Kids on the Coast Magazine - Sunshine Coast - Issue 76. September/October 2016

ISSUE 76 September/October 2016 SUNSHINE COAST

www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

FREE

Family

TRAVEL

TO TAKE HOME

Your ULTIMATE guide to family holidays

12

Travel with a PURPOSE Changing lives in Cambodia

GLAMPING IT UP! Australia’s best luxury camping spots

SAILING QUEENSLAND A family adventure on the open sea

C OM E C ATC H M E , I ’M T H E G I N G E R B R E A D M A N !

The Ginger Factory promises a great family day out with something for everyone.

Set sail on the Overboard boat ride or climb aboard Moreton, the 115 year old ginger train. Enjoy hours of fun in the Ginger Factory gardens or sit back and relax whilst the children play in the undercover playground.

E FRE RY ENT YS A 7D

Rides and tours incur costs.

DSA GF9178a

Free entry and a café boasting a wide range of delicious meals and cakes makes this an ideal spot for the whole family. Come and see for yourself.

 F R E E C A L L 1 8 0 0 0 6 7 6 8 6  t h e gi n ger fac tor y 5 0 P I O N E E R R D, YA N D I N A , S U N S H I N E C OA S T, Q U E E N S L A N D

 g i ng e r fac to r y. co m . a u

[WELCOME]

[CONTENTS]

Delilah, 4 years

Boys jeans and shirt, and the girls scarfe from Teepea Kids Collective, Peregian Beach www.teepeakids.com.au

Hi everyone!

Welcome to our September/October issue!

With the onset of spring (yippee!) we are off on an adventure this issue, exploring the wonderful world of travel!

Our cover feature brings you the ultimate guide to family holidays. From budget weekends away to the best in luxury kids' clubs, we venture far and wide to bring you everything you need to know to book your next family trip.

For the tent-shy amongst us (I'm definitely in that camp!), we delve into the luxurious world of family glamping. We also take an ocean adventure with one brave family who set sail along the Queensland coast, and we talk to three globetrotting families for their tips on successfully travelling the world with young children in tow.

Lucas, 4 years

In our Education section we investigate why travel is one of the best forms of education for your kids, and we experience travel with a purpose as one school heads off for a life-changing adventure in Cambodia.

As well as being bitten by the travel bug, with Father's Day in the calendar this month we look at the importance of the male role model in our children’s lives. And for our Teens section this issue we hand the pages over to the teenagers, where they give us an insight into the lives of the misunderstood, telling us everything they wished their parents knew!

Plus, with our Check This Out page bringing you the latest in travel gadgets and games, as well as all the regular news, reviews, and event listings for your area, there is something for every adventurous spirit this issue.

As always, if you feel anything is missing or have any suggestions for the magazine, just drop me a line at publications@mothergoosemedia.com.au. And don’t forget to sign up to our weekly What’s On newsletter, so you don’t miss out on all the local events happening in your area.

Happy travels!

3 FROM THE EDITOR

34 EDUCATION: Travel with a purpose—a

4 WHAT’S ON: All your local events for September and October

6 SOCIAL: What's trending on our social pages 8 WHAT’S NEWS: The latest news in your area 10 NOTICEBOARD: All the news and achievements from our local schools 12 FEATURE: Your ultimate guide to family holidays 19 CHECK THIS OUT: Seriously cool products to educate and inspire 20 FATHER'S DAY: The fatherhood, and the importance of the male role model 24 PARENTING: Why children fight 30 FAMILY: The world is a classroom

school's life-changing adventure in Cambodia

38 TALK: Seasoned globetrotting families share their wisdom 40 TRAVEL: Glamping it up across Australia!

44 KIDS: Banish boredom with these great travel games!

48 TEENS: Insight into the misunderstood 50 HOME: Back to basics in the kitchen 52 WEB WRAP UP: The latest from online 54 DESTINATIONS: Sailing Australia—one family's adventure on the open sea 56 LOCAL LIFE: Fairies DO exist!

Samara Welbourne's enchanted fairy houses 58 REVIEWS: Movies, books and apps

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: Kerry White, Leah Squire, Jaymie Bennee, Darren Lewis, Kathryn Tonges, Kelly Mcleod, Carly Moore, Alyssa Davis, Cassandra Fenaughty, Martina Collins Angela Sutherland, Editor

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.

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t

as o C e

WHAT'S ON Visit ou r website to see more events!

n

DON'T MISS OUT ON ANY EVENTS! Sign up at www.kidsonthecoast.com.au for our weekly What’s On guide.

SEPTEMBER 4 JUST ACROBATICS EXPO

AUGUST 20 TO SEPTEMBER 17 MEDIEVAL FUN WITH SIR JUSTYN

This one-off event will showcase the talented acrobats, and includes jumping castles, face painting, hair and makeup demos. Multiple performances from the Just Acro team will entertain the entire family. www.justacrobatics.com.au

SEPTEMBER 4 FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL LUNCH

DAILY BIG KART TRACK

Celebrate with your dad by enjoying a special lunch at Kawana Waters Hotel and enjoy a range of kids' activities including jumping castle, face painting and petting zoo! www.kawanawatershotel.com.au

For some high adrenaline go-karting action this is an ideal day out. The kids' track is fully supervised and gives parents the option of riding with their younger and less experienced drivers. www.bigkart.com.au

Join the Medieval Knight at Sunshine Castle for medieval-themed interactive displays, longbow lessons, junior jousting, afternoon tours, and a children’s treasure hunt. www.sunshinecastle.com

DAILY THE GINGER FACTORY

DAILY BELLINGHAM MAZE There are seven maze activities for visitors to enjoy as well as mini golf, picnic areas, a bird aviary and a tea house where you can buy a light lunch, cold drinks, a coffee, or enjoy a Devonshire tea. www.bellmaze.com

SEPTEMBER 10 MOOFEST

Open every day to enjoy educational tours, fun rides, great shopping, a fantastic cafe, world's finest ginger products, tranquil gardens and walks. There is so much to discover, taste, see and do. www.gingerfactory.com.au

This family music festival has awesome live music, special guests and performances, children’s activities, games, craft and market stalls, jumping castle and face painting which makes for a fun day out for all. www.moofest.com.au

TOP 5

SECRET

GARDENS Noosa Botanic Gardens Maleny Botanic Gardens Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens Ben Bennett Bushland Park Buderim Forest Park

SEPTEMBER 19 TO 30 KIDS DIG IT! VIKING FAMILY FUN WEEKS Vikings are invading the Abbey Museum and we need you to help us defend our treasures! The Viking school holiday program is a great way to learn and create. www.abbeymuseum.com.au/events

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SEP/OCT 2016

The National Tour 2016 is the new live musical extravaganza from Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band.

The stars of ABC Kids will be playing up a storm in their biggest musical show ever! www.lah-lah.com/live-shows

Grab a bargain from the quality pre-loved items and see the amazing new locally supplied products for mums, bubs and toddlers. noosakidsmarket.com.au

OCTOBER 28 TO 29 HALLOWEEN FESTEVIL

SEPTEMBER 30 TO OCTOBER 3 CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL Enjoy four days of Sun, Surf and Soul at beautiful Kings Beach! Experience world-class music, food, arts and local culture showcasing the natural beauty of the Sunshine Coast. www.caloundramusicfestival.com

SEPTEMBER 24 LAH-LAH SING IT LOUD!

SEPTEMBER 25 & OCTOBER 30 NOOSA KIDS & BABY MARKET

OCTOBER 1 TO 31 RUSH FESTIVAL During the month of October, musicians, artists, poets, actors and street performers will be out in force to show the strength of their region’s creative culture. www.rushfestival.com.au

OCTOBER 21 TO NOVEMBER 12 MARY VALLEY SCARECROW FESTIVAL The annual festival encourages people to plan a day out and see if they can find the variety of serious and not so serious straw creations along the way. www.maryvalleyartslink.com.au

kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

Come to Aussie World for the spookiest nights of the year! Enjoy ghoulishly good fun with costumes, candy, Halloween mazes and rides. www.aussieworld.com.au

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

S

i h s un

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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 publications@mothergoosemedia.com.au

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

QUEENSLAND KINDY GIVES CHILDREN TOY GUN LICENCES A kindergarten in Kilkivan, near Gympie, has started issuing toy gun licences to children who show an interest in toy guns. Many of the children at the centre live on rural properties where using guns is the normal way of life for their parents.

The kindergarten’s director, Anne Bicknell, said the centre wanted to encourage a sense of responsibility among those children that choose to play with toy guns. She said the children have to answer a set of questions about how they are going to play with their toy guns and only when they agree to play safely are they given a licence.

“They know that if they break the rules with the guns, or they shoot at people, the guns will be put away for the day, and once they understand that we actually issue them with a licence with a photo on it,” Ms Bicknell told ABC News. The centre first introduced the idea of gun licences five years ago and has largely been supported by parents.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES TO BE REVIEWED The Department of Education will review how religious education is taught in some state schools in Queensland, following a complaint from a school principal. Windsor State School principal Matthew Keong cancelled religious education classes at his school as he believed the ‘Connect’ tutors were trying to convince students to become Christian. "Connect's lesson materials go beyond imparting knowledge of biblical references, and extend to soliciting children to develop a personal faith in God and Jesus to become a Christian or `Kingdom Kid'," Mr Keong wrote in a letter to parents, which was subsequently published by Brisbane Times.

"In the teacher's manuals, the Connect authors remind instructors that most of their audience is not yet Christian, and the whole program appears to be based on that premise of trying to solicit them for a decision to become the kind of Christian prescribed in the materials," he added.

Education minister Kate Jones promised a review of Connect’s materials.

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SEP/OCT 2016

DID YOU

KNOW The world’s first Labor government took office in Queensland in 1899

IT WOULD TAKE A SLOTH ONE MONTH TO TRAVEL ONE MILE

OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION IS LEFT HANDED

10%

BUTTERFLIES TASTE FOOD WITH THEIR FEET

QUEENSLAND’S COASTLINE SPANS MORE THAN 7,400KM

MANY MUMS OVERWHELMED

BY PRESSURE TO BE ‘PERFECT’ The pressure to be a perfect mum is negatively impacting the health of Aussie mothers, a recent study claims, with more than nine out of 10 saying they sacrifice their health and nutrition due to the burden of being a good mother.

According to findings by Bellamy's Organic, 86 per cent of Australian mums have been made to feel like they are a bad mum, and 38 per cent reported this was down to comments made by strangers in public. Whilst 83 per cent said they feel judged by strangers when their children misbehave in public and 68 per cent feel badly judged for having time away from their children.

Paediatric nutritionist, dietitian and mum Susie Burrell urged new mums to ignore pressures and judgements, and prioritise their own health and nutrition to avoid longer lasting health challenges. “We must look to practical strategies to ensure mums prioritise their health and nutrition, which is essential in the first 12 months of having a baby.”

SUNSHINE COAST IS TURNING 50!

Next year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Naming of the Sunshine Coast and the council has launched a $150,000 community grants program to kick start the celebrations.

Mayor Mark Jamieson said: “A pivotal element of the celebration is the 50th Anniversary Community Grants Program which will provide grants, by application, to Sunshine Coast community groups for events and activities that support the 50th Anniversary and its legacy. We are living in an exciting time in the history of our Coast and 2017 will definitely be an opportunity to not only reflect but also anticipate what lies ahead." Applications are due by 5pm Monday, October 31, 2016. For more information visit www. sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/fifty

ENJOY A SLEEPOVER AT AUSTRALIA ZOO!

Sunshine Coast Council has approved plans for Australia Zoo to introduce overnight encounters, providing a dedicated ‘live in’ experience for visitors to the zoo. The new tourism venture will consist of 8 cabins, 32 recreational vehicle sites, 68 bush camp sites, a reception area and amenities. Christian Dickson, planning and development portfolio councillor, said: “It will be a huge economic boost to the local economy and will continue to boost the profile of the incredible Sunshine Coast worldwide.” kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

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NOTICE BOARD All the news and achievements from ou r local schools

Nambour State College teacher Lynda Page-Bickley said: “The course covers online theory including basic horse care, horse riding lessons by professional instructors and much more. We also organise dentists and farriers to attend the class to ensure the children learn the importance of the welfare of their horse.”

DAME QUENTIN BRYCE OPENS NEW BUILDING AT ST ANDREW'S

FLEUR THE GROODLE BECOMES A ‘MOOLOOLABA KID’ Fleur the Groodle is making an impact among the students at Mooloolaba State School. She attends school each day with Chaplain Linda Sutton ready to lend a helping paw and offer a comforting cuddle to students.

“Fleur is already re-engaging students in their learning just because of her gentle nature and therapeutic value of unconditional love and care,” Linda explains. “She is now an integral part of the school’s wellness program and our literacy program. Fleur encourages students to read and listen to stories being read by simply being there ready to listen while sitting with them.”

‘Fleur’ stands for 'Friendly and Fun, Loving and a Learner, Everyone’s friend, Understanding, and Responsible and Respectful'. Year 2 student Matthew said: “She’s a loving dog. She makes me happy.” Kaia, also in Year 2 said: “She makes me feel happy and all my worries walk out the window.”

COAST STUDENT SELECTED FOR NATIONAL SCHOOLBOY RUGBY TEAM Sunshine Coast Grammar School’s Tate McDermott has been selected as the school’s first Australian 10

SEP/OCT 2016

Schools Rugby representative. A rising star, Tate has been a part of the Grammar Rugby 1st XV team for the past four years and was named Sunshine Coast Grammar Rugby Player of the Year in 2015.

He was also a member of the Queensland Under 17s 7s team that won the Australian Championships in Wagga Wagga last year.

Head of Rugby at Sunshine Coast Grammar School Dan Robotham said Tate has worked hard over the past four years to develop his skills. “He has a great pass, excellent temperament, and reads the game really well,” Robotham said. “Tate has the added advantage of having that ‘X Factor’ to change a game.”

NAMBOUR STATE COLLEGE DEVELOPS EQUESTRIAN SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE A new Equestrian School of Excellence has been developed at the Nambour State College, providing students with a pathway into the equestrian industry.

It is believed that the school is the first in Australia to offer the Certificate II in Rural Operations and Horse Husbandry Assistance in its curriculum. The equestrian classroom is based at the Nambour Showgrounds and is run in conjunction with onlinehorsecollege.com, which provides nationally recognised fully accredited qualifications. kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

Former Governor-General, the Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce was on the Sunshine Coast to open the new Learning Hub at St. Andrew’s Anglican College recently. In the large open-air forecourt of the new university-style building, Dame Quentin Bryce spoke to the whole school of their facilities: “A place to spark imagination, innovation, daring and confidence. A place that feels safe and secure, enriching and energetic... All this presented in the feel and flair of this wonderful building. A significant contribution to architecture in our state in education.”

The university-style facility has been designed as a central hub for teaching and learning, with a range of spaces for students to study, depending on how they work best, with lounges, breakout spaces, a quiet study area and individual ‘hives’.

VOICES ON THE COAST WINNERS ANNOUNCED The winners of the 2016 Voices on the Coast competition have been announced. Sarah Langley (Immanuel Lutheran College) won Year 2-3 with her poem Spring. Highly commended went to Joel Shaw (Tewantin State School) for Skateboarding and Chelcee Rose (Tewantin State School) for Ballet. Daisy Hillen (Tewantin State School) won the Year 4-6 category with Feline Warrior. Highly commended was awarded to Charlotte with Homework and Sophie (Sunshine Coast Grammar School) with Rainforest Rag. The Year 7-9 category winner was Amy Wortmann (Matthew Flinders) with Youth. Highly commended was awarded to Lucy Taylor (Matthew Flinders) with Between the Covers and Julian with Indescribable.

To read all the winning poems, head to our website www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

AN EARLY ADVANTAGE FOR YOUR CHILD 15 HS O M NT RS 5 YE A

LE A R N IM TO S W L O PO NG I O PE N2016 T OC

Added value programs incl uding Librar y, Music, Ar t, Incursions , Excursions an d Spor ts are incl uded.

Meals and Nap pies provided.

SOME EARLY ADVANTAGES...

PREP NEXT YEAR?

EXCURSIONS - including a trip to Australia Zoo, Maroochy Botanical gardens, the cinemas, visit to the hospital, riding on a train to enjoy a teddy bears picnic and Ginger Factory.

GIVE YOUR CHILD AN NCC ADVANTAGE

ACTIVE KIDS SPORTS PROGRAM super fun program to develop ball skills, fitness, balance and dance.

Run twice a week.

We have our OWN FARM surrounded by a 5 acre farm where visits to the miniature horses and chickens, learning to care for animals and growing fruit and vegetables is a part of the NCC experience.

MEALS and NAPPIES are provided too.

4 .5 - 6 YE ARS

Encouraging curiosity and igniting a passion for learning Our specialised Prep classrooms and play areas along with our inspiring Christian teachers, provide a fun and engaging learning setting for Prep students.

• • •

Full time teacher aides Small classes Specialist lessons

Taylor loves Prep.

She looks forward to seeing her friends and teachers everyday and is overjoyed to be writing just like her big sister can! Writing is one of her favourite things.

Visit the NCC early learners website for further information or call (07) 5451 3330.

SECURITY - SUPPORT - SUCCESS NCC EARLY LEARNERS kidsonthecoast.com.au 34 McKenzie Road, Woombye QLD 4559 Phone: (07) 5451 3330

Email: info@nccearlylearners.com.au

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NAMBOUR CHRISTIAN COLLEGE | kidsinthecity.com.au 2 McKenzie

SEP/OCT Road Woombye QLD 4559 Phone: (07) 5451 2016 3333 1 1 Email: enrolments@ncc.qld.edu.au www.ncc.qld.edu.au

[FEATURE]

Your ultimate guide to

FAMILY HOLIDAYS

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SEP/OCT 2016

kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

Family

TRAVEL

IF THE COLD BLAST OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS HASN’T BLOWN THOSE COBWEBS AWAY, PERHAPS A HOLIDAY WILL! WE HAVE SEARCHED OUT THE BEST RESORTS, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES TO ENSURE YOUR WHOLE FAMILY HAS A TRIP TO REMEMBER. GET YOUR PASSPORTS READY!

by KERRY WHITE

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

CITY BREAKS A city break offers a great selection of activities for the whole family. So many cities, so little time. But here are a couple of suggestions for very different budgets: PARIS, FRANCE Paris is a truly scenic city with awe-inspiring architecture everywhere you turn. Aside from its wondrous restaurants and obvious tourist hotspots, like the Eiffel Tower and the ChampsElysées, the city is full of things to do with the kids. Head to the Jardin du Luxembourg, a 25 hectare garden with fountains, statues, puppet shows and children’s rides (http://en.parisinfo.com/parismuseum-monument/71393/Jardin-du-Luxembourg) or the Musée de la Poupée, a private museum and doll hospital (http://www. museedelapoupeeparis.com). Or for something a little different, head to the Egouts de Paris – the city’s sewers (equipement.paris. fr/musee-des-egouts-5059)! Learn the history of Paris’ underground sewers over a 500m journey through, quite possibly, the smelliest museum in the world. For something a little more pleasing to the nostrils, head to Stohrer, the oldest pastry shop in Paris (stohrer.fr) or wander down the Marché Bastille's food market (http://en.parisinfo.com/shopping-paris/73869/Marche-Bastille).

The Crowne Plaza Paris Republique has rooms for four people from $278 per night. See http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/ reservation for details. Price: $$$$

Photo courtesy: Gareth Lee

For somewhere a little closer to home, consider Auckland. The city is only three hours away by air, perfect for those with younger children, or kids (and adults!) who hate to travel. And there really is something for everyone here. Butterfly Creek allows you to get up close to many different species of butterfly and it is also home to Dinosaur Kingdom, an interactive themed attraction with more than 30 dinosaur models (http://butterflycreek.co.nz/). Or if your kids prefer their animals more cuddly, take them to Sheepworld where they can feed calves, pigs, lambs, goats and more and watch the sheep dog shows (http://www.sheepworldfarm.co.nz/). Auckland has many cycling trails, from scenic boardwalks to mountain bike tracks, and 26 regional parks to explore. Add some great restaurants, like Pirates Kitchen (pirateskitchen.co.nz), the Rainbow’s End theme park (rainbowsend.co.nz) and some great shopping, and you have the makings of a truly enjoyable family holiday. The Waldorf Tetra Apartments has serviced apartments that sleep four from $166 per night. See www.waldorf-tetra.co.nz for details. Price: $$

SAFARI Nature enthusiasts in the family will love a safari, and there are safari camps out there that make such a holiday a breeze for those travelling with children.

LEOPARD SAFARIS, SRI LANKA If your kids love camping and wildlife this could be the holiday they’ll compare all future holidays to. Leopard Safaris have made safari adventures easy for families. They have big family tents that sleep up to two adults and three children, offer discounted rates to younger children and, in between safari outings, offer kids’ activities back at base camp. Parents can relax while the kids enjoy amateur photography walks, animal identification checklists and wildlife footprint games. The animals you can expect to see include elephants, monkeys and, of course, leopards. Children must be three years or over to join this safari. The cost for two adults and two children per night in a family tent, inclusive of all meals and drinks, starts at $1,697.

For more details see www.leopardsafaris.com. Price: $$$$$

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SEP/OCT 2016

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[FEATURE]

CRUISE Like floating playgrounds, cruise ships have lots to entertain the whole family. And if you thought the chances of having a bit of alone time on a cruise were slim, think again. With kids’ activities to keep the little ones entertained and sundecks, pools and spa treatments galore, you should be able to find your own private slice of paradise.

ADVENTURE TOURS For the family that likes to consider itself adventurous, there are plenty of options out there. Think trekking in Everest or Nepal, a tour of Patagonia, or a journey to a glacier.

Head to www.worldexpeditions.com for some more inspiration or read on for a couple of suggestions – one from each end of the temperature scale!

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL CRUISES With family entertainment such as surf simulators, rock climbing, ice skating and a fantastic choice of shows, you’ll be spoilt for choice on board a Royal Caribbean International cruise. Kids can also get up close and personal with their favourite Dreamworks characters from Madagascar, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and more. Family friendly is a buzzword. The Adventure Ocean Youth Program keeps kids aged three to 11 entertained with age-appropriate activities. The staff will even pick the kids up after they’ve had dinner so parents can enjoy a night out on deck—explore the nightclubs and lounges, or enjoy a comedy show. An 11-night Brisbane to Singapore cruise, via Cairns and Darwin, costs from $872 per person.

Visit www.royalcaribbean.com.au for details. Price: $$$

CHRISTMAS IN LAPLAND Ditch the bonbons and Pavlovas this Christmas, rug up and head to Santa’s home country. With a 17-day Lapland Fantasy tour you will explore Sweden, Finland and Lapland and get to meet the big bearded man himself. Tour highlights include snowmobile rides, husky and reindeer safaris, a visit to an amethyst mine, snowshoe walking and, of course, a visit to Santa’s secret cottage.

A magical holiday that you and the children will never forget, you’ll be as excited as the kids on Christmas morning! The tour costs $6,595 per person based on a twin share and includes all flights, accommodation, an overnight cruise from Sweden to Finland, nine dinners, including Christmas and New Year, plus lots more. See www.thetravelagent.net.au/guided-touring/lapland-tours for more details. Price: $$$$$

WESTERN FAMILY DISCOVERY, USA This American camping adventure holiday takes in the best of the West, travelling from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Enjoy a sunrise or sunset at the Grand Canyon, swim in Lake Powell, explore the trails of the Zion National Park, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and take in the wondrous neon sights of the Las Vegas strip. You will camp out for nine nights, while other accommodation includes an alien themed hotel in Nevada and a traditional mud Hogan in Monument Valley. Children must be eight years or over to join this tour. Tour prices start from $2,384, departing Las Vegas, and includes all accommodation, meals and transport in a private vehicle. See www.grandamericanadventures.com for more information. Price: $$$$

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM A FAMILY HOLIDAY Find the right mindset

Decide prior to planning what you want out of your trip. Do you want it to be relaxing, educational, or a family bonding experience?

Plan for everyone

Be sure to plan activities to cater for everyone, including a little relaxation time for yourself.

Be organised

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Planning is essential. Don’t put off the important stuff, such as renewing passports, and don’t leave packing until the night before.

Keep an open mind

A holiday won’t always go as planned, no matter how foolproof you think it is. It’s easy to get caught up in any problems that occur but this will affect the outcome of your holiday. So be open-minded, don’t expect too much and just go with the flow.

Leave time to relax

Understandably you’ll want to get the most out of your family holiday and as a result, there can be a tendency to overbook yourself. Bear in mind that sometimes less is more.

Experience the local culture

Encourage the kids to have an open mind – get out and relish in the diverse environment.

Adapted from Jaymie Bennee for www.kidsonthecoast.com.au

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Family

TRAVEL

SKIING HOLIDAYS

Photo courtesy: Voyages - Indigenous Tourism Australia

Whether you are an advanced skier or have never hit the slopes before, the kids are bound to enjoy messing around in the snow. Most ski resorts offer lessons for children, and who doesn’t love a nice hot chocolate in the resort village after the end of a great day’s skiing!

THREDBO, NEW SOUTH WALES Thredbo has a range of runs for beginners to advanced and lessons to suit everyone. It is great for children who have never skied before—it has a beginner’s area for kids and an awardwinning ski program that will teach them everything they need to know. There is also a free snow play area and a child care centre for children aged six months to six years so the adults and older children can spend more time on the trickier slopes. Kids also ski free in June and September and child’s prices apply to everyone under 18, leaving plenty of spending money for the fantastic range of shops, restaurants and bars. Lodge or hotel accommodation is available from $551 per family, per night, for seven nights including lift passes. See www.thredbo.com.au. Price: $$

NISEKO, JAPAN Set in the scenic foothills of Mount Yotei, Niseko offers all the facilities of a first-class ski resort. With luxurious apartments and chalets and Michelin Star restaurants, the resort offers some of the most extensive and fun runs in Japan. And with lessons for children and adults at all levels, there is no excuse to get out in the powder. When the kids tire of lessons, take them on a snow mobile or strap on some snowshoes and explore Mount Yotei. And after a day on the slopes, immerse yourself in a glorious hot spring. Lodge accommodation costs around $2,900 for four people for seven nights. For more information see www.japanskiexperience.com. Price: $$$

CAMPING Australia has some of the best campsites in the world and glorious weather to boot. If you are on a budget, camping is often the smart choice and the kids will probably think it beats any other type of holiday hands down!

HAPPY WANDERER HOLIDAY PARK, HERVEY BAY Hervey Bay is only a couple of hours drive north from the coast or Brisbane. It is a great spot for whale watching and has easy access to Fraser Island, with its dingoes, turtles and sharks, so the wildlife lovers in the family will be happy. Hervey Bay has lots of great familyfriendly restaurants, some awesome ice cream parlours, and plenty of parks, including a huge waterpark right on the bay. The Happy Wanderer Holiday Park is set on eight acres of sub-tropical gardens and caters for tents and caravans, and also has a range of lodges. It also has playgrounds, giant chess and a swimming pool to keep the kids entertained and a family bathroom to make cleaning up after a day on the beach easier. A pitch for a four-man tent costs around $60 a night. See www.happywanderer.com.au. Price: $

AYERS ROCK CAMPGROUND, AYERS ROCK Get away from it all and submerge yourselves in the serenity of Ayers Rock. Ayers Rock Campground is located 15km from Uluru and is in the Ayers Rock Resort so all facilities and supplies are on hand. The campsite has pitches for tents and motorhomes and there are also cabins available. There is a swimming pool, playground and BBQ facilities on site and a supermarket, restaurants and bars in the Ayers Rock Resort, a short complimentary shuttle bus ride away. Guests can take part in free daily activities such as guided walks and Indigenous bush yarning. Children five years and under stay for free. A family of four can camp from as little as $96 for three nights. Visit www.ayersrockresort.com.au/accommodation/ ayers-rock-campground for more details. Price: $ Image courtesy Destination NSW. www.destinationnsw.com.au

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[FEATURE]

USEFUL WEBSITES Flights www.skyscanner.com.au www.cheapflights.com.au Accommodation www.booking.com.au www.airbnb.com.au Visas www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/ passports-and-travel Health smartraveller.gov.au/guide/all-travellers/health Currency www.oanda.com/currency/converter

BEST KIDS’ CLUBS If all you really want to do on holiday is relax, consider a resort with a top-notch kids’ club.

Knowing that they are having fun will give you peace of mind while you have some downtime.

THE ST. REGIS, MAURITIUS The St. Regis is a stunning five-star luxury resort in the Indian Ocean. With 172 guest rooms and suites, nine restaurants, fitness club and excellent swimming pools and entertainment facilities, this resort has it all. Oh, and there’s a great kids’ club too so you don’t need to feel guilty about sneaking off to the spa for a spot of relaxation. The Kite Flyers Club arranges a vast array of activities for children aged four to 12. The kids can go on a supervised nature walk, take part in a cooking class or sail on a glass-bottom boat. Indoor activities include arts and crafts, musical games and watching movies. The club is open every day from 9am until 8pm and younger children can also join in, provided they are supervised by an adult. A Deluxe Garden View Room sleeping two adults and one child costs around $480 a night, including buffet breakfast and complimentary butler service. For more details, visit www.stregismauritius.com. Price: $$$$

CLUB MED, PHUKET Club Med takes kids’ clubs to the next level. Like, Flying Trapeze School level. Yes, along with the usual activities you’d expect at a kids’ club, such as craft, sports and games, your little ones can perfect their aerial circus skills while on holiday. Club Med Phuket is a beautiful resort on over 60 acres next to the beach of Kata Bay. It has 305 rooms and you can unwind with activities such as Yoga, snorkelling and golf, or head to the spa. One of the resort’s two restaurants also has a baby corner where parents can prepare their baby’s meals. Two interconnecting Garden View rooms cost around $3,000 for two adults and two children for seven nights, all-inclusive.

To find out more, visit www.clubmed.com.au/r/Phuket/y. Price: $$$

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Leah Squire, owner of family-friendly travel company BYOkids, shares three of her top picks for a great family holiday.

CLUB MED RESORTS Club Med resorts have great kids’ clubs. Activities include circus schools, sailing, tennis, archery, rock climbing, kayaking… the list goes on and on! The resorts are all-inclusive and are always in stunning locations including Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius and the Maldives. They also offer ski resorts in Japan and France. See www.clubmed.com.au and our write-up on Club Med Phuket.

CRUISES Carnival Cruise Lines (www.carnival.com.au) are really popular with families as they have great features such as waterparks and waterslides on board, very family-friendly food options, kids’ clubs and great tropical island destinations like Fiji, Noumea, Isle of Pines and Vanuatu. But there lots of other options for families out there, such as Captain Cook Cruises Fiji (www.captaincookcruisesfiji.com). You fly first to Fiji then take the boat from there. They are amazing cruises, visiting some really super islands and remote villages, and the snorkelling is fantastic. For people visiting America, perhaps to do Disneyland, it’s very easy to add on a Caribbean cruise, which offer great island destinations and interesting cultures, history and sites. See www.byokids.com.au/cruise for some inspiration.

BIG4 HOLIDAY PARKS Australia’s BIG4 Holiday Parks offer a great choice for families who don’t want to travel overseas. Parks such as the BIG4’s Renmark and Adventure Whitsundays offer amazing facilities and have accommodation ranging from camping through to large family villas. See www.big4.com.au For more family-friendly holiday inspiration, head to www.byokids.com.au

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Discover why Montessori is called the future of education.

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From $285 Spark your child's creative playtime with a fabulous Little Camper Play Teepee from Field Candy. All children's tents are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, 100% waterproof and UV fade, lightweight, and easy to assemble.

Tents are available in a range of designs, you can even make it really special with your own personalised print! Find at www.fieldcandy.com

OUR WORLD PETIT COLLAGE FLOOR PUZZLE

RRP: $30 With vibrant and engaging artwork, this large format 24-piece puzzle is a colourful introduction to the world map. Contained in a perfect gift-to-go box with a soft cotton rope handle.

Find at www.evolvembh.com.au. Suitable for ages 3+.

DESIGN & PLAY COLOURING SET

RRP: $12.95 Keep kids entertained with these giant colouring and games sheets. There are four different themes to choose from and comes in a handy box and a little pencil with 8 colours‌ ideal for those on the go!

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FANTASTIC FLIGHT WALL DECALS

RRP: $40.00 Hit the skies with these vintage planes and hot air balloon wall decals. Comes in two colour options. Find at www.41orchard.com.au

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INSTANT IRON-ONS

RRP: $27.99 Never be boring again! Featuring houses, bicycles, and quirky alphabets, these playful ironon decals from Julia Rothman make distinctive statements on T-shirts, tote bags, baby onesies, and more. Find them at www.evolvembh.com.au

WORLD RUG

RRP: $149.99 Gorgeous 100% cotton kids world rug in muted tones.

Perfect for your little one to plan their first expedition! Find at www.downthatlittlelane.com.au

COZY DOZEE

RRP: $39.99 Super simple, this clever head support is positioned onto your child’s car seat to stop head bobbing whilst sleeping.

Meeting all relevant Australian Standards it provides soft comfort (like a little front pillow) to keep head upright and protect neck ligaments and joints. Comes in a huge range of cute designs. Find out more at www.cozydozee.com.au

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SEP/OCT 2016

19

[FATHER’S DAY]

by DARREN LEWIS

THE FATHER’S ROLE IN CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. BUT RESEARCH NOW SHOWS THAT A STRONG MALE ROLE MODEL IS VITAL TO A CHILD’S WELLBEING. Author David Blankenhorn, speaking as a social scientist, said this: “Fatherlessness is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation. It is the leading cause of declining wellbeing in our society. It is also the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to adolescent pregnancy to child abuse to domestic violence against women. Yet despite its scale and social consequences, fatherlessness is a problem that is frequently ignored or denied. Especially in our elite discourse, it remains largely a problem with no name.”

The impact of father absence is immense…

• 63 per cent of teen suicides come from fatherless homes.

That’s five times the national average.

(Source: US Department of Justice.)

• 85 per cent of children with behavioural problems come from fatherless homes. That’s 20 times the national average.

(Source: Centre for Disease Control.)

• 75 per cent of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centres come from fatherless homes. That’s 10 times the national average. (Source: Rainbows for all God’s children.)

• 85 per cent of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes. That’s 20 times the national average.

(Source: US Department of Justice.)

What does this mean? Research from over the last two decades shows that we as a society must begin to recognise the importance of fathers, and their involvement in raising boys, and raising girls.

A U.S. News and World report, entitled “Why Fathers Count”, back in February 1995, began with the following two sentences: “Dad is destiny. More than virtually any other factor, a biological father’s presence in the family, will determine a child’s success or failure.”

Now sometimes, for whatever reason, it’s simply not possible for a child’s biological father to be present, and there are even times,

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where it would be even more harmful for the child, if he was present.

The good news for families in either of those situations is that being a real father has nothing to do with biology. My definition of a father is as follows: “A father is a man who loves, delights in, teaches, mentors, nurtures, trains, and affirms a younger person. His role is crucial in the younger person's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development. He may be a biological father, a stepfather, an uncle, a grandfather, a mentor, a teacher, or a coach.”

Many fathers I meet are either confused about, or have a very limited vision, of what it means to be a father. In most cases, it’s because they didn’t have a father themselves who modelled their role well. And it’s not about assigning blame upon our fathers. The truth is, that most of them never had a good father or healthy male role model either, and that dysfunction has continued to repeat itself, generation after generation, since the onset of the industrial revolution centuries ago.

Good, healthy, true fatherhood has been lost, and we as a society must do all we can, to bring that back.

So what is it that a father, or significant male other in the absence of Dad, ultimately provides a child with? First and foremost it’s his or her identity. When fathered well, a child knows that he or she is loved, accepted, valued, adored, delighted in, through the messages the father intentionally sends—by the one-on-one time he invests and the words of life he chooses to speak. And at an appropriate age, these messages usher a child into young manhood or young womanhood, and again at the appropriate time, into authentic manhood or authentic womanhood. He or she has a clear and compelling vision for what it means to be a man or a woman, and has experienced a rite-of-passage, a significant moment in time, where he or she crossed the threshold, that separates adulthood from childhood. As Australian psychologist and author Steve Biddulph explains, so that they can begin to make their unique way in the world.

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[FATHER’S DAY]

“A father is a man who loves, delights in, teaches, mentors, nurtures, trains, and affirms a younger person…

He may be a biological father, a stepfather, an uncle, a grandfather, a mentor, a teacher, or a coach.”

In the same way, when a child is not fathered well, either overtly, or passively, he or she will either have received a very negative identity from his or her father, or not receive an identity from his or her father at all, leaving him or her identity-less, and left to his or her own devices, to establish an identity for him or herself. Neither of those situations make for a healthy foundation for the rest of life.

For those reasons, ‘Fathering Adventures’ was founded back in 2008. The mission, in its simplest form, was to experientially equip, empower, and encourage men, to be intentional fathers, achieved through the facilitation of adventure experiences. Throughout each of those experiences, father–son or father–daughter pairs get to experience real fun together—the beauty of the outdoors, group adventure activities, intimate one-on-one moments and conversations, and significant life-changing and relationshiptransforming moments together. And, of course, the appropriate blend of preparation and equipping necessary, to ensure success throughout the experience and beyond.

FATHERING ADVENTURES WEEKEND EXPERIENCES FATHERING BOYS: Father–son adventure weekend experiences for boys aged 7–13 years inclusive, and their dads or significant male others.

FATHERING GIRLS: Father–daughter adventure weekend experiences, for girls aged 7–13 years inclusive, and their dads or significant male others.

PREPARED FOR MANHOOD: 4 night, and 5 night, father– son adventure experiences, for boys, young men, and mature-age men, aged 13 years and over (no maximum age limit), and their dads or significant male others.

PREPARED FOR WOMANHOOD: 4 night father–daughter adventure experiences, for girls, young women, and matureage women, aged 13 years & over (no maximum age limit), and their dads or significant male others.

BEING A GOOD FATHER One of the must dos for a man to be a good father is to spend regular one-onone time together, not just family time.

Dads should try to pencil in 10 minutes every day with each child, to simply maintain a relationship. As for what to do during that time, that's best decided by simply asking each child for their input. Every child is different but every child desires the dad to be interested in, and enter into, their world. The dreaming of how they're going to spend 10 minutes with Dad each day is exciting in itself. Some simple suggestions include: 1. Play some table tennis.

2. Pass or kick a football in the backyard.

3. Play some cricket, shoot some hoops, or play some other sport, either in the backyard or out front.

4. Go out together and have an ice-cream or a milkshake, and just talk about the day.

5. Go for a walk down the beach, or down at the park.

6. Go to the park and play on the swings.

7. Play some games that you haven't played in a while, like hide and seek.

8. Play a game of cards, or a board game.

9. Play a game on the computer.

10. Read a story at bedtime.

Perhaps once every three months, each child can get to do something special with Dad that is longer than 10 minutes such as: 1. Go camping.

2. Go fishing.

3. Try a new experience together: rock-climbing, abseiling, canoeing, high ropes.

4. Hike to a waterfall and go for a swim.

5. Work on a project together: build a cubby-house, or a billy-cart, or a vegie garden. Be sure your child plays an active part in the project too. It may be quicker and more efficient to build it yourself but relationships and efficiency don’t mix well.

Article authored by Darren Lewis of ‘Fathering Adventures’ (www.fatheringadventures.com.au ) .

Darren and his wife Melissa have been married for more than 25 years. They are parents to four children, ranging in ages from 22 to 13 years, and they reside in Townsville, in Tropical North Queensland.

Darren was awarded the honour of being named Queensland Father of the Year in September 2011.

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SEP/OCT 2016

23

[PARENTING]

WHY CHILDREN FIGHT LESSONS IN MORAL DEVELOPMENT

by KATHRYN TONGES

WHICH IS YOUR STORY? YOU DREAD THE CHILD NEXT DOOR COMING OVER TO PLAY; YOUR CHILD COMES HOME FROM SCHOOL CRYING, “SHE’S NOT MY FRIEND ANY MORE”; YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND THEY ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING; YOU HEAR FROM OTHERS THAT YOUR SON IS A BULLY; YOUR CHILD OFTEN SAYS, “THAT’S NOT FAIR. SHE’S GOT MORE THAN ME.” If a child squabbles, hits, punches, blames, teases, screams, sulks, or bullies, it is vital to teach that child another method to get needs met.

Fights are emotionally draining. Children seem out of control and parents may feel that way too, especially if never shown effective ways of dealing with conflict when young—their own parents may have oscillated between being aggressive or passive when faced with conflict.

Parents have an empowering choice, and by using effective assertive communication skills parents can help children move to a higher level of moral reasoning.

Moral development is the process through which children develop proper attitudes and behaviours toward other people in society, based on social and cultural norms, rules, and laws. Moral development happens slowly and children think differently to adults, so it will take practice to learn assertive conflict resolution skills. But as these skills are learnt, parents will subsequently feel more in control, purposeful, and the rewards will be heartening.

So why do children fight? The same reason adults fight! Frustration, insufficient insights and communication skills to get needs met.

Children however have an excuse—they are still developing.

What do you say or do when your child is fighting?

A. “If you can’t stop being a bully I’ll put the game away!”

B. “Stop being so weak. You have to stand up to that boy.”

C. “Find someone else to play with.”

D. “Go to your room and think about what you did!”

E. Acknowledge the upset and needs for each child and facilitate problem-solving solutions.

The first four answers result in road blocking a child, whereas the last answer stimulates a child’s awareness of conflict and exposes them to a higher level of moral reasoning. This approach role models and proactively supports a child to use effective

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communication skills that also progresses social, emotional and intellectual development.

Young children who are still at the moral development stage of ‘might is right’ to get their needs met, are not ‘bullies’ nor will they always be like this. This doesn’t mean accepting them being forceful or hurting others, parents simply have to show them another way!

If they push a child to grab their toy, calmly tell them, “That hurts”, whilst gently separating them. Then rather than punish, identify their need and kindly show them what they can do: “I see you want to play with that toy and Sarah is playing with it. Let’s find another toy like that.” They might cry—they are still learning about life.

Acknowledge their feeling of disappointment, as well as adding, “Let’s ask Sarah to give you the toy when she finishes.”

To successfully take this giant leap in handling conflict, children need help to see things from another person’s perspective, as well as needing support in emotional self-regulation and awareness of their own needs.

AWARENESS OF NEEDS Begin by understanding why a child might be fighting. Observation and active listening is an essential and practical tool in establishing what their unmet need is. Is it competitiveness? Jealousy? Low self-esteem or feeling unattended? Feeling unfairly treated? Being bored, or needing fun or achievement? A personality clash? A need to win adult approval? Different needs or different interest? Feeling unskilled inadequate or frustrated? Or is it imitation of modeled behaviour by parents, when adults show bias?

Parents can show children how to get their needs met in socially acceptable ways, by teaching them how to be assertive rather than aggressive or passive, and choose a win-win method of problem solving. Assertive I-messages and problem solving give children tools to use to deal with conflict whereas punishment breeds resentment and slows development. This will also enrich the parent-child relationship whilst providing an alternative to bullying.

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SEP/OCT 2016

25

[PARENTING]

PROBLEM-SOLVING CONFLICT EXAMPLE If children are older and they are not physically fighting or verbally abusive, take a step back and wait and see if they can sort it out.

Later, discuss how they resolved their disagreement.

Always separate if they are physically fighting and avoid taking sides or saying who is right or wrong. Whether the conflict is with your child’s friend or a sibling the same process can be used (see classroom example at the end of the article). In this case Li and James are friends and Li accidentally breaks James’s Lego plane. James punches Li. 1. a).

IDENTIFY THE NEED: Comfort Li by active listening feelings: “Your arm really hurts.” Say to James, “You are angry because your plane is broken. This needs to be worked out but not by punching.” Ask each of them what they are upset about and encourage them to voice their upset to each other: “I don’t like when you call me names and punch me”; “You broke the plane I was building.”

You may need to calmly coax them to express their feelings: “How did you feel when that happened?” James: “Angry and upset” You: “James, tell Li how you feel.” James: “I felt really angry and sad. It took me so long to build.” Give Li the chance to respond: “I didn’t mean to break it”.

Sum up what you are hearing: “Li, you don’t like being punched especially when it was an accident. And James you really want the things you build looked after. It takes so long to put together.”

When children are heard and acknowledged their emotional temperature begins to drop and they are more able to listen to each other and help each other. You, as facilitator of the process, are placing the children in the roles of helpers rather than culprits. This advances emotional intelligence and emotional self-regulation.

b). Explain to both children you will help them work this out. Your role is a problem-solving facilitator. Rather than use blameful language like, “What did you do that for?” It is better to facilitate problem solving by actively listening to upsets, then sum up needs: “Li your need is to play and James your need is to play without damage to your constructions.”

2. B RAINSTORM SOLUTIONS: Ask, “What can you do about this so you can both be happy and get your needs met?” Encourage the children to come up with ideas. They may say: “I’ll help you build the plane again; You make your own plane; Let’s just play cardboard planes if we play dive bombs.” Children will often surprise with their very creative solutions, even at a very young age.

3. E VALUATE AND CHOOSE SOLUTIONS: Encourage the children to decide what they think will work for them. When they are invested in their solutions rather than you telling them the ‘rules’ they will more likely follow through.

4. T AKE ACTION: Ask if they need help in their plans. Make suggestions to support them if need be. Congratulate them on working out their conflict. And explain that if this doesn’t work out they may need to come up with different and improved solutions.

5. REVIEW: Check in with your child that night to see how the solutions worked out.

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The time spent working through problems is an investment in a child’s learning as well as saving a parent’s sanity. Often the process takes a shorter time than the upset involved in fights that are ongoing.

OTHER TIPS TO DECREASE FIGHTING BETWEEN CHILDREN • Celebrate differences positively. Share that we each have different strengths. Don’t label children, for example, the ‘noisy one’ or the ‘bossy one’. This leads to unfair comparisons and name-calling other children.

• Be aware of your bias and avoid encouraging competitiveness, such as who is faster, better, quieter.

• When there is no problem, help your child understand the behaviour of younger children. This helps the older child to feel they are a helper and develop empathy. It is solution focused and more positive to include the child in problem-solving new ways of interacting that helps them get their needs met, and the younger one too.

• If your child is the victim don’t talk for him. Encourage him to volunteer information and contribute solutions so he is not always in the shadow.

• Tell her it takes practice to make changes and feel confident.

• Give siblings a break from each other, such as separate baths occasionally.

• Have time alone with each child so you have a chance to tune in to their needs, connect and have fun together.

• Use everyday opportunities where you see instances of conflict to ask your child’s thoughts and share your own: on TV, at the movies, in books, at the shops, experiences the child tells you about.

• Role-play scenarios; use puppets or other tangible devices.

• Pose questions: What do you think your friend could have done? What do you think the boy in the story could do? What would be a different way of solving this that’s fair?

• If you are concerned about escalation from fun play to aggression send a preventive message expressing concerns.

• Convey expectations prior to other children visiting and problem-solve solutions so you can get your needs met for safety and your child can get her needs met for fun.

With these assertive skills on board, a child will naturally begin to use these tools sort out conflicts; a priceless gift to a child’s future!

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An initiative of the

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27

[PARENTING]

EXAMPLE OF FACILITATING PROBLEM SOLVING IN THE CLASSROOM: When I was teaching four and five year olds Henry told me he had watched a documentary about saving animals in Africa and that he and his friends wanted to do just that. They built a plane, planned how and what they would rescue and proceeded to carry out their plans.

Sometime later Henry rushed to me exclaiming that another boy Tim was “killing all the animals!” Deciding to stay in the role of the play I replied, “Oh no! I am glad you have come to me as I am the Warden of the National Park and yes, killing the wildlife is illegal. Please take me to this person.”

The children had labelled this boy as the ‘naughty’ boy even though I did not ever use this word nor label him. They could see he did not fit in. From my perspective he was the child who had challenges with social skills and had difficulty knowing how to enter play.

Identify the needs: In role I facilitated, “Henry (and friends) you have stated that the animals you have been rescuing are being killed by this person.”

“Yes!” they all exclaimed.

“How do you feel about this and why?”

I said.

“We don’t like it. We’re angry because we are trying to save the animals. There aren’t many left!” (They had summed up their needs.)

I turned to the boy Tim and without retribution asked, “Tell me about what was happening?”

Tim looked very sheepish at this point and I knew he was trying to think quickly.

He stammered, “I, I, I had to kill the animals.

I had to eat.”

His was a very creative response and I went with it to sum up his need, “So you were hungry and needed food.” He nodded.

“Well, we do have a problem then since killing animals is illegal here. This group wants to save the animals and you are hungry and needing to eat. (Summing up the needs; to be clear for the children.)

Take action: Turning to the wildlife group I added, “My only concern is, have you trained someone to do this kind of work before? How will you help them learn the skills to rescue animals and work together to do this?” The group agreed to do this and suggested ideas and Tim agreed happily.

I continued, “If you need any help with the training please come and see me.”

Review: When we came together as a group we shared about the conflict with the rest of the class and asked Henry and Tim to share how it was successfully resolved.

They both glowed with pride. They were empowered.

Brainstorm solutions: Do you have any ideas how we can solve this problem so we can all be happy and all get our needs met?” Some ideas were offered.

This was a successful facilitation of problem solving placing all children in the roles of helpers rather than culprits. Punitive methods such as time-out serve to alienate and emotionally exacerbate and do not show healthy alternatives to dealing with conflict in action.

Evaluate and choose solutions: The solution that Henry came up with was the one that the group and Tim agreed to.

Henry suggested, “I know, he could come and work for us and that way he could earn some money and then buy his own food.”

Tim still had lots to learn however he was no longer in the role of ‘naughty boy’ and he could feel the compassion, willingness and inclusivity of the group. Everyone’s moral development and social, emotional skills were enhanced on that day!

Kathryn Tonges is an international and national parenting educator, coach and author. Her passion is helping parents build more peaceful and loving relationships. She teaches the internationally recognised, skills based Parent Effectiveness Training course on the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane. She is a National Trainer for Effectiveness Training Institute of Australia and as State Executive Officer for Queensland she connects parents with other P.E.T. instructors in their area.

You can find more about her courses at: www.theparentwithin.com

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SEP/OCT 2016

29

[FAMILY]

The world is a CLASSROOM

by KELLY MCLEOD

TRAVEL IS EXCITING, ADVENTUROUS AND OFTEN PUTS YOU OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. BUT TRAVEL CAN ALSO BE ONE OF THE BEST FORMS OF EDUCATION FOR YOUR KIDS. NOT ONLY BY EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES, LANGUAGES AND FOODS, BUT ALSO FACING CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPING THE PRACTICAL SKILLS OF FIGURING OUT LIFE’S ESSENTIALS OUTSIDE THE SAFETY OF HOME COMFORTS. IN TODAY’S GLOBAL SOCIETY, TRAVEL ALSO PROVIDES THE PERFECT PLATFORM FOR CHILDREN TO BECOME WELL-ROUNDED GLOBAL CITIZENS. Travelling with kids often sounds like something to go in the ‘too hard basket’, with many parents deciding to wait until the kids are older, or go somewhere where they know the kids will eat the food! However, if you want to travel, sharing the adventure as a family is possibly one of the best things you can ever experience.

Globetrotting parent and travel writer, Kelly Mcleod, says “Nothing

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is more exciting to me than exploring new places through the eyes of my children. The look of astonishment on their little faces as we see dolphins frolicking in the wild, their excitement as we try out new languages or conquer our fears perched high above the ground in a swinging gondola over the rainforest. These are all learning adventures that can’t be had in a classroom.”

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[FAMILY]

PLANNING A TRIP OK… so, gone are the days where you can throw some togs in a backpack and set off around the world, and planning a trip with a young family could seem like an insurmountable task. However, planning can be a big part of the fun, so get the kids involved and include places that excite them! Kelly explains, “My six-year-old is obsessed with space so when we were in New York last year, we made a special trip to the Hayden Planetarium which was the highlight of the trip for him.”

Giving kids a sense of control over their luggage is also a skill worth teaching early—enabling children to understand what you really need to survive (though avoid embarking on a trip with only 356 LEGO bricks and a teddy bear by writing a packing list together!). Plus, when you return you’ll find those skills transfer to day-to-day life, making school backpacks suddenly a breeze too.

“Travel and education go hand in hand”

Kelly’s Top Tips

TO INTRODUCE LEARNING TO YOUR NEXT TRIP: • If your kids are old enough, get them to keep a travel journal to record all the cool things you do and see. Not only does it make a good memento of the trip, it also helps them practise their reading, writing and spelling skills.

• P urchase a book about your destination so you can read it when you are back home and reflect together on the trip. Just recently I overheard my three-year-old telling someone that the Statue of Liberty is in NYC and her nose is 1.4 meters long—all from his favourite souvenir book!

• E ncourage the kids to speak the local language.

Learning even the basics of another language, such as “please” and “thank you”, is great for the kids and builds their confidence.

• Have you ever noticed how your kids seem to pay more attention when someone else is talking to them? Use this to your advantage and seek out the experts. If there’s a guided tour of the museum, take it. If there’s a show on at the aquarium, watch it. You’ll be amazed at how much they take in.

INCORPORATE LEARNING AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY Learning is not just about spelling and maths, and there are opportunities to learn at every turn. As Kelly explains, “My son learning about dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History in NYC and experiencing new foods in Japan may look like fun and games, but travel and education go hand in hand. There’s an opportunity to turn every adventure into an educational experience. Art, geography, current affairs, archaeology, modern history, ancient history, languages, food, risk analysis… the learning opportunities are endless!”

Other learning opportunities for kids • Ditch the tech – get back to map reading • Convert pocket money into the local currency • Get fussy eaters to try one new thing each day • Give the kids a camera and tell them to get snapping • Send postcards home to friends or grandparents

• It’s never too early to teach your kids about social responsibility and helping others, and travel can present opportunities to do so. For example, organisations such as Carry for Kids (www.carryforkids. org) list items needed by orphanages in some developing countries. When we travelled to Bali we asked our then four-year-old to pick something from the list that we could take to the orphanage.

• G et the kids to tell you about what they’ve seen.

Encourage their naturally inquisitive minds to ask questions, even if you don’t have all the answers, it’s fun to find them out together.

“The world is the best classroom and my kids are privileged to be its students. By exposing them to new and unique experiences, they’ve been able to hone in on the things that fascinate them and expand their interests. Travel can give kids the freedom to be themselves, to discover new things for themselves and learn about who they are.”

—Kelly McLeod.

So… where will you go on your next trip?

(Adapted from www.lonelyplanet.com)

Kelly Mcleod has been blogging about the ups and downs of travel with little people since 2013 over at My Little Adventures (www.mylittleadventures.com.au) . With two boys in tow, Kelly has a passion for travel and making everlasting memories as a family.

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SEP/OCT 2016

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[FEATURE]

12 insp irational family #travel Instagrams to follow WONDERING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO TRAVEL WITH KIDS? HERE ARE 13 OF THE BEST INSTAGRAM FAMILY NOMADS, SHARING THEIR ADVENTURES IN GORGEOUS TECHNICOLOUR. WARNING: SEVERE WANDERLUST MAY FOLLOW!

@courtneyadamo This mama of four has had the travel bug for as long as she can remember. As a family, they are aiming to immerse themselves into different cultures and explore what the world has to offer.

@tshoxenreider Tsh caught the case of itchy feet after graduating college and backpacking through Europe with a friend. Almost two decades later she is now experiencing it with her family of five.

@wyld_family_travel The insta account of Mark Wyld and his gaggle of city wanderers, country explorers, history junkies and castle seekers tells the story of the Wyld family and their fun and fabulous travels.

@globetrottinggrommets Globe Trotting Grommets takes you on a journey from Bali to Broome and everywhere in between!

@mylittleadventures.com.au Curated by Kelly, a Mornington Peninsula mama, who is a self confessed travel addict and lover of sunsets capturing her travels. Follow her to see how she gets on!

@ytravelblog Caz and Craig Makepeace say “Life is about accumulating memories, not just possessions, and now we're creating those precious memories with our two daughters."

@jetsettingkids Offering family fun travel ideas from around the globe, and based in Australia, this insta is the ultimate inspiration if you are thinking of booking a trip!

@travelwithbender This Aussie couple have successfully proven that life doesn’t end after having kids, leaving their home in Perth with their children four years ago they have been living nomadically ever since.

@tatnasworldtour Ever thought of travelling off the grid? That is what this family of six does! Check out their amazing images as they share what they see.

@jeanatravels Mum Jeana has been globetrotting with her husband and son collecting stories, memories and striking images. This trio has been everywhere – from Thailand to Jamaica to Canada and more.

@adventure.baby Navigating the world and parenthood at the same time surely deserves some snaps! Off to the USA next, with a stop at Fiji on the way, mama Christine Knight shows the world through her eyes.

@smithsholidayroad Sharing inclusive family travel photos with 2016 to be spent in Japan, Sri Lanka, Bali and Tokyo, this family is enjoying every moment the sun shines (and when it doesn't!)

Any family travel instas that you love?

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SEP/OCT 2016

33

[EDUCATION]

Travel with a purpose

by CARLY MOORE

WALKING DOWN THE DUSTY FOOTPATH, MATT TIGHTLY HELD THE HAND OF HIS SIX-YEAR-OLD SON AS THEY TOOK IN THE UNFAMILIAR SIGHTS AND SOUNDS THROUGH JETLAGGED EYES. RYAN’S VOICE SUDDENLY INTERRUPTED HIS THOUGHTS “DADDY, DO WE HAVE TO STAY HERE FOR TWO WHOLE WEEKS? IT SMELLS!” Here began the epic family adventure of travelling to Cambodia with two small children (ages three and six), making memories to last a lifetime and learning the phrase ‘travel with a purpose’.

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malaria, losing the kids in a crowd—we just focused on getting organised. Before we knew it we were there.”

Mr Moore, as he is better known, is the Chaplain at Gold Coast Christian College. A number of years ago, the College admin team caught a vision for service on an international level. Every class, from Year 2 onwards, had been sponsoring a friend in Cambodia through International Children’s Care, raising the monthly funds through creative fundraising projects and sometimes foregoing their own pocket money. It had been great to form a relationship with their sponsor friends over the years, and it had taught students so much about generosity and thinking about others… but the admin team had a crazy dream. A dream that maybe somehow, someday, students from the College could meet their sponsor friend face to face.

Cambodia is a country of contrast. Looking down a street with a Lexus dealership right next to a tin-roofed slum, it is very easy to start thinking about how big and unfixable the issues are. Exhausted children sleep at their roadside shops and it is a rarity to see locals over the age of 50 due to the genocide that occurred throughout the reign of the Khmer Rouge. Taking a group of students to a foreign country was at best scary; knowing it was a third world country only heightened the sense of responsibility Matt felt to make sure it was safe. However, being there with his family and coming back with a different outlook on life was reassuring, and more than he expected.

“Having experienced the culture in-country, I knew this was an experience that I didn’t want my students to miss. A trip like this could be defining for these young people.”

This is what lead Matt to Cambodia. His family went along too because they didn’t want to miss the opportunity. “It was pretty nerve wracking, taking two small boys and my wife to a third world country. We had discussed doing something like it before, but it seemed too hard, too scary. This time though, I was booked and set to go alone, and my wife said she was coming too! We tried not to dwell on all the things that could go wrong—food poisoning,

So, late in November 2014, 28 students and staff from Gold Coast Christian College took off on a flight bound for Cambodia, leaving schoolies week behind. At the end of their school year, these young people had one thing on their mind and it wasn’t drinking or lying on the beach, it was serving. When they arrived, many students experienced a huge culture shock as they found themselves immersed in the busy hum of everyday life in Phnom Penh.

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[EDUCATION]

“Having experienced the culture in-country, I knew this was an experience that I didn’t want my students to miss. A trip like this could be defining for these young people.”

As Matt reflected on the two trips, one with small children, one with young adults, he recognised that each had its own unique challenges, highs and lows. “When we went with our kids, there was a real sense of ‘what can we do?’ there was so much poverty and it seemed overwhelming. However, we were still able to buy lunch for a bunch of locals one day, in a spur of the moment purposeful act of generosity. Our kids saw that; they gave out food. Sure, we didn’t make a dent in world hunger, but the few we bought lunch for were not hungry that day. With the College trip, we were a lot more intentional from the get go and we were able to complete a lasting project. At the end of the day, both trips have helped me personally to re-frame the idea of travel. I’m not sure I will ever travel with the same mindset again!”

Student Naomi remembers the noise, the unusual smell and humidity that hung in the air. On the very first day, once they checked into their hotel, she recalls standing on the small balcony, overlooking the streets where half-dressed kids happily ran, tuk tuks and motorbikes all jammed the road, and power lines formed a mass of snaking spaghetti that somehow didn’t burst into flames.

“It was almost as though time had stopped and there I was, recognising in an instant how much I had taken for granted in my life. This was not a normal Gold Coast holiday. It was only Day One, with 13 more days of life-changing experiences to follow.”

Over the course of the next 13 days, students experienced the local markets, the history of Cambodia at the S21 genocide museum, and the ADRA adventure park. They visited a local organisation that helped children who lived in the slums adjacent to the rubbish dump and spent time with SeeChange International, helping to teach students English. They took in the sights and history of Ankor Wat, and enjoyed learning the art of bartering while shopping for souvenirs.

An extended period of days were also spent in the rural province of Kampong Thom, where students built a playground at a local primary school and where they met their sponsor friend at the International Children’s Care (ICC) village. Matt described how students reacted to this amazing experience. “Before we even met Orn Bunya and Kaun Pov, students were really impressed to see that their ongoing sponsorship had helped to give their sponsor friends an education, a nice place to live, and a family of sorts.”

The playground project happened in a rural primary school, taking four days to complete, with a swing set, slide and monkey bars.

Emily, Isabella and Naomi agreed that building the playground had been a tangible and lasting project that left a sense of satisfaction, knowing there would be laughs there for years to come.

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The trip also made a lasting impression on last year's College Captain Brayden Hiscox, who said the trip was “One of the greatest trips of my life and possibly the most influential and eye-opening experience I have had. Meeting our sponsorship friend was amazing, it really hit home how big an impact you can make even with smaller gestures over time.” Brayden’s family went on to continue sponsoring Orn Bunya, enabling him to undertake tertiary studies.

Another student, Emily, has now commenced studies in Peace and Conflict, a degree she says has become a passion since leaving Cambodia. “The trip changed the way I saw things and made me realise that I want to be a part of the solution. Now I am learning skills that I hope will help shape a better future for all those I met, and the ones I didn’t as well.” Students came back with a fresh perspective, with many describing the trip as ‘life changing.’ They all echoed the sentiment that they would go back in a heartbeat, and by the sounds of recent conversations, another trip may be in the pipeline already.

So, next time you plan a family holiday, think outside the box. It doesn’t need to be a huge trip to make an impact, you can simply add value to the trips you already do. Be intentional–meet your camping neighbours by sharing some cookies with them. Find out if there is a soup kitchen at the destination you are travelling to, and offer to help. If you are wanting an international experience, there are organisations who take groups on project based holidays, such as ICC’s Big Build, or ADRA’s Connections Trips. Travel can be fun, it can be rewarding, and it can make an impact that lasts a lifetime.

Carly Moore is the Marketing and Communications officer at Gold Coast Christian College. When she is not busy chasing her two boys and her work, she loves to write, spend time in the garden and enjoy a good cup of tea.

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SCAN to visit our website.

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SEP/OCT 2016

37

[TALK]

TRAVELLING THE GLOBE AS A FAMILY SOUNDS IDYLLIC, BUT THE THOUGHT OF HEADING OFF WITH LITTLE ONES IN TOW CAN SOMETIMES DETER THE MOST CONFIDENT OF TRAVELLERS. We asked three seasoned globetrotters to share their tips of wisdom to ensure your next trip is a success!

EMMA LOVELL

BEN ALCOCK

MICHELLE TUPY

A travel stroller is essential. Take one in which she can still lie down in, as bub will probably spend more time in it than usual.

Airports can be boring for kids, especially if you have a tonne of time to kill. Though it might be easy to just leave them to their own devices (the electronic, wifi-enabled kind) here are a couple of fun ways to keep them occupied and looking up, not down:

Consider the children's interests: we travel to many destinations that often have a lot of history, are full to the brim with museums or perhaps even have some ruins to visit.

But we don't make that the main part of our focus as sometimes the kids don't want to spend all their time doing that. So in order to keep us all happy we mix it up a lot. It could be a visit to a park, a whimsical garden, or a double-decker bus ride around the city we happen to be in. Travel for us means finding something that we all enjoy and sometimes that means plenty of compromise. So if it means visiting the mall, stopping at a water park or visiting the local cupcake store then so be it. At least we know the kids will be only too happy to visit the local museum when we suggest it.

Michelle Tupy is a copywriter and blogger who loves nothing more than travelling. Michelle and her family are currently on a road trip from Peru to Canada with her husband and two children.

You can find her at www.andoffwewent.com

Also take a baby carrier. I love having mine on the plane so I can walk around during unsettled times and perhaps get bub to sleep. They're great at airports to carry and stay hands-free.

For the plane, I pack one nappy and four wipes into a plastic nappy bag and prep a dozen of them inside my hand luggage so you can just reach in and grab one at nappy change time. The plane toilets are tight and the less you need to carry, the better.

Always pack a change of clothes for you and bub. My daughter managed to throw a glass of red all over me at the start of a 24hour trip and I didn't have a spare top!

If you use lullabies to get bub to sleep, make sure you download them on to your phone so you can play them on the plane.

The more familiar stuff you have with you, the better, such as a favourite blanket or teddy.

Take baby Panadol in your hand luggage.

Have some pawpaw on hand for dry lips and nose, the aircon often dries them out.

Don't stress too much and go with the flow—it's an adventure for everyone and bub will be excited too! They pick up on your angst if you get worked up.

Emma Lovell, mum of two young kids and Creator of Fly Babee, www.flybabee.com.au

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• Put them in charge of navigating the route from arrival to aircraft. Give them the info they need (airline, destination) to get started, and then let them do the rest. They'll have to find the check-in counter, lead you through customs and immigration, follow signage to the right terminal or pier, the gate, then onto the aircraft and into your seats. They'll love the responsibility, and learn a thing or two about how airports are put together—a good skill for future travels.

• So, let's assume they've done a great job and they've guided you through the various airport hoops without incident. Now you're in transit with time on your hands and there's quite possibly not a great deal to entertain the kids. Another way to get them off their devices and engage with the real world is to wander about the terminal for a few minutes taking photos of random things then return to the kids, show them the first object on your camera roll and send them off on a treasure hunt to find them. The first one back with photographic evidence gets, well, usually a high-five will do. Repeat as required!

Ben Alcock is a travel writer and content marketer, and can be found at www.disarmdoors.com.au, or Instagram @DisarmDoors.

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Laying a

strong foundation

FOUNDATION COLLEGE (PREP TO YEAR 2)

Specialist early childhood teachers support a strong focus on literacy, numeracy and problem solving. A warm, stimulating, nurturing environment founded on Christian values, featuring: • Strong parent partnerships • High levels of teacher aide support • A fostering of creativity and imagination CONTACT Chris Henschke, College Registrar on 5436 7321 Woodlands Boulevard, Meridan Plains 4551

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Connect@Immanuel • Supportive and nurturing teachers • Outstanding academic results • Stage 1 of a new Primary School with $9 million in facilities opening in 2018 • Unique life skills and outdoor education programs • Great co-curricular opportunities • A community like no other Enrolling now for Prep to Year 6 in 2017.

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www.immanuel.qld.edu.au kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

SEP/OCT 2016

39

[TRAVEL]

glampinH it up!

By ANGELA SUTHERLAND

DO YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF CAMPING BUT HATE GOING WITHOUT LIFE’S COMFORTS? GLAMPING OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW WORLD, MAKING CAMPING ACCESSIBLE TO EVEN THE MOST TENT-SHY OF ADVENTURERS.

For many Queensland families, camping is a cherished activity—a chance to reconnect with nature and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, for others it is an experience quickly discounted due to the lack of basic creature comforts and the hassle factor of organising.

Combining luxury with the great outdoors, ‘glamping ‘ (glamourous camping) opens up a whole new world of adventure to the noncampers amongst us.

A hassle-free, comfort-focused approach to camping, glamping provides a back-to-nature holiday where the kids can experience camping but the parents don’t have to worry about cramming the gear into the car. You can be happily toasting marshmallows and relaxing in the fresh air within moments of arrival, without any of the stress of setting up camp! And providing all the fun experiences of camping without any of the discomfort, glamping is fast becoming a favourite holiday choice amongst many families.

There is a huge range of glamping options and packages available—from basic pre-erected tents to luxury yurts with log fires and on-site swimming pools (some of the tents seem better than a hotel!). Some sites also offer vegie gardens, communal cooking and on-site restaurants. Here are some of the best glamping spots around Australia.

RIVERSHORE RESORT, MAROOCHYDORE, QLD With 15 spacious, 5-star safari tents available, the recently opened Rivershore Resort on the Maroochy river offers a private setting with nature right outside your door. Each self-contained tent has an ensuite bathroom, kitchenette and a four-poster bed, and there is a fully licensed bar and restaurant on site.

Super kid-friendly, the resort has a playground, heated pool with waterslides, and mini golf. It also has a wide range of activities and equipment—you can kayak up the Maroochy River, try your hand at SUP (stand-up paddleboarding), or hire a bike and explore the surrounding area. On the doorstep there are also the many outdoor activities of the Sunshine Coast, with stunning beaches, watersports, and a myriad of treks through the national parks and hinterland. There is also free WiFi available, but shhhh, don’t tell the kids! Find out more at www.rivershore.com.au

CASTAWAYS, MORETON ISLAND, QLD Just 100 metres from the beach on Moreton Island is Castaways—a collection of nine tents, each furnished with a queen-size bed (and bunks in a 4-person tent), ensuite bathroom, solar powered lighting, and verandah. There is a communal camp kitchen with barbecues, microwave, fridge and all the cooking utensils, and an on-site café if you’d prefer not to cook! Moreton Island has plenty of adventures to keep everyone entertained, including extreme sandboarding, four-wheel driving, snorkeling the crystal clear waters and hiking.

Find out more at www.moretonislandadventures.com.au

CASTAWAYS RIVERSHORE RESORT 40

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Image courtesy Destination NSW. www.destinationnsw.com.au

[TRAVEL]

TARONGA WESTERN PLAIN ZOO

PAPERBARK CAMP, WOOLLAMIA, NSW

COCKATOO ISLAND, SYDNEY, NSW

2½ hours drive south of Sydney, near the pristine beaches of Jervis Bay, Paperbark Camp is a collection of 12 canvas safari tents, thoughtfully placed amongst the soaring eucalypts. Perfect for families, their King Deluxe safari tent accommodates up to six people and has an ensuite bathroom, separate outdoor bush shower, hotel amenities (slippers, soaps and gowns), solar-powered lighting and a large wraparound timber deck. There is also an onsite restaurant and communal lounge built high off the ground amongst the treetops (keep an eye on little ones, as it really is high!). There are three national parks in the area that are home to a plethora of walking trails, idyllic beaches and wildlife. Find out more at www.paperbarkcap.com.au

Possibly the ultimate location for any break, Cockatoo Island is situated in the middle of Sydney Harbour and offers one and two-bedroom pre-erected tents. Tents are basic, with a camp bed (bedding is provided), cool box, toiletries and outdoor chairs, you just need to bring cooking utensils, cutlery and plates. There is a communal camp kitchen with barbecues, fridges, microwaves and boiling water, and all guests have access to the hot showers.

Barbecue and breakfast food packs can be preordered and delivered to you on the island. Find out more at www.cockatooisland. gov.au/camping

TARONGA WESTERN PLAIN ZOO, DUBBO, NSW For an amazing Aussie safari experience, the Zoofari Lodge at Taronga Western Plains Zoo comprises of 15 luxurious Africanstyle lodges, nestled behind the African Savannah, that overlook a paddock where the giraffe and zebra roam. Each with a king-size bed, mini-bar, fridge and ensuite bathroom, there are lodges for either for four or six people. There is also a guesthouse nearby, with a saltwater pool, restaurant and bar. Find out more at www. taronga.org.au/taronga-western-plains-zoo

RAMADA ECO BEACH RESORT, BROOME, WA 120km north of Broome, this award-winning eco resort, comprises of 30 luxurious safari-style eco tents nestled amongst the untouched Kimberley backdrop. The Family Eco-tent offers shower, free toiletries, outdoor furniture, toilet, fan, and outdoor furniture. Or if you want something even more luxurious, there are also family eco-villas available with a full kitchen, dining area, refrigerator and sofa. There are plenty of tours and activities available—whale watching, turtle monitoring, and complimentary yoga each morning, as well as yoga retreats held throughout the year. There is also an on-site restaurant and bar where you can indulge in the finest cuisine overlooking the stunning ocean views. Find out more at www.ecobeach.com.au

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SEP/OCT 2016

41

[TRAVEL]

SAL SALIS, NINGALOO REEF

KARIJINI ECO RETREAT, WA

SAL SALIS, NINGALOO REEF, WA

An environmentally friendly site, in the heart of the world class Karijini National Park, the Karijini Eco Retreat offers a huge range of accommodation, from basic campsites, to upmarket eco tents with ensuite bathroom and king beds. There is also an alfresco restaurant on site. The park itself is an iconic unspoilt landscape, offering dramatic landscapes, spectacular gorges and home to a huge variety of wildlife—red kangaroos, rock wallabies, goannas, dragons, snakes and more. Find out more at www.karijinicoretreat.com.au

Tucked away in the dunes of WA’s Cape Range National Park, an hour’s drive from Exmouth, this remote beach-side safari camp comprises of 16 eco-friendly wilderness tents situated just 50 metres from the beach that offer inspiring views of the natural surrounds. See breaching whales, swim in the crystal clear waters of the reef, go kayaking, spot kangaroos in the dunes, and take in the stars at night, being in one of the best places to see the Milky Way. The main lodge houses a lounge area and deck overlooking the Indian Ocean, as well as the bar and dining area, where the resident chef serves up seasonal, local mouthwatering meals. Sal Salis is remote and there is no mobile coverage or WiFi, but being completely unplugged is, for many, is the highlight. It caters for children aged five and over. Find out more at www.salsalis.com.au

WILDMAN WILDERNESS LODGE, ARNHEM, NT The Wildman Wilderness Lodge is situated on the Mary River Wetlands, between Darwin and Kakadu. Comprising of 15 fan-cooled safari tents, all with private bathroom, it is a luxurious escape from the world in the Northern Territory sun. With all the modern comforts, constructed from materials that reflect the surrounding environment, it is the perfect base to explore the incredible region that is teeming with wildlife. Take a self-guided ride around the property on one of the fat-wheeled mountain bikes (free for in-house guests), take part in one of the many cultural activities provided—aboriginal painting, yoga, basket weaving—or explore the billabong and local flora and fauna, where you can spot crocodiles, rare birds, buffalo and dingoes. The main lodge has a bar and restaurant and infinity pool.

The lodge operates between April and November (closed for wet season). Find out more at wildmanwildernesslodge.com.au

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN LOCATION If you have your heart set on a particular campsite, but still want the luxury of glamping, there are also now places that will, in particular regions, set up the luxury tent for you at your site of choice.

Soul Camping – Busselton to Margaret River region Pitch Luxury – From Noosa to Byron Avant Garde Camping Company – Greater Sydney area and Blue Mountains Happy Glamper – Mornington Penninsula

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kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

SEP/OCT 2016

43

[TRAVEL ACTIVITIES]

ARE WE THERE YET? Banish boredom with these fun activities and travel games

BINGO Window

HOW TO PLAY: Choose a board.

First one to mark off all the items wins.

BRIDGE

GATE

GATE

BRIDGE

VISIT OUR PINTEREST page for more activity ideas. www .pinterest.com/kidsonthecoast 44

SEP/OCT 2016

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[TRAVEL ACTIVITIES]

Noughts & CROSSES

HOW TO PLAY: Alternate marking with an X or O. 3 in a line wins game. Win 3 games in a row.

WORD search

CAR

HOW TO PLAY: find and circle the words from the list below.

O

B

U

S

E

B

T

B

G

A

T

E

J

O

R

R

T

C

U

R

B

O

A

I

R

K

N

A

U

K

I

D

A

P

N

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S

C

N

G

V

A

E

N

X

M

K

E

E

C

L

P

L

A

N

E

L

K

T

I

C

K

E

T

TICKET PLANE GATE

TRAIN TUNNEL BRIDGE

TRUCK BUS TRAVEL

BOOK RAIN

TRAVEL. IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER. kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

games

FOR KIDS

Licence plate sentences: make up sentences or phrases from the letters on license plates spotted. For example: SYT would be “See you tomorrow.”

Create a character: make up a character profile for the person in the car next to you.

Who are they, what is their name, how old?

Where might they be going today?

Rock paper scissors: a classic car game.

Rock beats scissors which beats paper which beats rock.

Word chain: make a word from the last letter of the word previously said, eg: car, rocket, train.

Count ‘em: count anything you see out the window… horses, trees, red cars. Person with the highest sightings wins.

Find the alphabet: begin by finding an object that begins with the letter A around you, say the word then move on to B. Start at 1: begin with the number one and find it outside, then move on to number 2.

Tongue twisters: make up tongue twisters and have fun repeating them.

Inventive storytelling: take turns telling a story, sentence by sentence. They can be as silly and funny as you like.

20 questions: one person thinks of a person, place, or thing and is asked 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what that might be.

SEP/OCT 2016

45

[TRAVEL ACTIVITIES]

VISIT OUR

PINTEREST

page for more activity ideas

Fly the plane through the clouds.

DOTS & BOXES

pinterest.com/kidsonthecoast

HOW TO PLAY: Players take turns joining two horizontally or vertically adjacent dots with a line. The player that completes the fourth side of a square (forming a box), colours that box their colour. The game ends when all boxes have been coloured, and the player with the most coloured boxes wins.

ROAD TRIP LEGO BOXES These Lego boxes are easy to whip up and provide hours of entertainment for kids while travelling, without the worry of losing pieces. Customise them to suit your child.

Source: www.housewifeeclectic.com

Tell a JOKE

Q. What do you get if you cross a dog and an airplane?

A. A jet setter.

Q. What's worse than raining cats and dogs?

A. Hailing taxis.

Q. What do you get when dinosaurs crash their cars?

A. Tyrannosaurus wrecks!

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TRAVEL MAPS FOR KIDS There will be no more “Are we there yet? questions from the backseat when you create a backseat travel map. This road trip activity can be used over and over again.

Source: www.creeksidelearning.com

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*Kids under 15 FREE entry when accompanied by an adult!

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SEP/OCT 2016

47

[TEENS]

INSIGHT into the misUNDERSTOOD

by ALYSSA DAVIS

LIFE AS A TEEN CAN BE A TOUGH JOURNEY. THERE ARE FRIENDSHIPS TO NAVIGATE, THE PRESSURE TO ACHIEVE, ALL WHILST TRYING TO FIND YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD AND GAIN SOME INDEPENDENCE. In today’s society teens can, more than ever, become engulfed in an aura of self-doubt and insecurities caused by this generation’s social media frenzy.

Consequently, young millennials have developed a defence mechanism to avoid any intrusion into their personal life, through guarding any life issues with secrets and barriers. For parents, breaking down those walls and continuing the open relationship they had when their kids were younger feels an impossible task.

Particularly when, for most teenagers, reminiscing about their life troubles with their parents becomes more of a chore than a bonding experience.

To help provide insight, we spoke to five teenage girls, aged between fourteen and sixteen, and asked them what they wished their parents knew or understood when it came to teen troubles. The overriding three trends were similar to generations passed—the stress of school, friends and appearance. However, the digital age has brought with it new pressures that make those trends far more difficult to navigate.

SOCIAL MEDIA Social media is something that parents never had when they were growing up, so understanding its implications in the school yard is something difficult to grasp for many Gen X and Gen Ys. As one interviewee said, “Times aren’t like they used to be, insults are no longer scribbled in the school girl’s bathroom, yet whispered behind people’s backs, managing to follow them home through the use of social media.

Understandably help is found if anything spirals out of control, but with the technical advantages of the Internet over the past 25 years, would our parents understand our problems not having experienced it themselves?”

As a result of this, many teens feel very protective over disclosure of personal information. Another interviewee supports this statement claiming, “The bitchy comments and overall insults aren’t

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the main goal. All the extra bickering, insults and appearance shaming seems to come with the high school experience and it’s unnecessary but normal. Which is why each bad experience we encounter, isn’t one we want to return home and share.” The advice from all five teenagers interviewed was: “Don’t take it personally when we don’t tell you everything.”

BE THERE, IN THE BACKGROUND

anything surprising and come expected with any new status or image posted.

Usually I avoid sharing this information with my parents to prevent them questioning my whole background story. I wish they just listened to what I was telling them and give me advice on the matter without placing their nose in all my other business.”

Each young adult interviewed held a similar mindset toward their issues regarding communication with their parents. The most frequent request was for the teen to share selected information and be able to focus on one topic without their parent speculating about other issues they may be encountering. “One problem at a time.”

SCHOOLYARD BANTER School is another contributor towards the stress levels of teenage kids, with one adolescent sharing their personal schoolyard struggles. “Anxiety and stress is a given when it comes to high school, If not from the general pressure of receiving a report card that satisfies your parents, then from the unrealistic expectation that comes with looking presentable one hundred percent of the time.” The era of the ‘selfie’ has created a generation of teens more obsessed with looks and appearance than ever before, and they are all feeling the pressure. Another student continues to say, “School shouldn’t be a place of judgement, we are all there for the same reason with graduating being

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From those early baby days, parents are used to being the centre of a child’s world, and vice versa. And thankfully teens don’t want you to disappear completely! But being there in the background seems to be what the interviewees really want from their parents. “If there is any information you want to know regarding your teens personal life, try not to ask questions directly based on the issue. This feels as if you’re intruding into our personal details and expecting an answer by singling us out… the outcome of which is usually a change of topic and a defensive teenager!”

To avoid being shot down in flames, don’t place your teen in the wrong, or suggest they are the root of the problem. Listen to their side of the story first before asking additional questions. When wanting to know any extra information, adopt a casual approach to the situation. Start up a genuine conversation first and ease into the matter. This is a more effective way of sparking an honest conversation and avoiding a barrier being built between you and your teenager.

With all this said, one-on-one time with your teen never goes out of fashion. Lunch dates, shopping and days at the beach are still moments that teenagers of this generation treasure immensely.

Alyssa Davis is a current Year 10 student at Maroochydore High school undertaking advanced English and Media Studies. Her love towards writing was sparked at a young age and has since become a platform where the younger generation are given a voice. Alyssa hopes to pursue a career in print journalism and inspire others to follow their dreams.

We believe your story should be told.

We believe every day is worth celebrating.

We believe everyone should live in the moment.

We believe in celebrating life through art.

VERVE PORTRAITS. ART INSPIRED BY YOU.

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SEP/OCT 2016

49

[HOME]

Getting back to basics IN THE KITCHEN

by CASSANDRA FENAUGHTY

BEING A PARENT INEVITABLY MEANS NAVIGATING THROUGH A LIFE FULL OF CHALLENGES. AND THE MOST BASIC OF TASKS—PREPARING A FAMILY DINNER EVERY NIGHT—CAN OFTEN BE IMPACTED, WHETHER DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, MONEY PRESSURES OR SIMPLY A LACK OF ENERGY AT THE END OF THE DAY! Author and Health Coach Cassandra Fenaughty meets many mums who feed their children frozen chicken nuggets and canned spaghetti because their children are fussy eaters, they feel that they are too busy to cook, or they assume home cooking is difficult and expensive.

“Home cooking can be daunting but has many benefits,” explains Cassandra, who runs cooking demonstration programs to promote easy, healthy meals for busy families. “Comments such as ‘I don’t have the time’, ‘I don’t know how to’, ‘Surely it’s more expensive’ are common.”

However, by the end of her 90-minute class it’s always a different story. By sharing recipes that are quick and easy, meals that can be made in advance, and can save thousands of dollars a year, participants quickly see that getting back to basics in the kitchen really is quite simple. Some recipes are newer, healthier

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versions of everyday favourites, and others are budget-wise recipes that use leftovers to make family life that little bit easier.

“Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, getting back to basics is a way for all families to feel healthier, save time and spend less.”

“I recommend that families take one step at a time. New parents will find it easier in the long run if they start healthy eating habits with their child’s first meals. However, if families adopt unhealthy eating habits, they should take baby steps towards new, healthy foods slowly. In my classes, students are invited to write a program in their diary which introduces home cooked snacks and meals gradually.”

“It may be difficult at the start, but by encouraging parents to stay strong and persevere, their children’s health and behaviour will improve, and life changing habits will hopefully be passed on to future generations.”

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[HOME]

As well as saving time, getting organised in the kitchen can save a lot of money, too – up to $10,000 a year!

SAVINGS FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR TO FIVE PEOPLE One takeaway meal per week replaced with a home-cooked meal

$2,000 - $3,800 per year

Three bought lunches per week replaced with packed lunches just for two parents

$3,000 per year

Children's packaged snacks replaced with home cooked snacks

$1,000 per year

Cutting out soft drinks, chips and processed packaged foods

$2,000 - $3,000 per year

Total savings

$8,000 to $10,800 per year

TIPS FOR GETTING BACK TO BASICS: 1.

SHOP ONCE A FORTNIGHT and before you go, write a quick menu plan for evening meals and snacks.

2. COOK A FORTNIGHT’S SNACKS IN ONE ‘COOK-UP’ and pop them in a container in the freezer. Two weeks’ worth of snacks can be made easily in 90 minutes—that's just 1.5 hours a fortnight to bake, pack and freeze snacks such as muffins, quiches and muesli and nut bars. Do it while cooking a roast to save money on electricity.

3.

PLAN YOUR MEALS TO COOK LARGER QUANTITIES less often. Batch cook things like bolognaise sauces and casseroles that can be quickly reheated another night, and also plan to use leftovers. For example, cook more rice with your casserole one night and plan to have a quick and healthy fried rice the next evening.

4.

HAVE A CLEAN WORKSPACE, empty sink and/or dishwasher before you start a ‘multi-batch cook-up’. If you intend to cook a roast with a quiche that you will have for dinner the following night, plus a few slices and muffins for your fortnightly snacks, you need an organised and tidy workspace.

Need kitchen inspiration?

Here's a sample weekly dinner menu that includes baking snacks for the fortnight and using leftovers:

menu

SATURDAY

Roast chicken and vegetables (baked with snacks)

SUNDAY

Roasted vegetable salad and BBQ meat (leftover roast vegetables)

MONDAY

Chicken and vegetable curry and rice (leftover roast chicken)

TUESDAY

Vegetable fried rice with poached eggs (leftover rice)

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

Grilled meat with steamed vegetables Steamed vegetable and bacon frittata and salad (leftover steamed vegetables) Homemade pizza night (any leftovers available)

Cassandra Fenaughty is an Author and Health Coach who aims to help families create healthy eating habits.

Her Easy Grub Healthy Bub program demonstrates quick, easy and affordable recipes for busy families.

She also has a cookbook, Wholesome Food For Busy Parents. Find out more at www.cassandrafenaughty.com You can also find several of Cassandra’s favourite recipes on our website!

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WEB WRAP UP Here’s what you’ve loved on www.kidsonthecoast.com.au & www.kidsinthecity.com.au

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53

sailing QUEENSLAND

WHEN MARTINA COLLINS AND HER FAMILY SPENT SIX MONTHS SAILING THE QUEENSLAND COAST LAST YEAR, IT SPARKED A LOVE OF THE OPEN OCEAN THAT WAS HARD TO SHAKE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER JUST BEFORE SHE SET OFF ON ANOTHER TRIP UP OUR GLORIOUS COAST. “Having arrived in Australia as an Irish backpacker in 1999 with $400 in my pocket, sailing up the Queensland coast with a husband and two young kids was not something I’d even dreamed about—how things change!

After having tied up the loose ends on a lengthy work issue, we thought, ‘Why not take off for several months?’ After all, we would have plenty of time before our eldest, Sam, would start school. So in July last year, my husband, Ant, sailed with a mate up to Hamilton Island where my five and three-year-old sons and I met him. The plan was to head north as far as Port Douglas and then slowly work our way back home to Mooloolaba.

Three weeks in and I was already getting nervous that I would never want to live on land again! The freedom and the sheer beauty was mind blowing! This was the way to sail... with time up your sleeve. The boys settled into boat life with ease and before long we had some loose daily routines. Obstacle courses on the sand, swimming and just hanging out was now normal life!

There are few things in this world that I believe can compete with seeing a whale in its natural habitat. And how lucky are we, to have seen so many?! We had the privilege of getting close to lots of marine life. Among them huge Maori wrasse, reef sharks, big stingray and turtles. Sam and I even came across an eel... that was beyond scary!

Among this wonderment of course there were difficult days. Days when things went wrong. Like the day our engines wouldn't engage as we were approaching our berth in Cairns marina. It's not fun when your best option to stop the boat is to hit the marina! Long story short, we spent about 10 days there before resuming our journey.

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It certainly rattled our confidence but we left feeling grateful that the situation wasn't any worse. And, of course, even in paradise children can moan—it’s more bearable in paradise though!

Paradise included the outer reefs, Dunk Island, the Whitsundays (I loved Blue Pearl Bay), Percy Islands, Lady Musgrave and so many more wonderful places. The places and wildlife were amazing but so were the people we met along the way. It is enlightening to meet people who don't feel they must conform to a ‘normal’ way of life. We met several families, some who had lived on their boat for a few months, some for many years.

I am glad that Australia's home schooling is very highly regarded. It gives me great comfort as we may use these systems in the future.

Sam has since started school and absolutely loves it. So now that we've entered that world, we thought we'd stay put for a while… but no! Ant is already at Hamilton Island after sailing up there again with some mates, and the boys and I are on a plane to begin another trip up north and back home to Mooloolaba in November!

This time we want to spend more time on the outer reef so we will hang around the Port Douglas/Cairns area for four to six weeks before beginning the trip back south. Hopefully my youngest will embrace snorkelling this time as Sam did last year.

We had friends from Melbourne spend their holidays with us last year and those times were some of the best. We already have a few families booked in to join us in August. We know we are immensely lucky to have these opportunities in life and it certainly makes it all the better being able to share it with people we really care about.”

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Image courtesy Tourism and Events Queensland

[DESTINATIONS]

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[LOCAL LIFE]

Fairies DO exist Samara Welbourne

ENCHANTED FAIRY HOUSES Samara Welbourne started a business celebrating her love of fairy houses when she was just 12 years old. She hosts birthday parties, has published a book and finds time to fit in charity work, including her recent project to build a library in Bail. The inspirational Sunshine Coast teenager tells us more.

How did your love of fairy houses begin? As a young child my friends and I would dress up as fairies and play in the garden, making fairy houses out of twigs and flowers, thinking we would find a fairy.

When we were about 11, we began making fairy beds, chairs and other fairy furniture out of twigs. It was around this time that I read an article about the Sippy Creek Animal Refuge having to put their animals to sleep because their funding had been cut. So I decided to try and sell my fairy items at school. People loved them and I made $400 for the animal refuge. That led to the start of my business.

How old were you when you started your business, Enchanted Fairy Houses? I was 12. At the time an amazing woman called Karen Gawen started a program at the Sunshine Coast Libraries for young entrepreneurs called the YShop. We were able to set up shops in the libraries at Christmas time and many of us were also invited to have a free stall at Eumundi Markets. Everyone loved my fairy houses at the markets and wanted to photograph them so Mum suggested I write a book about them. I didn’t realise that my teacher had told my mum that she should try to get me to write more often to improve my skills, and that this was Mum’s sneaky way of getting me to do so. She told me later she didn't ever think

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my book would be published, but it was snapped up by Boolarong Press. At 12 I had a published book and a business! My book How To Make Fairy Houses was (and may still be) the only book in the world that taught children how to make their own fairy houses.

It is sold in many book shops and stocked in lots of libraries around the country. I donate 10 per cent of the royalties from my book to the Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia.

What does your business involve? Along with selling my book, I host fairy house birthday parties. I arrive in my beautiful fairy dress with a fairy house kit for each child so they can make their own house to take home. It is a lovely souvenir of the birthday party (a healthier option than a bag of lollies!) and afterwards, a great place to leave a lost tooth for the tooth fairy. The birthday girl or boy (who might prefer my troll caves) also gets a beautiful tiny sleeping fairy, handmade in Byron Bay to fit my fairy houses. They are made by one of Australia's most talented fairy sculptors, Kerry Sawyer. You can see some of her fairies in my book. I sell fairy house kits so children can make their own fairy house at home, too. My mum has taught me to give back to my community, so each school holidays I also do a free fairy house class at a local Sunshine Coast library.

You won the 2014 Sunshine Coast Young Citizen of the Year award. How did you feel when you found out you had won?!

I was so amazed to win the award along with Bindi Irwin! I haven't achieved anything like Bindi so it was a very great honour. Now that I am a bit older and understand many of the issues the world faces,

kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

[LOCAL LIFE]

To find out more, visit www.enchantedfairyhouses.com.au If you would like to book a fairy house party or class for a group of friends, or help bring the Bungaya library to life, you can email Samara at sammiwelbourne@gmail.com

I hope I can do a lot more to make a difference and to be a good role model for teenagers and younger kids.

You have recently returned from Bali after living there for two years while your mum worked for an NGO. Did you share your love of fairy houses with the people of Bali? I loved sharing my fairy houses with the children of Bali. We lived in a tiny lane with only Balinese families. There were four gorgeous girls in the lane and I made fairy houses with them and helped them with their English reading and homework. I also made lots of fairy houses with the kids at the school and with children with cerebral palsy at one of Bali's NGOs, YPK. They were such beautiful kids.

What was your favourite place in Bali? There are so many amazing places, but my favourite was Amed. Amed is in East Bali, a two-hour drive from where I lived in Sanur. The snorkelling is amazing, lots of coral in crystal clear waters. You can stay right on the beach in the most beautiful accommodation for less than $100 a night.

You have also been involved in many charitable projects while in Bali. Tell us more about them! Living in Bali has opened my eyes to many things, one being how much poverty there is. It’s sad to see, but the Balinese are so happy despite having so little.

Many families earn less than $25 a week. A labourer who works all day, six days a week earns $5 a day. And they don't have many machines in Bali, everything is done by hand.

While in Bali I held many fairy house fundraisers including one to raise money for a converted motorbike, so a paralysed single father could take his 13-year-old son to school. I also raised money for the Bali animal welfare association BAWA, and for an 80-yearold driver of one of Bali's traditional horse-drawn taxis.

You are heading back to Bali at the end of September. What are you planning to do while you are over there? I am currently working with a 14-year-old Bali teenager called Tyas to raise money to build a library in her village Bungaya. Bungaya is one of the oldest and poorest villages in Bali. There are very few libraries in Bali—none in the villages—so children are not developing reading skills. When the Indonesian government recently mandated that children must read for 15 minutes a day, Tyas said to me, “How can we do that? We don't have books.” So we decided to do something about this. Now I need to raise $15,000 before the end of September, when we hope to build the library.

Journeyman International architects from the USA have already designed the library and they will be in Bali at the end of September for the start of the building process. Rotaract on the Sunshine Coast is aiming to raise $5,000 and some of its members will also come to Bali to help build the library. The school in Bali has a team that’s willing to help and I'm hoping a group from my school here will join me as well.

How can people get involved with your project to build a library in Bali? The main thing I need to do is raise the money needed.

People could help by organising fundraising activities, such as a free dress day at their school. I am hoping the Sunshine Coast Libraries and school libraries will offer some support too, along with restaurants and resorts. Community organisations such as the Lions and Rotary could, perhaps, donate a small portion of their fundraising money to the cause over the next few weeks. I have never organised fundraising for a big project like this before so suggestions are very welcome.

kidsonthecoast.com.au | kidsinthecity.com.au

SEP/OCT 2016

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Books KIDS CITY TRAILS – LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK

Let Marco and Amelia, the Lonely Plant Kids explorers, take you off the tourist trail and guide you through these popular cities. Each book follows 19 fantastic themed trails that reveal these dynamic cities’ best-kept secrets.

Find out how an old parrot hit the headlines in London, why there might be a lost cattle tunnel underground in New York, where Paris keeps its historic underpants, and lots more. Perfect for little travellers ages 8 and up.

THE FRANCES AUDIO COLLECTION An audiobook can be a lifesaver on a roadtrip with kids. This collection of humorous stories about Frances the badger and her daily adventures is a great introduction to audiobooks for kids. With each story playing for less than 15 minutes, these audiobooks are short, sweet and a hit with the little ones.

TOPSY AND TIM GO CAMPING

Jean and Gareth Adamson Perfect for preschoolers (3–5 years old) this book follows young twins, Topsy and Tim on their first camping trip. In the course of their holiday, the family explores the woods, experiences an al fresco supper, learn how to pitch a tent and makes friends with other campers. This book is easy to follow and demonstrates how fun and exciting camping can be—great for kids who might be feeling a little nervous!

apps

Movies THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

In cinemas Sept 8. Rating G Taking place in a Manhattan apartment building, Max’s life as a favourite pet is turned upside down, when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke. They have to put their quarrels behind when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all happy-owned pets and their owners.

SEP/OCT 2016

DISNEY’S "PETE’S DRAGON"

In cinemas Sept 15. Rating PG Disney's "Pete's Dragon" is the adventure of a boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon. This re-imagining of the cherished family film, Pete's Dragon is a tale rich in wonder, adventure, humour, and emotion that will make you believe.

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The award-winning WWF Together app brings you closer than you’ve ever been to 16 endangered species. Race a jaguar, out-jump a snow leopard, explore 360° images of 10 species habitats, and pose with each animal to create your own unique shareable photo. Available on iPad, iPhone, android and Kindle Fire tablets.

See more and save more with a BCC and Event Cinemas Family Pass, available for some great family films. Valid for 2 adults and 2 kids, OR 1 adult and 3 kids! Check the website for your local BCC or Event Cinemas Family Pass offer. eventcinemas.com.au

READ MORE reviews www.kidsonthecoast.com.au or www.kidinthecity.com.au 58

WWF TOGETHER

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

In cinemas Sept 29. Rating CTC From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable motion picture experience. When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realises that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.