Kids on the Coast Magazine - Gold Coast - Issue 56. May/June 2015

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

Raising an entrepreneur

ISSUE 56 May/June 2015 GOLD COAST

Inspiring creativity

Creative classrooms

How to grow a green kid

It’s back!

Mates

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@ Currumbin!

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Not valid with any other offer. Conditions apply. Valid to residents living within postcodes 4000 - 4570 (QLD) and 2450 -2490 (NSW) for May and June 2015 only. Redeem discount at the gate or purchase online using coupon code mates2015. General Admission day pass only.

56 Contents ISSUE

May/June 2015

Costume created by the fabulous Ligre from www.facebook.com/ storksnestdesigns

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FROM THE EDITOR

6

THE SOCIAL GATHERING

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WHAT’S NEWS

10 FEATURE: Raising an entrepreneur 16 CHECK THIS OUT 18 PARENTS TALK: Do you enjoy playing with your kids?

22 C ALENDAR OF EVENTS: Find out what’s happening on the Coast during May & June 24 EDUCATION: Creative classrooms 30 THE P FILES: Inspiring creativity 34 TEENS: Ploughing a clear path 36 ONLY NATURAL: How to grow a green kid 38 YOU: Make Mum feel special 40 CONVERSATION: Meet Sam Webb 42 REVIEWS

Rylan, 4yrs

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: MEGAN BLANDFORD, JESSICA JANE SAMMUT, SANDRA SMITH, KERRYN ANKER, LARA CAIN GRAY, NATASHA HIGGINS COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: VERVE PORTRAITS

Printed with vegetable/soy based inks on paper supplied using pulp sourced from sustainable forests and manufactured to environmentally accredited systems.

WE ENCOURAGE RECYCLING. Please keep this issue for future reference, pass onto your friends and family, use for craft projects or place into the recycling bin. www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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mother

WELCOME

mothe

kids on the coast | in th

MEDIA PUBLISHED BY Mother Goose Media PTY LTD PO Box 491, Eumundi QLD 4562 PHONE: 1300 430 320 FAX: 07 5442 7253 ABN: 86 473 357 391 WEB: www.mothergoosemedia.com.au

This edition of Kids on the Coast is all about creativity and we have some wonderful articles to share with you. Kids are naturally creative, finding wonder in a whole host of ordinary objects and situations, and this innate creativity is such an important quality to nurture. Having our sofa turned into a pirate ship and not having any serving spoons for a few days is a small price to pay for sparking their rich imaginations!

To celebrate this edition we’ve brought some extra creativity to our cover. We love the cardboard box dinosaur creation worn by our cheeky cover model. I still remember my mum turning an old cardboard box into a much loved ‘raindrop’ dance costume when I was little. Share your cardboard creations with us on Instagram and don't forget to tag us @kidsonthecoastmagazine so we can see and share it!

As discussed in our ‘Inspiring Creativity’ P Files article, creativity is so much more than being good at art, singing or writing a story. Personally I have never considered myself a very creative person, but I do believe that everyone – yes, even me – has a creative spark within them that just takes a little work and practice to uncover and develop. Simply engaging in creative activities is a great place to start to encourage the creative mind to develop and work more freely.

And you’re bound to have fun at the same time!

Creativity also has an important place in the business world and the entrepreneurs of today are younger than you think. In our feature article we meet the business-minded kids who are taking the coast – and the world – by storm.

The importance of nurturing and teaching creativity from an early age is now being realised within the traditional education system, and our education article looks at how schools and teachers are embracing and encouraging creativity in the classroom.

Keep an eye out in May for our Education eGuide for the latest news and resources pertaining to all aspects of education – from day care through to high school plus a range of extracurricular educational activities and support.

Before we know it, it will be the end of June and the start of the next school holidays when we’ll share another school holiday guide full of heaps of ideas for holiday fun.

AVAILABLE

MID-MAY

T IONuide A C U ED eG

MAY 2015 - in the city

- on the coast

As always, we have a mountain of content online including topical news stories daily, blog posts, new articles and reviews on products, books, movies and more.

Please do stop by and a have a read.

We’d love to hear from you on our Facebook page too. Please feel free to contact our team via Facebook.com/kidsonthecoast, our website or email and don’t forget to sign up for our What’s On eNews that comes out weekly at www.kidsonthecoast.com.au Natasha Higgins, Editor

BEHIND THE SCENES … at our Verve Portraits cover shoot

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au www.kidsinthecitymagazine.com.au

EDITORIAL / PRODUCTION PUBLISHER: Toni Eggleston PRINT EDITOR: Natasha Higgins GROUP EDITOR - DIGITAL: Eva Lewis ADMIN: admin@mothergoosemedia.com.au SOCIAL MEDIA: Eva Lewis PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Phoebe Browning production@mothergoosemedia.com.au DESIGN: Michelle Craik & Phoebe Browning PRINTING: Print Works, 07 3865 4433 All editorial and advertising in Kids on the Coast and Kids in the City publications are published in good faith based on material, verbal or written, provided by contributors and advertisers. No responsibility is taken for errors or omissions and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All material in Kids on the Coast is subject to copyright provisions.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Feedback/ comments/suggestions? Send to: editorial@ mothergoosemedia.com.au. We aim to reply to all correspondence but don’t guarantee to do so. Letters to the editor may be edited for length or clarity.

DISTRIBUTION Distributed directly to parenting hotspots across South East Queensland.

Kids on the Coast (Gold Coast edition) is a free publication circulating over 18,000 copies from Tweed Heads to Coomera, including hinterland.

Separate editions cover the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Kids on the Coast (Sunshine Coast edition) is a free publication circulating over 20,000 copies from Caloundra to Noosa, including hinterland.

Kids in the City (Brisbane edition) is a free publication circulating over 20,000 copies from North Lakes to Springwood and covering all suburbs to Jindalee.

For distribution enquiries phone: 1300 430 320 or email: admin@mothergoosemedia.com.au

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Lights, camera , action!

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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The social gathering

by Eva Lewis

Daily conversation, inspiration and information

facebook.com/kidsonthecoast

plus.google.com/+KidsonthecoastAuKidsinthecity

We want to meet you so let's get social

kidsonthecoast_goldcoast

Snippets from our first ever live Facebook chat on bullying

pinterest.com/kidsonthecoast

issuu.com/kidsonthecoastmagazine

WE’VE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT THESE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND HAVING LOADS OF FUN. CHECK OUT WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO ON INSTAGRAM...

KOTC SAID: IT SEEMS AS THOUGH BULLYING IS QUITE COMMON. IS IT ACTUALLY GETTING WORSE IN AUSTRALIA? Stymie.com.au said: Bullying is getting worse in Australia. In 2010, 1 in 10 kids were being bullied. We are now up to 1 in 4. In only 5 years. We can thank social media and technology for that. Too many kids are left to their devices on their own devices.

Ligre said: My daycare lady told me last week that my 3-year-old daughter gets left out at daycare by three other 3-year-olds, apparently they also run way from her and pull faces at her so she spends most of the day playing alone, she asks them to play but they say no or just run away. Have you come across bullying at 3 years old?!

I mean to me it sounds ridiculous, surely they can't know that they are bullying?

What can I do to build my daughters confidence?

Stymie.com.au said: It is happening at a very young age. Most of these behaviours are learned from older siblings, television and the flow on effect is awful.

Stymie.com.au said: In terms of building your daughter's confidence it is important for her to know that there are other kids. And you know, kids are always going to be awful to each other, this unfortunately is not necessarily bullying but something many kids go through.

Event Cinemas Chicks at the Flicks

y Day of Positivit for Kids Helpline

You can also read the Cinderella movie review on our website

OUR MOST POPULAR

ARTICLES

You certainly couldn’t get enough of these articles over the past two months!

Have you read them yet?

Stymie.com.au said: The main thing that parents can do is be aware of what your kids are up to. I can't tell you how frightening this point is. Parents are not being responsible or active enough in their boundary setting and supervision of kid’s internet access.

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“I recently discovered your beautiful magazine while holidaying and I just wanted to say how awesome it is - full of relevant articles, events and stunning imagery and design. Well done!" Thanks Sue!

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

Beth, one of our very happy prizewinners and a definite Barbie fan!

Scan to visit our website

There are always great prizes on our website.

Visit to enter. www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

a Birthday Party at Dreamworld VALUED AT $690!

Includes: Entry to Dreamworld for 10 children and 2 adults.

Dreamworld Party Host. VIP access to selected rides & attractions.

Party Bags & Theming. Character Meet & Greet.

Lunch at one of the new food outlets.

Full T&C’s available on website.

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au/ competitions Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek Madagascar, © 2015 Kung DreamWorks Fu Panda,Animation Shrek © Studios 2015 DreamWorks L.L.C. Animation Studios L.L.C.

7 nights at Lagoons 1770 Resort & Spa - Agnes Water 7 nights in a two bedroom, swim out apartment for two adults and two kids including daily breakfast. *Holiday can be booked during school holidays. Except for close out dates 21 – 27 December. Reservation must be made by 30 Nov 2015.

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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Whatsnews Stay up to date with your local community news. If you have any unique news that you’d like to share, please contact our editor at editorial@kidsonthecoast.com.au

Visit our website for more news, www.kidsonthecoast.com.au/news

MOTHER’S DAY WITH A SPECIAL MEANING FOR THE NAPPY COLLECTIVE

DID YOU

KNOW Students who study art are

4 times

more likely to be recognised for academic achievement.

PICASSO COULD DRAW BEFORE HE COULD WALK AND HIS FIRST WORD WAS THE SPANISH WORD FOR PENCIL.

None of the Beatles could read music.

THE GOLD COAST HAS THE LARGEST PROFESSIONAL LIFEGUARD SERVICE IN AUSTRALIA. 8

Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

This Mother’s Day, the Australian public will be able to donate desperately needed nappies to mothers in shelters and families in crisis. From May 1 to 15, The Nappy Collective will hold its largest drive yet, collecting leftover unused nappies around the country including the Gold Coast. At the conclusion of the drive, the nappies (mostly destined for landfill) are then collected, sorted and donated to mothers in shelters and families in need in each locality. The concept behind the Melbourne based organisation is simple: many parents have a stash of outgrown nappies gathering dust in their cupboards. At the same time, mothers fleeing family violence often struggle to provide for their young children, often changing their babies less frequently or forgoing other basic essentials to afford sufficient nappies. The Nappy Collective’s solution is to give parents an opportunity to collectively help families in crisis by donating their handful of nappies. For more information on where to donate, visit www.thenappycollective.com

NEW PRE & POST-NATAL FITNESS PROGRAMS LAUNCHED

Asha Burnley, an ex elite athlete, launched the first antenatal group training sessions out of her boutique studio recently, after collaborating with a renowned Gold Coast obstetrician Dr Drew Moffrey. The program is specifically for women going through pregnancy and post-baby. “With these programs, we combine both cardio and weight training that is specifically designed for pregnant women and it lets our clients enjoy a safe way to stay fit throughout their entire pregnancy,” Ms Burnley said. “Mothers who remain fit and active during pregnancy are less likely to develop gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia and there’s less chance of a pre-term or prolonged labour.” The cardio and weight training programs are currently running weekly at the Broadbeach Asha Burnley Health and Fitness studio with the view to extending the schedules as demand grows. For more information visit www.ashaburnley.com

NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHOOPING COUGH BOOSTERS IN THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY

Recently The Australian Immunisation Handbook for Pertussis (whooping cough) was updated to recommend that women have a whooping cough booster during the third trimester of every pregnancy. A representative at Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters stated on their Facebook page that although it is still very important to have all who are in contact with the new baby, such as friends and family, to be vaccinated (cocooning) as it offers about 50% protection for babies, administration of third trimester boosters in every pregnancy offers an even better level of protection (about 90%). The handbook states that the boosters are most effective when given between 28 and 32 weeks, as this gives an adequate amount of time for the mother’s body to produce antibodies and for these antibodies to cross to the placenta to protect the baby. The handbook also states that the booster is safe to give up until birth and that a booster should be administered during every pregnancy for maximal protection to every infant, including pregnancies that are closely spaced. For adults, boosters should be given every 5-10 years because immunity does eventually wear off. For comprehensive information, visit the Immunise Australian Program website www.immunise.health.gov.au. The Australian Immunisation Handbook for Pertussis can be found at www.health.gov.au

HELP PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS KOALAS

If you live in Currumbin Waters, Elanora, Tallebudgera or Tallebudgera Valley you live in a unique koala corridor and can play a big part in protecting the local koala habitat. Join Koala Friends and become part of the effort to protect these special animals and their habitat. For more information about this group, email koalas@goldcoast.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 5582 8024.

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FEATURE

Raising an entrepreneur

by Megan Blandford

‘KIDS THESE DAYS’ IS A SAYING THAT NO LONGER NEEDS TO BE FOLLOWED WITH A LAMENTING SIGH, REPLACING THAT INSTEAD WITH A TONE OF WONDER AT THE AMAZING THINGS CHILDREN ARE ACHIEVING. Defined as managing an enterprise or business, entrepreneurship is rife in Australia and is set to become even more so. Generation Z is being described by researchers as the generation of digital entrepreneurs, with a prediction that there will be more people running businesses than ever before.

Some, though, can’t wait until adulthood to do this, choosing instead to practise their entrepreneurial skills during childhood.

Entrepreneurial kids are taking their future into their own hands, working hard to earn their own way, learn new skills and give back to their communities. And the adults in their lives are recognising these passions and making every effort possible to encourage them.

Why? Well, when you know it’s improving your child’s creativity, engagement, confidence and life skills, the question really is, why not?

So, does your child have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? Well, to begin with they need to have the right resources at their fingertips, with online platforms a strong basis for building a creatively managed business. The other thing they need is encouragement from us as parents, including helping their creativity flourish, giving them the chance to follow their passions and exposing them to different ideas. Even something as simple as not buying your child everything they want can encourage them to initiate a creative way to earn money. And, as the parents we’ve spoken to prove, the downsides are minimal, as long as children are supported in balancing their businesses with good old-fashioned play.

THE NEW WAY TO EARN POCKET MONEY When Michelle House’s daughter Kate asked for an iPad, she was given a simple one-word answer: no. Like most kids, Kate didn’t

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

like that response, so she started thinking of ways she could raise the funds to buy one for herself. The answer lay right in her bathroom, where her mum’s homemade beauty creams got Kate thinking about making her own bath and shower products.

“I have a business background, so as soon as I saw her interest, I ran with it,” Michelle explains. “When kids are interested in something, I think you have to get as much out of it as you can.”

The nine-year-old now sells her wares – under the name Sweet Kisses – through a Facebook page, using her business-like hobby as a way to fund her own pocket money.

Michelle sees this as a great educational experience. “She’s learning business skills, confidence, organisational skills and learning her strengths,” this Brisbane mum says. “I’ve shown her how to buy the containers and compare the price between buying them in a store and buying them in bulk and, at nine, she can read a profit and loss statement.”

The benefits of her daughter having an entrepreneurial interest are, Michelle believes, not just about using her creativity but in having time to use her brain without limitation. “It gives her that time to be in her own space and not be overstimulated by activity,” Michelle says. “She has her own project and her own plan that she’s doing in her own way and in her own time. I think that’s really important for children; it’s downtime to engage her brain in activities she’s chosen.”

What’s next for Kate? Well, this smart kid has life as a solopreneur in her sights. “I invested some capital to get her started: $100, so I’m a shareholder!” says Michelle. “She’s trying to buy me out now.”

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

FEATURE

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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FEATURE

WORKING WITH SCHOOLS Club Kidpreneur is one organisation that’s working with schools to take children in Years 5 and 6 through a real business experience.

“Each kid gets a backpack with the tools to build their own business,” explains general manager Deanna Coleman. They’re taken through basic process such as what their business does, how it fills a need, what the business name will be, designing a logo, prototyping their product, pricing strategies and goal-setting.

The program not only includes literacy and numeracy development that works with the curriculum, it’s also funded by the kids themselves. “On average, they’ll earn between $150 to $300 and the first $75 goes back to the foundation,” Deanna says.

The kids also donate some of their earnings to charities, giving them a taste of how it feels to give back to their local community.

“Kids love the idea of global citizenship,” says Deanna, “and if you teach them at a young age then it becomes part of who they are.”

Programs like this encourage kids to not just dream big, but to act on those fantasies too. “There are two sides of the coin,” says Deanna. “One is about following your dreams and passions, but you really need some skills around that. You can’t run an amazing business unless you’ve built some business skills. Then following that dream seems more realistic. Even if you’re a singer or a dancer, if you understand a bit about business fundamentals you’re probably going to be more successful.

The benefits to teaching entrepreneurial skills, she says, are endless. “The basic skills of business are not rocket science, and if you can remove some of that mystery around business while kids are young, that’s an amazing skill they can have throughout life.”

THINKING GLOBALLY Sunshine Coast brother and sister Ash and Ailish started their entrepreneurial efforts five years ago with a competition run

by Australia Zoo. Their video came second in the competition, and spawned a series they called Planet You, highlighting environmental issues to other kids.

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

It was in the evolution of this interest that the magic really happened. “They set out to record this video series,” explains their mum Cate Bolt, “and what happened was they started finding out about a lot of pretty crappy things going on in the world, and I guess they felt trying to fix the problems was more important … and the video series became secondary. The outcome was about $45,000 being raised for various charities.”

Their focus has since changed again, with now 19-year-old Ash focusing on his music (with a twist on raising money for charities and spreading important messages) and Ailish, 11, volunteering to help community causes whenever she can. But with a mum who runs an orphanage in Indonesia and is a strong human rights campaigner in her own right, it’s certain that the ideas of global community will always be in this pair’s minds. Certainly, Cate has worked to teach her children that an element of giving back to the community is always important.

Still, it can be difficult to be a bystander as your kids carve out their own path. “I think the hardest thing as a parent is letting kids make their own mistakes, because you want to protect them – and this is really fairly similar,” Cate explains. “I try to let them do their own thing as much as possible without interfering.”

Having entrepreneurial abilities is an important parenting value for Cate to share with her kids, having been passionate about it her whole life. She says, “I’ve raised all my kids to believe that there are options other than ‘working for the man'. It takes a lot of hard work and you really need to back yourself, but … I just believe kids should believe that they are capable of doing anything, whether that means their dream job or changing the world.”

In this family it seems entrepreneurialism could be contagious; Ash and Ailish’s younger brother, Charlie, has caught it and hopes to make a video series raising awareness of bugs. “I’d like to think that this video series is going to be finished, but it’s entirely up to the kids,” says Cate. “I won’t force them to do it.”

, ng hi yt an ng oi d of e bl pa ca e ar ey th at "I just beliethveerkithdats shmeaounsld betheiliervedretham job or changing the world.” whe

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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FEATURE

LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES

CREATIVITY AND FAME

When Bernie Kelly was asked to be involved in new Sunshine Coast initiative Generation Innovation he jumped at the opportunity.

Working with several teams of aspiring entrepreneurs aged 15 to 25, Bernie’s role was that of motivator and facilitator, and he says the talent at the recently run initial workshop astounded him.

For Gold Coast mum Simonne Kelly, allowing her daughters Charli, 9, and Ashlee, 6, to pursue their entrepreneurial efforts is simply about encouraging their interests. The only difference between her and any other parent giving their children the space to pursue a hobby is, it seems, the traction this one has gained.

Working with mentors to work through a business start-up, the young teams take a business from concept to pitching in an effort to receive capital and get those business ideas off the ground.

Operating through community micro-financing, founder Ted O’Brien says there’s nothing else like this happening globally.

The Kelly girls’ YouTube cooking show Charli’s Crafty Kitchen started three years ago when their aunt (who has her own YouTube cooking channel) suggested Charli might enjoy this outlet. Charli’s Crafty Kitchen began with then six-year-old Charli taking control and her little sister, then three, getting into the action whenever she could. “Charli is very creative and Ashlee just loves food!”

Simonne laughs, as she speaks of the roles each of them plays.

Bernie adds, “The reality is that for some of them, this could give them a business. The real question, though, is what is that going to do for some of these kids? This is going to give them a feeling of self-worth, that even if this particular business doesn’t work they now have the process and the experience to apply to another business idea. For them, they’ve launched a journey of possibilities that’s not only related to the current business they’re looking at but maybe future businesses.”

For those who don’t get as far through the process, coming out the other side without a real life business shouldn’t be a disappointing ending, Bernie says. “They’ve been in a positive environment of acceptance and belief,” he explains. “They’re gaining from it just from being part of the process, whether they get seeding or funding or not.”

There’s more to it than a competition to pitch for funding, with a bigger picture at play. “It’s a win all round,” says Bernie, “and the win for us is that we are initiating a formula that can create belief and self-worth in kids to the point where we can help and assist them to create businesses and answer the unemployment problem on the Sunshine Coast.”

This is life-changing stuff. Bernie says, “The kids that walked out were very different to the kids that walked in.”

ways to encourage your kidpreneur

consider a program 1. Ask your school to ur. such as Club Kidprene ey ildren about how mon 2. Speak with your ch is earned. such as the Sunshine 3. Seek opportunities ovation workshops.

Coast’s Generation Inn izenship and how 4. Talk about global cit hers. we can give back to ot an interest in 5. If your child shows with it! entrepreneurship, run 14

Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

Their YouTube channel now receives around a million views each day. They have fans at school, get recognised on the street and sign autographs, making this a hobby with a life of its own. “We never really expected it to go so well,” says Simonne. “It was just a hobby – two kids mucking around in the kitchen – and it took off.

At first I was a little bit nervous about it, but the girls are loving it.”

For parents, there’s often an internal battle between seeing your children stick to an activity and wanting them to have free time for playing. That’s why Simonne and her husband take on all the behind-the-scenes work for Charli’s Crafty Kitchen, so that it doesn’t impede on the kids’ free time much at all. “The part of it that the girls do is quite quick; they’re having fun in the kitchen once a week,” Simonne says, adding that the bigger workload is on them as parents. “The editing, the admin and the social hosting all falls on us.”

That doesn’t mean the girls don’t have a say in what happens on their YouTube channel. Quite the opposite actually. “Charli is the boss of the channel,” her mum says, “and both girls get a say in what they do, and when other opportunities come up they get to say if they want to do them.” In fact, Simonne sees this as the greatest benefit of her children’s entrepreneurial endeavours. “The most important thing with this channel has been to let the girls have some creative input into the channel and to take ownership of it, within reason. We don’t do anything they don’t feel comfortable with. At this age there has to be a lot of parental control, but Charli and Ash get a lot of say in the decisions we make.”

With that parental control comes a constant monitoring of whether it’s the right thing for the kids, too. “I don’t want any pressure on them to do it for any reason other than fun,” says Simonne. Having said that, she adds, it’s like a modern day public speaking practice that gives them skills that will take them into the future. “It teaches them a lot and gives them more confidence. Charli says it makes her feel more confident in herself and feel like she can go on stage and perform.”

Simonne says she’s happy to let Charli and Ashlee keep going with their show for as long as they’d like to. “It’s a lot of fun for the girls,” she says. “As long as they’re enjoying it we’ll keep going.”

RESOURCES Club Kidpreneur: www.clubkidpreneur.com Generation Innovation: www.generationinnovation.com.au Sweet Kisses: www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Kisses/644700985560415?ref=hl Charli’s Crafty Kitchen: www.youtube.com/charliscraftykitchen www.kidsonthecoast.com.au Planet You: www.planetyou.org.au

Counselling & Intervention Services

YLO (Counselling & Intervention Services) located at Underwood provides support and intervention to children, young people and families.

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3 - 5 years Learn and Grow is serious fun! Our most advanced class with advanced essential skills and body awareness both in the gym and at mat time. Music, phonics, literacy, numeracy, writing skills and more.

Visit www.kindyroogoldcoast.com for class content, days & times at centres. Book online or enquiries ph: 0411 109 853 / 5503 0937 or email: goldcoast@kindyroo.com.au

LITLE NINJAS 2-4 YEARS KWONDO KIDS 4-6 YEARS ADVANCED KWONDO KIDZ 6-8 YEARS JUNIOR & SENIOR TAEKWON-DO 8 YEARS + JUNIOR & SENIOR MMA 8 YEARS + JUNIOR & SENIOR BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU 8 YEARS +

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

15

CHECKthisOUT Seriously cool products to encourage kids to create, imagine, draw and play!

BLANK CANVAS GIFTS

Blank Canvas Gifts are beautiful handcrafted gifts for children who love to paint and create their own designer art. Each pack contains a high quality, pure white ‘blank canvas’ matched with premium fabric paints and/or markers. The ‘canvases’ are things children can use every day like library bags, cushions, tees, shoes, etc. With an inspiration booklet, reusable calico bag and gift tag, the packs are an affordable, quality gift priced between $30 to $45 for single packs. Duo and party packs are also available. www.blankcanvasgifts.com.au

HIPPY AT HEART PUPPETS

These funky and colourful little monster puppets by Hippy at Heart are handmade with love from all sorts of crafty materials. Imagine the hours of imaginative play you and your little one will have with these crazy creatures and the fun stories they will create. Available at Podie Pie, an artist collective of handmade treasures located in Howard Street, Nambour. RRP $20.

If you can't get to this great little shop visit their facebook page www.facebook.com/PodiePie

16

Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

LOCK ACTIVITY BOX

The Lock Activity Box is a wonderful way to amuse young and curious minds.

Watch the delight on your child's face as they explore the different latches and openings to discover what is behind each door. This superbly crafted solid hardwood lock box is perfect for developing fine motor skills and dexterity during free play and also provides opportunities for parents to join in with fun memory and hiding games. The carry handle makes it a perfect toy to take along on outings. The lock activity box measures 31cm x 13cm x 12cm and is recommended for 3 years and over. Available online through various retailers.

OSMO GAMING ACCESSORY

Osmo is a unique educational gaming system that fosters social intelligence and creative thinking by opening up the iPad to the endless possibilities of physical play. Simply attach the reflector and stand to your iPad to transform the physical space in front of the iPad into a digital game board. Arrange tangible puzzle pieces into matching on-screen shapes; guess and spell out the on-screen hidden word by tossing down real-life letters using the onscreen picture as a clue; or use inventive objects such as a hand-drawn basket, Dad’s keys or anything around you to guide falling on-screen balls into targeted zones. Suitable for everyone from 6 years – bringing kids and families together in the real world! www.playosmo.com

SPARROW & B CUTE COSTUMES FOR KIDS

Sparrow & B cater for all the costume wishes your child could ever have!

Are they a rainbow bird, a stripey tiger or a purple owl? Or maybe a viking, a queen or a strongman? Sparrow & B design and stitch dozens of different costumes in their Melbourne studio using mixed fabrics of fabulous print and texture. The costumes are super cute, fun, comfortable to wear and best of all, will last the distance when it comes to hours of play. Custom orders are welcome – the sky is the limit to your child’s imagination and theirs! www.sparrowandb.com.au

DIY EMBROIDERY HOOP KITS

These DIY mini embroidery kits from dandelyne are great for beginners (ages 7+) and include everything you need to get started and create beautiful mini embroidery masterpieces – fabric, needles, floss, design ideas, transfer paper, basic stitch instructions. The ‘Fun Starter Embroidery Hoop Kit’ has everything you need to stitch up to four special designs for your miniature embroidery hoops. You can also purchase a special kit to frame your stitchy designs to wear as a brooch or necklace. The options are endless! Check out the range at www.etsy.com/shop/dandelyne

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HOST AUSTRALIA’S

GET TOGETHER TO HELP BEAT CANCER

W REGISTER NO FOR MAY 2015 85 or visit Call 1300 65 65 a.com.au te biggestmorning

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

17

PARENTS TALK

TALK

Some of the best-loved parenting bloggers in South East Queensland join Kids on the Coast and Kids in the City to discuss the topics that matter to you.

Parents

We asked our group of parenting bloggers: Do you enjoy playing with your kids?

RENEE WILSON

LISA BARTON-COLLINS

Mummy, Wife, Me

Mrs BC's House of Chaos

Absolutely. I must be a kid at heart because I love sitting down with the kids to colour, play Barbies or dance to The Wiggles.

I love spending time with my children, and I also think it’s important for their development to spend time playing alone and with each other. And my personal development demands alone time too!! I always tell them that only boring people get bored, and I love to see them stretch their imagination. Together they play made up obstacle course type games that seem to involve a lot of weaponry, and this is not my cup of tea at all.

It is more than that though. When we spend time playing together we are all happy. We are working on our bond and everyone is more relaxed. I love seeing the joy on their faces when I play with them.

I love watching them grow and learn and see their personalities shine through.

When my youngest has her daytime nap, my four-year-old and I make up stories and turn them into books that we can read together later. We also love to play memory games and other board games.

Four is a great age because she is able to play games that interest me also. We are still learning how to be a good sport though.

With my two-year-old, we play blocks, blow bubbles or dance.

If you were to ask my husband, he would say I spend too much time playing with the kids and they need to learn how to play more independently. My two-year-old is good at this, my four-year-old not so much.

There are certain activities I can’t stand of course. Play dough being one of them. I die a little inside every time they ask to play with that.

I was one of those anti-gun mums, right up to until I had boys. Now I’ve just accepted my fate, and get out of their way so they can get on with it. Sigh! I also have no patience for craft and its associated mess, which works out well because neither do they (the craft obviously, they have zero issues with mess). Occasionally on a rainy holiday they might make robots or masks or weapons out of stuff in the recycling bin, but we are not the house that is full of glitter and paint creations.

What we do like to do together is play games. I am one of those boring educational mums so I love Bananagram, which is similar to Scrabble, and Math Dice, which is a thrilling game where you have to create the most sums within a certain period of time. The boys like it but not for a long time. We love playing Eye Spy on long journeys, as well as Twenty Questions and Build a Story – one person says a sentence, the next person adds a sentence, and so on. It makes for some bizarre conversations!

One of their recent game creations was Paper Rock Scissors Wildcard, which they invented during a very long time spent queuing for a ferry. It is an extension of Paper Rock Scissors, but at the end you add a wildcard of your own choosing, and then the wildcard item must battle with whatever the other person has chosen. So a rock might be doing battle with a Kraken, or a Laser Ninja might be doing battle with a giant starfish, or a pair of scissors might have to battle an invisible penguin. It is fun to play, and entertaining to watch – at least it was for the rest of the people in the queue!

LAUREN MATHESON

SHARI BREWER

Create Bake Make

Teenage Survival Coach

Ooh this is a tough one! I have to say it really does depend on what the activity is and how long I'm expected/ required to play – I know that sounds terrible! I'm more than happy to sit on the lounge room floor constructing elaborate Lego Duplo towers only to have them immediately destroyed, drive matchbox cars and trucks around on the tiles or dig in the sandpit – for short periods of time.

At the risk of being sent straight to the naughty corner, I must admit playing with my children is not something that has come easily to me.

I do it because I want to be with them in their world, but I will often find myself distracted by mental grocery lists or just a nagging desire to be sleeping.

Don't get me wrong, I genuinely do enjoy playing with my boys and I love watching my three-year-old beginning to construct elaborate scenarios and stories which he includes his little brother in, but I don't want to (and honestly can't afford to) spend my entire day playing with them. The time they spend playing together is my opportunity to clean up the kitchen, put some washing away or even take 10 minutes to sit down and have a HOT cup of coffee.

While I'm open to most games and activities, I'm not a huge fan of (or overly comfortable with) wrestling with them or their latest obsession of cannon balls off the couch, and I happily leave these activities in the capable hands (I hope) of my husband.

Please don’t misunderstand – I love, adore and cherish my children. Truly, I do. I’m just not one of those mums with an innate knack for play dough, glitter or Lego. I’ll stick my hand up to own it right now and let you know most activities involving a glue stick, feathers and paddle pop sticks make me scream and then shrivel a little bit on the inside.

At one stage I was resentful and angry at myself for not enjoying playtime more, but I’ve come to accept the realities of parenting are such that there is no ‘right’ mum prototype.

When my teen boys were little ones, I admit to having much more energy and therefore trips to the park were fun, sandpits were bearable and playing chase was something I could partake in knowing it would have the double win of tiring them for an early bedtime. But many years on, I’m not physically as agile. So maybe it was just lucky my third and last was a little girl. She’s still super energetic and there’s been no gender play engineering … but I am coping a bit better with imaginary cups of tea, nurses and dolls than I did with space machines and sword fights.

Real-life activities such as cooking (usually badly) or exploring and hunting with the kids is much more enjoyable than imaginary play is for me. I also like to cuddle up and read with them, though the almost 18-year-old is not so keen on this anymore.

Join the conversation...

Look for Parents Talk topics at www.kidsonthecoast.com.au/articles 18

Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

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The Cycle Of Life

Fertility Acupuncture Specialists

The Benefits of Acupuncture & IVF The Cycle of Life is a unique acupuncture fertility clinic located on the Gold Coast (Robina) which supports couples undergoing IVF. Since IVF acupuncture has gained more and more credibility for its use for fertility treatment and IVF, it is believed acupuncture can enhance the outcome of IVF in many ways. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can improve the success rate of IVF by increasing the number of follicles, improving ovarian function and increasing blood flow to the uterus. In addition, patients are less likely to experience side effects from Western drugs and feel less stressed, coping better with the emotional stages of IVF. IVF acupuncture can also strengthen the immune system, which can be related to implantation failure.

Pre conception planning Fertility for Men & Women • IVF Pregnancy • Post Natal Support • Pediatrics Book your next appointment www.thecycleoflife.com.au • (07) 5689 1777 63/2 Arbour Avenue, Robina

The organs located in the pelvis, specifically the ovaries and the uterine lining, depend on a good blood supply. By increasing the blood flow to the reproductive system it maximises the supply of oxygen and nutrients, making the ovaries and uterus function optimally and respond better to an IVF cycle.

Acupuncture can boost your chances for a successful IVF Cycle by: • Producing a larger number of follicles.

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

19

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Voted Best Family Resort in Australia cannons and jets to entertain and engage the whole family, topped off with a giant bucket that fills with 600 litres of water before dumping it on the kids below in one enormous splash!

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For the ultimate in Gold Coast family fun, Paradise Resort Gold Coast has it all. Voted ‘Best Family Resort in Australia’, it’s been described as a mini theme park or a cruise ship on land. The resort offers a range of accommodation options throughout its 358 guest rooms, with family comfort paramount, including themed King and Junior Bunkhouse rooms with gaming consoles and free game hire.

The entire central resort area features a giant lagoon pool, large heated spa and two enormous Zone for Kids (Z4K) water park attractions. Both the 0-5 year and 5-12 year water park attractions sport a myriad of slides, water

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

21

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

d

10 MAY 16

BIG FAMILY FUNANZA Where: Nerang Country Paradise Parklands, Beaudesert-Nerang Rd, Nerang Time: 10am – 4pm Come along and enjoy a great day out with

GOLD COAST RENAISSANCE FAIRE

Where: Pratten Park, Broadbeach Time: 9:30am – 4:30pm Return to the golden age of swashbuckling adventure, Shakespeare, pirates, musketeers

Being active is a fun and positive experience for teenagers and there are lots of great weekly activities just perfect for teenagers on offer in this program. There are a heap of cool events on offer from skate, craft, stand up paddle boarding and more.

Details: Phone 5581 5233 or email activehealthygc@goldcoast.qld.gov.au. www.gcparks.com.au

VIBE YOUTH PROGRAM

More green time, less screen time. Get the kids moving and having fun during the school holidays with this program. There are hundreds of activities available. www.gcparks.com.au

Where: Dreamworld, Pacific Highway, Coomera When: 6:30pm – 10pm Get ready to scream yourself silly as Australia’s favourite theme park opens its doors after dark.

SCREAMWORLD

MAY 23

Where: Southport Yacht Club, 1 Macarthur Pde, Main Beach Time: 9am – 10:30am A perfect introduction to sailing for kids from 7 to 16 years. Bring a hat, shorts, t-shirt and sunscreen.

Details: $20 pp. No bookings required (maximum of 32 students). www.southportyachtclub.com.au

FUNSAIL DAYS

EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Where: Draculas, Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach Time: 12pm See live rock music, special effects, comedy, puppetry, dancing, interactive games and an amazing aerial circus! www.draculas.com.au/queensland/drax-4-kids

DRAX4KIDS THE SHOW

SATURDAYS

Take a break and help fight cancer. Host your morning tea at work, at home or with your local community group. www.biggestmorningtea.com.au

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST MORNING TEA

MAY 28

MAY

Where: Currumbin Community Farm Campus, 1226 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin Valley Time: 10am – 2pm Discover what this unique outdoor and environmental education centre has to offer.

Pick your own fresh produce, wander along the biodiversity walk, discover farmyard animals, enjoy the open picnic grounds and more! www.currumbinfarmschool.eq.edu.au

FARM DISCOVERY DAY

EVERY SUNDAY

Where: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, 28 Tomewin St, Currumbin Time: Daily at 10am, 1:30pm & 4:30pm Blinky Bill and his friends have a new home at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Australia’s favourite koala is bringing the Sanctuary to life with two ‘Wildlife to the Rescue’ shows daily, character appearances and an end-of-day parade.

Details: Adults $49. Child $35. Family $133. www.cws.org.au

Where: Event Cinemas Time: 10am Looking for something to do with the family?

Why not take them to the movies and catch a cheap flick?

Details: $6 a ticket. www.eventcinemas.com.au

MAY 2 & 3

MOTHER'S DAY

MAY

Where: Event Cinemas Relax and catch a movie at the Bring Your Baby sessions. www.eventcinemas.com.au

BRING YOUR BABY SESSIONS

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY

BLINKY BILL & FRIENDS

$6 WEEKEND FAMILY FLICKS

GOLD COAST ACTIVE AND HEALTHY PROGRAM

EVERY DAY EXCEPT ANZAC DAY

SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS

Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek Madagascar, © 2015 Kung DreamWorks Fu Panda,Animation Shrek © Studios 2015 DreamWorks L.L.C. Animation Studios L.L.C.

Where: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Time: 4pm – 9pm With a focus on local and international food as well as crafts. Why not eat on site and enjoy the live local music. www.cws.org.au/sanctuary-markets

SANCTUARY MARKETS

FRIDAY NIGHTS

Where: Paradise Point Parklands, Cnr of The Esplanade & Ephraim Island Pde, Paradise Point Time: 8am – 1pm Market showcasing up to 100 fashion, arts and creative stalls as well as live local music and delicious gourmet food. www.thevillagemarketsgc.com.au

THE VILLAGE MARKET

MAY 24 & JUNE 28

Where: Burleigh Heads State School, Lower Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads Time: 8am – 1pm Market showcasing up to 100 fashion, arts and creative stalls as well as live local music and delicious gourmet food. www.thevillagemarketsgc.com.au

THE VILLAGE MARKET

MAY 3 & 17 / JUNE 7 & 21

Where: The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise Time: 5pm – 10pm If you're looking for an unusual gift or one-off piece, the beachfront Night Markets are your one-stop shop. www.surfersparadise.com

BEACHFRONT MARKETS

EVERY WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SUNDAY NIGHT

Where: Sanctuary Cove Time: 9am – 1pm A boutique family market providing quality, unique products and services, which are not mass-produced or easily found in shops. www.themummytreemarkets.com.au

THE MUMMY TREE MARKETS

JUNE 27

Where: Upper Coomera State College, Upper Coomera Time: 9am – 12pm The ultimate market for your children’s needs with quality pre-loved and new products. www.zero2five.com.au

ZERO 2 FIVE MARKET

MAY 17

Where: Chinatown Precinct, Gold Coast Time: 4pm – 10pm Taste your way through Asia without leaving the Gold Coast. First Saturday of the month with the first markets commencing 2 May. www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au

CHINATOWN STREET MARKETS

MAY 2 & JUNE 6

MARKETS

- CALENDAR -

REGULAR EVENTS

Gol

t

s Coa

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

Where: The Great Lawn, Broadwater Parklands Time: 8:30am – 1pm One of RSPCA Queensland’s most popular outdoor events for animal lovers and their furry friends. Get involved by enjoying a healthy walk with your four-legged friend at The Great Lawn. www.millionpawswalk.com.au MAY 21 TO 24 Where: Broadbeach, Gold Coast There is something for everyone whether you are a classic soulful blues fan or a lover of great entertainment. Free fun for the whole family with rides and face painters.

Details: Free. www.bluesonbroadbeach.com MAY 22

WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY Scrap the car, leave the bike at home and grab your walking shoes! By walking to school, you reduce traffic and promote a healthier lifestyle to our children. www.walk.com.au

Where: Surfers Paradise It’s the BIGGEST music festival to hit Surfers Paradise. Held over 3 days with Sneaky Sound System as the headliner.

Details: Live and free for the whole family. www.surfersparadise.com

Where: Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre Time: 8am – 5pm Loads of titles and genres to choose from with over 10 000 donated and pre-loved books. All funds raised help support Lifeline services.

Details: Free entry www.uccommunity.org.au/gold-coast-bookfest

MAY 15 TO 21

NATIONAL FAMILIES WEEK

Celebrate the critical role of families in Australia. Check the website for events in your area. www.familiesaustralia.org.au

A time to celebrate respectful relationships and reflect on our shared histories, contributions and achievements. www.reconciliation.org.au

NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK

MAY 26 TO JUNE 2

Where: Studio Village Community Centre, 87 Village Way, Oxenford Time: 10am – 1pm A fun day out for families with information stalls, free entertainment and a talent show for all to participate in.

Details: Free www.studiovillage.com.au

FAMILY FUN DAY

MAY 24

Where: Dreamworld, Pacific Highway, Coomera Time: 10am – 5pm Be lured to the dark side as Dreamworld is taken over by Star Wars bad guys. www.dreamworld.com.au

STORMTROOPERS WEEKEND AT DREAMWORLD

MAY 23 & 24

www.dreamworld.com.au

Where: Somerset College, Mudgeeraba The Gold Coast’s biggest celebration of Aboriginal bush foods, stories, music, language, art and culture. Get involved in workshops including art and crafts for kids and adults.

Details: Free. www.somerset.qld.edu.au

YUGAMBEH MOBO FESTIVAL

MAY 31

Where: 1 Macarthur Parade, Main Beach Time: 9am – 2pm Discover sailing at this free open day open to all abilities. Don’t miss the wildlife visits, the newly opened playground and learn to sail programs.

Details: Free www.southportyachtclub.com.au

SOUTHPORT YACHT CLUB OPEN DAY

MAY 31

Where: Marine Parade, Coolangatta Bring the family and enjoy loads of free entertainment and retro markets, watch the street parade or join in a rockabilly workshop.

Details: Free www.coolyrockson.mybigcommerce.com

COOLY ROCKS ON

MAY 29 TO JUNE 8

Where: Shearwater Esplanade, Runaway Bay Time: 9am – 11am Come along to a free community dune planting activities with BeachCare and care for your local beach. Equipment and light refreshments provided.

Details: Free www.facebook.com/beachcare.coasted

BEACHCARE

JUNE 13

Where: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank Discover all you need to know for you, your pregnancy or child, with greater access than ever before to the latest advice and products.

Details: Adults $20. www.pbcexpo.com.au/brisbane

Where: Broadbeach Library, Cnr Sunshine and Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach Time: 5:30pm – 7pm An introduction to how a person with Aspergers Syndrome or an Autism Spectrum Disorder experiences the world while outlining some of the typical characteristics observed in people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Details: Free. Bookings required. Contact Fabic: 5530 5099 or email info@fabic.com.au. www.fabic.com.au

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

DOWNLOAD

Where: Mudgeeraba Showgrounds, Cnr Mudgeeraba Rd & Worongary Rd Country meets the coast in true agricultural show tradition with an amazing combination of events. Bigger attractions, more entertainment and endless activities for the whole family.

Details: Adults $15. Family $30. Student $10.

Under 5 free. www.mudgeerabashow.org.au

MUDGEERABA AGRICULTURAL SHOW

JUNE 26 TO 28

PREGNANCY BABIES & CHILDREN’S EXPO

JUNE 19 TO 21

INTRO INTO UNDERSTANDING ASD (AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER)

JUNE 4

8

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY

JUNE

- in the city

www.kidsontheco ast.com.au |

“ Things to do, places to go!”

June/July 201 5

Guide

HOLIDAY

- on the coast

Sunshine Coast

1

Sign up at www.kidsonthecoast.com.au for our weekly What’s On guide. We also have a special comprehensive activity and event eGuide every school holidays, covering all of South East Queensland. You can sign up online to be notified when the guide is launched and to receive the link to download your personal copy.

ine.com.au

www.kidsintheci tymagaz

AVAILABLE JUNE 26

Gold Coast

KEEP THE KIDS BUSY THIS WINTER HOLIDAY!

WINTER

Brisbane

Where: Broadwater Parklands This course teaches children to advance from training wheels to two wheels. BYO two-wheeled bike.

Details: Free www.cityofgoldcoast.com.au/cycleworkshops

TRAINING WHEELS TO TWO WHEELS COURSE

JUNE 27

26

RED NOSE DAY

JUNE

Don’t miss out on any events!

Where: Chinatown Precinct, Gold Coast Time: 10am – 1pm A celebration of the diverse Gold Coast community with a multicultural expo featuring performances from local cultural groups.

Details: Free www.moregoldcoast.com.au

MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION

JUNE 3

Where: Probioskin, 1 Paradise Avenue, Miami Time: 6:15pm A hectic fast-paced environment, personal and peer challenges and school pressure all take a toll on the body and mind of our children. This workshop will provide tools to help parents help their teen.

Details: $10. Bookings required.

Contact: 0411 277 850. www.gcparks.com.au/news-details. aspx?news=348#.VSnNvG92nIo

HAPPY TEENS

JUNE 3

JUNE

WORLD ENVIRNMENT DAY

5

JUNE

Visit www.kidsonthecoast.com.au for more events

LIFELINE BOOKFEST BLUES ON BROADBEACH

MILLION PAWS WALK

MAY 15 TO 17

MAY 17

SURFERS PARADISE LIVE

friends and family. Free children’s activities include jumping castle, giant slide, games, and climbing wall.

Details: Free. www.facebook.com/cppnerang

MAY 8 TO 10

and romance! There is something for all ages at this colourful and fun-filled faire.

Details: Adults $12.95. Child 5–13 yrs $6.95.

Under 5 free. www.goldcoastrenfaire.com

- on the coast

Gold Coast Convention Centre www.gccec.com.au

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

JUNE 24

Mermaid Waters and Tweed Heads www.kidspromotions.com.au

PLAY SCHOOL LIVE IN CONCERT – ONCE UPON A TIME

MAY 11 & 12

* We publish information based on what is supplied to us - to the best of our knowlegde all details are correct at the time of printing, however we do recommend you check event details with the organisers

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JULY 7 & 8

Brisbane Entertainment Centre www.brisent.com.au

DISNEY ON ICE

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JUNE 27 TO 29

APRIL 30 TO MAY 2

SHOWTIME

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Details: www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au

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EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

EDUCATION

Creative Classrooms

By Jessica Jane Sammut

WITH TRADITIONAL EDUCATION DESIGNED TO TEACH OUR KIDS HOW TO BE GOOD WORKERS RATHER THAN CREATIVE THINKERS, COULD IT BE TIME FOR A CHANGE OF APPROACH? “Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

It’s a powerful quote from the late Steve Jobs of Apple Inc., and it’s true. Creativity is the backbone of progression. Without it, there would be no entrepreneurs, no digital age, no cures for disease, no air travel, no books, no music, no recipes for chocolate mud cake – PANIC! In fact, creative thinking is arguably one of the major components of our uniqueness as a human race, separating us from other life forms. We are not ‘sheep’ – we are free thinkers, and our ability to transcend such conformity is pretty powerful.

So why is it that when it comes to structured education, this kind of innovative and independent thinking is brought into question, with emphasis instead placed on traditional rote learning and memorisation?

It’s a landscape that is thankfully changing (albeit slowly), with more schools endeavouring to establish creativity as a part of their school culture (in recognition of its importance), but until imagination is placed alongside intelligence as an indicator of brilliance, such efforts will always be stilted.

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

WHY IS CREATIVE LEARNING SO IMPORTANT? “Every child is unique and learns in a unique way,” explains leading clinical neuropsychologist Dr Ash Nayate. “Creative learning means that children have the freedom to tap into their strengths and learn in the most effective and enjoyable way for them, whether that's through visual images, hands-on work, demonstration or verbal instruction.

This encourages happiness and confidence. As a result, children learn to love learning rather than seeing it as boring or a chore, and this continues into adulthood. The most successful people are the ones who keep learning and keep growing. However, many people turn away from learning because of their early negative experiences.”

“Tapping into creativity engages children in their learning,” agrees Jenny Atkinson, a primary school teacher of 30 years experience, and now an education transition specialist and founder of Sparks Education Australia (www.sparkseducation.com.au). “Creative thinking is an important companion to critical thinking and helps develop a flexible mindset, as well as increasing self-esteem, motivation and achievement.”

Child development consultant and founder of Thrive Education and Wellness (www.ThriveEducationAndWellness.com.au) Clare Crew agrees.

“True learning is about making connections, applying discoveries and layering new skills on top of those that have already been grasped. We want children to feel valued for who they are, not just what they do.”

In this way, not only does creative thinking encourage acumen, it also has a fundamental role to play in the future wellbeing of our little ones.

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

EDUCATION

“CREATIVE THINKING IS AN IMPORTANT COMPANION TO CRITICAL THINKING AND HELPS DEVELOP A FLEXIBLE MINDSET, AS WELL AS INCREASING SELF-ESTEEM, MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT.” DOES THE TRADITIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM SUPPORT CREATIVE LEARNING? Traditionally, creativity exists in education in relation to subjects, i.e. music, art, craft or creative writing activities. However, it is now thought that creativity has a place in every topic and should be drawn upon as such, with more focus on how children are learning.

“Educators are increasingly trying to encourage children to be creative to enhance the learning/discovery phase across all curriculum areas,” explains Jenny. “It is being recognised that creativity can enhance and develop a child’s understanding of new concepts.”

In many instances, Dr Ash believes this is still not enough.

“I think we're heading in the right direction, but not fast enough.

Our traditional education system values getting good grades as opposed to true learning.”

Clare concurs, looking not just to the education system, but to the role of parents also.

“Parents are pushing for academic learning at a younger and younger age now, and we have standardised testing for primary school students. Both of these factors have over-inflated the importance of academic learning to the detriment of a more holistic approach to child development.”

ARE CREATIVE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEW AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM? The good news is that the new Australian Curriculum details ‘critical and creative thinking’ as one of the seven ‘general capabilities’ that, along with specific curriculum content, aim to enable students to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century. Teachers are also being encouraged to find additional ways of strengthening such talents through their choice of activities.

Clare explains, “The Australian Curriculum is a framework for teachers, providing guidance about the teaching and learning scope for each year level, as well as achievement standards to work towards. It is by no means a script for how each lesson must be taught, and there is a large degree of flexibility for teachers to bring creativity into their classrooms. Ultimately though, this will only happen if educators and school leaders believe in its value in the first place.”

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THE TOP FIVE BENEFITS OF CREATIVE THINKING DEVELOPS PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS Creative thinking allows kids to look at life laterally from all angles and to think outside the box. Many professions depend upon this skill, as well as it being an essential life tool.

ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO FEEL SAFE AND CONFIDENT IN TAKING RISKS Creative thinking encourages children to enquire, make connections, imagine and explore ideas – which are all necessary for innovation. When kids are accustomed to a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way of doing things, they are robbed of the opportunity to grow.

INCREASES TOLERANCE FOR DIFFERENCE All children are magnificent, not just the ones who do things conventionally. Kids who have been able to learn creatively are less likely to succumb to peer pressure as adolescents as they are better at understanding individual thinking. Kids learn to be non-judgmental through creative learning.

ALLOWS CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE THE ABSOLUTE JOY AND FULFILMENT THAT CREATIVITY OFFERS Kids crave creative outlets. These experiences re-energise them. The more engaged, involved and interested children are in their learning, the more likely they are to retain their learning.

SHOWS KIDS THEY ARE WHOLE, INTEGRATED HUMAN BEINGS Children are more than just a brain. They have talents and competencies and creative potential that extend beyond their academic capabilities. These are highly valued beyond school life, so why not within it too?

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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EDUCATION

CREATIVE SCHOOLS We look at two schools that are encouraging creativity in their classrooms.

LINDISFARNE ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL, TWEED VALLEY Visible thinking routines are an integral component of day-to-day teaching at Lindisfarne, where students are explicitly taught brainstorming techniques, how to generate new ideas, and how to refine and evaluate those ideas.

Teachers are also trained in how to promote growth mindsets in children.

Pupils are encouraged to experiment and innovate, while teachers are encouraged not to provide all the answers, but instead arm students with strategies to find out what the answers might be, helping them discover new possibilities through enquiry-based learning.

Flexible learning spaces are also promoted, with pupils taught to work creatively with others, readily communicating new ideas and considering differing perspectives.

The school also implements the ‘Seek-Think-Wonder’ thinking routine: ‘What do you see? What do you think about that? What does it make you wonder?’

SUNSHINE COAST GRAMMAR SCHOOL, SUNSHINE COAST WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO TO GIVE CREATIVITY A VOICE? When it comes to making education more creative across the board (including in academic subjects such as maths), teachers should try to find ways to inject imagination and innovation into each topic, encouraging children to explore, discover and solve the issues before them.

“EDUCATORS ARE INCREASINGLY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO BE CREATIVE TO ENHANCE THE LEARNING/ DISCOVERY PHASE ACROSS ALL CURRICULUM AREAS.”

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“Teachers need to tap into a child’s curiosity,” advises Jenny. “Let them discover lessons for themselves – learning through enquirybased activities. Teachers should also encourage discussion by asking open-ended questions and by allowing children to bounce ideas off each other – exploring different opinions and finding new ways of looking at things in doing so. And finally, lessons should cater for a variety of learning styles, for example visual (learning by seeing), auditory (learning by hearing) and tactile (learning by doing).”

“All contributions should be valued in a learning environment, not just the ‘right’ ones,” adds Clare. “Each child’s input should be valued, with the focus on the process of learning rather than the end product.”

Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

Sunshine Coast Grammar says its aim is to create thinkers, problems solvers and innovators, with the school having engaged in staff professional learning programs in this arena over the past three years.

“We have focused on developing a ‘Menu of Thinking’ professional learning scope for ‘Making Thinking Visible’” explains Genevieve Hudson, Assistant Head of Primary.

“Each teacher now has a range of ‘Thinking Tools’ they can competently use with students to extend their thinking.”

Grammar also promotes higher order thinking skills in every learning area, and tailors tasks to assess for thinking – with students consequently having wider opportunities to show their learning in creative ways.

“It is possible for creative teachers to present the Australian curriculum in ways that promote inquiry, investigations and enduring understandings,” says Genevieve. “Australia’s success in global perspectives depends on the innovations of our younger generation.”

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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EDUCATION

HOW CAN PARENTS ENCOURAGE CREATIVE LEARNING AT HOME? Remember that little ones are always learning, no matter where they are. So how can we, as parents, help our children continue the creative thinking process outside the classroom?

1.

Encourage wider thinking – When your child asks a question or poses a problem, first ask what they think. Encourage them to think about the possibilities and explore the answers/ solutions. Talk about their ideas and ask plenty of open-ended questions, such as ‘What if?’ and ‘How might you?’

2.

Fuel imagination – Provide toys that are fuelled by imagination, not batteries.

3. A dd a creative aspect to academia – If your child is doing a school project for homework, encourage them to record and present their information in a creative way that makes the most of their interests. For example, if you have a child who enjoys art, a poster with lots of drawings or visuals on it might be a great way to put together their findings.

4. E ncourage hands-on learning – If learning fractions, for example, use cut-up fruit to teach halves, quarters, wholes, etc.

5.

Promote incidental learning (learning in everyday life) – Help your child put their skills to the test such as reading menus, street signs, etc.

6.

Offer messy play – Allow messy play, such as finger painting and water play.

7. U tilise your child's natural interests – Harness your child’s passions and bring them into their learning. An interest in dinosaurs could be used to teach phonics, colours, shapes, counting, time, geography and history, as well as adding to vocabulary with words such as carnivore and herbivore.

FAMOUS CREATIVE LEARNING QUOTES! “WE DON’T GROW INTO CREATIVITY, WE GROW OUT OF IT. OR RATHER, WE GET EDUCATED OUT OF IT.” ~ Ken Robinson "TELL ME AND I FORGET. TEACH ME AND I REMEMBER. INVOLVE ME AND I LEARN." ~ Benjamin Franklin "THE JOY OF LEARNING IS AS INDISPENSABLE IN STUDY AS BREATHING IS IN RUNNING." ~ Simon Weil “65% OF TODAY’S PRE-SCHOOLERS WILL GROW UP TO WORK IN JOBS OR PURSUE CAREERS THAT DON’T YET EXIST.” ~ Cathy N. Davison “IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE.” ~ Albert Einstein

8. T ry to stop caring about your child’s achievements – Emphasise the learning process rather than the product.

Comments such as ‘I can see how interested you are in that topic’, ‘What have you learnt from doing that?’, or ‘Were you surprised by that?’ all help value a child’s creativity.

9. A llow your child to express a divergent thought – It’s okay for them to disagree with you! Encourage your child to discover there is often more than one solution to a problem. Challenge them to come up with different solutions.

10. Celebrate mistakes – Children who are afraid of failure and critical feedback are less likely to explore creative thought.

Viewing failure as part of the learning process is key in the development of innovative and creative thinking. Share mistakes you have made, so they know it is normal.

11.

Allow boredom – When a child has nothing to do, it’s surprising what creative ideas soon follow!

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

SO, WHAT FOR THE FUTURE? As we have seen, learning is not just a process of accruing information. It’s about creating new ways of thinking, transforming ideas, growing in understanding and applying knowledge in exciting and innovative ways. If we shut down the natural curiosity of our children by over-formalising and structuring education with little room for independent creative thought, we run the risk of also shutting down their love of experimentation – hindering thought expansion and progression as a result.

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

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MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

29

THE P FILES

inspiring creativity

by Sandra Smith CREATIVITY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN BEING GOOD AT ART, SINGING OR WRITING A STORY. AT THE HEART OF CREATIVITY IS INNOVATION, INGENUITY AND PROBLEM SOLVING: SKILLS THAT ARE DEVELOPED IN CHILDHOOD. WHEN CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO THINK CREATIVELY, THEY BUILD INNER RESOURCES THAT PROVIDE FIRM FOUNDATIONS FOR ADULT LIFE. Psychologist Rena Toth says creativity is the process by which children come up with original ideas in order to make sense of their world. Creativity is far more important for children than adults, says Rena, because it promotes brain development and is crucial for the development of life skills, self-esteem and confidence.

feelings and needs. It engenders understanding, including selfunderstanding, and helps children be more productive.

“Children of all ages possess an innate creativity that far surpasses adults' creative possibilities,” says Rena. “Younger children particularly are, in a manner of speaking, a blank canvas and their creative sensibilities have not been biased or tainted by experience.”

Rena says creativity is part of everyday life and is not necessarily associated with art or creative pursuits.

Rena has worked with children using creative therapies and she says creativity enables children to communicate their ideas,

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

“Creativity is very important for child development and is integral to the learning and individuation process,” she says. “It nurtures independence, self-expression, diversity and acceptance in children.”

“We use creative processes in order to make decisions, solve problems, make choices, facilitate change and, most importantly, to have fun and explore,” she says.

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THE P FILES

CREATIVE PLAY Simple things that we take for granted can generate hours of creative play for young children as they become absorbed in exploring the materials. We’ve all seen the fun children have with natural materials like leaves, shells, sand and water. Children have rich imaginations and can easily construct something unique and magical from ordinary objects.

Unstructured free play can include creative play alone or with others, imaginative games and make-believe, or exploring play spaces outdoors and indoors, according to the Raising Children Network website. By engaging in this type of play, kids learn to improvise, solve problems and make decisions.

Spontaneous play is child-driven, so they naturally take part in ageappropriate activities, whether it’s making a cubby, ‘cooking pizza’ in a pretend oven or drawing in the sand on a trip to the beach.

NURTURING CREATIVITY How do we help our children achieve their creative potential? Creativity can be encouraged and supported but it cannot be imposed on our children. All we can do is provide the right conditions, then step back and let children take charge. They need to be able to imagine and improvise, and do things at their own pace.

Rena recommends the following guidelines for nurturing children’s creativity: • Allow children freedom to explore and play in unstructured ways.

• Give children lots of choices and use open questions when trying to elicit ideas.

Having time to play and imagine is vital for children’s healthy development, advises Australian author and educator Angela Rossmanith.

• Make the child's environment stimulating so that they are inspired to come up with creative play ideas.

“The whole point of play is that it’s fun. There’s no anxiety about competing with others, and no anxiety about having to ‘get it right’,” she says.

• Offer children a variety of options and environments for play and exploration.

There is a lot of pressure on children to learn skills, to perform and excel from a very early age, so they need to have downtime where they can just relax and be kids, without having the pressure of organised activities and schedules.

• Ask “What if?”

• Allow children to make decisions in safe and appropriate settings.

GUIDING CREATIVITY AT HOME Giving children the freedom to make choices helps them become creative thinkers. They may need adult guidance and support, but they also need to have some autonomy. Our role as parents is to ensure a variety of materials is available and to suggest options.

Whatever the activity, parents should show interest, allow children to express their feelings and ask open questions that help them extend their ideas. We can encourage them by praising the effort and the uniqueness of the creative process.

When children engage in a creative activity, there is no right or wrong way to do it. Creativity is about thinking outside the box, so children learn to express themselves as individuals.

Fantasy play allows children to extend their world and explore different experiences in a safe way as they become pretend characters through dress-up games and role-play. This kind of free-flowing creative expression is important for children’s cognitive development.

Local mum Jill says that when her two children, Jorgette, 8, and Kent, 6, are absorbed in imaginative play at home, she steps back and lets them play independently. She does chores and other things, because they happily play their own games. However, when the children are getting started on a new craft activity at home, Jill works with them and supports them.

“If they’re getting into a role-playing game, I’ll just leave them to it,” she says. “If I’ve got to introduce a craft activity or something, I’ll do that with them. They still need guidance with craft. You’ve got to give them a few clues and then they’ll go for it. You can’t just give them a box of craft and say ‘make something’.”

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Parents can support their children’s creativity at home by ensuring that the physical environment and resources will help sustain their creative project. For those quiet, introspective times, children need a space to create that is away from the television and electronic devices. It could be a corner of the room, made comfortable with a few cushions, or an outdoor area set up with a few simple materials.

Jill sets up craft at the kitchen table and packs everything away afterwards because of a lack of space. Like Jill and her partner Bob, most families don’t have the space for a permanent craft table at home. As a minimum, try to ensure paper and pencils are readily available so kids can draw whenever they want to.

Engaging the children in craft activities at home is easier if there is a basic toolkit of age-appropriate art supplies on hand; for example, crayons, glue, paint, cardboard, shells, beads and buttons. Keeping the supplies in good order and storing them in an accessible place also helps the process run smoothly.

Some arts and crafts tend to be highly structured with a limited scope and a pre-determined outcome; for example, colouring in. This type of craft leaves very little room for innovation or experimentation and may stifle children’s natural creativity. Instead, look for activities that are open-ended and focus on the process, not the outcome. The activity should ignite children’s curiosity and imagination.

CHILDREN OF ALL AGES POSSESS AN INNATE CREATIVITY THAT FAR SURPASSES ADULTS' CREATIVE POSSIBILITIES.

Allow children to experiment and have fun with the materials set out for them. If they have some autonomy in how they are going to use the paint, glue or glitter, they will become more inventive and resourceful.

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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CREATIVE OUTDOOR PLAY

TIME FOR CREATIVITY

Parents and caregivers first need to plan the play environment and ensure the materials used are safe, then allow kids the freedom to explore, imagine and improvise at their own pace. While keeping kids safe is vital, if we’re overprotective, we may inadvertently be creating a risk aversion in our children. An element of risk is healthy and teaches kids tenacity and independence.

Finding time for creative activities can be difficult for busy families.

Jill says the kids have a lot of homework to do every afternoon after school, and there are after-school activities, such as dance and swimming lessons and soccer, so they have very little time mid-week for creative play.

Parks, playgrounds and nature walks are a wonderful resource for modern families. Jill often takes Jorgette and Kent to local parks, where they make up their own games and role-play with friends.

A swinging hammock becomes a ship that rocks in the waves and a tree they climb becomes a house.

Jill says her children also play convoluted, complex games in the family swimming pool with their friends. The children are given the opportunity to work things out for themselves, thus developing skills in solving problem, but Jill sometimes finds she has to intervene if there is a crisis point in a game.

“If you don’t put the suggestion in, it would all go pear-shaped and the younger one would get frustrated and cry and walk off,” she says. “So I mediate, but it’s easy to just throw in an idea and they go ‘oh, yes’ and go off on that tangent.”

CREATIVE ROADBLOCKS Psychologist Rena advises that parents and caregivers can block children’s creativity by hovering over them and being too close or involved when they are playing. Children need personal space to play freely without this adult intrusion.

While children may get frustrated with a creative project when they run into a problem, our role as parents is to encourage them to work out a solution for themselves. It’s healthy for them to make mistakes and learn from that. When children formulate creative ideas and execute them, they gain self-confidence and independence.

“Instead of playing in a park or being creative, it’s a structured environment, but at the same time it’s an awesome exercise,” she says. “They love it. Also it’s dancing and singing; it’s such a joy.

They’re learning a skill, and they get to learn to create, to move their bodies.”

Jill finds the best time to bring creativity into her children’s lives is on weekends and school holidays. She often takes Jorgette and Kent to Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and the State Library of Queensland, where there are excellent art spaces and school holiday activities for kids.

During the last school holidays, Jill says the kids enjoyed a monster-themed craft session at the State Library, where they put on aprons and splashed paint around. When the paint dried they could search for a monster.

“It was a big mess of paint and they could do whatever they wanted – stomp through it and just be really, really messy and have fun with it,” she says. “That was awesome. So brilliant.”

Children feel empowered by this kind of creative expression and, what’s more, it’s great fun. When we support our children’s creativity like this, we are helping them unlock their potential to become resourceful, innovative thinkers and effective problem-solvers.

Other adult behaviours that inhibit children’s creativity include making decisions for them, focusing on right and wrong answers, and making play too structured, advises Rena.

“Television is a huge obstacle to creativity. Passive activities, including reading, are opposite to the mechanisms needed for creativity,” Rena explains. “Creativity is more about output than input and in our modern world, particularly in the last decade or so, we have become more reliant on being stimulated passively – that is, doing nothing and being stimulated.”

Jill allows her children a short period of technological play on games such as Minecraft, which does have creative elements, but she ensures the kids don’t spend too much time using electronic devices.

“My son is totally into computer games, so I try to keep him off it,” she says. “Unless you remove the iPad or the PlayStation, they will use that as the first choice. I just let them play for 20 minutes and then it’s gone. They have to play with something else then.”

THEY STILL NEED GUIDANCE WITH CRAFT. YOU’VE GOT TO GIVE THEM A FEW CLUES AND THEN THEY’LL GO FOR IT. YOU CAN’T JUST GIVE THEM A BOX OF CRAFT AND SAY ‘MAKE SOMETHING’.

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

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TEENS

PLOUGHING A CLEAR PATH – THE COLD, HARD TRUTHS –

by Kerryn Anker A new parenting style has received a chilly reception from child experts, who believe ploughing a clear, unobstructed path for teenagers can in fact do more harm than good. Snowplough parenting has recently pushed aside the micromanaging helicopter and controlling tiger parenting, taking precedence as the popular parenting style of choice of today’s teenagers. Endeavouring to turn teenagers into achievement machines, the characteristics of this style of parenting sees the removal of all obstacles from a teenager's path to ensure optimum success and minimal failure.

MICROSCOPE ON SELF-WORTH University of the Sunshine Coast psychology lecturer and researcher Dr Rachael Sharman says snowplough parents don't just remove hurdles from the path of a teenager, they ensure the teenager never sees any obstructions in the first place.

"Over the last few decades there has been a strong push from society to continually praise a child, telling them how clever and special they are. This has resulted in a rise in parents obsessively protecting and inflating a child's self-esteem," she says.

"Due to this focus on self-worth, we've seen a real culture shift to boost a child's ego. This has been achieved by parents shielding their child from any sense of failure."

According to Rachael, an overprotective society and an everchanging social framework has resulted in a generation of narcissistic teenagers and fear-driven parents, for whom failure is seen as a very dirty word.

To ensure minimal emotional impact to a child's sense of self, snowplough parents are taking it upon themselves to clear all of the challenges and road blocks that may enter a teenager's path.

"A snowplough parent won't let their child on the monkey bars in the school playground. Sometimes they even go one step further to ask the school principal to remove them altogether," says Rachael.

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A recent study looking into the origins of narcissism, published earlier this year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, found that parental overvaluation and parents’ inflated view of their child can develop into narcissistic behaviour on the part of the child.

PARENTAL TRENDS AND THE FALLOUT Snowplough parenting is just one of a long list of parenting trends that have cemented their places in households across the country.

Firstly, there is the helicopter parent who hovers over a child's every move, becoming heavily involved in their everyday life. This style of parenting is all about micromanagement and directing a child's behaviour.

A helicopter parent works under fear, taking control in an endeavour to minimise any feelings of disappointment a child may experience.

Then there is the controversial and fierce tiger mum who gets her claws out when it comes to setting extremely high expectations for her child to succeed. The spotlight was first shone on this style of parenting after the release of the book The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in 2011 by Yale professor Amy Chua. Chua received worldwide condemnation for her memoir which outlined her extremely strict style of parenting. Chua believed that academic and musical success should take priority over social activities.

While tiger and helicopter parents' behavioural traits are based strongly on fear, a snowplough parent simply wants to make life easier on their child. Instead of micromanaging a situation, a snowplough parent removes the hurdle from the get go.

Although each individual style has its own framework of behavioural traits, the parents’ desired outcome to minimise any form of failure in a child's life is the common thread that weaves them all together.

Then we move to the other end of the spectrum to the much publicised free-range parent: a movement started by American author Lenore Skenazy who felt that parenting in modern society was based on fear, resulting in wrapping our children up in cotton wool.

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

TEENS

FAILURE BUILDS TOLERANCE AND RESILIENCE. WITHOUT IT, THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS RESULT IN A GENERATION OF ADULTS WHO ARE HELPLESS, CAN'T COPE WITH DISAPPOINTMENT AND AVOID ANYTHING CHALLENGING AT ALL COSTS. Dubbed 'America's worst mum' after she allowed her nine-yearold to travel on the subway by himself, Lenore believes it is important for a child's development that they have the freedom to be unsupervised outdoors. She believes that giving your child greater freedom teaches them about responsibility and gives them independence to learn and grow.

FAILURE IS NOT A DIRTY WORD Despite so many styles dominating the parenting skyline, the mindset of a snowplough parent is to protect their child to ensure that they don't experience any of life’s pitfalls.

Snowplough parents aren’t malicious or evil, but instead want to protect their child from experiencing any form of failure or disappointment, similar to what they may have experienced themselves.

Rachael says that by ploughing through any obstacle in your teenager’s path, you may limit their ability to problem solve and stand on their own two feet. She believes that allowing a teenager to experience failure teaches them to cope with adversity and how to adapt and re-approach a task, providing them with an opportunity to better improve themselves.

"Failure builds tolerance and resilience. Without it, the long-term effects result in a generation of adults who are helpless, can't cope with disappointment and avoid anything challenging at all costs,” she says "For teenagers of snowplough parents, the lack of effective coping strategies and resilience can in fact increase anxiety. They have no idea about the concept that your actions can have consequences.”

"It’s also important that parents help their children develop a true sense of their own strengths and weaknesses."

Research shows that it is in the early stages of our childhood that we first form a view of ourselves. A consistent and positive approach to a child’s upbringing can encourage a healthy sense of self. Having confidence in a child to be able to do certain things for themselves will encourage them to be more willing to give things a go despite the challenges they may face. It is important that parents praise children for the effort that they put in and not focus on the final result. This will motivate the child to continue trying at a difficult task.

Matt adds that teenagers with a healthy sense of self are more likely to make friends easily as well as be happy, cooperative and successful at school. He says that these types of teenagers are able to deal with stress a lot more effectively and are generally a lot more fun to be around.

"It’s equally important for the development of healthy self-esteem that children learn how to deal with disappointment, such as if the child is not chosen for a sporting team,” he says.

"Rather than simply reassuring children that everything will be alright, parents should let them know they understand their disappointment. They should work with their children to find a reasonable way of dealing with that disappointment.”

Rachael adds that by giving your child the opportunity to fail, they learn to pick themselves up again and that the world will not crumble from one single roadblock.

PROMOTING HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM

"Earlier on in life, parents can give their child a task that has a 50/50 chance of failure and success, like a jigsaw puzzle," she says.

Director of the Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland, and founder of the Triple P: Positive Parenting Program Professor Matt Sanders says it is counterproductive to teach your child about the highs in life while shielding them from the lows.

"As a parent, we can help guide our children. Ask them what worked and didn't work in a particular situation and tell them that it is okay to not excel at everything. This is what builds true character and becomes a valuable life lesson."

"The potential problem of this style of an approach to parenting is that, by trying to ensure their child’s success, parents are also limiting the possibility of failure," says Matt.

RESOURCES

"The important thing to remind ourselves is that part of growing up is learning to do things for ourselves. Children need to be allowed to make mistakes because they learn through experience. Life is all about living, occasionally making mistakes, learning from them and not repeating them.

Unfortunately there is no manual when it comes to raising teenagers, and everyone's parenting journey is unique. With studies indicating a rise in the level of fear and anxiety among parents, it's no wonder we've seen the snowplough style become more prevalent. Experts believe, however, that creating a balance and nurturing our children, while giving them the ability to experience some of the hurdles life presents them, can actually set a strong and positive foundation for their adult life.

The Triple P- Positive Parenting Program: www.triplep.net University of the Sunshine Coast, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Business: www.usc.edu.au Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: www.pnas.org Free-Range Kids: www.freerangekids.com Amy Chua, author of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother: www.amychua.com

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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ONLY NATURAL

How to grow a

GREEN

KID

by Lara Cain Gray

WHY TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN TO REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE IS GOOD FOR THE PLANET – AND GREAT FOR YOUR KIDS! Kermit famously said ‘it’s not easy being green’, but kids seem to have a natural way of making environmental activism part of their everyday lives. Whether they’re rescuing a wayward snail or asking curly questions about why the sky is blue, our children can often teach us a thing or two about paying closer attention to nature.

If you can harness this natural curiosity and encourage children to appreciate the planet and take action to protect it, you’re empowering them to feel they can make a real difference to the world around them. From easy garden projects to little days out with a green twist, there are many ways to encourage kids to reduce, reuse and recycle – and have fun while they’re at it.

EMPOWERING THROUGH EDUCATION With issues like global warming, water conservation and pollution management regularly in the news, our children can’t fail to be aware that our world faces major environmental challenges. Even as an adult, warnings about climate change, biodiversity or finite resources can be frightening and confusing, making it essential for us to talk about the issues sensitively with our kids.

Luckily, while politicians toss the climate change football back and forth in the media, kids across Australia are still connecting with nature and learning practical ways to go green thanks to environmental education in schools, recycling programs by local councils and nature play initiatives. Queensland’s Sustainable Schools program, for example, rolls out resources for educators so they can lead by example, engaging students in water conservation projects, food production, and waste management in classrooms and playgrounds.

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Environmental education, however, needs to go beyond the classroom. According to the Sustainable Schools website, each Australian family produces enough waste per year to fill a 3-bedroom house; that’s around 1.9 tonnes of waste per person.

But the trouble with scary statistics like this is that they can feel so overwhelming that they numb us into inaction. Children can become depressed about the future of the planet when faced with ‘doom and gloom’ predictions about environmental disasters.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) associate professor Julie Davis has written extensively about education on sustainability, with a focus on nurturing young children's capacities as agents of change. Julie says that making a child feel depressed or helpless is not good sustainability education. Rather, good teaching in this area should focus on positive, empowering opportunities to be “an active citizen for sustainability”; simple things like using the half flush in the toilet to save water can be explained to young children helping them feel engaged and empowered about ‘making a difference’.

And this sort of education doesn’t just benefit the planet – there are real benefits for kids too. Julie says that kids “get short-term benefits such as feeling good about protecting and caring for the planet” along with beneficial longer-term education. “They are establishing foundations for sustainable habits and ways of thinking that contribute to their own more sustainable futures,” Julie says.

So, what can we do as parents to provide positive messages about environmental awareness and help our kids to grow up green?

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

ONLY NATURAL

GREEN LIVING AT HOME

TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

One of the best lessons we can teach our kids is that environmental activism doesn’t have to mean making enormous personal sacrifices – and that little things add up to big changes.

Kids can help out every day with small but significant adjustments to household routines that benefit the environment.

If you need a little extra inspiration, keep the environmental agenda in mind on your next family day out.

• Be energy efficient. With water and electricity rates on the rise, it makes good financial, as well as environmental, sense to work smarter around the home. Teach kids to turn off the tap while they brush their teeth, water the garden sparingly or use the half flush function on the toilet to conserve water. Switch off lights when you’re not in the room, use energy-efficient light bulbs and don’t leave the television on standby when you go to bed. You could even create a roster or checklist for a ‘green audit’ of the house and get young activists involved in your progress.

• Reap what you sow. There’s something about homegrown veggies that just tastes better than anything you’ll find in the shops. And with the resurgence of interest in home cooking and nutrition, your local garden centre can show you lots of great ways to develop a kitchen garden with the kids. Why not encourage the children to plant a ‘pizza garden’ with easy to grow plants like tomatoes, basil and capsicum that can be harvested for a tasty, healthy meal down the track? Or have a growing race where each child adopts a seedling – whose plant will flower first? Worm farms and compost bins are also a great way to use up scraps and let the kids get hands on in the dirt.

Whether you end up with a fertile urban farm or just a few herbs in a window box, you’re teaching kids about the origins of their food and setting up healthy eating habits for life.

• One man’s trash. One easy way to reduce your household rubbish pile is with creative upcycling of boxes and packaging. Egg cartons are ideal for growing seedlings, for example, or as paint palettes for an arty afternoon. Margarine tubs can be cleaned out and stacked up to separate Lego or loom bands. Let the kids go wild with stickers and labels to personalise and organise their treasures.

Cut out pictures from magazines and catalogues to make creative collages. Or try this one: draw a person on a piece of paper, then mix and match outfits using magazine clippings, like old-fashioned paper dolls. Store sweet wrappers, bottle lids and twisty ties in an ice cream container and pull them out for wet weather craft projects.

And if you have bigger boxes lying around, it takes nothing but a little imagination to invent a cubby, racing car or shop. When it comes to household waste, get the whole family actively involved in sorting rubbish and reusing or recycling where possible.

• What better way to pique your child’s interest in the environment than by simply letting them play in nature? Climbing trees, swimming in the sea and looking at stars activate our children’s natural curiosity and help them understand why our planet is worth protecting.

• Make a note of national days of action on environmental issues and get involved. Every year Australians celebrate Earth Hour, Clean Up Australia Day and National Recycling Week, for example. You’ll find events taking place both online and in local parks and beaches that you can join with the family.

• Take advantage of environmental education programs at local museums and national parks. Local councils across Australia offer regular opportunities for kids to get up close and personal with wildlife in the area or explore local bush tracks or wetlands.

• Take the kids with you next time you visit the local tip. This is a great chance to discuss what happens to our rubbish, why we need to be concerned about landfill and why we separate our rubbish for recycling.

•M ake recycling creative and enjoyable by looking out for arts and crafts workshops involving natural or recycled materials. On the Gold Coast, check out the Active & Healthy Citywide program, which includes Baby Beach Art and interactive bush walks.

Lillian Shewring coordinates the workshops at Reverse Garbage Queensland, a not-for-profit co-operative that repurposes industrial discards. She says that the hands-on nature of her children’s art workshops helps kids to visualise and remember what they’ve learned about recycling, as well as helping them think outside the box when it comes to repurposing the stuff that some people think of as rubbish. “They get to make and construct things, get their hands dirty and make a bit of a mess, which is always great fun,” Lillian says. “I guess one of the main positive things that the kids take away from our classes is the realisation that sustainability, recycling and reusing materials is not something that is beyond their capacity.

Actually they can easily do it at home, at school, anywhere really.”

By creating an awareness of environmental issues using positive, encouraging teaching approaches and hands-on activities, your child can learn to appreciate the planet and want to do more to protect it. Going green is good for the earth, but great for our kids too, who feel empowered by the chance to make a real difference.

Encourage your child to respect the planet – and have fun at the same time.

After all, the future really is in their hands.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT: Sustainable Schools Queensland: www.sustainableschools.qld.edu.au | Queensland National Parks Connect With Nature Program: www.nprsr.qld.gov.au

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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YOU

MAKE MUM FEEL SPECIAL ON MOTHER’S DAY AND EVERY DAY…

“IN A CHILD'S EYES, A MOTHER IS A GODDESS. SHE CAN BE GLORIOUS OR TERRIBLE, BENEVOLENT OR FILLED WITH WRATH, BUT SHE COMMANDS LOVE EITHER WAY. I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS THE GREATEST POWER IN THE UNIVERSE.” – N.K. Jemisin

“MOTHERHOOD: ALL LOVE BEGINS AND ENDS THERE.” – Robert Browning

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

Cut out & keep

Madeline Pendant $595 solid 9ct gold and sterling silver pendants Sophie Pendant $50 sterling silver pendant

If you could choose a piece of jewellery that reflects who you are, what would you choose? Would it be a beautiful pendant, a delicate bracelet or do you prefer something a bit more edgy – a leather cuff set with a silver disc that sets you a part from the crowd? Whatever your tastes, the dynamic sister duo Stacey Clayton and Lisa O’Keefe that are Koolaman will have something that you’ll want to make yours. With a passion for creating bespoke jewellery which has a stylish functionality that sees it simultaneously suited to country-casual and urban chic, Lisa and Stacey happily admit they’re invested in Koolaman, heart and soul. The personalised stamped designs that make every piece uniquely personal are inspired by the sisters' desire to celebrate life's special moments. Clearly, this is an idea that’s shared by many other women. A large proportion of their customers are mothers, wanting a special piece of jewellery that celebrates their children and keeps them close to their hearts. www.koolaman.com.au 1300 789 524

Gold Coast Mums…pop on your trainers this Mother’s Day and take part in the annual Women in Super Mother’s Day Classic from 7:30 am at Pratten Park, Broadbeach. Two course lengths are available of 4km and 8km for you to run, walk or a little of both. Around 135,000 Australians in 104 locations will participate in this annual fun run and walk that offers people of all ages the chance to participate in a non-competitive, inspiring and fun run/walk that raises vital funds and awareness for breast cancer research. To register, volunteer, donate or get more information visit www.mothersdayclassic.com.au

REDEEMABLE GIFT VOUCHER

REDEEMABLE GIFT VOUCHER

...BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME & I DESERVE IT!

...BECAUSE YOU LOVE ME & I DESERVE IT!

1 MOTHER’S DAY MASSAGE

1 MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST IN BED

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

YOU

HAPPY HOMEGROWN GIFTS

TWEED MALL

Wrap mum with love! Spend $30 or more at any specialty store, and present your receipt to Centre Management to receive a FREE cable knit scarf for Mum! There is a choice of four colours. Offer available Monday 4th until Saturday 9th May from 10am to 2pm daily. Terms and conditions apply.

Visit www.tweedmall.com.au

Does Mum love thrills, giggles, romance or glamour? Then Event Cinemas have the perfect Mother’s Day offer for your mum. Take Mum to Event Cinemas on Mother’s Day and receive a FREE Lindt Chocolate for every ticket purchased. If you’re really looking to spoil her, why not choose the luxury of Gold Class where she will also get a $25 gift card from Roses Only for FREE! Conditions apply. For further details visit www.eventcinemas.com.au/ EventsPromotions/MothersDay

Homegrown Gifts brings together style, quality and environmental awareness, offering a range of Australian handmade gifts and ecofriendly gift baskets. The Kitchen Garden Basket makes the perfect gift for the keen gardener or cook. It contains a hand printed linen tea towel, two ceramic dishes, a ceramic jug, a native daisy gift of seeds and is presented in a gorgeous Zillpa rope plant hanger. $99. www.homegrowngifts.com.au

“Sometimes when you pick up your child you can feel the map of your own bones beneath your hands, or smell the scent of your skin in the nape of his neck. This is the most extraordinary thing about motherhood finding a piece of yourself separate and apart that all the same you could not live without.”

– JODI PICOULT

TOP TIP: Leave this page open for dad to see

Or, let Mum escape to the movies with a uniquely designed gift this Mother’s Day. Each $50 or $100 gift card comes with a beautiful greeting card and gift wallet and can be used at any Event, Greater Union and BCC Cinemas for movies of Mum’s choice, popcorn, drinks and ice cream.

“MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE IN A CATEGORY ALL THEIR OWN. THERE’S NO BOND SO STRONG IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. NO LOVE SO INSTANTANEOUS AND FORGIVING.” – Gail Tsukiyama

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

39

CONVERSATION

MEET SAM WEBB, CO-FOUNDER OF LIVIN

“IT AIN’T WEAK TO SPEAK”

by Natasha Higgins

SAM WEBB AND CASEY LYONS ARE TWO MEN ON A MISSION, TAKING THEIR CHARITY LIVIN TO THE NEXT LEVEL. BY USING FASHION AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO GET PEOPLE TALKING, SAM AND CASEY HAVE BROUGHT THE FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS AND SUICIDE PREVENTION TO THEIR AUDIENCE WITH STYLE. WHILE CASEY IS STILL BASED ON THE GOLD COAST, SAM HAS RECENTLY MOVED TO SYDNEY TO TAKE THEIR MESSAGE TO AN EVEN WIDER AUDIENCE. We catch up with Sam to find out what makes this remarkable charity so different and what drives him to such achievement.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT TO YOU PERSONALLY.

TELL US ABOUT LIVIN AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THE CHARITY.

I am 26 years old, now living in Sydney, and have been actively involved in sports for the best part of 20 years. I am currently an amateur in boxing and an ambassador for health and fitness line 2XU Australia. I am also an aspiring actor and am halfway through a year of intensive acting classes in Sydney. LIVIN is everything to me because I do not want to see anyone going through the same pain I have been through and witnessed in others over the years.

LIVIN was co-founded by one of my best mates Casey Lyons and me, in honour of one of our best mates Dwayne Lally. Like many before him, Lally took his own life on September 15, 2013 after struggling with a mental illness.

LIVIN is all about LIVIN your life at the top, taking the stigma away from mental illness and supporting and inspiring one another to talk about our feelings, issues and problems based on our motto “It Ain’t Weak to Speak”.

We want to change the way society understands, perceives and interprets mental illness and make it more accepted and acknowledged in everyday lives and conversations.

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Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

HOW DO YOU GET LIVIN’S MESSAGE OUT? We utilise fashion to spread our message and get people talking about mental illness. Along with social media channels, we find this suits our demographic and our core target market because we are young, vibrant and normal Aussie guys trying to give people hope and connection on a taboo topic.

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

CONVERSATION

WE WANT TO CHANGE THE WAY SOCIETY UNDERSTANDS, PERCEIVES AND INTERPRETS MENTAL ILLNESS AND MAKE IT MORE ACCEPTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED IN EVERYDAY LIVES AND CONVERSATIONS.

WHAT SORT OF ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT DOES LIVIN PROVIDE? We are becoming increasingly involved in events throughout Australia as we expand and get more reach. Opportunities become available where we can get involved in community events and local fundraisers. We do not offer an actual support network as such, however, what we do offer is a hub so we know the places to point people to if they need that support and want to take that next step.

We are starting the conversation to get people feeling comfortable and not judged when admitting they may be suffering from a mental illness. This is a very important part of the prevention and intervention stages when seeking help and getting better.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO PUT A NUMBER ON HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVIN HAS HELPED SINCE ITS LAUNCH? Since we launched LIVIN in 2013 we have helped many people which we have been able to gauge by our emails and feedback via social media and other communication channels like phone or text. It would be difficult to put an exact number on this, but we are super confident that we are making great positive changes in people’s lives for the better.

The world is a big place and LIVIN is new, but I have no doubt we will continue to not only help but also save the lives of a lot of people in the many years to come.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR WORK? The most rewarding part of my work is when people I have never met before reach out to me to tell me because of LIVIN they have been able to open up and seek the help they need. By essentially giving people a voice and some hope, people have said the work I do with LIVIN has saved their lives. This is very humbling to me and something I am extremely passionate about.

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP FOR LIVIN AND FOR YOU PERSONALLY? For LIVIN, we want to keep moving forward. Our immediate goals are to get into schools, sports clubs, mining camps, rural communities and the corporate space to present our work and do workshops and activities around mental illness to motivate people to make positive changes and speak up.

For me, as long as I am creating changes in people’s lives then I am happy, so I’ll continue to do what I can to make sure this happens.

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

WHAT LIFE MESSAGE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE KIDS TO LEARN? KEEP POSITIVE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. PERSISTENCE BEATS RESISTANCE – YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU WANT IF YOU KEEP CHIPPING AWAY. BE PATIENT – THE BEST THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. LISTENING IS THE MOST POWERFUL TRAIT TO HAVE.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE WAY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE PORTRAYED IN THE MEDIA? I do not like how mental illness is portrayed in the media, and that’s a big part of why stigmas still persist, because media especially do not openly discuss the matter. It is almost like they try and come up with any other word but mental health or suicide which only sweeps it under the rug – it doesn’t help.

As bad as it is, the more stories we hear and the more stories relating to mental illness or suicide that make the media, the better.

It will help decrease the stigma and educate people that mental illness is real and it does exist.

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION? My biggest inspiration are the people I have lost in life to suicide, both family and best friends. Looking back at their lives, they were amazing and loved, and everything about them was contagious.

For life to be over for them because of a mental illness makes my mission relentless to ensure changes are made and lives are saved.

WHAT GENERAL ADVICE HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU? The best advice would be to be patient. I used to always make fast decisions and many times I made impulsive decisions that cost me dearly. So I tend to now look at things from a more educated view and know that good things do take time.

HOW CAN OUR READERS HELP SUPPORT LIVIN? Readers can get involved by going to our website www.livin.org.au.

We are always looking to be a part of new events around Australia so feel free to drop us a line by email at info@livin.org.au and see how we can work together.

MAY / JUNE 2015 – Kids on the Coast

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REVIEWS BOOKS, MOVIES, APPS, GAMES

BOOKS THE ANTI JOURNAL David Sinden and Nikalas Catlow, Macmillan, RRP $19.99

MOVIES TOMMORROWLAND In cinemas May 28. Rating: TBC

APPS SPOT

By David Wiesner. (iPad) $6.99 Five fantastical worlds intertwine in this wordless book app devised by David Wiesner, three-time winner of the Caldecott Medal. Spot is a visual adventure – one that is never the same twice – which unfolds as you travel through spaces that transition into one another. With a pinch and a zoom on your iPad, you move through dazzling scenes, delving into worlds within worlds, each one a story in itself, all rendered in gorgeous original artwork. This beautifully-designed exploratory app provides settings and props to inspire curious kids.

Children of all ages can explore various worlds and characters, using their discoveries as the jumping off place to tell their own creative stories. Peek under an armchair and visit the dust bunnies in Lower Rügg where they’re waiting to be characters in your story. Wander among the robotic shoppers in the marketplace of Mekanikos, or watch the glorious cat parade in Katzaluna. Hotspots transport you from world to world, and it’s up to you to decide what happen next in the story! The useful parent and educator guide that accompanies this app provides creative storytelling prompts as well as unique writing activities to enhance the imaginative experience.

From Disney comes the riveting mystery adventure Tomorrowland, starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as ‘Tomorrowland’. What they must do there changes the world – and them – forever.

DISNEY PIXAR – INSIDE OUT In cinemas June 18. Rating: TBC Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out will take you to the most extraordinary location of all – inside the mind. Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control centre inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters.

Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Also coming soon…

MINIONS (In cinemas June 18) JURASSIC WORLD (In cinemas June 11)

The Anti Journal is no ordinary journal – it’s journaling outside the box. In the Anti Journal you can doodle, cut, create, mess up and even throw things at the page. It’s all about creative discovery and seeing things differently.

It’s a journal for those who want to be creative and follow their own rules. When you see the name ‘Anti Journal’ you may wonder what’s so ‘anti’ about it. The fact is, it goes beyond the traditional journal and forces you to reach into your creative side and gain different perspectives by doing some crazy fun things. One of the first pages is a perfect example where you have to throw a wet teabag at the page! Flick forward a few more pages and you’re asked to open an unwanted book at random and cut the first word from each line – then rearrange them. If that’s not abstract enough, then what about another page for creating pets out of pocket fluff or creating patterns with a hole punch.

The Anti Journal is great for children and adults, and is the perfect way to change your mindset and reignite that creative spark.

THE GIANT BOOK OF CREATIVITY FOR KIDS

500 Activities to Encourage Creativity in Kids Ages 2 to 12--Play, Pretend, Draw, Dance, Sing, Write, Build, Tinker Bobbi Conner, Random House Australia (Shambhala), RRP $32.99 For parents who don't feel they are creative, this book provides an easy entry point for raising creative kids.

This book is your guide for being a creativity mentor, your handbook for raising kids rich with creative habits and skills, and your toolbox full of ideas and activities.

Creativity is an essential ingredient for a happy childhood, and this is the ultimate book of ideas for arts and crafts, building and tinkering, writing and rhyming, singing and dancing, and more. With 500 hands-on activities for children ages two to twelve, this book goes beyond the simple arts and crafts found in most kids’ creativity books and offers fun ideas for a generous range of imaginative and creative play – all in one giant book. There is a good mix of simple and more involved activities with an emphasis on fun for everyone, and even a practical ‘Creativity Guide for Parents’ that provides tips for guiding those creative endeavours.

To see more reviews visit www.kidsonthecoast.com.au 42

Kids on the Coast – MAY / JUNE 2015

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