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Put your winter woollies on, there’s plenty of school holiday fun and activities on offer in Melbourne and country Victoria.  Here are 12 ideas to help you enjoy the holiday break … and create more of those treasured family memories.

1. “THE BIG FREEZE” INDOOR WINTER FAMILY FESTIVAL

Cranbourne Racecourse, Grant St.

Starts July 2-10, 9am-5pm. $12 to $28. thebigfreezefestival.com.au

“The Big Freeze” indoor winter family festival is coming to Cranbourne Racecourse this July – and it’s an awesome opportunity to have some snowy fun with the family without having to drive for hours. This year, there will be nine indoor activity zones, all with adequate heating:

• Snow Pit
• Snowball Toss
• Winter Inflatable Slide
• Snow Village and Forest
• Workshops
• Crafts
• Construction Play
• And so much more!

And best of all – the family gets fresh snow three times a day, guaranteed. If your family has been waiting for a snowball fight for months, “The Big Freeze” festival is where to have it.

2. THE WONDERLAND AT SPIEGELTENT

Wonderland Under the Melbourne Star, 101 Waterfront Way, Docklands.

June 23-July 10. 11.30am and 2.30pm daily.

Snow Play sessions every hour from 10am (50 minutes).
wonderlandspiegeltent.com.au

Want some winter fun with the family without the hassle and drama of going out of town? Then pack up and head to the Docklands – the Wonderland Spiegeltent is in town. There’s a circus, a snowy undercover adventure zone with live snowfall, and snowy mini-mountains for the kids to slide down and build snowmen on. And if it gets too cold, the Sweet Treats Cafe will have the hot chocolate, popcorn, and snow fairy floss to keep you warm. And if that’s not enough, there are also rides and other amusements for all ages to complete the package.

Show only $25/Conc & Child $20/ Family Pass $80 (4 people); It’s Snow Time $18. Bookings: 9602-1311 or visit wonderlandspiegeltent.com.au

3. THE FUN FOR KIDS FESTIVAL AT WARRNAMBOOL

Corner Timor & Liebig sts, Warrnambool.

Until July 2, 10am-5pm. $32.50 to $120.

Fun4kids.com.au

Fun4Kids is a festival created especially for families with kids up to 12 years old. This exciting festival is jampacked with activities and events that spark children’s imaginations and creativity, and keep them entertained for hours… without the need for TV and gadgets. Performances and activity zones include:

• Wash Your Face in Orange Juice, with Peter Combe
• Live and Learn the Jedi Way, by the Sons of Obi-Wan Lightsaber Academy
• Taylor Made: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
• Galloping Tales Digital Puppetry
• Oceanarium
• Kooky Crafts
• Inflatable World
• Face Painting
• Raiders of the Lost Past
• And much, much more!

4. CHRISTMAS IN JULY AT LUNA PARK

Lower Esplanade, St Kilda. Sun-Thu, 11am-6pm, Fri-Sat, 11am-8pm. lunapark.com.au

Dress your kids up as elves and head right to Luna Park for some inexpensive, good-natured, Christmas-in-July winter fun. Enjoy mechanical reindeer racers, hourly snowfall, bouncy elves, face painting, Scrat and Sid from the movie Ice Age, and – of course – Santa Claus and his elves. Admission and entertainment is completely free – only pay for the hot food and hotter rides, such as the Power Surge, the Silly Serpent, and the Great Scenic Railway.

5. ICE SKATING AT FED SQUARE RIVER RINK

Federation Square.  Yarra River Terrace.  10am-1pm daily.  Until July 17.

http://www.fedsquare.com/riverrink

Last year, people flocked to the River Rink when they found a beautiful outdoor ice rink waiting for them. This year, River Rink is back just in time for Melbourne’s winter months, inviting ice skaters of all ages and skill levels to Federation Square. Never mind if you and your loved ones are ice skating for the very first time – a few large, friendly, inflatable penguins are around to soften the landings… though the tumbles (and the laughter that follows) just make the trip even more enjoyable.

Tickets start at $12.50 for 45 minutes, inclusive of skates. Transactional charges may apply. Limited tickets available, so book in advance.

6. MEET MR. SNOT BOTTOM

Speakeasy HQ and Apollo Theatre, 522 Flinders Street, Melbourne.

Saturday, July 2, 11:30AM. 1PM Show sold out. Tickets at $10.

http://www.speakeasy-hq.com/

Mr. Snot Bottom is a stand-up kids’ comedian who’s got a LOT to say about the gooiest, stinkiest, yuckiest topics… which, of course, all kids absolutely love. With a stellar audio-visual effects show that’s especially made for kids aged 4-10 and their parents, Mr. Snot Bottom is guaranteed to deliver a good hour’s worth of belly-aching laughter and enjoyment.

7. THE NEXT “LITTLE KIDS’ DAY IN”

Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood, Victoria

Monday, August 1, 10AM-3PM

Kids enter free; Adults $14.00; Museum Members enter free. Early bookings recommended

Got kids 5 ages and younger? Then mark your calendar on August 1^st to join the next Little Kids’ Day In. With shows, live exhibits, and play-related activities revolving around Alice in Wonderland and the Nitty Gritty Super City, the Little Kids’ Day In is perfect for the next play date, or simply spending quality time with your kids.

8. FIREWORKS OVER THE DOCKLANDS

Docklands Waterfront, Docklands VIC

Every Friday from July 1 to August 26, 2016; 6:30-8:30PM;

Fireworks commence 7:30 PM Admission is free

Do you and your kids like fireworks? Then head over to the Docklands Waterfront every Friday for spectacular, mesmerizing fireworks shows… absolutely free. Bring the family and enjoy other bits of amusement, including live music and roving performers. Start off or cap off the fireworks show with some warm food and drinks at the various restaurants and bars.

9. CREATE YOUR OWN ABORIGINAL STYLED BUSH SCULPTURE

 Artplay – Birrarung Marr, Batman Avenue, Melbourne

July 3, 2016, 10:30AM-12:00NN and 2:00-3:30PM

$16 per child; advanced bookings only. Book here

Learn the ancient art of creating bush sculpture with the Baluk Arts Aboriginal Artists! If your child is 6-12 years of age, take them for a fun, educational workshop about creating very favourite Australian animals using hay and wool.

10. FIMO JEWELLERY MAKING

 No Vacancy Gallery – 38-40 Jane Bell Lane, QV Building, Melbourne

Wednesday, July 6, 3:00-5:00PM

Tickets at $20. Online booking only – book here

Bring your kids to a workshop they’ll truly love. No Vacancy’s jewellery-making workshop will teach you and your little ones how to use paints, glitter, quick-drying clay, and other jewellery findings to craft their very own earrings and necklaces.

11. WATCH DISNEY’S “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, JR.”

Union Theatre, University of Melbourne – Parkville

July 6, 11AM-12NN and 2PM-3PM; July 7-9, 2-3PM and 7-8PM

Tickets from $21-$26. Book here

Watch this beloved take on the classic fairy tale with your kids! Based on the original Broadway production, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Jr. is a kid-friendly version of the romantic tale, brought to life by over 70 talented young performers, and featuring popular songs from the movie, including Be My Guest, Beauty and the Beast, and more.

12. EDENDALE COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT FARM

30 Gastons Rd, Eltham   t 03 9433 3711   Opening Hours 9:30am – 4:30pm School Holidays, Saturdays & Sundays
edendale@nillumbik.vic.gov.au

Visit the Edendale Environmental Farm in Elthan, Melbourne’s North East. There are plenty of school holiday activities that include: Visit the website for more.

• Animal Covers
• Eye Spy (on the farm)
• Wool Display
• Guinea Pig Patting

Tour the farm, find out about the many sustainable living workshops that are regularly held throughout the year.

Cafe eden is open every day from 9.30am to 3pm. Buy a coffee and food, bring a picnic and enjoy the outdoor and under-shelter spaces.  Bring your bikes and ride the trails to Diamond Creek or the Eltham Miniature Railway.

Just across the creek and along the bike trail is the Wattletree Rd Covered Adventure Play Ground, highly popular with BBQ facilities.

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Balloonaversal completed it’s  3rd year entertaining at the 26th annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic at the National Trust’s beautiful Rippon Lea Estate in Elsternwick.

The perfect weather saw approximately 4000 families enjoy a vast array of activities and live entertainment including face painting, balloon twisting and pony rides (all courtesy of Balloonaversal). Other fun things to do on the day: jumping castle, craft activities, row boat rides, lawn games, exploring the gardens and more. The highlight of course  is the famous Teddy Bear Parade and Teddy Bear Treasure Hunt.

This year we all enjoyed a special visit from the Melbourne Football Club, testing our footy skills and rubbing shoulders with some the up an coming young players

If you didn’t bring your fully laden picnic hamper and picnic rug, there were plenty of food fans and even a Pop-Up Market with many cottage industries displaying all sorts of treasures.

The Teddy Bears Picnic at Rippon Lea is a definite must to include on your events calendar and is always on the last Sunday of February. Go here for more details on other events at Rippon Lea.
See you there next year!

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It was ‘Chocks Away’ or should that have been ‘Chooks Away’ at the recent Moomba Birdman Rally event with Balloonaversal’s entry The Balloonaful Birdman.

Creative director Peter Patterson being so skilled, pulled out all stops to design and build the amazing 4.5m long, x 2m tall spectacular balloon bird.

Peter with Michelle Patterson, the ‘aircraft marshals’ wore their own balloon head lookalikes and between themselves and the pilot Nathan Green had just 30 seconds on the platform to entertain the crowds before the epic jump – and entertain they did, winning the Moomba Birdman Rally 016 Funniest Moment award.

We raised $974.50 for charity of choice Destiny Rescue and had the Victorian representatives at the event for a brief interview with the media after the jump. (Learn more about the work of Destiny Rescue)

Stay tuned for 2017’s Birdman Rally.

Planning a celebration or event?

You don’t have to stick to what everyone else does!  Why not have something special?  You can have an amazing balloon creation custom made to suit the occasion, creating heaps of attention … even media attention if you want it.

‘You think of it, we’ll build it’.   Call Now 8669 1303

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Easter school holidays begin next week – two whole glorious weeks with the kids! So if you’re finding that a little daunting (or not), being prepared with some prepared kids activities should save you a lot of yelling, time out and tears.

Here’s some of my top tips and activities to keep everyone sane and enjoying themselves. I’ve even included some cool ways for working mums and dads to stay connected during the week as well.

Here’s how to create your own fun packed school holiday program.

9 Indoor School Holiday Activities

1. Plan a theme day, everything you do is around the theme, eat, drink, dress, draw or colour, story time/reading time, play time. Here are some fun themes to get you started: Fairies/princesses, super heroes, pirates, console/computer games like Minecraft, Super Mario; Butterflies, dinosaurs, favourite animal or cartoon or simply have a colour theme.
2. Build an obstacle course using cushions, pillows, boxes, laundry baskets, chairs and blankets – even a small tent.
3. Buy a large scrapbook or note book and encourage your child/ren to write a school holiday diary (or draw pictures every day for young children). Try using these headings for each day (for the older kids who can write):

• Today is:  (kids add the day and date)
• The Weather Forecast:  (draw a picture)
• What I ate:  (write or draw a picture)
• What I did today:
• The best thing about today:

4. Play dress ups and do a play, remember to set up your video to capture all the fun for daddy or grand parents.
5. Create a themed activity centre, use large serving trays or cut down large cardboard boxes. Create any scene or theme your child choses to imagine. Use plastic animals, plasticine, rocks, sticks, leaves, gum nuts, sand, gravel, tin foil, cotton wool, pipe cleaners, old buttons – the list could go on and on.
6. Instead of a treasure hunt (which is always fun), go on a colour hunt inside your home. Collect objects of a certain colour, go through old magazines and cut out pictures with the right colour. Put it all together to create a collage and take a photograph.
7. Cook or bake – Mr Google and Pinterest are always helpful – search ‘cooking with kids recipes’, ‘baking with kids’ if you don’t already have a favourite recipe.
8. Write something – a letter to a relative or friend, write a funny story, write a poem.
9. Play some fun games, great if you have 2 or more kids. Here’s 6 quick ideas that work with 2 or more children – Pin the tail on the Donkey, Simon Says, Shoe Jumble, I Spy, Memory Tray, Rock, Paper Scissors.

9 Outdoor School Holiday Activities

1. Build a safe backyard bonfire
2. Build your own worm farm
3. Climb up a tree, a wall or a jungle gym.
4. Make some bird feeders and feed some birds.
5. Wash mum or dad’s car
6. Make mud pies
7. 
Go on a picnic – in your backyard or in a park
8. 
Make paper aeroplanes and have your own ‘Air show’
9. Fly a kite on a windy day (make a kite)

10 Fun Excursions

1. Visit a museum, a library or an environmental centre
2. Catch a train, bus or tram into the city (fun if you rarely use public transport)
3. Go on a nature walk, scavenger hunt along the beach
4. Play mini golf
5. Go ten pin bowling
6. Go hiking or bush walking – along a river, in a national park
7. Get out to a farmers market
8. If you live near the beach, go for a drive to the mountains. If you live near the mountains, drive to the beach. If you live in the city, drive to a country town … if you live in the country, take a trip to the CBD
9. Visit a Zoo (there are 3 awesome ones in Melbourne)
10. Go on a real treasure hunt – it’s called Geocaching, it’s free and lots of fun for all ages

And finally, for the mums and dads who are working:

5 Tips to Stay Connected During School Holidays

Try these fun ideas, some are quick and easy to set up, some may require a little more preparation.

1. Write a simple ‘I love you’ message: on a sticky note, tucked into a lunch box, in the Lego box/on the games console, in the fridge, on the toilet door, or a message in a bottle (fill your bath water and leave it floating).

2. Leave a trail of messages around the house, number them or write a clue to where the next message is. Final clue is a little gift.

3. Using this idea for older kids, you might want to leave your list of ‘chores’ in this format, it makes doing the domestic work a little more intriguing, remember a gift of appreciation as the final clue.

4. Set up Skype (it’s free) and have little chats through out the day. The best thing about this is you leave Skype open all day, it won’t cost you a cent, but you can communicate just as if you were home sitting at a desk. You can use video or just audio.

5. If your work location is not too far from home, organise a lunch date, or have the carer or grandma bring them to you for a ‘coffee’ together.

Enjoy your school holidays, it’s only two weeks.

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