Family Times - Dunedin - Autumn 2016

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Special needs education Can NZ fund its full inclusion policy?

06

Are devices the enemy?

Technology is changing how kids communicate.

New Zealand's leading parenting resource

15

Easy lunch box ideas Delicious, simple and sure-to-be-eaten.

www.familytimes.co.nz

08

Win Win Win Competitions, giveaways and kids’ games

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ISSN 2324-450X (Print) ISSN 2324-4518 (Online)

DUNEDIN / ISSUE 67 / Autumn 2016

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Contents

Autumn 2016

04 0

12 15

4 Special needs education

Where policy and funding diverge: why kids aren’t getting the help they need.

6 Tech is changing the way kids communicate

Too much screen time is changing neural pathways.

7 Parenting together

John Cowan talks about how to successfully parent as a team.

12 Home holiday fun

Beat the boredom with these creative and exciting activities.

14 Dealing with eczema

Soothe your child’s sensitive skin with these tips.

15 Easy lunchbox ideas

We’ve got tips to ensure your kids’ lunchboxes come home empty.

Special features Birthdays 13 Throw the coolest Star Wars party ever, on a budget.

13 Resource information

Welcome!

few years ago now I remember sitting down with Family Times’ publisher and having an animated discussion about what we believe the editorial priorities of this magazine are.

One key criterion that we both felt strongly about was diversity; we really wanted to hold up a mirror to families and cover issues right across the board – different ethnicities, cultures, abilities and needs. At the same time, we wanted to cover diversity not because people are “outside the square,” but because interesting people have an interesting story to tell. We don’t want insincere, token platitudes, but real, meaningful, insights into the kaleidoscope of our society.

When I started researching about special needs learning, I got the gutfeeling that I was onto a diversity story that met the brief. It quickly became clear that our country’s ideals don’t line up with its funding streams when it comes to including kids with special needs into mainstream education. It’s just a fact, not a criticism. But it’s a fact with a very human face.

I listened to a mother hold in the tears, voice breaking as she described the opposition she encountered while advocating for her son with Down syndrome, dyspraxia and medical conditions to go to his local school. I

A

talked with teachers about kids on the autism spectrum who don’t get any help, and others with speech delays who wait six-months or more to see a language therapist.

For every day these kids wait, their education falls behind that of their peers.

Once again, that’s not intended as a criticism. The Ministry of Education, other government departments, NGOs and schools themselves help fund special needs education. That funding has increased significantly over time.

But it’s simply not enough to meet the right that every child is entitled to, which is to learn to their full potential.

It’s also not enough to effectively meet the government’s policy of inclusion of special needs children into mainstream education.

It could be that some of those funds are not allocated in the best way, and that’s what a select committee is trying to ascertain now. But whichever way they wangle the books, a dollar only stretches so far. I encourage you to read all about it on page 4.

Meanwhile, we’ve got plenty of other content to keep you peeled this edition: from lunchbox ideas and Star Wars’ parties to kids’ activities, competitions and events, we’ve got it covered at Family Times.

Enjoy!

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10 Calendar of events 11 Holiday specials 11 Entertainment

Kids’ activities

12 School term dates

Kids’ corner 8 Fun kids’ activities and competitions

14 Help is at Hand 14 After school care 16 Top reads

Term & Conditions apply Valid for New Zealand school holidays Children must be accompanied by 1 paying adult Term & Conditions apply • Valid for New Zealand School Holidays only • Children must be accompanied by one paying adult

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FEATURE STORY

Imagine being told that your child won’t receive the education they need.

Special needs education in the spotlight ou know they’re going to struggle in a classroom in which they can’t understand, communicate or relate to others on the same level and that their educational experience will be severely impacted.

It’s a scenario reminiscent of Soviet–era orphanages, but we’re talking about New Zealand schools and Kiwi families who have kids struggling with special needs – especially dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism.

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Anna’s story

Palmerston North mum and teacher Anna Wilder’s 8-year-old son Evan* has Down syndrome, dyspraxia and medical needs that make his condition complex.

“For me, having a child with special needs is quite an adventure. It’s a wonderful journey on many levels. The difficult thing is not the fact that he has a special need or the fact that he has medical problems or learning difficulties; it’s often navigating the hospital system or the education system and accessing support for his needs.”

Anna’s local kindergarten and school discouraged her from enrolling Evan, but she believed the best thing was for him

to attend the same school as his older brother and two sisters. However, Evan was six-and-a-half before he got full-time school hours because the school didn’t have enough funding to supply a full-time teacher aide.

Anna and the school lobbied the Ministry of Education and eventually got an increase in hours, but the school has to top-up the shortfall.

“I’m an advocate for my son, but it’s a disheartening feeling that other people are looking at him as draining money that could be used on other things, that other children who need help but not necessarily to the same level as him could be missing out.”

Anna said that as a teacher she understood why others would view her son as a burden, but she still believed inclusion was important for Evan and the rest of his class.

“The ideal of inclusion is a great one but if the resources aren’t filtered in, how do you actually manage it? “

Right to education

Evan’s case is acute, but not unusual. The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand estimates that 70,000 Kiwi primary and secondary school kids, or one in every 10, have dyslexia. The World Health Organisation estimates that 6 per cent of children worldwide have dyspraxia, and the Ministry of Health attributes Autism Spectrum Disorder to 1% of the population.

No New Zealand school is allowed to decline a child an education, whatever their needs. But the concern is that a significant amount of these kids are falling through the cracks according to Gisbourne-based Awapuni school principal David Langford.

“More often than not they don’t fit in with the precise frameworks that the Ministry of Education or the government plan. Those frameworks are set and they don’t often fit with specific needs either in the duration of the intervention, the intensity of the intervention, the timing of the intervention. It never, ever hits the sweet spot with someone ever.”

For example, Langford says children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder don’t receive funding at all unless their behaviour is extreme and dangerous.

Awapuni School has in the past had up to 25 kids on their roll of 300 that fit that description. The situation was so extreme that the school’s Board of Trustees opted to self-fund a full-time specialist teacher of special needs at a cost of more than $70,000 a year.

“I’m an advocate for my son, but it’s a disheartening feeling that other people are looking at him as draining money...”

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FEATURE STORY 535 submissions and 179 attended the hearing in Wellington in December. The submissions make grim reading.

Karori West School principal Janice Shramka and deputy principal Janice Jones attended the hearing to speak in support of New Zealand Educational What are we doing for Institute Te Riu Roa’s (NZEI) submission. special needs education?

They told the Committee that there That’s not to say that New Zealand isn’t are huge waiting lists for students with doing anything. special needs and in many cases schools A quick search of the Ministry of are left to cope with little or no support.

Education’s website shows established In one case at Karori West, a 5-yearpathways for requesting assistance from old boy with severe needs languished early intervention services right through to individual education plans and ongoing for six months on a wait list for speech language therapy because the Ministry of resources.

Education did not have enough staff.

The government’s $10.8 billion It was only through extreme pressure education fund for the 2015-2016 year on the Ministry, they said, that the boy includes an extra $62.9 million over eventually got the help he needed by the next four years to better assist queue jumping. children with special education needs.

An 11-year-old boy with severely It also includes $39.5 million to provide Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS) support disruptive behaviour wasn’t as fortunate.

The school strongly advocated for him, (specialists such as psychologists and but at the time of the hearing he had speech-language therapists) and $23.3 yet to have a visit from an educational million for extra in-class teacher aide psychologist. support for those who don’t qualify for ORS support.

But schools are still struggling to cope Where the investment’s and now the government is taking notice. needed The Science and Education Select NZEI’s submission to the Committee Committee last October commissioned outlined the need for more investment an inquiry into support and services for in trained experts such as education primary and secondary students with psychologists and speech language dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism spectrum therapists. On top of that, in-house disorders. It’s examining where the gaps special education needs coordinators are, whether there is enough funding and need more investment into their role: it’s whether that funding is being distributed usually undertaken by a senior teacher in the best way. The Committee received who doesn’t receive extra training or time

Langford believes that schools have an ethical responsibility of inclusion, but that the under-resourcing of special needs education put an unrealistic burden onto schools.

“There are huge waiting lists for students with special needs and in many cases schools are left to cope with little or no support.”

to advocate on behalf of children with special needs.

Additionally, they’re recommending investment in secure, ongoing employment for teachers’ aides and Ministry-employed support workers, coupled with better pay rates and more secure employment conditions .

Moving forward

But all of that depends on money.

Science and Education Select Committee chairman Dr Jian Yang told Family Times that spending on special needs education has already increased by about 26 percent since 2008. About twothirds of that funding is spent directly by schools. He said the government wanted to ensure the best use of current funds to obtain the highest return on investment.

The Select Committee is now waiting on a Ministry of Education report summarising the submissions, suggestions and recommendations at the time of writing this article. Following that, the Committee will draft its own report to

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present to the House of Parliament, which the government has to respond to. There is no deadline for any of those actions.

The Human Rights Commission has cautioned the Select Committee, reminding it that failure to provide adequate educational support for children and young people with learning difficulties can result in lifelong disadvantage. That includes barriers to entering the workforce and obtaining well remunerated employment as well as disproportionately high rates of contact with the criminal justice system and incarceration.

That’s a sobering thought when it’s your child says Anna.

“It’s a human right for each child to be educated to their full potential, so while I see other people looking at my son and thinking that he is possibly not going to learn to the level of another child, he has every right to learn to his potential.”

*Real names not used to protect privacy.

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FEATURE STORY

DIGITAL DEVICES changing kids’ communication The Information Age has revolutionised the way that people communicate. or adults, it’s mostly about digital shortcuts – a quick SMS or Facebook message is usually about saving time. But with today’s kids as digital natives, experts warn that an overuse of technology affects the brain and can rewrite neural pathways in a different way to how they would normally develop.

Of more concern is that experts say they’re finding that people communicate more often with family and friends because of technology, but the quality of that communication may be weaker. Kids who spend more time engaging with a screen than with other kids or adults can struggle to understand emotion, create strong relationships or become more dependent on others.

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IS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY THE ENEMY? University of Canterbury associate professor and head of media and communication department Dr Linda-Jean Kenix says not necessarily.

“The thing with all of this research looking at kids and digital technology is that we just don’t know and we won’t know for decades,” she told Family Times. “At a minimum they’re simply more comfortable communicating on screen but it’s not such a simple shift.”

COMMUNICATION HAS CHANGED FOR EVERYONE

Communication has changed for adults as well as kids.

The number of interactions that we have as a human race is going down. Robert

Putnam wrote a book called Bowling Alone in 2000, bemoaning the collapse of American society due in great part to television. Kenix says that’s phenomenally escalated with the advent of digital devices, screens and social media.

“If you ask an average kid how many friends they have, that number has declined over time.”

“We have far less friends than we used to have. Kids do. If you ask an average kid how many friends they have that number has declined over time. But the thing is, how to measure the depth of those friendships; quantity or quality? Saying you have 20 friends, is that a good thing when they’re all a centimetre thick?”

THE UBIQUITY OF MEDIA

The trouble is, media is so prevalent. Kenix described it as a fish in water: it doesn’t know it’s in water because it’s all around them.

“For humans, with media in many ways – certainly in Western developed societies – we’ve reached that level of saturation.”

Adults who have grown up before the digital age use and engage with technology in a different way to today’s fledgling digital natives. Adults are more aware that they’re dealing with a screen, she

said, and see it as an interaction between two humans. But for children growing up connected to devices, that artifice dissolves in a way that Kenix said was fascinating, intriguing and concerning all the same time.

NEURAL PATHWAYS

Research shows that the constant use of digital communication is changing neural pathways in kids. It affects concentration, self-esteem, and in many cases, personal relationships. In some cases kids have been seen to lose empathy or not develop the sympathetic and empathetic skills that they need.

On the other hand, some kids who are more introverted communicate more readily digitally than they would in person.

So although the research is compelling, Kenix said that our brains are constantly evolving and the positives and negatives would take some time to tell.

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FEATURE STORY

HOW TO PARENT

AS A TEAM

Parenting as a mum-and-dad team, you need to realise that the health of your relationship really impacts your kids. In fact, when I was recently asked for a list of my top parenting tips, I placed “put your spouse first” right near the top. hat? Love your partner ahead of your kids!?”

It’s not a competition. It does not mean taking love away from your children to give it to your partner; instead, more love between the parents usually means there is a lot more love in the home and that “spills” onto the children. It was advice I received early on in my parenting and I think it has worked well: as a dad, the best thing I could do for my kids was to love their mum, and I am sure the advice works the other way around too.

But however much you love the other, you will still have differences of opinion. I guess if my wife and I did not have arguments I would not have the opportunity of knowing how wrong I am about so many things. It also gives me a lot of opportunity to practise apologising, which is a good skill, and I actually enjoy the flowers around the place which I seem to have to buy quite often.

Let’s face it, most couples fight and most get over it and move on. Two people

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are always going to have different ideas about all sorts of things - including how to parent - but let your kids see that you are “working from the same page” as much as possible. Support and cheer for each other. This is not just an ego-stroking exercise: if kids detect disparities between parents’ rules and standards they will often try to exploit that gap, playing off the differences between you with amazing political skill!

The best way to harmonise your approach to parenting is to actually talk about it. You already agree that you want the best for your children, so that’s a good starting point. Doing a parenting course together has proven to be very useful for many couples: it gives you even more common ground to start your discussion from.

If your kids come to you and say something like, “You always let us climb the tree but Mum says we’re not allowed to,” then back each other up. Say something like, “Well, you better not do it

but I’ll have a talk with Mum and see what her reasons are.”

What should we do if we disagree with how our partner is dealing with a situation?

It is sometimes tempting to “cross the floor” and side with your kids against your partner but, unless it is something truly crazy or dangerous, wait for a good moment when the kids are out of earshot to raise your objections. Be especially cautious of showing contempt in front of the kids: we all deserve to be respected, especially in our home, and I can think of few things more toxic to the happiness of the family than encouraging derision from children for their parent.

In general, parents compromise and naturally tend to alternate in their concessions to each other around parenting but one rule is important: the more “tender conscience” should prevail.

If your parenting style shocks, offends or scares your partner – even though in your mind it is reasonable – then, out of deference to your partner’s peaceof-mind, you need to find a new way of doing things. And this is an encouraging fact: there are always other ways of doing things, and some of them will work even better than the current method.

Naomi and I always tried to stick to an old rule: do not fight in front of the

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children. I still think it is not a bad rule.

It really upsets them when mum and dad bicker. Kids (even unborn children) are very sensitive to stress around them – they do need a peaceful environment. But I would add to that rule: disagreement does not have to mean fighting, and I believe it is good for kids to see their parents having differences of opinion and resolving them in a friendly, mature way. If you can debate an issue in a way that is calm and respectful, then that is modelling something very positive.

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COOL ACTIVITIES

KIDS' TIME

Welcome to Kids’ Time at Family Times. Enjoy the fun activities and competitions. For competitions, enter online by visiting www.familytimes.co.nz and click on the competitions link.

Puzzle Time

IN CINEMAS APRIL 7

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Looking for some rainy day activities for your children?

Click on the For Kids section on our website for answers and for further activities your children can print out and complete.

Starlight Stables

Starlight Stables is the beautifully-written new series from internationally successful New Zealand author Soraya Nicholas, whose award-winning contemporary romance novels (written as Soraya Lane) have kept fans around the world captivated. Now in this new series aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds, Nicholas weaves strong stories with universal themes such as friendship, peer pressure, loss and bereavement, around the adventures and antics of three horse-crazy friends.

We have 3 copies of Pony Detectives and Gymkhana Hijinks to give away. Enter online at www.familytimes.co.nz.

Competition closes 27 May 2016.

Angry Birds

Red - a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck, and the volatile Bomb have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.

To celebrate the release of Angry Birds we have 10 Angry Birds’ prize packs to give away to our readers.

Each prize pack contains: 1 Plush Red, 1 rubber charm Chuck, 1 whoopie cushion and a double pass to the movie. Enter online at www.familytimes.co.nz.

Competition closes 14 April 2016. ©2016 Rovio Animation Ltd. and Rovio Entertainment Ltd. Angry Birds and all related properties, titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Rovio Entertainment Ltd. and Rovio Animation Ltd. and are used with permission. All Rights Reserved.

Kung Fu Panda 3

When Po’s longlost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China destroying all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible—learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas!

Enjoy this great movie on us. We have 5 prize packs, including double passes, to give away.

Each prize pack contains: One double movie pass, a notepad, folding frisbee and a foil cup. Enter online at www.familytimes.co.nz. Competition closes 14 April 2016.

IN CINEMAS APRIL 7

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COOL ACTIVITIES

Calendar of Events

As beautiful autumn colours start to grace our landscape, it’s the perfect time to get out and about and enjoy all the city has to offer. For more event and entertainment ideas, visit www.familytimes.co.nz and enjoy our large, family-friendly resource.

Markets ● Otago Farmers Market.

Every Saturday morning rain or shine, from 8am – 12.30pm, the Dunedin Railway Station north car-park is transformed into a bustling market place, with thousands of people enjoying the best that Otago has to offer. ● Octagon Market Original work of an international standard from Dunedin artisans and craftspeople in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Enjoy unique shopping in the picturesque Dunedin Octagon Market. First Friday of each month and when cruise ships visit.

● Dunedin Marketplace A fantastic local market that runs on the 3rd Sunday of each month. Craft, food, coffee, clothing, vintage, jewellery, buskers, plants, art, produce, meats.

Forbury Park Raceway, Victoria Road, St Kilda, Dunedin. ● Wooden Table Artisans’ Market A weekly market showcasing the talents of local artisans: soaps, craft, plants, meats, vegetables, honey, eggs and more.

Saturdays 9am – 2pm, The Wooden Table, 154 Gordon Road, Mosgiel, Dunedin.

EVENTs 9-10 April

● Women’s Lifestyle Expo. A 2-day event for women of all ages with more than 100 companies involved featuring everything from jewellery and beauty to business products and information, crafts, fitness, food and wine sampling and much more!

For more event and entertainment ideas, go to www.familytimes.co.nz

This year expo includes a new nail pamper zone, new hair styling lounge and a new Beau Joie Champagne lounge, plus the popular taste zone, NZ craft zone, fashion zone, goodie bags and more. From 10am – 5pm Edgar Centre, 116 Portsmouth Drive, Dunedin.

Otago Museum Located in the heart of Dunedin, the Otago Museum is home to an astonishing collection of objects and stories from New Zealand, the Pacific and the world. It features a hands-on science centre in Discovery World and an exotic butterfly house experience in the Tropical Forest. Visitors can almost touch the stars in the museum’s latest attraction, a state-of-the-art planetarium offering a 360º immersive dome experience.

With an array of exhibitions, displays, programmes, talks and tours on offer, everyone will find something to inspire,

excite and enlighten at the Otago Museum.

Enjoy free entry into the museum galleries and special exhibition (Hakui: Women of Kai Tahu until May 2016).

Explore the Victorian-era Animal Attic filled with curiosities from the natural world; meet an ancient Egyptian mummy; discover a collection of extinct moa and unearth prehistoric fossils.

Combo passes are available to Discovery World Tropical Forest and the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium. Free admission, daily 10am – 5pm, 03-4747474, www.otagomuseum.nz.

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Buy all day family combo passes to Discovery World Tropical Forest plus one show in the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium from $45.

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COOL ACTIVITIES

10 April

● Sunday Sounds blues concert. Pack a picnic, grab a rug and enjoy live music with family and friends while lounging on the lawns of the Dunedin Botanic Garden. Free, 1-2.30pm. Visit www. dunedinbotanicgarden.co.nz.

10 April

● Otago Miniature Road & Rail Society.

Head to Bush Road, Mosgiel between 12-5pm for the Society’s running day.

Weather dependent.

10 April

● Bradford School Bazaar. Join Bradford School’s annual bazaar from 11am – 1pm.

Fabulous food, music, bargains and fun for the whole family. Visit www.bradford.school.nz.

14 April

● NZSO presents Brahms & Beethoven.

Get you culture on and head along to the Regent Theatre to hear NZSO play a stunning repertoire from giants of the romantic period. For tickets phone 0800-842-538 or visit www.nzso.co.nz.

17 April

● Sunday Sounds city slickers. A seriously lively brass band, packed with accomplished saxophonists. Their performances appeal to all tastes, so it’s a great outing for the whole family. From 1-2.30pm, Dunedin Botanic Gardens. Visit www.dunedinbotanicgarden.co.nz.

29 April

HMS Pinafore. Experience Gilbert & Sullivan’s sparkling musical masterpiece HMS Pinafore, which is setting sail around New Zealand in April and May 2016.

Regent Theatre, tickets from Ticketek 0800-842-538.

30 April – 1 May

The Autumn Colours Outing 2016. From classic cars to modern, join this two-day event from Dunedin to Arrowtown and enjoy Aotearoa’s autumn beauty. Starts at Olverston historic home at 8.30am. Door sales only. Visit www.mainlandclassic. co.nz.

1 May

Taieri Gorge Rail Walk. Linking coastal Dunedin and the dry hinterland of Middlemarch, the remote Taieri Gorge features tunnels and viaducts that you usually see from an excursion train. From 8.30am to 3pm. Phone 03-477-4449 for details.

ENTERTAINMENT Autumn is here, and it’s a great time to get out and explore the plethora of exciting events and entertainment destinations around the city. Here are a few ideas to get you started, and we’ve got heaps more at www.familytimes.co.nz. ● Gone Potty Gone Potty provides a fun and entertaining studio environment where the creative talents of young and old can be unleashed. Simply choose your ceramic piece and get painting. Open weekends and school holidays. Visit www.gonepotty.co.nz. ● Wal’s Plant and Fun Land Enjoy mini-golf, driving range and ride the mini trains. Plus there’s plants, giftware, local fresh produce, The Topiary Café, a barbecue function area and marquee. Phone 03-484-7319, www.walsplantland.co.nz. ● Chipmunks play-land and café Visit chipmunks for unlimited play for 0 to 11-year-olds and relax over a coffee or lunch at our fully serviced café. ● Otago Museum Pick up a combo pass to Discovery World Tropical Forest and the Perpetual Guardian Planetarium to enjoy hands-on science, exotic butterflies and a journey through our universe.

Visit www.otagomuseum.nz. ● Megazone Megazone Dunedin is your one-stop shop of fun, with laser tag, mini-golf, arcades, pool tables, game store and a cafe. There is something for everyone, big or small! Phone 03-474-9179 or visit megazonedunedin.co.nz. ● Leap Indoor Trampoline Park A great family activity that is fun for all ages! Visit www.leapnz.co.nz.

Holiday specials

Here are some great holiday ideas designed to keep you and your little ones entertained during the school break. ● Chipmunks Join us for school holiday fun at Chipmunks Dunedin. We are offering school holiday programmes for children aged between 5 to 11-years-old. Contact

Dunedin@chipmunks.co.nz to start planning a fantastic school holiday! ● Rialto Cinemas The Easter long weekend will bring Kung Fu Panda 3 for the kids to Rialto Cinemas.

Plus, don’t miss Taika Waititi’s new film Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Disney’s hilarious Zootopia. ● Treasure Hunt Come on all ye treasure hunters! Toitu OSM has new codes to be cracked and treasure to be found in the April school holidays!

Visit www.toituosm.com for details. ● M*A*S*H Dunedin central - WINZ subsidy available “The best fun your kids can have.” Phone 0800-420-520, admin@mashkids.co.nz, www.mashkids.co.nz. Enrol now for the next school programme. ● Sport Otago Vibe holiday programme: sport, activity, nutrition and crafts! From 18- 22 April, Edgar Centre, Dunedin. For ages 5 to 13-years. Full day and morning/afternoon sessions available. From $30-$45. Visit www.sportotago.co.nz.

5 x movie prize packs!

On a tiny exotic island, Tuesday, an outgoing parrot lives with his animal friends in paradise.

Then, after a violent storm, a strange creature washes up on the beach: Robinson Crusoe.

Robinson Crusoe: The Wild Life * and Family Times want to give you just what you need to keep the kids busy during the school holidays.

Enter in the comments section of our Robinson Crusoe: The Wild Life Facebook post by tagging the friends you’d take with you on an island adventure.

Prize packs include: a Robinson Crusoe – The Wild Life family movie pass, a sticker set, a mini puzzle and a colouring in book. *Rated PG for scary scenes and mild language.

Competition closes 14 April 2016.

Party at Chipmunks for

safe, guaranteed fun!

• Hot party meal & drink for each child • Your own party room • Stay & play all day Adults entr y is • Chipmunks lollies ALWA YS * • Party loot bags free • Ice cream cake* • Party game & prize* ive All inclus om fr • Special premium gift packages * for your birthday child per child • No clean up charges

$19.95

Your choice of 5 popular party themes!

Remember to bring your socks!

(No socks, no play)

Book your party now!

373 Princes Street, Dunedin Phone 03 477 6762 dunedin@chipmunks.co.nz *Party “loot bags”, party game & prize, premium gift for birthday child, are inclusions in bash & bonanza packages.

www.chipmunks.co.nz

14 May

Mend and Make Awesome. Do you have unfinished business lurking in your wardrobe? Get help turning a fault into a favourite feature at this monthly mend group. At 88 Vogel Street, 3pm – 5pm. Visit www.JustAtelier.org.nz.

21 May

The Wizard of Oz. The Royal New Zealand Ballet presents the world premiere of The Wizard of Oz, created by RNZB artistic director Francesco Ventriglia. Phone Ticketek 0800-842-538 or 0800 RNZB SUBS for tickets. www.familytimes.co.nz 11

Balloon volleyball It may sound simple, but put up a piece of string across the living room and let the volleyball games begin.

This can keep kids occupied for hours, and burns off energy. Just move any valuable vases out of the way.

Bike ride There’s no time like holidays to get out and active. So look for a kid-friendly bike trail in your area and a good-weather day, pack up and get on your bikes! Stop at a park on the way home so that you can relax while they run around and go crazy.

BEAT holiday boredom with fun family activities

“I’m bored,” is the whinging lament of many a school child who makes it through the school term only to face seemingly terminal boredom on a long holiday stretch. Thankfully, we’ve got holidays covered at Family Times. As well as a plethora of exciting events, entertainment and places to go, we’ve also got some great ideas for making memories and having fun at home.

Card house king If you can get the kids to down devices for a while, a great way to spend the hours is with old packs of cards building card houses. Who can build the highest, and with which structural design? How long will it stand before it comes crumbling down? Winner gets out of dish duty for the day.

Before and after school care Looking for a great programme or activity to keep your kids occupied before or after school hours? Look no further – we’ve got some great options for you here, and at www. familytimes.co.nz. ● Chipmunks Chipmunks after-school care programme delivers a fun and relaxed environment for schoolaged children. Dedicated team, afternoon tea provided, assistance with homework. OSCAR and WINZ subsidies and school pick-up available.

Recycled sail boats Head down to the beach or park and pick up bits of drift wood and sticks, then let your kids take whatever they want from the recycling in order to make a recycled sailboat. You will need a ball of twine too. Once the boats are built, race them on the nearest local stream to see who will sink, who will sail, and who will win. Have a medal ceremony at the end.

There are a couple of ways to do this: You can look for online tutorials for making finger puppets and background scenes, then have your kids make up a play and put it on for the parents. Alternatively, if your kids are a bit older, they may want to fully script a play and dress up themselves as characters as they enact it for parents.

The internet has a wealth of fun craft projects for kids, and we’ve chosen our favourite ones and pinned them at www.pinterest.com/ ftmagazine/

Movie marathon It might seem like the easy way out, but this time honoured tradition is a family favourite for many reasons, none-theleast that you can stay in your pyjamas all day and do absolutely nothing. So microwave up some popcorn, get your Netflix, Lightbox, or DVD collection on the ready, and have a seriously chill day of family movie fun.

SCHOOL TERM DATES 2016 - 2017 primary and intermediate school term dates

2016 - 2017 secondary and composite school term dates

Term 3, 2016 Monday 25 July to Friday 23 September

Term 3, 2016 Monday 25 July to Friday 23 September

Term 4, 2016 Monday 10 October to no later than Tuesday 20 December

Term 4, 2016 Monday 10 October to no later than Friday 16 December

Term 1, 2017 Between Monday 30 January and Tuesday 7 February to Thursday 13 April

Term 1, 2017 Between Monday 30 January and Tuesday 7 February to Thursday 13 April

Term 2, 2016 Monday 2 May to Friday 8 July

Remaining public holidays 2016 25 April ANZAC Day 6 June Queen’s Birthday 24 October Labour Day 25 December Christmas Day 26 December Boxing Day 12 www.familytimes.co.nz

Spend the morning with the kids making lemonade and baking/decorating cupcakes, and then take your picnic rug out to the back yard and enjoy an outdoor picnic. Teddy bears, ninja turtles and Polly Pockets are all invited.

You can then instigate some outdoor games in order to get them to burn off all that extra energy.

If the weather isn’t obliging, put out the picnic rug in the living room instead.

Story theatre

Crafts

● M*A*S*H Held at various venues around the city, Monday - Friday, 3pm - 6pm.

Phone 0800-420-520, admin@ mashkids.co.nz, www.mashkids. co.nz. Enrol now!

Term 2, 2016 Monday 2 May to Friday 8 July

Back-yard picnic

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BIRTHDAYS

DIY light sabre Making your own light sabres is a breeze. All you need is some cheap foam pool noodles and some black and grey tape. Use the tape to wrap around the base of the pool noodle and create markings.

HOW TO THROW A

Storm trooper cupcakes These wee treats are sure to delight little tummies, and they’re easy to make.

Simply bake a batch of vanilla cupcakes and top them with vanilla icing. Then take a white, cylindrical marshmallow and draw on a star-trooper face with a black cake-decorating pen. Place on top of the cupcake and you’ve got a dark-side warrior!

Jedi robes No Star Wars party is complete without jedi robes. The good news is that you don’t need to be a dab hand at the sewing machine – or have jedi powers - to pull this one off.

All you need is some brown material – preferably something breathable since kids will be running around – and a white material to use as a tie.

Measure the length of your material so that it will go double the length from your child’s shoulders to their ankles, and the width a bit wider than shoulder width to allow for flow. Cut your material into large rectangles and a slit cut up the front for the lapels. Then just cut your white material for a belt, and you’re all done.

Keep a pair of scissors on hand to adjust the length of the garment on each child as need be.

Star Wars ten-pin bowling

PARTY You may wish that your child’s birthday party was in a galaxy far, far away, but it’s not that hard to throw a Star Wars party right in your own backyard. All you need is a Death Star, a few storm troopers, and of course, the force. If you are still working on your jedi powers, keep reading: we’ve got all the details you need for a party of intergalactic success.

Death Star piñata No party is complete without a good piñata. It’s a bit of work, but a Death Star piñata will certainly earn you a “parent of the year” award with your kids.

You’ll need a 20” beach ball, some gray spray paint, three newspapers cut into strips, and some paper mache glue mix, which you can make out of water and flour.

1. Apply your paper strips with glue, and wait until each layer dries before applying the next one.

2. Figure out where your super laser will be, and cut a hole using a small bowl for the circular shape.

3. Pull out the deflated beach ball.

Wire in your string.

4. Spray paint about three coats of grey onto the piñata. Use tape to edge an equatorial line, then paint the space in the middle black.

5. Start painting on city sprawls and outer trenches in lighter grey.

6. Use tiny coloured diamantes

around the equatorial trench, and tiny white diamantes around the rest of the sphere to create lights.

7. Take the cut-out part for the super laser focus lens. Turn it upside down and paint it.

8. Fill the piñata with lollies.

9. Fix the upside-down super laser to the piñata with hot glue, then use a green straw to create the external laser.

Pick up a white plastic ten-pin bowling set from your local dollar shop, print some free storm troop and Darth Vader faces to tape on to the pins, and you’ve got a serious game of jedi vs. dark side. Visit www.degraeve.com/ lowcoststarwarscostumes for your free printables.

Star Wars backdrop Easy, it is. Make this Star Wars backdrop, you can. Ideally, you’ll have a bit of old ply hanging around that you can paint black.

Alternatively, you can use a black fabric and blue-tack it to a wall. Then all you need to do is visit your local craft store and pick up some stick-on yellow stars. Just like that, you have created a whole new galaxy that’s perfect for getting kids to pose for birthday snaps.

A birthday is a great time for celebration – many children count down to this momentous occasion, and it’s a chance to show the birthday child just how special they are.

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www.familytimes.co.nz 13

HELP IS @ HAND Sometimes you need some information or an answer to a curly question. Why not pick up the phone and call the relative support agency? You’ll find professional caring people ready to assist you. ➜ Sudden Infant Death Support Phone: 0800 164 455 www.sids.org.nz ➜ Citizens Advice Bureau Dunedin Phone: 0800-367 222 or 03-471 6166 For free information and advice.

Not sure? Ask us ➜ Dunedin Budget Advisory Service Phone: 03-471 6158 Free confidential advice on household budgets, how to manage your money, options and plans for debt repayment. ➜ Pregnancy Counselling Services Providing free, confidential information and support 24/7. Phone: 0800 773 462

More articles online

SALVING SKIN WITH LITTLIES

Skin irritations are common in kids, but some are more persistent than others.

Eczema is one of them. czema, or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic itchy skin condition. The word “atopic” describes conditions that happen when someone is overly sensitive to allergens in the environment, and “dermatitis” means that the skin is inflamed, or red and sore.

Eczema tends to be more common in kids who have a family history of eczema, hay fever and asthma. It tends to show itself within the first six months of life and typically lasts into childhood and adolescence. It comes and goes, and can fluctuate between mild discomfort to severe affectation.

As with most skin irritations, scratching only makes it worse. However, there are some things that you can do to help prevent and manage eczema and keep it under control.

1. Eczema can be triggered by allergens in the environment – pollens, moulds, dust and certain foods. A healthy, clean-air environment can help prevent flareups.

2. Avoid frequent hot baths. Hot water dries out skin, so instead use warm water with mild soaps or a nonsoap cleanser when bathing your child. Avoid scented soaps. Oatmeal soaking products in the bath can help control the itching.

3. After bath time, gently pat your

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child’s skin dry rather than rubbing a towel around their body.

Apply moisturising ointments to your child’s skin within a few minutes of bathing, once you have patted their skin dry. Depending on the severity of the rash, this could be anything from petroleum jelly, lotions or creams to a doctorprescribed steroid cream. Ideally, apply moisturisers/creams two or three times a day. Check supermarket products to make sure they don’t contain alcohol, as this will dry out the skin further.

Avoid harsh fabrics close to the skin – instead of wool or coarsely woven materials, dress your child in soft, breathable fabrics such as cotton.

When your child is experiencing a flare-up of eczema, you can apply a wet, cool washcloth on the irritated areas of skin to help ease itching.

Make sure that you keep your child’s fingernails short to minimise any skin damage caused by scratching. A great tip with babies it to put on mittens at bed time so that they can’t scratch in the night.

Keep your child hydrated by having them drink lots of water. Water adds moisture to the skin, which helps alleviate dryness.

Over-heating can lead to flare ups, so try to keep the temperature in your home moderate and prevent

your child from over-exertion if they are experiencing eczema.

When to call the doctor

Kids with eczema are prone to skin infections, so see your doctor if you notice any of the early signs of skin infection, including: • Increased fever.

• Redness and warmth on or around the affected areas.

• Pus-filled bumps on or around the affected areas.

• Areas on the skin that look like cold sores or fever blisters.

Also call your doctor if prescribed medications don’t appear to be working or if you notice a sudden change or worsening of the eczema.

“Eczema tends to be more common in kids who have a family history of eczema, hay fever and asthma.”

Parent Helpline

www.familytimes.co.nz

0800 568 856 Available from 9am-11pm 7 days a week

SuperGrans SuperGrans is about helping people to help themselves.

Mature volunteers offer one-on-one life and home skills mentoring to families and individuals in need of assistance.

We aim to provide a caring, confidential, free, non-judgemental service that will support and encourage client independence by learning new ways to work and gaining the ability and the confidence to cope with everyday problems.

If you would like to access our service or wish to be a volunteer, we welcome your enquiry.

Call us at 03-474-0582 for further information or email supergrans. dunedin@xtra.co.nz.

14 www.familytimes.co.nz

We listen!

For all parenting issues from those everyday situations to the most serious issue of child abuse.

Professional and skilled Telephone Support Workers are there to help you and offer:

   

A listening ear Immediate support Practical strategies Referral to other services in your area

E-mail: parenthelp@xtra.co.nz www.parenthelp.org.nz

TOP FIVE lunch box tips

Here are Munch’s top lunch box tips to get your kids gobbling down their lunches and make them the envy of their class.

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MAKE IT EASY TO GET AT

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VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

Little fingers find it really hard to unwrap plastic wrap, and it’s bad for the environment. Most schools only have 15–20 minutes of enforced eating time at school before the play bell goes, so maximise their eating time and opt for reusable containers or compartmentalised lunch boxes that keep food fresh but readily accessible. Add a lunch box cooler too or freeze a water bottle to keep their food as fresh as possible.

We all like a bit of variety in what we eat, so try and mix up the foods you give your kids over the week. Try out different breads (bagels, wraps, pita bread) or swap out breads for fritters, muffins, sushi, pasties, mini home-made pizzas, rice paper rolls, mini quiches, frittatas or pasta salads. Making things specifically to stock up the freezer helps offer a variety of things in lunch boxes.

BY MICHELLE KITNEY, MUNCH IMAGES: BELINDA POPE, MUNCH

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MAKE IT COLOURFUL

By having a range of colours in your kids lunch box you will know you have given them a great variety of vitamins and minerals. Colourful food is also more appealing to kids. Here are some colourful finger food ideas that require minimal preparation: • Carrot, cucumber, zucchini or capsicum sticks with hummus or tzatziki • Grapes • Apples • Berries • Watermelon shapes or slices • Cherry tomatoes • Sweet corn or zucchini fritters • Hard-boiled eggs • Fruit slices and yoghurt dip

Check out more Munch recipes

Visit www.familytimes.co.nz and search our food section for delicious and healthy food ideas.

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GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED

Mornings are a hectic time in most families but it’s well worth the time to make a family lunch-making routine. Kids are much more likely to eat something they have made themselves. It is also a great way to give them extra independence and help them develop time management skills. Your kids will be more likely to eat their own delicious creations and research shows that kids who are involved in preparing healthy food are more likely to go on to be adults who make healthy choices.

Energy Balls

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These balls offer a great energy boost for kids on the go.

MAKE IT APPEALING TO YOUR CHILD

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Choose foods that you know they are going to eat. Cut their sandwiches, cheese and even watermelon into interesting shapes.

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1 cup of puffed rice or crumbled rice cakes ½ cup of oats or any muesli 2 Tbsp tahini or any nut butter 1.5 Tbsp honey ½ tsp of cocoa 1 tsp chia seeds ½ cup desiccated coconut

Drycleaning

Counselling Free counselling

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Put all the ingredients, except for the coconut, into a food processor and blitz until the ingredients are in large crumbs.

Roll by hand into small balls.

Roll the balls in coconut.

If the mixture is too dry to roll into balls put in some more tahini, nut butter and/or honey. If this does not bring them to a rollable consistency, then put a small splash of hot water.

Store in the fridge and these should keep for several days.

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Child Care

Entertainment Bradford School

Relationship, parenting, child and family counselling available

BAZAAR Sun 10th April

11am-1pm

At the Kowhai Centre, our Bachelor of Social Services (Counselling) students are supported by lecturers and experienced counsellors to provide you with a free service which is professional, respectful and accessible.

Support Services

J02041

Family challenges > Relationships Parenting > Grief and loss > Stress Self-esteem > Planning and goal setting Life changes Services on campus or weekly in East Otago.

Phone 03 479 6198 (please leave a message) Email Kowhai.Centre@op.ac.nz

Bouncy Castle, Sandpit Dig, Baking, Face Painting, Raffle, BBQ, White Elephant, Books, Plants, Sponge The Teacher, Live Music, Clothing, Toys, Luck y Dips, Mystery Jar Draw Candy Floss, Tombola, Silent Auctions, Bradford Gourmet Burgers, 12.30 Grocery Grab (pre purchase tickets from school office or purchase on the day)

www.op.ac.nz/ kowhai-centre www.familytimes.co.nz 15

Top reads Picture books Finding Winnie: The Story of the Real Bear Who Inspired Winniethe-Pooh

By Lindsay Mattick Illustrations Sophie Blackall Orchard Books, $30 This book is based on the author’s greatgrandfather, Harry Colebourne, who signed up as a vet in the Canadian army in 1917. He buys a bear cub he names Winnie, which becomes his regiment’s mascot. Winnie stays at London Zoo when they go to the front, and a little boy called Christopher Robin befriends and names his teddy after Winnie, prompting the famous stories. Warm and wonderful Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations.

Big Book of Love

By Catherine & Laurence Anholt Orchard Books $20 paperback/$30 hardback The brightlycoloured pages are full of the many diversions of a young child’s life: the beach, a tree-house, a train ride, the dog and other animals, friends, the busy city, bright colours and more. A glorious romp through the familiar features of a child’s life. Lilting rhyming text makes this a perfect readaloud.

How to be Famous

By Michal Shalev Gecko Press, $20 Pb/$30 Hb There is a laugh on every page as a self-centred pigeon teaches us how to be famous. The illustrations are marvellously loose, with scribbles of crayon and pencil over washes of colour, conveying the impulsive enthusiasm of our pigeon and the speed of his rollicking tale as he lurches from one potential disaster to the next. Read aloud to all ages.

Intermediate fiction

Junior Fiction

Knowledge books

What Dog Knows

By Sylvia Vanden Heede & Inge Bergh Illustrations: Marije Tolman Gecko Press, $19.99 Respectable Dog and his unruly cousin Wolf are back! As well as the hilarious interactions, Dog and Wolf also bring us knowledge. Dog knows lots about knights, dragons, dinosaurs, skeletons, robots and so much more. Wolf has some wild and rather dangerous ideas (like trying to make Cat into a Mummy) that get them all into strife. A great package of facts with humorous interactions.

The Bold Ship Phenomenal

By Sarah Johnson Illustrations Deborah Hinde Flat Bed Press, $20 Life is dull for Malachi (11) after his mother’s death: Dad just stays at home being boring.

Things change after Malachi finds a ship in a bottle. News about an eco-protest prompts Malachi to see for himself, stowing away on a truck driven by the school bully’s father. He gets more than he bargained for. Funny and mighty exciting.

The Vloggers Yearbook

By Harriet Paul & Caroline Rowlands The Five Mile Press, $21.50 A bountiful assortment of vloggers (video bloggers) laid out as a busy scrapbook.

Photographs, biographical info, drawings, questions, quotations, timelines and more! A useful “censored” stamp appears on some as a warning that language may offend. There are also useful guidelines for readers interested in having a go at vlogging themselves. An excellent resource for a contemporary craze.

Raymie Nightingale

By Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press $22.99 Ten-year-old Raymie’s father has run off with a dental hygienist, but she has a plan to lure him back – become Little Miss Central Florida Tire and when her father sees her photo in the paper he’ll return. In preparation, she and two friends are learning to twirl batons. Based on the award-winning author’s childhood and told in simple but effective language.

A tale of self-discovery, full of humour.

Crenshaw

By Katherine Applegate Harper Collins $16.99 Crenshaw is a giant cat who wears a baseball cap and takes bubble baths.

But the only person who can see him is 10-year-old Jackson, and maybe his dog Aretha. Jackson’s family is going through hard times; they’ve been homeless before and maybe it’s going to happen again. Crenshaw was Jackson’s invisible friend when he was seven, and now he’s back, with very good advice, just when Jackson needs him most.

The Beginner’s Guide to Adventure Sport in New Zealand

By Steve Gurney Random House, $35 Photos, great design and easyto-consume text make this an excellent introduction to a wide range of adventure sports in New Zealand. Get your sport thrills out in the environment, be it in the water (swimming, paddling), the bush (running, tramping, orienteering), the mountains (climbing), in the snow, or any combination. You’ll find suggestions for kit, safety, how each sport operates, training, prep, and competing.

The Marvels

By Brian Selznick Scholastic Press, $35 An epic tale in two parts – the first, entirely in illustrations, follows the theatrical Marvel family from Billy in 1766, through generations until 1900 when Leontes is banished from the theatre. The second, told in words, begins a century later with a runaway searching out his uncle who has an intriguing relationship to the first story. They come together in a blending of the two stories, discovering what is real and what is imagined.

Whose Beak is This?

By Gillian Candler Illustrations Fraser Williamson Potter & Burton $25 New Zealand birds appear one by one through a circular window, revealing their beak at work obtaining food. On the following page the whole bird is revealed with a paragraph, using the Maori and European name, describing the shape and purpose of the beak. The images are beautifully simple, capturing the essence of each bird. Brief poems begin and end the book.

Magrit

By Lee Battersby Walker Books, $22.99 Magrit is nearly 10. She lives in an abandoned cemetery and her only friend and advisor is Master Puppet, a skeletal creature she built who sits overlooking the graveyard. When a baby is dropped in the graveyard Magrit cares for him, but what will happen when he wants to go outside the secure boundary of their domain? And whose bones lie in the neglected corner?

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