PakMag Townsville - April 2020 Issue 113

ISSUE: APR 2020

113

TOWNSVILLE

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Easter Activities • Tweens and Teens • The Fourth Trimester Huge Prizes • Coronavirus: Facts Vs Fear • Different Learning Styles

Welcome Entertainment

Hello and welcome to the Easter edition of PakMag.

7

The Thing Is

Wowzers, what an interesting start to 2020.

8

Facing Fear

11

The Different Learning Styles

4

15 Pre-Prep - It Starts Here 16 STEAM: Videography and Photography 19 Freddie Reads Ahead

Play-Based Learning

23 The PakMag Experts 25 All Things Health 27 Coronavirus - Facts Vs Fear 31 What’s On at Your Place 33 MiniMag 41 The Fourth Trimester 42 Bump, Bub and Beyond 44 Family Farmhouse 47 Tweens and Teens

Check on friends who own a business, drop them a coffee, talk about their business to others, ask them if you can help in any way. Many of these businesses sponsor our kid’s schools, give prizes to our raffles, employ locals and even make this free resource PakMag possible. Every bit of support we can offer them in return counts.

I truly hope you have an incredible Easter with your family. Many of us are now staying local, so enjoy the beauty of our region. We have lots of ideas in this edition. Stay safe, keep those hands washed and let’s take care of each other.

Until next time, happy parenting and don’t forget to tell everyone you read it in PakMag.

Bree

49 Practising Healthy

Check in with the vulnerable and elderly in our community. Make sure they have the essentials they need during this time and know they have someone who cares about them and their wellbeing. In the same spirit; please support local.

Every local business needs you right now. Every dollar you spend, and every piece of marketing you can share will make a difference. Buy from businesses that you know by name, or that you know are local.

with Kumon English

21 Build Success Through

During these challenging times it’s important to remember that we are all in this together and as a community we need to support one another.

and Hygienic Habits

50 Easter Craft 53 Easter Recipes 54 1300Smiles Dentists Snapped 57 School Holiday Guide 64 Daddy Diary

PakMag Founder and Editor-in-Chief Bree James

Bree James PakMag Founder and Editor-in-Chief Contact Us: p 4053 3331 e admin@m2f.com.au a PO Box 7433 Cairns Qld 4870 www.pakmag.com.au www.marketingtofamilies.com.au

Creative Team Leader Clare Winter Graphic Designer Sara Williams

Digital Team Leader Lawrence Fox Content & Marketing Team Leader Bec Dent Marketing and Events Coordinator Alyssa Marino

Videographer & Podcast Producer Monique Saggers

Client Support Blair King

Content Creators Annamarie Booysen Jenna Galley

Marketing Assistant Emily Bremner

Accounts Trent Stievano

TO WIN A MAJOR PRIZE, find this hidden Easter egg in the online versions of this edition (in both Cairns and Townsville) and tell us the page numbers it's on at www.pakmag.com.au/win for your chance to win!

Our North Queensland Channels PakMag Townsville Parents of North Queensland pakmag_nq Parents and Kids of

North Queensland Our Global Parenting Channels PakMag Online pakmag_online PakMag The Give It A Go Group

For Parents The PakMag Parents Podcast PakMag TV

Disclaimer: No part of this magazine, including the advertisements within it may be reproduced, in part or in whole without the expressed permission of the editor. Whilst the greatest of care is taken to ensure that the information in the magazine is correct at the time of going to press, readers are advised to check details before visiting. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.

The ideas expressed within PakMag are not necessarily the views of the publishers, but those of individual writers.

We have done our best to ensure all events and information was correct at the time of going to print. Please check with individual businesses and authorities during these uncertain times.

Net Distribution Per Issue 10,000. Most recent CAB Publisher Statement Conducted September 2019.

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.

families

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 3

Entertainment

Check it Out Check out these child-friendly (and parent-friendly) apps that’ll keep them engaged and entertained whilst learning.

Lightbot: Code Hour Ages: 8+ Cost: free Get it for: iOS or Android

Skyview Ages: 3+ Cost: free Get it for: iOS or Android SkyView app is a free augmented reality (AR) app for both iOS and Android devices, that uses your smartphone's camera to uncover different stars, constellations, planets, star clusters and other celestial bodies in the night sky. They point the device in any direction and see what planets, constellations, and even satellites are in the sky above them whether they are inside or outside it doesn’t matter.

When they see something on the screen, they can tap on it, and then read a bunch of facts about it. Kids can learn about astronomy and tonnes of sky-related factoids; from astronauts and their missions to distances of stars from Earth.

They can build their research skills by tracking and recording the trajectory of their favourite planet.

SkyView Universe is well-suited to give kids who are already interested in astronomy the information they seek and also to inspire kids who may not have wondered about the sky to be more curious.

SkyView Universe gives loads of science information with some cool features, but the amount and depth of exploration is up to the kids.

Lightbot: Code Hour introduces kids of all ages to the basic concepts of coding and the logic that computer programmers use to write code, all without having to actually code!

Instead, the app has kids get Lightbot through different pathways by using functions commonly found in code. This app is a great way to get your kid interested in coding and computer programming, without overwhelming them.

Spelling Stage Ages: 4+ Cost: free Get it for: iOS

GoNoodle Ages: 4-10 Cost: free Get it for: iOS or Android Make screen time active with 300+ dance videos, yoga exercises, and mindfulness activities for kids! Everything is designed especially for kids (age 4-10).

The GoNoodle App only includes content approved

by GoNoodle’s team of child development experts and there are no in-app purchases. You can trust your kids are safe with GoNoodle.

Kids may usually find spelling words difficult.

This is one of the greatest spelling apps created for educational and family entertainment, perfect for users over the age of 4.

Whether you’re the next spelling bee champion or just learning the alphabet, this spelling game can help you become the ultimate speller of all time!

Duolingo Ages: 10+ Cost: free, optional ad-free Duolingo Get it for: iOS or Android Learn a language. Duolingo is a great app to learn a different language.

Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, or Indonesian to name a few. Practice through audio, word identification, and oral exercises for over 30 languages. It's a great way for your family to learn a new language together.

4 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Quick Maths Jr. Ages: 7-11 Cost: free Get it for: iOS or Android Quick Math Jr. is an award-winning app that covers the essential foundations of mathematics, including counting, addition and subtraction, place value, writing numbers and much more! From the creators of the award-winning Quick Math series, Quick Math Jr. is a fun way to develop mathematics skills and confidence.

Kaspersky Safe Kids Ages: 7-11 Cost: free or premium is $19.95 Get it for: iOS, Android, Mac, PC. Is an online wonder tool for parents to be able to safeguard and monitor their children online. It allows you to block access to adult websites and content, block harmful YouTube search requests on topics like drugs and alcohol and helps you manage access to games and inappropriate apps and websites. It even lets you manage their screen time by device, so it shuts down after their time limit has been reached. You can add the app on multiple devices, and your phone can manage at the click of a button to see what they are up to online, or cut short their internet time.

The app also uses a GPS tracker so you can locate your child’s whereabouts on a real-time online map, and if you like, you can also define a safe area for them to stay in and the app alerts you instantly if they step beyond it. If that’s not enough, it also tells you when they’re running low on battery so you can warn them to plug in.

For more info head to www.pakmag.com.au/thingswelove

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 5

The Thing Is

The Thing Is with Bree James I always try and look for the positives in life.

Some call me the ‘Queen of Denial’ because my whole world can be falling apart and yet I still soldier on. It’s quite interesting to have the whole world in turmoil together, and for a change, it has been a bit of a challenge for me to look for the positives. That said, there is some comfort in knowing we are all in the same boat, so that’s the first positive I found when I started to look for one.

I’ve always been in charge of my destiny, so to have something out of my control that could massively impact people I love, our way of life, and my ability to do what I love, has really knocked the wind out of me.

The thing is, as much as we think we live in a free country, the past few weeks have shown us that this can change overnight. If you needed a wake-up call about life, we are all getting one at the same time, whether we like it or not.

The first wake-up call is that our health is the most important thing in our life. If you have been neglecting your health, I hope the threat of this virus means you make a commitment to look after yourself more.

You only get one body, one heart, one mind and one spirit - you have to look after them.

The second wake-up call is that it doesn’t matter how hard you work, your way of earning a dollar can change in an instant. I have been through so many tough times in business over the decades, and one thing I know for sure is that tough times don’t last, tough people do.

I don’t know anyone who isn’t a little worried about how we are going to get through this situation, but what I do know is, we will.

The third wake-up call is that connection is so important. The past few weeks I have been so busy trying to keep up with my work, but I have still stopped to call and check in on people I care about, or had a quick catch up over a coffee, to really see how people are going. I have seen and connected with more people in the past four weeks than I have done in a long time.

Times like this bring us closer together.

I am sure there are a lot more wake up calls to come.

I think for a long time we have lived such a privileged life. Tough times build resilience. Our ancestors went through way worse and have constantly told us how lucky we are. I hope many of us realise now how right they were.

In a world currently filled with so much uncertainty, the best thing we can do is focus on the positives and focus on what we can control. Look after our health, be smart with where we spend our dollars, use our stimulus money locally (that’s what the money was given to us for), and support one another.

For every negative, find three positives.

In the end if we have our health and are surrounded by people we love, there is a lot to be thankful for.

Bree www.breejames.com www.myvisionbook.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 7

Feature

Facing Fear STORY Bree James Fear is a human emotion that is triggered by a perceived threat.

It is a survival mechanism that signals our body to respond to danger in fight or flight mode. The term 'fight-or-flight' represents the choices that our ancient ancestors had when faced with danger in their environment. They could either fight or flee.

In either case, the physiological and psychological response to stress and fear prepared their body to react to the danger.

Fear is an essential part in keeping us safe.

However, in today’s modern world, as much as we aren’t fearful of getting eaten by a lion like our ancestors were, we are subjected to so much more fear through media, negative thinking, and stresses that our ancestors didn’t have to worry about.

So How Does Fear Work?

Fear prepares us to react to danger. Our brains can’t distinguish the difference between imagination or reality. So, every time you have a thought, it releases the same neurochemicals regardless of whether you are thinking about the past, the present, or the future.

Therefore, in reality, you don’t need to be actually experiencing fear physically, you just need to be thinking about fear and your body can still have the same physical response.

Think about something that really scares you now and watch your heart race that little bit more. Yep, it’s that simple.

Once we sense a potential danger, our body releases hormones that:

Fear also interrupts processes in our brains that allow us to regulate emotions, read non-verbal cues and much more. This impacts our thinking and decisionmaking in negative ways, leaving us susceptible to intense emotions and impulsive reactions. All of these effects can leave us unable to act appropriately.

It goes without saying that fear impacts our mental health. Other consequences of long-term fear include fatigue, clinical depression, and PSTD. So how can we settle our brains when it goes into fear, and move our bodies out of this state? We need to calm our amygdala down first. There are things you can do to speed up that process and get control of your emotional state.

Things You Can Try • Name your emotions as you experience them.

This helps to engage the thinking part of your brain and trigger mindfulness.

• Take deep breaths from your abdomen. Breathing deeply will help to bring oxygen to the brain and slow you down.

• Slow or shut down functions not needed for survival (such as our digestive system).

• Draw on mindfulness. Look around you and notice things in the environment. This will help you to move out of your head and back into the situation.

• Sharpen functions that might help us survive (such as eyesight). Our heart rate increases, and blood flows to muscles so we can run faster.

• Take a timeout. If you are truly feeling out of control, excuse yourself from the situation you are in to get a hold of your emotions.

Our body also increases the flow of hormones to an area of the brain known as the amygdala to help us focus on the presenting danger and stores this fear in our memory to learn from in the future.

• See your doctor.

This is great for when we are really in danger, but what if we aren’t? How is this state of fear impacting our health? Uncertainty drives fear and worry, and living in this state of mind can seriously impact our health.

Fear weakens our immune system and can cause gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers and IBS, decreased fertility, and cardiovascular damage. It can also lead to accelerated aging and premature death.

8 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

• See a councillor or therapist.

• Try EFT (emotional freedom technique).

• Ask your pharmacist about herbs or medications that can calm you.

• Learn meditation.

• Try yoga.

• Go for a walk.

• Exercise.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 9

Education

The Different Learning Styles STORY Jenna Galley Everyone learns differently. Some of us like to be shown what to do, some of us like to read instructions or diagrams, some of us prefer to watch and learn.

Children are no different.

While every child processes information at their own pace and in their own way, experts have identified seven main learning styles.

Your child may fit into one category perfectly or may be a combination of more than one. Knowing which learning style best works for your child allows you to help them process new information in a way that is engaging, exciting, and beneficial to them.

The Different Learning Styles Visual or Spatial Learners • Like to map out, draw or write out their thoughts in order to really process what they are thinking • Tend to have a good spatial sense and sense of direction • Can easily visualise objects, plans and outcomes • Enjoy visual art like colouring, drawing, doodling and painting • May benefit more from watching a tutorial or even seeing a movie clip rather than reading instructions or listening to the literature being read aloud

Aural or Auditory Learners • Respond best to sound, have a good sense of pitch or rhythm and often excel in musical programs • May benefit from learning through oral presentations and reading aloud • Tend to focus better with music playing in the background • Can often remember lyrics • Use songs to help memorise and categorise information. For example, your child may make up a rap to help them remember key information for a test.

Verbal or Linguistic Learners • Are the ‘wordsmiths’ – Verbal learners find it easy to express themselves on paper, have a way with words and often breeze through written assignments.

• Excel in things like public speaking, journalism and debate – anything that involves either written or spoken word • Enjoy reading, writing, poetry and languages • Process information by writing it down through things like cue cards or through the popular Look Cover Say Write Check strategy used in many primary schools • Can also process information by reading the content aloud.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 11

Education

Physical or Kinaesthetic Learners • Enjoy a hands-on approach to learning • Respond well to doing something for themselves rather than simply watching

strategies he enjoys the best, whether this is using graphs or diagrams, playing a memory game using sight words or maths equations or making up a song to remember the capital cities.

• Learn best by going through the motions of what they are learning and by ‘getting their hands dirty’ • Often learn through messy play, role playing, model building and physical movement • Benefit from taking plenty of physical breaks or going for a walk to try and wrap their head around a concept Logical or Mathematical Learners • Focus on the reason behind the content or skill • Often classify or group information together to help them understand it • Respond well to agendas, lists, how-to and procedure-based learning tools • Need to see the bigger picture, along with the logic and reasoning, to fully understand the concept Social or Interpersonal Learners • Work well in groups and teams • Prefer to bounce ideas and concepts off other people in order to fully understand them • Benefit from group assignments, reading circles, math rotations and other group work in class Solitary or intrapersonal learners • Learn best through independent work • Spend a lot of time on self-analysis • Prefer a quiet, solitary place to study and process information • Benefit from writing thoughts and ideas down in a journal or diary to help them process information

Supporting Your Child’s Learning Style Regardless of how quickly your child is learning or what process they take to get there, the most important thing is that we are supporting them in the best way we know how. Here are six ways to do so: Try different strategies to see which ones your child responds best to. Ask your child which learning

12 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Give them the tools they need. This may be an organiser for logical learners, colourful pens and cue cards for visual learners or an audio book for aural learners.

Physical learners may benefit from a fidget tool or even a timer so they know when they can take a break and let off some steam.

Organise a special study space at home. For solitary learners, make sure this space is quiet, calm and away from other siblings. For social learners, consider doing homework together as a family so you can spit ball ideas off each other.

Make learning fun. For aural learners you may want to include headphones so they can listen to music.

For visual or verbal learners, you may want to provide plenty of extra notebooks and paper so they have lots of space to map out their thoughts.

Use family time to cater to your little learner’s style.

For example, suggest doing a group project as a team to engage your social learner or set up a friendly family debate or public speaking contest for your verbal learner.

Think outside the book. Look for ways to explain concepts other than through the traditional reading and note-taking which may not always work for your little learner. Audio books, YouTube tutorials, podcasts, diagrams, even heading outside with them and discussing the concept while walking may be beneficial.

Remember, there is no wrong way to learn, even if it’s different to what you were taught or how you retain information. Take advantage of the various tools we have to accommodate the different learning styles, ask your child’s teacher for additional ideas on helping your child with homework and learning at home and always keep an open mind. Your little learner may surprise you!

Advertorial

Pre-Prep - It Starts Here At four years of age, children are generally ready and eager to engage in structured, play-based learning programs in preparation for their formal years of schooling. With various options available for the early years, the Pre-Prep Program designed for four year olds, is an opportunity for the learning journey to commence in a school environment.

groups to develop social skills, mature emotionally and gain self-confidence to engage in new experiences and environments. Playing helps young children's brains to develop, it helps their language and communication skills, it fosters creativity and provides real opportunities where they can learn to make sense of the world around them.”

At Townsville Grammar School, the Pre-Prep Program is the first possible entry point to the School community, and marks the beginning of the Grammar education experience.

“We are also very focused on building respectful relationships and community, where parents are very much involved,” said Ms Friend. “This creates a positive learning environment, a sense of belonging, and leads to each child feeling valued and appreciated.”

Principal of Townsville Grammar School, Mr Timothy Kelly, says “This is where it begins. “This is where children enter our school system, where they begin to become familiar with our community, our culture and our learning ethos. This is where we must capture our students’ imagination and instil a great sense of wonder for learning.”

The Pre-Prep program at Townsville Grammar School is delivered in purpose-designed Early Education Centres located at the Junior School Campuses in Annandale and North Shore.

Director of Early Education for Townsville Grammar School, Ms Cyndi Friend, says the Pre-Prep program is led by university qualified teachers and diploma-level educators who are passionate and knowledgeable about educating children within this age group.

“Our program is learning-based,” said Ms Friend.

“We value the theory of learning through play, where children can parallel play and work in small

The Pre-Prep Program at Townsville Grammar School has the added advantage of being campus-based.

“Because our Early Education Centres are based on our school sites, we are a part of the Junior School community and, therefore, we are involved in the events, celebrations and the culture of the School.

We also utilise the Junior Schools’ facilities such as sports grounds, libraries and music rooms, and we make use of these whenever possible.”

“This inclusion and involvement in the Junior School community also paves the way for a smooth transition into the Prep Year. Our Pre-Preps visit the Prep classrooms and work with specialist teachers such as drama, music and physical education. We have an orientation morning and parent information events to help our families become familiar with what life is like in Pre-Prep, and encourage their engagement and involvement to truly build our sense of community.”

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 15

STEAM

Getting Creative with Videography and Photography Encouraging your kids to play and practice with photography and videography is not only fun, but very beneficial.

Because technology is everywhere, photography and videography are extremely common tools for advertising, explaining and teaching.

This makes learning all about them and giving it a go, good for creativity and a great way to gather skills for future careers. Digital storytelling and photography are part of a trillion-dollar entertainment business, and the best part? It’s so much easier and more accessible than it has been in the past, with even our phones able to take high quality photos and videos.

There are some great child-friendly cameras on the market that encourage independent and creative play and hand eye coordination; skills, that are important in everyday life. You never know, your child might discover that they have a true passion for photography and videography and you could help begin that creative journey for them.

Getting Your Child Interested Cameras that are affordable, of good quality and have a variety of functions (yet aren’t too advanced), are a great place to start. Multiple kids’ cameras have basic

functions like flash, zoom, effects and even games.

There are plenty of these out there aimed at children 3 years and up – so you don’t have to wait until they are a bit older or worry about your expensive smartphone getting lost or damaged or what you will do without it, whilst they are using it to learn.

GoPros are very popular because they can withstand a lot without being damaged.

They’re waterproof, allowing kids to film and photograph their beach trips without water being a worry. Great cameras for kids are ones where the exterior is not sleek and easy to lose grip of, so they are less likely to be dropped. You would also want one that is tough all-round and helps prevent scratching of the lens. These allow parents to not feel as though they need to watch their kids constantly to make sure they are being careful.

A Step Up For older kids and teens, a great option are cameras that are professional, yet made for first time users and people who are still learning what they are capable of. This helps encourage them to be careful with the more fragile equipment they are using and get a basic understanding of all the different functions, such as ISO, shutter speed, and filming stability.

Resources to Inspire and Educate Smart Phone Movie Maker Book

LEGO® Make Your Own Movie Book

by Bryan Michael Stoller

by Pat Murphy

This is the complete beginners guide to making movies with your smartphone. It provides expert advice on aspects of film making, from planning the storyline to casting, filming and editing. The box itself turns into a film projector with a lens slot for your smartphone so that you can watch your masterpiece on a larger screen!

PakMag YouTube Stars Online Course www.pakmag.com.au/yts This online course will teach you everything you need to know to become a Youtube Star from standing infront of the camera to finding the best shot. Once you complete the course you will be awarded an honouree PakMag YouTube Star, making you a go to reporter for PakMag. You can film product and location reviews and vlog style content!

16 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Use stop-motion animation to make your own movie and bring your LEGO minifigures to life.

You can use phones, tablets and computers to make your movie, by following this beginners guide to stop-motion. There are six included background settings for you to use too, and when ready you can learn more advanced skills such as lighting, angles and sound effects.

Animation Studio Book

by Helen Piercy Your one-stop guide to every aspect of stopmotion movie making.

This book is packed with inspirational tips and ideas, and if you want to be an aspiring director of animations then look no further! Plus, it is housed in an interactive and reversible mini film set, containing everything you could need.

1

2

1. Vtech Kidizoom Duo in Pink or Blue - $98.00ea 2. GoPro HERO7 Silver 4K Action Video Camera - $298.00 3. Canon EOS 1500D DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens Kit - $598.00 www.harveynorman.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 17

Advertorial

Freddie Reads Ahead with Kumon English With the help of Kumon English, seven-year-old Freddie Manchip has rapidly improved his reading ability. He has progressed from reading at a two reading level, to reading at a level 16 in just one year.

“Freddie started Kumon in December 2018. For us the difference in his reading was very noticeable, very quick”, explains Freddie’s Dad, James Manchip.

“He started being able to read and memorise the spelling of the hundred sight words at school very quickly when compared to the previous year.”

Kumon English has also helped Freddie progress in his handwriting. These improvements have also developed Freddie’s confidence at school. Freddie studies at Kumon Pimlico Education Centre.

“Freddie is certainly now amongst the top performers in terms of reading in his class. I think his overall confidence and happiness has improved”, James says.

Kumon English develops a high level of reading comprehension ability in students. Kumon English also inspires to read widely as the worksheets contain more extracts from published texts than any other reading programme in the world. They are arranged in

order of increasing difficulty, from the simplest to the most complex.

Kumon is individualised learning. Each student studies material best suited to their current ability. Capable students can study ahead of school grade, while those falling behind are given the time they need to go back and revise.

Kumon also assigns students a small amount of homework for them to complete each day. This supports the development of a daily study habit. James believes this greatly helped Freddie.

“I think the structured approach of Kumon is very important for Freddie”, James says “He has consistency and routine, and is able to sit down and do his homework on his own. He understands what is required.”

Freddie, meanwhile, says that homework makes him smarter. He hopes to become a police officer when he grows up. He says what he is learning now at Kumon, will help him in the future; “It will make me confident in speaking to people and in writing reports.”

Please contact Kumon Pimlico Education Centre or Kumon Kirwan Education Centre to enquire and learn more about how Kumon could support your child.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 19

Advertorial

Build Success Through Play-Based Learning At Mary MacKillop Childcare North Queensland Early Learning Centres and Kindergartens, we acknowledge the right children have to experience the joy of childhood and reach their full learning potential in preparation for school. Our Kindergarten program encompasses the inclusive vision that all children experience learning that is engaging and builds success for life in a supportive play-based learning environment.

There are many benefits of play-based learning in the early years, including the development of intellectual skills, thinking and motivation. Play-based learning is a concept that MMCNQ Kindergarten educators adopt as part of their pedagogy and practice. Research has explored the importance of play for a child’s overall development and we know that play is closely associated with the development of intellectual skills, thinking and motivation.

Our experienced teachers deliver programs that include essential literacy and numeracy concepts. These build solid foundations for successful life-long learning and readiness for school. Along with this, they focus on overall developmental areas. A strong focus on the Kindergarten curriculum allows teachers to support children developing their independence and resilience, building positive relationships with others, promoting their own health and wellbeing and communicating

effectively. These programs provide a balance of intentional teaching and child-initiated learning, through inquiry-based discovery and purposeful play environments whereby children are given ownership of their learning.

Our kindergartens are at the heart of a broader community. With close ties to our school, parish and local communities, we regularly visit and participate in events to help children build diverse relationships and understand their connections to a broader world. Through these experiences our teachers will nurture your child’s growth in accordance with the key developmental areas identified in the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines.

Mary MacKillop Childcare NQ Early Learning Centres and Kindergartens have been providing these caring and supportive services across the Diocese since 2003 and continue to offer families professional care with a Catholic approach.

MMCNQ offers kindergarten programs in our five Early Learning Centres as well as our nine stand-alone Kindergartens.

Enrolments for 2021 are now being taken. Please email childcare@mmcnq.catholic.edu.au to receive an information pack.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 21

Expert Advice

The PakMag Experts Juliet Russo

Dr A. Guatam

Helping Hands - Hand, Wrist & Arm Clinic

Townsville Paediatrics

Dear Juliet, What can I do to help my child improve their handwriting?

Handwriting problems are common, especially as children start to progress through primary school.

Common problems such as poor pencil grasp, messy writing or painful hand cramps when writing can often be a symptom of a more complex issue.

Solutions can be as simple as working on hand strength to improve pencil grasp or as complex as overall fine motor skills/dexterity and a customised handwriting remediation program. The first step is to identify the underlying problem and give the child time and plenty of opportunity to work on the skills required to improve their handwriting.

4755 2337 www.helpinghandsclinic.com.au

Dear Dr Guatam, My child has a heart murmur.

Should I be concerned?

Heart murmurs are whooshing or humming sounds heard between the two heartbeat sounds, with a stethoscope.

Pathological murmurs can be caused by serious conditions and additional tests may be required to determine an innocent murmur from a harmful one.

However, a murmur by itself does not always represent an abnormality. A large majority of healthy infants and young children can have murmurs which will disappear as the child grows.

Contact your Doctor if the murmur concerns you or seems ongoing.

4427 5817 www.townsvillepaediatrics.com.au

Matthew Calanna

Mario Calanna

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy

Dear Matthew,

Dear Mario,

What should I look for in a pharmacy?

How can my pharmacy support me during the Coronavirus pandemic?

A pharmacist who’s experienced and understands your family’s needs. Face to face dispensing is important – where the pharmacist is easily accessible at the front of the dispensary so you can speak with them and access their knowledge. Open seven days a week, early-late, because they understand that when you’re crook, or need advice, it generally happens off the clock.

A loyalty club with customer benefits is always a plus, and lastly, a pharmacy that’s more than just a pharmacy.

One who genuinely cares about your family, has an experienced team and offers unique products and services to assist your health.

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy www.calannapharmacy.com.au

If you’re feeling fluey, or simply don’t want to risk entering a public place, call your local Calanna and you can arrange someone to pick up your shop, or we’ll bring it out to your car. For medication, download the MedAdvisor App, choose Calanna as your trusted Pharmacy, place your order and collect when convenient. It’s a good time to boost your immune system, Vitamin C, Immune Booster Tonic, and Zinc are great things to be taking. Come see us for your personalised plan.

If there’s anything else we can do for your family at this time, please let us know.

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy www.calannapharmacy.com.au

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Health

All Things Health Keeping a Social Distance?

During a time when we are being asked to ‘socially distance’ from one another, it’s important we look at what that really means.

Social distancing is introduced as a way to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases. It means less contact between you and other people. That means not using handshaking as a greeting, staying 1.5 metres away from each other as much as possible. It means limiting kissing, hugging and face touching. It is also encouraged that you spend time outdoors and consider whether outings and travel, both individual and family, are sensible and necessary. Even though it's called "social distancing" it's still important to stay connected. It is encouraged during this time that you regularly pick up the phone and call loved ones, and find other ways to really connect with those in your life.

Giving Your Immunity a Boost Did you know one of the best ways to keep healthy is to boost your immunity?

There are many foods that can help, but a simple way is to take vitamins.

Here are four vitamins that help boost your immunity.

If you are experiencing difficulties through COVID-19 and social distancing, please contact; Lifeline www.lifeline.org.au 13 11 14 Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline www.kidshelpline.com.au 1800 551 800.

Products to Support Your Immunity With the current Coronavirus Pandemic, everyone should be looking to strengthen their immune system with; • Quality sleep • Staying hydrated • Moderate exercise • Fresh air and short amounts of sunlight Some vitamins and herbs may support your immune system to fight infections. Products like Ethical Nutrients Immune Defence tablets may reduce the severity and duration of symptoms caused by colds and flu.

They can be taken daily to support immune function, or at the first sign of symptoms of your cold or flu. Be prepared - head to your local Calanna today (remember, we can bring it out to your car or you can arrange for someone to pick it up for you if you are immunocompromised or in self isolation!). *It is always important to speak with your pharmacist or doctor prior to taking supplements particularly if you have pre-existing medical conditions, allergies or taking other medicines or supplements

Zinc is a mineral that's important to the body in many ways. Zinc keeps the immune system strong, helps heal wounds, and supports normal growth. Zinc is often depleted due to stress, so it’s an important thing to take on a regular basis.

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body can’t produce it.

It has many roles and is a powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defences and is one of the biggest immune system boosters of all.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps the body fight off infection.

And lastly Vitamin B6 is vital to supporting biochemical reactions in the immune system.

Consult your local health practitioner, doctor or pharmacist for advice on these topics first to ensure the best health outcomes.

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COVID-19

Coronavirus - Facts Vs Fear STORY Bree James The entire world is feeling the impact from the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) right now. More viral than the actual disease itself is the spread of fear, which is impacting the world on a massive scale.

As I write this, borders are being shut down, schools and even whole countries are going into quarantine.

Travel plans and large events are being cancelled, you can’t buy toilet paper or hand sanitiser and many pantry items are now being limited. The global economy is taking a serious dive.

Fear of job loss, lack of basic daily items to buy, the worry about the economy collapsing, and fear for our loved ones catching COVID-19, is all very real.

It’s surreal for many of us, and it takes a lot of strength to not follow the herd and start panic buying. As parents, the unstoppable urge to look after those we love is so strong, it’s very hard not to go into ‘protect mode’ and do everything we can to look after our family (which includes buying as much food, toilet paper, and medicines as we possibly can)…

When times are uncertain, people will do things to bring certainty; thus, the panic buying.

Think about our parenting, if we see our child is about to do something stupid, we put fear there to stop them and get them to do what we want instead.

Fear can stand for “forget everything and run” or “face everything and rise”.

We need more people doing the latter.

Health authorities have told us that each of us will be exposed to Novel Coronavirus at some stage in the future and that the focus is on slowing it down. It is thought that our current lack of exposure and lack of immunity to this virus that makes this more serious than the average flu, which is why slowing it down is important. Our health services are second to none and as long as they aren’t inundated all at once, we will be ok. Eight out ten of us will only experience mild symptoms. But in order to slow the spread we are being told to stay at home if we feel sick, wash our hands well and often, sneeze and cough into our elbow and refrain from touching others.

The most vulnerable are our elderly and those with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, cancer, organ recipients, asthmatics, etc. We need to do what we can to protect them and ensure the health services in our community have capacity to support them if and when the time comes.

Being a respiratory virus, it’s transmitted through respiratory droplets.

Person-to-person contact is thought to be the main method of transmission. Imagine sitting next to someone with a COVID-19 infection on the bus or in a meeting room. Suddenly, this person sneezes or coughs... If they don’t cover their mouth and nose, they could potentially spray you with respiratory droplets from their nose or mouth. The droplets that land on you will likely contain the virus. Or perhaps you meet someone who contracted the virus, and they touched their mouth or nose with their hand. When that

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COVID-19

person shakes your hand, they transfer some of the virus to your hand.

If you then touch your mouth or nose without washing your hands first, you may accidentally give that virus an entry point into your own body.

We don’t know exactly how long the virus can live on surfaces for, it is speculated up to 48 hours.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person with COVID-19 is most contagious when they’re showing symptoms. That is why it’s so important that if you feel unwell, you stay home.

The response from our government is part of a plan to slow the virus down and protect the 20% of people who will not do so well if they get it. They need the virus to spread slowly instead of quickly, so that our health care system can cope and adequately care for the influx of people seriously ill from this virus.

These are the people we are protecting. The majority of us will be ok if we catch it.

We all have someone in our life that suffers from a compromised immune system, so picture their face before you go out when you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms and stay at home.

The only way we can control the fast spread of this virus is if unwell people stay home until the vaccination is readily available to protect those 20% of people with a compromised immune system. And it won’t be ready for some time yet.

You will not forgive yourself if you soldier on with what you think is a cold, and then find out it was COVID-19.

If you are sick, it’s simple - stay home.

COVID-19 Facts Self-isolate - those who have had more than 15 minutes in close contact, or more than 2 hours in the same closed room as someone confirmed with the virus.

It can take up to 14 days before you start getting sick if you have been exposed.

Rules to Implement • Stay home if you are sick.

• If you are returning from overseas travel; the government requires you to self-isolate for 14 days.

• If you have symptoms; always contact your own GP first or 13HEALTH. Ring them, talk to them and ask the best way for you to be assessed.

28 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

• Washing your hands with soap and water is best.

Always wash your hands before eating or touching your face. Put a stamp on your child’s hand to see how well they wash their hands, or get them to sing happy birthday twice as a timer for how long to wash their hands for with soap. You can even rub raw onion on your hands after you have cleaned them as a deterrent.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with the inside of your elbow.

• Avoid hand shaking and opt for waving.

• There should be four square metres (two by two metres) provided per person in an enclosed space.

• Do not over purchase essential items including medications. Think of others.

• For the most up to date and official information on the virus head to www.health.gov.au – think twice before sharing information that is not from an official health source.

• Stay away from social media and propaganda.

Other Handy Tips • Have enough essentials to last you two weeks on standby.

• It’s a great time to plant some herbs and vegetables so you can be a little self-sufficient.

• Freeze some ready-made meals.

• Buy Vitamin C, Panadol, Zinc and immune boosting supplements.

• Talk to your family about hygiene habits. Wash hands as soon as you come home, change clothes or better- shower before you touch things.

• Get a list of jobs you’d like done and have the items ready so you can do them if quarantined.

• Support local businesses. Look at all of our advertisers, please support them and other local businesses during this tough time. Your money is very important to these people, the big corporations can take the hit.

• For up to date information on all grant information head to www.treasury.gov.au/coronavirus • Contact the elderly and those with immune issues to see if they need help.

• Spread positivity, we all need it now. Avoid fear talk, and focus on what you can control.

What's On • at Your Place

With Triple M’s Pricey

With the changes to events and activities in public spaces we came up with a list of things you can do at home to connect and have fun!

WAYS TO GET ACTIVE INDOORS/YOUR OWN BACKYARD Try GoNoodle www.gonoodle.com it’s a great online resource with movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.

Enjoy Free at-home kids yoga lesson plans with www.littletwistersyoga.com Harness the power of YouTube by learning new skills through tutorials. For example: You could try learning specific stances and basic positions for karate, Taekwondo or another martial art (supervision required.)

Create an obstacle course.

You can gather up old toys and things you find in storage or your garage and get creative.

There’s lots of ideas online too if you’d like some suggestions.

Create a fun age-appropriate ‘circuit workout’ for the family Try online workout videos or maybe you’ve got some DVD’s you can try together.

You could even design your own exercise class and take turns teaching them. Don’t forget to create a music playlist of your favourite tunes.

Set up a tent in your backyard and go camping.

Sneaky Cleaning; have a competition to see who can pick up the most dishes/clothes/ socks/Legos/etc laying around the house (and putting them

back where they belong). The winner gets to pick the next board game or activity you play.

Dance. Pick a favourite song.

Choreograph a dance routine to it. You could also try having a disco in the dark. Cover all the windows, turn off the lights, turn up the music and literally dance like no one is watchingcause they can’t see you!

Have a Nerf battle.

FUN THINGS TO DO AS A FAMILY Board games to bust the boredom! If the kids don’t know the joy of ‘Passing Go’ and collecting $200, now’s the time to introduce them.

Bust out the paint, glue sticks and the pipe cleaners - it’s craft time! There is limitless online resources to give you ideas; but one of our favourites is: www.allkidsnetwork.com for crafts, activities, mazes, dot to dots and more.

Learn the Japanese art of paper folding: Origami.

Have a toddler? Keep them busy with these indoor activities www.busytoddler.com Storytime done differently – check out Storytime from Space- hear real Astronauts read books in orbit at www.storytimefromspace.com or head to www.storylineonline. net to hear kids’ books read by famous people.

Use that pile of unmatched socks next to the drier to create Puppets! You can also use paper bags or stuffed animals with their stuffing pulled out.

Great ideas and resources on how to create your own puppet show can be found at www.micheleepuppets.org Do your kids love comics?

Why not help them create their own comic book. Check out www.comiclife.com Hit the Kitchen; bake a cake, cupcakes and cookies. Try your hand at making pickles and jam (yum). Get competitive: have an untimed Iron Chef/ Masterchef style contest with the whole family. Choose an ingredient, and everyone makes a different dish (and dinner).

Card Games; play games you know and learn new games.

If you haven’t heard of ‘spoons’ it’s awesome. Once you’ve mastered the standard version of ‘Spoons’ try ‘Ultimate Spoons’ you place the spoon across the room, or at the end of an obstacle course.

You can also try building a house of cards.

Get old school with salt dough.

Recipes to make your own are easily found online.

LEGO !!! Search ’30-day LEGO® Challenge’ online there are tonnes to choose from. You can also play a modified version of Pictionary with LEGO®. Make a list of animals and objects, write them ®

on individual pieces of paper, place them in an empty box and draw out one when it’s |your teams turn. Set a 5-minute time limit per creation, see if your partner can guess it before time runs out. 1 point scored per correct guess.

Upcycled Art; find broken toys or things that need to be thrown away around the house. Get out the sticky tape and glue and challenge the kids to create a sculpture.

(This is a fun way to spring clean).

Word Scrambles; pick a sentence from a book.

See how many words the kids can make from the letters in the sentence.

Create a secret code. Once you’ve got the symbol key, write a letter to someone in code and get them to decipher the message.

Have a backyard pool? Why not have a paper boat race?

Try making your own musical instruments (there are hundreds of ideas online), then make your own band and create some songs.

Read books. Have a prize for the family member who reads the most books during a set amount of time.

Did you know your local library has online resources like e-books, audiobooks and online magazines too?

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What's On • at Your Place Love to act? Why not put on a family play? You could stream it to family and friends. Or you could create a home movie with your smartphone video.

Get creative: Learn to sew or knit or try making jewellery.

Order a kit online or use materials from around the house.

You’re probably thinking about all the adventures you’d like to be having, so why not use this time to plan your next family holiday?

Start a home garden (indoor or outdoor)

Watch a favourite movie or cartoon on mute and make up your own dialogue.

Put that pen to paper; everyone loves to receive a handwritten card or note. Take the time to write a letter to your grandparents or other relatives or friends. You could even make and send a Thank You card to a Community Hero.

The classics: puzzles and wordfinds. You can even create your own or play online at www.jigsawexplorer.com Play dress-ups.

Play traditional Hide and Seek or change it up with Hide and Seek with objects: One person hides the object in the house, and everyone else tries to find it.

Try fostering an animal from your local shelter. Animals are a great way to reduce stress and maybe you’ve been thinking about getting a furry family member for a while and this is a good opportunity for your children to learn responsibility for a new pet.

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THINGS TO LEARN ONLINE The World Wide Web gives a window to the outside world when we need to stay inside.

Here’s some of the best resources we have found to help you keep exploring and learning; ABC Education brings you thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources for Primary and Secondary students and teachers www.education.abc.net.au you could also try www.scholastic.com/learnathome or the www.khanacademy.com Everyone loves Dr Seuss. Read, play games, and hang out in www.seusville.com Learn a language with Duolingo www.duolingo.com. You could then watch your favourite movie or cartoon in the language you’ve been learning.

(Most DVDs have other language options.)

Get musical; lessons and exercises for all abilities at www.musictheory.net and www.sightreadingfactory.com

Don’t have an instrument?

Play online with a virtual guitar, piano, drums and more at www.virtualmusicalinstruments.com Space science for kids www.nasa.gov/kidsclub Learn to code with www.codeacademy.com or, www.kodable.com or even Star Wars www.code.org/starwars Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with people from around the world. www.nitrotype.com Take a trip to a museum: Head to London and explore Egyptian mummies at the British Museum www.britishmuseum. withgoogle.com

With Triple M’s Minty

The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour! www. kids.sandiegozoo.org Tour Yellowstone National Park www.nps.gov/yell Travel along the Great Wall of China www.thechinaguide.com/ destination/great-wall-of-china Explore the surface of Mars with the Curiosity Rover. www.accessmars.withgoogle.com Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

You loved playing it as a child; introduce your kids to the fun www.carmensandiego.com

Love art? Head to the world famous Metropolitan Museum of Art with Metkids www.metmuseum.org/art or the Louvre in Paris, France where the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci calls home www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne TRAVEL THE WORLD (AND BEYOND) ONLINE Explore the arts, history and foreign places with Google Arts & Culture.

Explore geography and animals with National Geographic www.kids.nationalgeographic.com and watch animals (in real time) with www.earthcam.com

Have an Idea you’d like to share? Let’s create an ‘ideas collective’- if you have a fun activity that’ll benefit other parents, hit us up on our socials or email your ideas to admin@pakmag.com.au if you do one of these activities, snap a pic and use the hashtag #pakmagshare so we can see you having fun.

Pull-out kids activity mag!

FROM THE CREATORS OF

APRIL 2 ©2019 Disney/Pixar

IN CINEMAS APRIL 2 IN CINEMAS APRIL 2

IN CINEMAS APRIL 2

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For your chance to WIN a family pass to Onward tell us, if you had magical powers, what would they be?

Enter at www.pakmag.com.au/win - Competition closes 30/04/2020

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ENTER TO WIN

For your chance to WIN a copy of Beautiful Eggs, tell us your favourite thing to do at Easter time. Enter at www.pakmag.com.au/win - Competition closes 30/04/2020 Beautiful Eggs - $16.99 - Decorated eggs are found all over the world. They are a wonderful celebration of family, culture, and tradition. Beautiful Eggs is a large-format board book for Easter that celebrates traditions of egg-decorating from around the world with exquisite cutpaper illustrations. Discover a world of beautiful patterns and colours and use the stencil at the back of the book to create your own beautiful eggs! - www.scribblekidsbooks.com

Regular Markets Castle Hill PCYC Markets Date: Every Sunday Time: 7.00am - 11.00am Location: Castle Hill PCYC

Bluewater Twilight Markets Date: 2nd Saturday of the month Time: 4.00pm - 8.00pm Location: Bluewater Community Centre

Mundingburra Markets Date: 3rd Sunday of the month Time: 7.30am - 12.00pm Location: Mundingburra State School

Riverway Moonlight Markets Date: 3rd Friday of the month Time: 5.00pm - 9.00pm Location: Riverway

Bushland Beach Markets Date: 1st and 3rd Sunday

of the month Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm Location: Bushland Beach Park

Cotters Markets

Strand Night Markets

Date: Every Sunday Time: 8.30am - 1.00pm Location: Flinders St & Townsville Bulletin Square

Date: 1st Friday of the month (runs from Feb to Dec) Time: 5.00pm - 9.00pm Location: Strand Park

Date: 1st Saturday of the month (Mar - Dec) Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm Location: Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village, 60 Beck Drive, Condon

Horseshoe Bay Markets

Willows Rotary Markets

Date: Every 2nd and last Sunday of the month Time: 9.00am - 2.00pm Location: Horseshoe Bay Foreshore

Date: Every Sunday Time: 7.30 - 11.30am Location: Willows Shopping Centre Car Park

North Shore Night Markets

Mount View Plaza Markets

Date: 2nd Friday of the month Time: 5.00pm - 9.00pm Location: North Shore Display Village

Date: Every Saturday (excluding Jan) Time: 8.00am - 2.00pm.

Location: Mount View Market Place

Date: 1st Saturday of the month Time: 8.00am - 1.00pm Location: Fisherman’s Landing Balgal Beach

Magnetic Island RSL Markets

Aitkenvale Uniting Church Markets

Date: Every Friday (excluding Good Friday) Time: 5.30pm - 8.00pm Location: Magnetic Island RSL

Date: 3rd Saturday of the month Time: 8.00am - 12.00 noon Location: Cnr Anne St and Ross River Rd

Carlyle Gardens Arts & Crafts Markets

Renegade Handmade Markets Date: 2nd Sunday of the month Time: 8.00am - 1.00pm Location: Marian School

Balgal Beach Markets

Please check with individual businesses before visiting during these uncertain times.

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Regular Events Townsville Galleries Free Family Fun Day - Art Activities for the Family Days: Third Sunday of the month Time: 10.00am - 12.00pm Location: Perc Tucker Regional Gallery More Info: 4727 9011 Cost: Free

Townsville City Council Townsville Eats Days: Last Friday of the month Time: 5.00pm - 10.00pm Location: 334 Flinders St More Info: www.townsville.qld.gov.au Cost: Free entry

Belgian Gardens State School Playgroup Days: Mondays Time: 9.00am - 11.00am Location: Belgian Gardens SS Hall More Info: 4717 1333 or rickandjules4@bigpond.com Cost: Gold coin donation

First Five Forever Parent Information Sessions Days: Second Friday of the month Time: 9.30am Location: City Libraries Aitkenvale More Info: www.townsville.qld.gov.au Cost: Free Newborn and Family Drop-In Service Days: Tuesdays (9.00am 2.00pm), Saturdays (9.00am - 12.00pm)

Location: City Libraries Aitkenvale More Info: www.townsville.qld.gov.au Cost: Free Messy Play (bookings required) Days: Wednesdays Time: 9.15am & 10.30am Location: City Libraries Aitkenvale Cost: Free

Riverway Parkrun Days: Saturdays Time: From 7.00am Location: Meet at the front of Tony Ireland Stadium on the grassed area near the ticket box.

Cost: Free Riverway parkrun is a 5km course along Ross River that you can complete by running or walking (or both) and is for all ages. Children, prams and dogs are all welcome to join in the fun. Please note: Scooters and bikes are not allowed for safety and insurance reasons.

This course is wheelchair friendly.

Registration is free and available at www.parkrun.com.au/riverway

Mainly Music For babies to pre prep aged children. Fun, music, morning tea and free play.

Please check with individual businesses before visiting during these uncertain times.

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Days: Thursdays (during school term) Time: 9.30am - 11.00am Location: St Peter’s Anglican Church, West End More Info: 0414 807 179 Cost: $3 per child MOPS - Mothers of PreSchoolers For mothers with children 0-6 years. Connect, relax and recharge.

Days: Fridays – fortnightly during chool terms Time: 9.30am - 11.30am Location: Northreach Baptist Church, Kirwan More Info: 0428 926 442 mops@northreach.org.au Cost: $8 per session

Get Active + Healthy Townsville Free Fitness + Activities Days: Every day Location: Various Locations More Info: www.townsville.qld.gov.au Cost: Free

Toy Library Townsville (The Toy Shed) Days: 2nd Saturday of every month (excluding January) Time: 9.00am - 12.00pm Location: Fitzroy St, Heatley Cost: $80 / year membership.

Hire upto 10 toys per month.

More info: 0420 585 069 Or 0400 815 279 Townsville Toy Shed

Townsville Toy Library Days: Every Tuesday and Saturday Time: 9.30am - 11.00am Location: Townsville Grammar School (Brazier Dr, Annandale) More Info: Townsville Toy Library Cost: $100 / year membership.

Giggle N Grow Playgroup Come along for arts, craft, sensory play, a healthy morning tea, connect with other families and more. Children 0 - 5 years.

Cost: Free Days: Every Wednesday Time: 9.00am – 11.00am Location: Aitkenvale State School More Info: 3333 8722 Days: Every Thursday Time: 9.00am – 11.00am Location: Garbutt State School More Info: 3333 8722 Days: Every Friday Time: 9.00am – 11.00am Location: Heatley State School More Info: 3333 8722

JCU Midwifery Townsville Early Pregnancy Information Sessions Days: Last Wednesday of the month Time: 5.30pm – 6.30pm Location: JCU Townsville Cost: Free More Info: chsclinicalservices@jcu.edu.au

Bump, Bub and Beyond

Tackling The Fourth Trimester STORY Jenna Galley We all know the three trimesters of pregnancy.

But did you know that once bub is earth-side, you’ve got one more trimester to look forward to?

Known as the fourth trimester, it’s the best trimester of all. It doesn’t involve a lot of sleep, but it does involve plenty of baby snuggles.

What is the Fourth Trimester?

The fourth trimester is the first three months of a baby’s life. It’s a time for mum to rest and recover (any chance she gets), a time for baby to get used to this new world and a time for parents to get to know their new bundle of joy.

Thoughts You May Have The fourth trimester can be incredibly hard. Take it from a mum with a colicky baby who spent hours pacing the house at all times of the night trying to soothe her. It was stressful, it was exhausting and it was heartbreaking.

You may feel like you’re failing your baby (you’re not) and that you’re not cut out for this (you are)... but never lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s always important to remember that this challenging fourth trimester, when all your baby wants is you, does end.

How to Cope?

Slow down – You only have one job now – to take care of yourself and your baby. Don’t worry about the dishes, or the laundry. Instead, enjoy the slower pace.

Let yourself recover - Sleep when you can, rest when you can’t sleep and focus on keeping yourself well.

Ask for help – Everyone needs a break, including you.

Accept help from those around you, whether it’s an invitation to hold the baby so you can sleep, a casserole for the freezer or a pile of washing folded and put away.

Mimic the womb - Play white noise to mimic the sounds they are used to in the womb, swaddle, baby wear and rock/bounce your baby. All of these things help her make the transition from womb to world a little easier.

Give yourself a break every day - Shower, have a cup of tea or lie in a bed without anyone touching you.

Clear your mind, let your body relax and remind yourself that you’re doing everything right, even if, some days, it doesn’t feel like it.

See if from your baby’s perspective – For nine months all they’ve known is the womb where they could suck, sleep and snuggle to their heart’s content.

The one thing that is familiar to them in this new world is you. Your voice, your heart beat, your touch, your smell.

You are your baby’s everything. Yes, this can be overwhelming, but it’s also such a special time for the both of you. Cuddle them, feed them, take in their ittybitty baby toes and delicious baby smell and accept that, for now, your only job is to be there for them.

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Bump, Bub and Beyond

Bump, Bub and Beyond Featured products, reviews and prizes. Visit www.pakmag.com.au/win for your chance to win!

Survive and Enjoy Your Baby Book $29.95 - www.belindajoyce.com This book covers all the essential areas you are desperately trying to find answers for as new parents.

If you're googling it, it's probably in here! Belinda is an author, midwife, maternal & child health nurse and mother of four. She is all too familiar with the challenges and joys of parenting a baby. This book provides safe, evidence-based & non-judgmental advice and suggestions, with the aim of helping you find your own path to parenthood.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottles 260ml Four Pack $29.95 - www.chemistwarehouse.com.au Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature's award-winning range of BPA-free bottles make switching between breast and bottle feeding easier than ever before.

Tommee Tippee have designed the unique, easylatch-on teat shape with breastfeeding experts to mimic the natural flex, stretch and movement of a mum’s breast. Together with the bottle’s supersensitive valve, this encourages your baby’s intuitive feeding action for comfortable, relaxed feeding.

42 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Ice Ice Booby $49.95 - www.iceicebooby.com.au Their remedial ice and heat packs have been designed specifically for women by an Australian Midwife.

They provide affordable and reusable heat/ice for women to use during pregnancy and in the postpartum period, which can help ease general aches and pains associated with child birth and breastfeeding, help reduce time spent feeding and expressing and relieve blocked ducts.

Bump, Bub and Beyond

All About Fine Motor Skills STORY Mary MacKillop Childcare Fine motor skills involve the use of the smaller muscles in the hands to grasp, hold and pinch. These skills are vital to carry out everyday tasks, as well as playing and learning. Developing these skills will not only improve the quality of the task outcome, but it will also help them complete it quicker.

passive activities that don’t require fine motor skills, such as watching TV or using an iPad.

Fine motor skills are needed for a number of things in life, including academic skills such as writing, drawing, colouring in and using scissors, playing with LEGO®, puzzles, or dressing up dolls and self-care activities such as tying shoelaces, zipping up jackets, brushing the teeth and hair and using cutlery to eat.

Without the ability to complete the above tasks, a child’s self esteem can suffer and they can fall behind.

Your child may have difficulties with their fine motor skills if you notice them being disinterested in the skills listed above, waiting for parents to brush their teeth or dress them rather than trying themselves or preferring

Helpful Tip As soon as you become a parent, your focus shifts to taking care of your new bundle of joy.

Each minute of your waking hours are consumed by taking care of them, playing with them and thinking about them. As difficult as it may be, self-care becomes especially important.

Try taking a quick five-minute meditation break here and there, going for a walk in nature, listening to your favourite music, joining a book club or seeing if somebody else can take your little one for a few hours so you can go shopping or catch up with friends.

You can encourage and help your child to develop their fine motor skills by offering toys that can be stacked or have interconnectable parts, offering creative materials and encouraging tactile play with materials like slime or play dough. Continue to cheer them on them while they learn. If your child continues to struggle or seems disinterested in advancing their fine motor skills, take them to the GP.

Did You Know?

Immediately after your baby’s birth, you’ll probably still look around 20 weeks pregnant. It’ll be two weeks until your uterus is small enough to fit back into your pelvis, and six weeks before it is back to its pre-pregnancy size. It’s basically shrinking from the size of a watermelon to a pear.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 43

Home

Family Farmhouse PakMag's Tip: These days farmhouse styles tend to imitate the simpler, old fashioned homes, while still looking modern and beautifully upkept. Antique furnishing and decorations are perfect for sticking to the true farmhouse roots; try placing items like antique vases, lamps and mirrors around as decoration for that final touch.

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www.homestolove.com.au

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Farmhouse-styled homes always have one thing in common: a feeling of warmth and welcome. Or, they evoke nostalgia for some quiet, simple life that you either lived before or wish you had. In this modern day of using interior design to make your home as minimalistic and sleek as you can, the farmhouse style manages to keep those minimalistic aspects while still holding the look of a well-loved, full home.

The Basics Wooden furnishing, kitchenware and more has always been simple yet elegant in its own way. It feels comfortable and easy, and should be used along with touches of wooden décor to create the more personalised, crafty feel. The farmhouse style is about practicality, and how things can actually be used instead of never touched – so you can ditch the fine china!

Simplicity and Balance are Key Try incorporating this look into the home along with some more neutral aspects, otherwise you may begin to lose the comfier elements of the design.

A mix of light and dark colours as a colour scheme is important for allowing the home to stay open and bright, as heavier and darker furniture can make even big spaces seem smaller. Oversized, thick rugs and blankets are a key element to the warming, inviting feeling of the house. Who doesn’t love wrapping themselves up in a comfy blanket on the couch every now and then?

Artwork and Design When you try placing colourful, abstract art pieces amongst this, the style can often become too confusing.

Try sticking to paintings and photos of plants or scenery.

Earth tones throughout the house are a must as they build on top of the overall woodsy and informal look really well.

Aspects of Outdoors Add to the look of the hand-built-family-farmhouse by using gentle plant life as décor. When thinking of a true farmhouse, we don’t just think of the house but also the location. A bit of greenery can serve of as a reminder of this and can bring the interior design to life.

1. Eucalyptus Framed Prints 64 x 79cm - $149.00ea www.freedom.com.au 2. Roca 2 Tier Basket - $25.00 www.freedom.com.au 3. Lightly Copper Infinity Bowl - $92.00 www.korufurnitureandhomewares.com.au 4. Zakkia Concrete Data Horse - $41.00 - www.korufurnitureandhomewares.com.au 5. Decorative Dry Branch - $14.95 - www.freedom.com.au 6. Amalfi Alston Jug - $69.95 - www.korufurnitureandhomewares.com.au 7. Rustic Dinner Plate - $18.00 / Rustic Side Plate - $14.00 / Rustic Bowl - $16.00 / Rustic Mug - $9.00 - www.freedom.com.au 8. Sawn Dining Table - $799.00 / Sawn Dining Bench - $299.00 - www.freedom.com.au

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 45

All Things Tweens and Teens

All Things Tweens & Teens Explaining Menstruation The first period can be very scary if your teen doesn’t know what it is upon its first arrival. There is a lot to learn about periods, and it’s a good idea to have this chat sooner rather than later – seeing as most girls get their period between the ages of 10 and 15.

Explain what a period is and why it happens.

It generally happens on a monthly basis, but in the first two to three years after the first period, they can be fairly irregular.

Periods usually last around five days and can come with cramps and discomfort.

Explain how to use pads, tampons, a cup or period panties (whichever they prefer), and give them pain killers or a heat pack if they are experiencing pain.

Modibodi are offering PakMag readers 15% off their modern, protective, leak-proof apparel, underwear and swimwear for periods and incontinence. Head to www.modibodi.com and use code PAKMAG11

The Importance of Consent When your teen starts to show interest in relationships, talking to them about consent is not just important but necessary.

It may not seem it, but there are many vital reasons as to why it’s so important.

Bring up the topic in a casual setting, such as when you are cooking dinner or driving together. Explain to your teen that they don’t have to do anything they don’t want to do in a relationship setting, whether that be kissing or being intimate, if they don’t feel comfortable doing so. Everyone has a choice in whether or not they’d like to engage, and they have every right to say no.

Reiterate with your teen that consent is a two-way street, and it may not always be in the form of saying “no”. Tell them to pay attention to non-verbal signs as well, such as when their partner backs off, tenses up or is too intoxicated to give consent.

Be open and ready to answer questions.

For Foxes’ Sake by Row Murray Everyone needs a sex fairy godmother – that person you can ask all the embarrassing questions. For Foxes’ Sake provides practical advice and guidance on topics as diverse as consent, body confidence and sexuality for secondary school-aged girls. It’s warm, honest, funny and accurate. Row understands what girls of today are facing and aims to arm them with self-confidence, digital smarts and self-respect. Available for sale on Amazon or www.booktopia.com.au WIN a copy of For Foxes' Sake by Row Murray worth $19.95!

Visit www.pakmag.com.au/win for your chance to win! *Please note that this book covers very diverse topics that may not be suitable for younger readers.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 47

Advertorial

Practising Healthy and Hygienic Habits STORY Coralee O’Rourke - Member for Mundingburra, Minister for Communities and Minister for Disability Services & Seniors With cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) now in Queensland, it is a timely reminder for all members of our community to maintain healthy personal hygiene habits to reduce the spread of illnesses. It is well documented that this assists the slowing down of the coronavirus progression.

Think of all the shared items we touch daily; doors, trolleys, counters, eftpos machines, playgrounds, or the number of times we shake hands or hug someone.

Then, without knowing, we touch our face- hundreds or even thousands of times each day, potentially spreading viruses to ourselves. Viruses such as COVID-19, spread through close contact with people and via those who are coughing or sneezing. The virus enters your body via your eyes, nose and/or mouth which is why it is important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Practising good personal hygiene and passing these habits onto your family and friends is the best way to prevent infection for most viruses.

• Regularly wash your hands with soap and water or antibacterial liquid before and after eating, going to the toilet and upon contact with public items • Cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues and use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser • If unwell, avoid contact with others (touching, kissing, hugging, and other intimate contact)

• Do not attend workplaces, schools, aged care facilities, childcare centres or high concentrated public spaces if unwell, as this will only spread the virus to others • Self-isolate for 14 days if you have travelled internationally And don’t forget to keep looking after yourself by eating a healthy, balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, sleeping well and reducing stress.

The community plays a huge part in preventing the spread of coronavirus. If you, or someone you know has symptoms of fever, shortness of breath, headache, a cough or respiratory illness; self-isolate and make phone contact with your local GP or Hospital to discuss your symptoms and treatment options.

It’s extremely important to be alert, but not alarmed with regards to this pandemic. Rest assured the public health authorities are well prepared and our Townsville University Hospital (TUH) is well equipped should the virus hit North Queensland.

Please call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) for health advice if you are concerned. The Federal Department of Health has also set up a 24-hour COVID-19 health information line which you might find useful – 1800 020 080.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 49

Easter Craft

Make a Bunny!

Step 1

Step 2

Grab a sheet of paper in your favourite colour and using a pencil, trace around your hand.

Very carefully cut around the outline of your hand.

Get an adult to help if needed.

Step 3

Step 4

Mark out where your hand and wrist separate, and cut.

You now have a cut-out of just your hand.

Fold the middle finger behind your paper hand.

Your index and ring finger will be the bunny’s ears.

Step 5

Step 6

Gently fold the thumb and pinky forward a little.

These will be the bunny’s paws.

Draw a cute face for your bunny. Don’t forget the eyes, mouth and whiskers, but leave out the nose.

50 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Step 7 Using another sheet of coloured paper, cut out a nose and inside of the ears for your bunny.

Step 8 Using a glue stick, glue the inside of the ears and nose to your bunny.

Step 9 Your adorable Easter bunny is complete! Keep him yourself or give him as a gift.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 51

Advertiser Feature

Easter Recipes

Pizza Rabbit RECIPE Matthew Calanna, Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy

Carrot, Ginger and Macadamia Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Base Ingredients

Topping Ingredients

RECIPE Michelle Bell-Turner, Mungalli Creek Dairy

1 cup lukewarm water 2 tsp dried yeast 400g plain flour 1 tbsp salt Pinch caster sugar 3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp tomato paste 8 cherry tomatoes, halved 3 button mushrooms, sliced 2 cups diced fresh mozzarella A few rocket leaves (for garnish)

Ingredients

Method Whisk the yeast and water in a heatproof jug and let stand for five minutes. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the oil and yeast mixture and mix with your hands.

Transfer to a floured surface and knead.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to an hour until it has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 240°C. Knead dough for another five minutes. Roll out about ¾ of the dough into a pizza base. Halve the remaining dough and form a bunny ear with each half. Transfer to prepared baking tray and add the bunny ears, pinching the dough where they meet the base to connect the ears.

Cover with tomato paste, mozzarella, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

3 cups plain flour 1 ½ cups caster sugar 2 cups grated carrot 1 ½ cups olive oil 440g tin crushed pineapple 3 eggs 2 tbsp preserved ginger, finely chopped 2 tsp vanilla essence 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger 2 tsp cardamom powder 125g Wondaree macadamias or walnuts, finely chopped Zest of 1 orange Icing 250g Mungalli Creek cream cheese or ricotta ½ cup icing sugar 2 tbsp butter, softened Zest of 1 orange

Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a large baking dish with baking paper. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick.

Add oil and continue beating for three minutes. Add the vanilla, pineapple (and juice from tin), carrot, ginger, zest and macadamias and combine.

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and spices. Fold flour into carrot mixture. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for an hour. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Garnish with rocket and serve.

For the icing, place ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Once the cake has cooled, cut in half and spread the middle and top with icing.

Decorate with nuts.

Calanna Whole Health Pharmacy www.calannapharmacy.com.au

Mungalli Creek Dairy www.mungallicreekdairy.com.au

Bake until the crust is browned (about 10 minutes).

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 53

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1. Lynda and Estelle 2. Mona and Eshaan 3. Tamara Shaw and Byron Mitchell 4. Jack Tomren 5. Emmi and Anika Tucker 6. Elisa and Clara Clark 7. Mitchell and Zarco Low

54 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au

Snapped

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Photography thanks to: Josephine Carter Photography p 0455 295 416 e josiarnold87@gmail.com Josephine Carter Photography www.josephinecarterphotography.com

8. Mitchell, Elvy, Sofia and Radley 9. Haimish 10. Tanya, Dan, Charlie and Madeline 11. Trevor and Andrew Elson 12. Henry Tucker 13. Tanya, Dan, Charlie and Madeline

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 55

School Holiday Guide

School Holiday Guide When we went to print with this guide, there were a lot of changes happening Australia-wide relating to the COVID-19 virus. We are thinking of all of our amazing entertainment, hospitality and tourism businesses who are no doubt being impacted at this time. We have collated a list of amazing local deals, and of course all of the things that are happening to keep the kids busy (please check before you go, just in case things have changed).

We hope many of you are staying local for the Easter Break and will support as many of these businesses as possible, not only these holidays, but by buying vouchers or local deals for the future if you can. Every dollar will count as you support local businesses during this time.

We have done our best to ensure all events and information was correct at the time of going to print.

Please check with individual businesses and authorities during these uncertain times.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 57

School Holiday Guide

Townsville Academy of Performing Arts (TAPA)

Reef HQ

TAPA cultivates the love of the art of dance in a nurturing atmosphere. They deliver quality training from experienced qualified teachers in many genres of dance including, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Acrobatics, Irish, Hip Hop, Song and Dance and also the energetic pre-school programs Ready Set Dance and Ready Set Ballet, that focus on developing the 3 C’s for preschoolers – Confidence, Co-ordination and Creativity.

TAPA was recently awarded both Ready Set Ballet Studio of the Year and Ready Set Ballet Teacher of the Year for 2019 from over 200 studios in Australia and New Zealand wide. Introduce your preschooler to the magic of these classes in 2020.

A 1/14 Black Hawk Blvd, Thuringowa Central P 4723 2101 Tapastudio www.tapa.net.au

Accelerate your child’s swimming abilities with Paul Sadler swimming lessons. They have been delivering cutting edge teaching and training methods for just on half a century and are recognised worldwide as a leader in aquatic education.

If you’re interested, get in touch with the friendly staff at reception to make a booking.

Croft-Gilchrist School of Dancing

With amazing ever-changing exhibits and fascinating creatures, a trip to Reef HQ is sure to impress.

A 2-68 Flinders St, Townsville P 4750 0800 Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium www.reefhq.com.au

The Choi Kwang Do Master Academy Are you looking for activities that the whole family can enjoy? The Choi Kwang Do Master Academy has been training Townsville's community members for over 28 years in 2020.

They offer beginner classes and special try-out courses where you can learn discipline and self-confidence with Martial Arts.

Paul Sadler Swimland

A 20-22 Freshwater Dr, Riverside Gardens P 4779 4647 Paul Sadler Swimland Riverside Gardens www.paulsadlerswimland.com.au

Visit the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium right in the heart of Townsville and meet the residents of the Great Barrier Reef including turtles, sharks, and fish without getting your feet wet.

Free 3 class pass for Martial Arts and Self Defence.

Classes available all throughout April, for ages three years and above. Check website.

A 741 Riverway Dr, Thuringowa Central P 4773 9794 E info@choikwang-do.com.au www.ckdmac.com.au

Pitstop Karting Experience ‘The Ultimate Adrenalin Rush’ these school holidays at Townsville’s only go karting hire facility.

Race in on Tuesday’s for our Cheap Tuesday Deal or over the Easter Weekend for our Eggtastic Eggstravaganza races. It will be a holiday event that you’ll want to come back to!

Do you love dance and want to learn professional skills? Slide on down to Croft-Gilchrist and gain not only skills but also confidence, poise and better coordination through the art of Dance. They can provide a variety of dance classes centred around ballet, modern jazz & tap, highland and acrobatics, for all ages.

Sessions are 10 minutes each and start at $22.00 (Cheap Tuesday Deals only). Must have a Pitstop license – $5 valid for 12 months. Remember to wear closed in shoes and comfortable but not loose-fitting clothing.

A French St, Pimlico P 4779 8481 Croft-Gilchrist School of Dance www.croftgilchristdance.com.au

A 1-7 Cardwell St, Garbutt P 4401 5045 Pitstop Karting www.pitstopkarting.com.au

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Dual karts are available too so that you and your little one (above 3 years) can experience the thrill together.

No bookings required – just arrive and drive.

We have done our best to ensure all events and information was correct at the time of going to print.

Please check with individual businesses and authorities during these uncertain times.

School Holiday Guide

Townsville City Council

FREE event – bookings required.

CityLibraries - Laser Skirmish and Sumo Suits

*All of these events are ongoing and are at various dates/locations throughout April. Check website to find more information and keep up to date with events.

Check out the Laser Skirmish and Sumo Suits event happening these school holidays at the library, where you can join in with your friends for two hours of fun!

Event starts 7.00pm and finishes 9.00pm on the 6th April.

Recommended ages 12 – 17 years. FREE event – bookings required.

CityLibraries Thuringowa: Pet Story Time Teaching your young ones about dog behaviours and safe actions is always a good idea. Come along to talk to Council Patrol Officers about how to be a responsible pet owner.

Tuesday 7th April, 10.00am – 11.00am. Suitable for children 5 – 12 years. FREE event, bookings required.

CityLibraries – Middle Eastern Games* Come and join in traditional Iraq Children’s games and learn a few basic Arabic words.

Recommended for ages 9 – 16. FREE event – bookings required.

CityLibraries - Balloon Art* Amaze your friends with a new skill by learning how to turn balloons into animals, objects and other awesome creations! You can be shown all the tricks and tips for balloon bending and experience hours of fun.

Aside from its events, the Library always has some great picture books and books for older kids, games, puzzles and toys in the children’s section. The Children’s and Youth Services Team are specialists in young people’s programs, reading and more.

A Lvl 1, 280 Flinders St, Townsville City, P 4727 9666 A 86 Thuringowa Dr, Thuringowa Central, P 4773 8811 A 4 Petunia St, Aitkenvale, P 4727 8310 www.whatson.townsville.qld.gov.au

Sk8way Townsville Sk8way provides the Townsville community with facilities for both recreational and competitive skating.

Whether you’re in it to win it or just there for a good time with your friends, it’s all happening at Sk8way.

They also offer learn to skate lessons, dance parties and recreational events.

Skate hire is available for just $4 per person – or you can purchase your very own pair from the Skate Shop.

Recommended for ages 9 – 16.

A 72-88 Hervey Range Rd, Condon P 4755 4422 Sk8way Townsville www.sk8way.com.au

CityLibraries – Origami*

Inflatable Kingdom

Choose an origami item you want to create from drawings and books and watch it come to life through this beautiful art.

Inflatable Kingdom provides a high-energy, actionpacked environment with inflatables of all shapes and sizes. Book online to save 10% off entry price.

Recommended for ages 5 – 12 years. FREE event – bookings required.

Open these school holidays 9.00am – 4.00pm.

Don’t forget your socks!

CityLibraries – Chinese Paper Lanterns*

A 72-88 Hervey Range Rd, Condon P 4032 2844 Inflatable Kingdom www.inflatablekingdom.com.au

Learn how to make and decorate a colourful Chinese Paper Lantern. Dates/locations throughout April, check website.

We have done our best to ensure all events and information was correct at the time of going to print.

Please check with individual businesses and authorities during these uncertain times.

www.pakmag.com.au | April 2020 61

School Holiday Guide

Wildcatz Indoor sports

Cairns Colonial Club

Wildcatz Indoor Sports offer a fun and social way to exercise, get fit and have fun.

Easter FAMILY FUN “Sleep Over” Special

They offer a variety of junior sports such as cricket, netball and soccer, as well as a range of levels, from social through to competitions. Nominate a team with your friends, or let the friendly staff find a suitable team for you. Rain or shine, it’s always time for a game at Wildcatz Indoor Sports.

A 18 Black Hawk Boulevard, Thuringowa Central P 4723 1414 Wildcatz Indoor Sports (Official) www.wildcatzindoorsports.com.au

A 18-26 Cannon St, Manunda P 4053 8800 Cairns Colonial Club Resort www.cairnscolonialclub.com.au

Ninja Parc Townsville Ninja Parc aims to inspire a world of movement and improve agility through an indoor obstacle course. Not only is it fun, it’s also accessible for all ages and skill levels with rope climbs, bouldering challenges, vertical and horizontal doors and a sea of poles.

A 18 Black Hawk Boulevard, Thuringowa Central P 0427 139 762 Ninja Parc Townsville www.ninjaparc.com.au

Family Fun Day, Sunday 19th April - Head on over to Perc Tucker Regional Gallery for their FREE family fun day.

There will be free art making activities for families, all materials provided. Drop in for five minutes or for the entire two hours!

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Kumon Kumon’s Maths and English Programs build students’ abilities step-by-step, at the students’ own pace. This means those who missed essential concepts in class can go back and catch-up, and those who are capable are free to tackle advanced content. If your child needs a bit of extra help after-school, or if they need a challenge, then give Kumon a go!

Check their website out to see updates on what’s going on these holidays.

Perc Tucker Gallery

A Cnr Flinders St and Denham St, Townsville P 4727 9011 Townsville City Galleries www.townsville.qld.gov.au

Relax and unwind amidst 11 acres of tropical rainforest gardens with 3 lagoon style pools, a brand-new children’s playground and contemporary Poolside Bar & Dining facilities. $139 per night includes accommodation for two adults and two children in a freshly refurbished Superior Room or spacious Studio Room with FREE hot buffet breakfast! (Conditions apply.) Book TODAY using code word “EASTER” and we’ll throw in a bonus $20 dining voucher!

A Pimlico – 2/55 Fulham Rd, Pimlico A Kirwan – 7/15 – 17 Castlemaine St, Kirwan P Pimlico 0424 155 171 P Kirwan 0417 070 826 E Pimlico instructor@kumonpimlico.com E Kirwan instructor@kumonkirwan.com Kumon Townsville – Pimlico Education Centre Kumon Townsville – Kirwan Education Centre www.au.kumonglobal.com

We have done our best to ensure all events and information was correct at the time of going to print.

Please check with individual businesses and authorities during these uncertain times.

Daddy Diary

Daddy Diary If 2020 was a person, it would be Thanos from The Avengers. If you're not a Marvel fan, he's a bad guy.

A very ugly, very bad guy. Thanos is 2020. Bushfires, break-in's and a not so run-of-the-mill pandemic called COVID-19... it's been an average-at-best start to the year. Thankfully Easter is upon us. And I think now, more than ever we need to grab onto the joy of this holiday and hold on for dear life.

Often amongst the chaos, we lose sight of the little pleasures around us. Mine include; eating my daughters cheese sticks (when she's not looking), Netflix binges, Cowboys games and the big daddy of them all‌ family time. And for those lacking Easter inspo here's my top three things to do with the fam-bam this holiday break:

Head to Parents and Kids of North Queensland YouTube Channel to see Bree’s up close interview with Cliffo.

1. Make something. Even if it's as simple as a cake. A few days ago, my daughter and I got our Betty Crocker on.

I'm not ashamed to admit the cake (Banana flavoured) was even out of a packet. But the joy that stupid $2 cake brought my nearly 6-year-old was enough to power her for days. If we achieved that from a packet cake mix, imagine what a backyard garden or cubby house could do. Please note: I do not have the tools and most importantly, skills, to build a backyard garden or cubby house.

2. Raid the board game cupboard. We've recently done this and rediscovered UNO, Snakes & Ladders and a bunch of dusty puzzles. My wife and I even pulled out Monopoly and enjoyed it over a bottle (or two) of wine.

I won for the record.

3. Get Away. Look, easier said than done given the current climate of the world, but my family and I find travel the best battery-recharger of all. Even if it's just a trip to Cairns or across the isle to Maggie. As long as there's coffee for my wife and I and a playground for the kids. Jobs a goodin.

Happy Easter Townsville. Take a few days for you and your tribe, enjoy way too many Caramilk Easter Eggs, and maybe come up with your own Top 3. Heaven knows we deserve the distraction right now. Big love.

Cliffo Hit 103.1 Townsville

64 April 2020 | www.pakmag.com.au