families could spread out and let their kids dance along with the performances without getting squished.

The main stage arena was huge – one half was filled with FREE jumping castle rides and face painting.

Because of the rain, most of the rides were moved indoors together with the market stalls & show bags. I think the bumper cars were mainly for the dads that came along, lol, but the bungee trampolines were popular with the younger kids and the free climbing gym was a great place to let the kids loose for a few minutes.

Thomas the Tank Engine was out for photo ops, and the Golden Ridge Animal Farm had a great petting zoo set up.

We didn’t spend long in the Xbox Gaming Area, but it looked like alot of fun!

All in all, a great day out. I only planned on being there for a few hours but ended up staying right until the end. There was alot to see and do, I know we missed out on heaps (like the YTT Talent Quest and Timomatic) and but we’ve come home with alot of great memories of a day well spent!

Make sure you follow Kids Day Out on Facebook for news & updates. We can’t for next year!

Kids Day Out
kidsdayout.net.au

I will write more about the event in detail later in the week, but here is the video I made of our adventure!

I hope you had a great day out too!

Kids Day Out
kidsdayout.net.au

Planning a special birthday party for our kids can be tricky – when they’re old enough to have specific interests and search for something to keep them busy, then you’ve got to get creative!

A perfect idea for budding scientists is a science birthday party and this is where Fizzics Education comes to the rescue!

Helping Sydney & Melbourne families hold an educational and fun science party is their speciality – you can choose from a science party, gross science party (more goo!), robotics party, liquid nitrogen party, space party, forensics party and a dinosaur party.

They also hold winter evening science for kids slumber parties, Beebot robotics party for 4 to 7 year olds for Sydney families and a cosmetic kitchen birthday party for girls.

The people at Fizzics Education have alot of experience in working with children and guiding them through the science experiments. They’ll engage the children in a fun and educational way and keep them busy! The sessions last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes (not including set up and pack up time).

Fizzics Education have a good reputation for being the best fun at birthday parties around Sydney and Melbourne!

For more information, please check out the Fizzics Education website and make sure you bookmark it for party ideas!

Fizzics Education
www.fizzicseducation.com.au

It’s been at least 20 years since I’ve been back in Melbourne – maybe it’s time to pop down from Sydney to visit? As a mum to a little science nerd (and a wife to a big one), the Planetarium alone will certainly me a memorable experience for the family!

From the website –
Scienceworks makes learning about science and technology a fun, interactive adventure.

Scienceworks is a great place to challenge curious minds and keep active bodies busy.

The Summer School Holiday Program is packed with great exhibits and show for the kids – for dinosaur lovers there’s Explor-a-saurus, there’s Plantearium shows for star gazers and collections of Melbourne’s historic past.

For those out-of-towners like me, Scienceworks is easy to get to by public transport and free limited onsite parking is available.

Children between 3-16 years are FREE to Scienceworks and there are seperate charges for the various exhibits.

For more information about Scienceworks, please visit their website
museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/

All images are the property of Museum Victoria

Sydneysiders! If you’ve just spent a day in the city and need a place to chill out with the kids, or you’ve got nothing planned for dinner and feel like doing something different – keep this in mid!

The Night Owls Kids Film Fest is running now until the 23rd January on the Community Green. Featuring a different kids movie each night for free, you can bring a picnic (or buy some dinner at one of the many new restaurants and cafes in the Darling Quarter precinct) and enjoy a night out under the stars.

The film starts at 6:45pm each night and best in pj’s wins a free Night Owls tshirt.

Films coming up next week include classics such as Sound of Music, Sleeping Beauty and the Wizard of Oz. It’s a great opportunity to spend some family time together AND show the kids a movie they may never have seen before.

Check out the cute promo for the Night Owls Kids Fest

Little Darlings NIGHT OWLS KIDS FILM FEST from Darling Quarter on Vimeo.

Park at Darling Quarter after 5pm weekdays or all day weekends for only $5!

To find out more about the Night Owls Kids Film Fest, please visit the Darling Quarter website or check them out on Facebook.

All Images belong to Darling Quarter.