As 2015 draws to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for joining us on our adventures! Every comment, email, like or share has been so instrumental in us growing the Kidding Around Australia community.
This year our blog was read in 82 different countries! I have a little trouble getting my head around that number , it’s just so amazing … but I am very grateful for every one of you.
Thousands of you were active on our social media platforms and we worked with over 30 brands to bring you some fantastic competitions and ideas for spending time with your own family.
We had such a lot of fun and have so much planned for 2016! Please invite your friends to join us and let us know what you would like to see and do.
So until next year … Thank you for being a part of Kidding Around Australia, stay safe and enjoy your family whilst you make some wonderful memories.
We love having guest contributors here at Kidding Around Australia and Anna is no different! Anna is a mum of two who recently spent a balmy summer evening set amongst the gorgeous nature reserve of Boneo Maze on the Mornington Peninsula enjoying LANTASIA: a light sculpture event in the night garden. By all accounts, Anna and her family had a great time!
If you’re like me and watched the gorgeous pictures of the Dandenong Festival of Lights but it was just too cold and wet to venture outside at night in the middle of winter – then this is the perfect event to pop on your calendar this January.
We began our visit with a game of mini golf. There were three different levels providing fun for all age groups (and abilities). We enjoyed the serene rural setting, especially with sheep in the neighbouring paddock acting as cheer squad. A sense of calm to compliment the chaos of young children attempting to hit a ball into a hole.
We couldn’t resist a run through the maze as well. My daughter loves mazes (it’s what she had at the top of her Christmas list until we explained our backyard wasn’t big enough), so we’ve visited a lot, and this was a favourite as it was quite tricky to find the centre. The kids appreciated the challenge.
Mr H and Miss C (and her baby!) LOVED the maze!
As dusk set the light sculptures began to come to life and we began a journey along the boardwalk, entranced by the gardens coming to life with butterflies, grasshoppers, snails, lady bugs, flamingos, giant lilies and lotus flowers.
Squeals of delight were heard as we reached the back garden and games area, as the kids caught sight of the vintage carousel lit up and offering unlimited free rides. Special mention to Hamish, the carousel attendant working a summer job to support his university studies – he was amazing with the kids and I nearly fell over when my very shy daughter gave him a hug at the end of the night.
Anna says
We arrived in Rosebud early and enjoyed Happy Hour at the Rosebud Carnival, which is only a short distance from Boneo Maze. There’s a larger carnival in Rye, but we only wanted a quick treat. We enjoyed Fish’n’chips on the beach – perfect for a night off from cooking! DON’T FORGET the bug spray – the mosquitos are out in force at dusk.
It was without doubt a gorgeous way to spend a relaxed summer evening and would appeal to people of all ages. Highly recommend packing a picnic and making this one of the special treats your family enjoys over the holidays.
MORE INFORMATION
When: Nightly from 6-10pm until January 27, 2016
Where: Boneo Maze, 695 Limestone Rd, Fingal VIC
Tickets: $60 family or $18 adult & $15 child (3-17yrs) available at the gate
Food & Drink: You are welcome to bring a picnic, or enjoy supper at the lakeside café.
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.
Alegría starts primary school next year, and whilst it is an exciting time, it is also a time to think about the practicalities of what 13 years of schooling will look like. Eeek!
David from Big Kid Little Kid did a great post on ASG and how much schooling is projected to cost per child (you better sit down before you read it, spoiler alert – it’s A LOT!). Preparing financially for your child’s school years is one thing, but it’s not all that ASG have to offer. When they came to me and asked if I would take a look at what services they provide (disclaimer: they offered me a gift voucher for my time*) I was happy to do so!
I have put my head in the sand about the kind of money Big Kid Little Kid talks about and figure we will cross that bridge when we come to it – but I do like to know about resources that can help my kids get the most out of their schooling. Especially, as we are planning to be on the road quite a bit so I need to have educational activities available for long road-trips, hotel rooms, airplane journeys and cruise ships. This stuff I like to be prepared for!
The MY ASG website provides parents with an expanding range of education, parenting and career content, tools and resources as well as member discounts and special offers to support their children’s education now and into the future. MY ASG access is complementary for all ASG education fund members. Non-members can also access this information as well as special offers and discounts and become a MY ASG subscriber for $29.95 per annum, offering excellent value for money.
Let’s crunch those numbers for a second .. It costs $29.95 to join and you get 30% off “ABC Reading Eggs” (which is $80 per year and I know a lot of parents who use this program) so if you were going to buy Reading Eggs anyway that’s a saving of $24. Put that $24 towards MY ASG and you get everything else ASG has to offer for $6!! – Can’t complain about that!
So what is available on MY ASG?
50% off LearningGames® Developed by Professor Joseph Sparling. Comprising 200 individualised experience or educational games, spread over five books targeting the age groups of: birth – 12 months, 12 – 24 months, 24 – 36 months, 36 – 48 months, 48 – 60 months.
50% off ASG books A selection of fun educational books that encourage and help build children’s social and emotional skills. ASG’s Little Learner Pack (We reviewed this earlier in the year – read about it HERE) A fun and educational gift for children under six years of age. Includes a Cat in the Hat DVD, five books based on Professor Michael Bernard’s five foundations for success and happiness, and discounted access to Parentingideas Club. Valued at over $180, it can be purchased for $49.95.
30 % off ABC Reading Eggs A multi-award winning online reading program for children aged three to seven, designed to boost children’s confidence while developing a lifelong love of reading. MY ASG subscribers receive a discount of 30 per cent on ABC Reading Eggs, which includes ABC Reading Eggspress.
30% off ABC Mathseeds Teaches children aged three to six core maths and problem solving skills in fun, interactive and rewarding lessons.
45 minutes free with YourTutor Connects students to tutors for online, on-demand study help. YourTutor helps hundreds of Australian students to achieve better results every day. MY ASG subscribers receive 45 minutes free online tutoring when they trial the service.
20% off Maggie Dent Maggie Dent is an author, educator, and parenting and resilience specialist with a particular interest in the early years and adolescence. MY ASG subscribers receive a 20% discount from a variety of books and dvds.
$50 discount off Parentingideas Club An online parenting centre created by Michael Grose.
7.5% off MediGUARD Health Cover MY ASG subscribers enjoy a discount of 7.5 per cent on health cover contributions when you hold a policy with MediGUARD Health Cover, provided by Australian Unity.
More discounts are being added to MY ASG all the time, so this list is only going to get longer!
Wow, that’s a lot for $29.95. If you wanted to speak with an ASG representative about ASG’s education funds and resources, and the benefits of being an ASG member, call 131 ASG (131 274) or if you’d like to set up a face to face meeting, fill in your details here.
As a special bonus for our Kidding Around Australia readers, quote this voucher code: FREE-ENROLMENT to receive $0 enrolment fee when joining one of ASG’s education funds before 29 February 2016.
*We were sent a gift voucher from ASG as compensation for our time reviewing their website. Our opinions are our own and honest.
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.
If you have a pre-schooler, then chances are you see Jimmy Giggle and his friends Hoot and Hootabelle every. single. day!
Jimmy Giggle and Hoot the Owl
We spoke with Jimmy recently about his exciting new album, Jimmy Giggle’s Christmas Party (which was released on November 6 and we LOVE it!), his live shows in Melbourne and Sydney in December and his first Christmas with 8 month old son, Lenny.
We also have tickets to his show in Melbourne on Tuesday Dec 22 to GIVEAWAY!
Thank you so much for chatting with Kidding Around Australia, Jimmy Giggle!
Can you tell us a bit about Jimmy Giggle’s Christmas Party album and tour? We thought we would put a Jimmy Giggle spin on traditional Christmas songs and album and we thought we would inject the Giggle spirit into Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and sing some duets with other celebrities I have met over the years. Off the bat of that we thought we’d bring it to life and we are so excited that Ali McGregor said she’d come along as well as Hoot and Hootabelle and Santa and his elves. It’s going to be a lot of fun!
You’re a new Dad, congratulations! How is Lenny? Lenny is going on 8 months old. He’s really cool. It’s a rollercoaster ride, but it’s the best ticket I have ever bought. He is learning something new every week, he’s not crawling yet so our Christmas tree is safe for this year!
What is Christmas going to look like at your house this year? We will be home, we want to chill out and relax. I have been working a lot this year and we are looking forward to being home with little Lenny. I have already bought him a lot of presents and I am sure Santa will bring him heaps of presents too!
Do you travel very often with Lenny? I haven’t travelled with him yet, but he is going to come up to Sydney for 6 days when we do the shows up there so we will see how we go! Hopefully it goes well!!
What are your favourite destinations in Australia? Do you have anything on your wish list? I haven’t explored for leisure, I’ve travelled a lot for work. I like the experiences that come out of the blue. Recently, I was in Darwin and went and saw a crocodile show. It was fantastic. I love the beaches and exploring the nuances of a town. I am excited to share everything Australia has to offer with Lenny!
Do you have any special causes that you support (we like to support charitable organisations with our Random Acts of Kid-ness)? I am the ambassador for Barnardos Australia and I am a passionate advocate for people with celebral palsy and those on the autism spectrum.
Super Reporter Alegría also had some questions for Jimmy Giggle!
What is your favourtist talent? Moving my eyebrows independently. All those years of practicing in Primary School paid off!
How do you do your magic? A good magician never reveals his tricks.. it’s the magic of television!
How do you play piano so well? Practice makes perfect and if you look like you are having a good time you can do anything!
How do you get dressed so well? Firstly, thank you for noticing my cool outfit. It’s amazing you can get dressed really well when someone (the lady at the ABC) dresses you!
Why does the magic button always break? It hasn’t been through the proper testing. I am always mucking around with it, but it always gets there in the end!
Why does Hoot really like the night watch? He gets a break from my high pitch Jimmy Giggle voice and he gets to go around and say goodnight to everyone. It’s his little job and he really likes it!
How does he catch the clouds when he wants to ride on them? I don’t know! It’s weird because if I want to catch a cloud my arm would go straight through it! I don’t know!
Can you please get me a wand like Hootabelle’s so I can twinklify the sky too? I’m going to handball that one onto Santa … I think it’s one of kind. You will have to wrestle it off Hootabelle!
Thank you for talking to us Jimmy Giggle! It was fun talking to you!
As promised, we have a family pass (four tickets) Jimmy Giggle’s Christmas Party in Melbourne on Tuesday Dec 22 at 1:30pm.
Open to residents of Victoria, Australia only. By entering this competition, you agree to subscribe to the Kidding Around Australia mailing list, if you are not already subscribed. Your privacy is protected and you can unsubscribe at any time.
By entering this competition, you are also agreeing to all other terms and conditions.
This is a game of skill not a game of chance. Entries not filling in all the required fields and answering the question will be deemed invalid. The winner will be chosen by originality and creative merit, by a non involved party. The Judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The winner will be drawn 14/12/15 4.30pm AEST and announced on this website. The winner will also be contacted via email.
There is one (1) prize consisting of four (4) tickets to Jimmy Giggle’s Christmas Party on Tuesday December 22, 2015, 1.30pm performance.
One entry per household. Prizes are not transferable, changeable or redeemable for cash. Kidding Around Australia will not be held responsible for any loss, injury or damage that occurs in connection with the prize or the winners participation in the promotion.
MORE INFORMATION
Jimmy Giggle’s Christmas Party tour dates:
THE CONCOURSE, CHATSWOOD SATURDAY DECEMBER 19
ENMORE THEATRE, SYDNEY SUNDAY DECEMBER 20
ARTS CENTRE, MELBOURNE MONDAY 21, TUESDAY 22 & WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER
We met Medela at the Kids Business Bloggers Brunch and were blown away by, not only their fantastic products for new mums, but also their work with charities and overseas projects.
As you know, we are very involved in humanitarian ventures and like to do our bit on this website via our Random Acts of Kid-ness. We wanted to share the work they are involved in – you never know there may be a cause that they support that you might feel called to support as well! (We have a little competition at the end of this post that might help you do this!)
Medela have been reaching out to the community, connecting with organisations that fit with their passion of helping others and have a purpose that fits with our values. Medela sponsor Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, which was founded by Shusannah Morris, who are dedicated to supporting families of sick and premature babies.
Shusannah Morris speaking at the Bloggers Brunch.
If you follow our Facebook and Instagram feeds, you will know that we have a nephew and twin nieces who were born prematurely. Our nephew was born at 30 weeks and his mum said that 12 years ago there was nothing like Life’s Little Treasures to help them navigate the scary world of NICU. They really do make a difference to the families of the seventy six babies born too soon each day in Australia #76borntoosoon.
Medela has been teaming up with The Nappy Collective for the past two years. The Nappy Collective is an organisation that collects disposable unused nappies at drop off points around Australia. These nappies are then donated to womens refuges and to centres for families in crisis to assist mum’s to provide nappies for their kids. They run two collections a year and Medela has enjoyed being able to provide support to this organisation through a Medela drop off Point and using social media to promote and raise awareness for this great cause.
So, don’t throw your nappies out when your baby outgrows them – donate them!
Medela have also been involved in many donations to great causes this year with donations to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre for disposable bra pads that were in high demand, arrangements to donate product samples to the Dandelion Support Network to help families in crisis and donations to Dads Group Incorporated who provide support and networking for new dads.
Medela feel very proud of their involvement in the Bangladesh Project, and rightly so.
Scope Global and The International Centre for Diarrheal Research, Bangledesh, in response to the increasing numbers of infant mortalities and morbidities in Bangledesh, have launched an intuitive to enable mothers to give breast milk for longer. This high morbidity and mortality rate is due, in large, to poor sanitation.
With thanks to Medela, Australian volunteer – Alysha Harkins, is providing education and support for mothers, families and the employers to establish and facilitate ongoing expression of breast milk in the work environment.
Alysha was provided with intensive education on breastfeeding, breast milk expression and technical training on hand expression, using the breast pumps and cup feeding prior to her departure and will continue to provide ongoing support during the 12 month project.
Medela Australia donated 20 Lactina pumps and 200 Lactaset hand pump kits.
Alysha is working with Bangladeshi mothers from a garment factory industry who often, due to the limited maternity leave, have to return to work once their baby is 2 months old. The mothers range from 15 – 35 years of age and they will typically have to work a 10-14 hour day, 5-6 days per week, which has proved extremely difficult to continue breastfeeding in the past. Can you imagine?
Along with high temperatures and humidity, there is poor electricity supply to homes and workplaces and a severe lack of refrigeration. The University of Toronto have donated a pasteurisation device to enable the expressed breast milk to be pasteurised and to be stored for longer periods in the Bangladesh climate.
We can’t wait to follow Alysha’s journey – I just know she is making a difference to the lives of many children and their families.
How can you get involved? Medela have given us a $50 voucher for The Pharmacy to give away to one of our readers! If you win you could buy something special for yourself or maybe you could make a purchase and donate it to someone in need this Christmas?
EDITED: CONGRATULATIONS TO JODIE P. – WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR PRIZE!
To enter, email info@kiddingaroundaustralia.com with THE PHARMACY in the subject line and tell us what you would buy with a $50 voucher by 5pm on December 13, 2015. Sorry, only Australian residents only. A winner will be drawn and announced shortly after the competition closes. Good Luck!
I hope you enjoyed learning about these different organisations as much as we did – it is great to know that businesses such as Medela are helping these wonderful organisations make a difference.
We were thrilled to be invited to the opening night of Santa’s Magical Kingdom in Melbourne!
For us, it was a big drive to Caulfield which elicited a variety of different responses from each member of the family and I was wonder whether or not it would “jingle our bells”!! About 1.5 hours into the drive (to make matters worse we got stuck in peak hour traffic) Isaac declared it was time to go “home”, I was eyeing off a hotel and wanted to just pull in there and go to sleep, Tim wanted to smack his own head against the steering wheel and when Alegría paused between her 1000th and 1001st question of the journey our little girl (who only had her eyes on the prize) said “I WANT TO GO TO SANTA’S MAGICAL KINGDOM!”
There is so much to see and do in each three-hour session, so there was never a lull in the entertainment. With the limited number of tickets sold in each session it meant that the flow of people was effortless, minimal to no lines for each ride with plenty of space to move around in.
Inside the undercover dome, most activities were free. There are 6 amusement rides, the McCormick gingerbread man decorating area, Aeroplane Jellycraft area where the kids coloured in a Christmas bauble, letter writing with Mrs. Claus, a spectacular walk through snowland where the Snow Princess and Snow Maiden from Hans Christian Anderson are happy to pose for photographs.
Of course, you can visit Santa in his special room (there is actually 4 Santa’s) and photo packages range in price from $25 upwards. You don’t have to get a photo though, you can visit him and he will give the kids a present – for free! Families can request to see the same Santa for continuity! The Santa we saw was fantastic although Alegría wanted to know what was in the other rooms ….
For a small fee ($5) you could play the carnival game or buy a gift from the merchandise stand.
Outside, was the HUGE euro slide, an older kid swinging ride and a partially enclosed ferris wheel.
If this wasn’t enough to fill your 3 hours, then a Christmas themed circus show (which is also included in the entry price) will have you entertained (or if you only want to watch a bit of it, all of the rides are still operational in this time!).
Georgina Says
Bring your real camera – the lighting is dim (so the lights twinkle) so the camera on your phone will struggle and there are plenty of photo opportunities!
Either bring your snacks with you or schedule your booking around eating times! There is a restaurant just outside Gate 23 (you will enter at Gate 22) so you could go there before or after your session. There is food available but it’s chips / popcorn / hotdogs etc.
There are ATM’s onsite but they have service fees so bring a small amount of cash with you.
If you chose to book the 6-9pm timeslot consider traffic and bedtimes! You want to enjoy it and not be stressed before you arrive!
We have been asked if it was worth the entry price (between $35-$40 per tickets for everyone over 2 years old) and whilst that’s hard to define, since our visit Alegría has asked to go back to Santa’s Magical Kingdom probably every second day! She clearly had a great time and Isaac enjoyed it, so for us it would be worth it as a special Christmas treat and is something you could budget for throughout the year.
We were given tickets to Santa’s Magical Kingdom for the purpose of this review. As always, our opinion is honest and unbiased.
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.
On the first day of Christmas, Kidding Around Australia gave to me…
A chance to win one of 2 double passes to Ghost The Musical on Friday 5th February, 2016 at 8pm. Each double pass is valued at $236!
Enter Now
1. LIKE our page on Facebook (click HERE to be taken to Facebook).
2. Fill out your details below and answer the question! Please only enter if you are able to attend the show. Tickets are non-transferable.
3. Once you have submitted the form, you will be sent an email. Please confirm your subscription to Kidding Around Australia (this will only be for new subscribers). If you don’t confirm your subscription your entry will be invalid.
*If you can’t see the entry form please go to our website as some phones and media do not support this application.
Competition closes 6pm AEST Saturday December 12, 2015. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Terms and Conditions:
Open to residents of Victoria, Australia only. By entering this competition, you agree to subscribe to the Kidding Around Australia mailing list, if you are not already subscribed. Your privacy is protected and you can unsubscribe at any time.
By entering this competition, you are also agreeing to all other terms and conditions.
This is a game of skill not a game of chance. Entries not filling in all the required fields and answering the question will be deemed invalid. The winner will be chosen by originality and creative merit, by a non involved party. The Judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
The winner will be drawn 12/12/15 6pm AEST and announced on this website. The winner will also be contacted via email.
There are two (2) prizes each consisting of two (2) tickets to Ghost The Musical on Friday February 5th, 2016, 8pm performance. They are valued at $236.00 per double pass.
One entry per household. Prizes are not transferable, changeable or redeemable for cash. Kidding Around Australia will not be held responsible for any loss, injury or damage that occurs in connection with the prize or the winners participation in the promotion.
MORE INFORMATION
The Producers of GHOST THE MUSICAL are thrilled to announce that after an exhaustive casting process by Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, a superb cast has been assembled. The supernatural power of love will explode onto the Australian stage on 7 January 2016 headed by ROB MILLS as ‘Sam Wheat’, JEMMA RIX as ‘Molly Jensen’ (Wicked fans will be overjoyed), ALEX RATHGEBER as ‘Carl Bruner’ (direct from his Helpmann Award Winning performance in Anything Goes) and introducing remarkable British theatrical and television actress WENDY MAE BROWN as ‘Oda Mae Brown’ (the role made famous by Whoopi Goldberg).
Jemma Rix and Rob Mills will star in Ghost The Musical.
Set in modern day New York City, Ghost The Musical is a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Walking back to their apartment one night after a romantic dinner, Sam and Molly are mugged, leaving Sam dead on a dark street. Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next and unable to leave Molly, whom he learns is in grave danger. With the help of Oda Mae, a phony storefront psychic, Sam tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving and protecting her.
Employing special effects never before seen in an on-stage musical, Ghost The Musical features an incredible array of illusions – Sam, as a ghost, walks through a solid door, inanimate objects take on a life of their own while spirits ascend to the heavens and subway passengers are thrown in the air and people disappear and reappear right before your eyes.
Ghost The Musical premiered in Manchester in 2011 before transferring to the West End and later Broadway. It has been enjoyed by over a million people worldwide and nominated for numerous awards including five Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards.
“A guilty pleasure. Terrific illusions, thrilling hi-tech designs and real heart, humour and suspense.” – Daily Telegraph, UK
“Ghost has wit and heart and can really, properly dazzle.” – The Times, UK
“Gasp-inducing ingenuity and technical wizardry make
Ghost the Musical an unearthly hit.” – Evening Standard, UK
“A production of spectacular visual dynamism. Brilliant visuals and special effects. Seamlessly inventive.” – Independent, UK
“A stunning visual spectacle. This is a musical in which the eyes emphatically have it.” – The Guardian, UK
Kidding Around Australia 