Kids Mail Swap

Keep your eyes peeled for Pigeon Pairs next Kids Mail Swap sign up.

Every child who signs up needs to send a postcard OR letter to 5 other swappers.

Sign up's are open to kids aged 2-12 years & they will be sending/receiving mail from other kids of a similar age.
The mail doesn't have to be over the top, it could be a homemade postcard or one of your hometown. It could be a picture that your child has drawn or coloured in or just a few sentences written by themselves or you depending on their age.
You do not need to have a blog to play along & sign ups are open to everyone, so please be prepared to post overseas.

--

For more details visit Pigeon Pair

Red Carpet affair for Coraline

Kids and their families will get a chance to share the red carpet with Teri Hatcher for the Australian premiere of Henry Selik's Coraline which screens in Official Competition at the Sydney Film Festival on Wednesday 10 June.

Based on the book by Neil Gamain, Coraline is the first stop motion ( hand made) film shot in stereoscopic 3D. The unique visual journey follows the fearless Coraline as she discovers a parallel universe behind the secret door.

-

Official website: www.coraline.com

Suitable for ages:  8 and over

Wednesday 10 June 6.30pm | Greater Union

Saturday 13 June 12.00pm | Greater Union

Ticket prices: Adults $17.00 Children $7.50

To view the entire program and bookings visit the Festivals officialwebsite. 

The Gruffalo | May - June | NSW / ACT

The Everest Theatre in the Seymour Centre was jam packed full of kids and their parents eagerly awaiting  for the performance of The Gruffalo to commence.  

The musical production has been adapted from the well loved book by  Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.  The  story centres around a little mouse alone in the forest and the creature he invents to protect himself from the bigger animals who want to each him for lunch.

The hour performance sped by with catchy songs, witty dialogue and audience interaction.  The Gruffalo succeeds in keeping both young children and parents both entertained. 

THE GRUFFALO follows Mouse into the deep dark wood on a lunchtime hunt for hazelnuts. Armed with just a nut map and a very vivid imagination, Mouse runs into the smirking, wheeler-dealer Fox; an eccentric, retired Woodland Air Force General Owl; and the maraca-shaking, party animal Snake. Rather than becoming the main course of their next meal, Mouse kills their appetites with stories of an imaginary monster friend. 

Little does this clever critter know but Mouse will have to escape the jaws of this faux protector as well. In a production that has become the toast of London’s West End, Tall Stories vibrantly reinvents this delightful tale through its signature style of bold, multifaceted storytelling.

---

SYDNEY 16-30 May   

Performance times: Sat 10am, 12noon & 3pm; Mon, Thurs & Fri 10am & 12 noon   

Venue: Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale  

Bookings: 9351 7940 or www.seymourcentre.com.au 

 

WOLLONGONG 1-2 June   

Performance times: Mon 12noon & 1.30pm, Tues 10am, 12noon & 1.30pm 

Venue: IPAC Wollongong 

Bookings: 4226 3366 or www.merrigong.com.au 

 

PENRITH 4-5 June   

Performance times: 10am & 12noon 

Venue: Q Theatre, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith 

Bookings:  4723 7600 or www.jspac.com.au 

 

CANBERRA 10-13 June   

Performance times: Wed 1pm, Thurs & Fri 10am & 12noon, Sat 10am, 12noon & 3pm  

Venue: Street Theatre, Canberra 

Bookings:  62471223 or www.thestreet.org.au 

 

WAGGA WAGGA 6-17 June   

Performance times: Tues 12 noon, Wed 10am & 12noon 

Venue: Civic Theatre, Wagga Wagga 

Bookings: 6926 9688 or www.civictheatre.com.au 

 

PARRAMATTA 19 June   

Performance times: 10am & 12noon 

Venue: Riverside Theatres, Parramatta 

Bookings: 8839 3399 or www.riversideparramatta.com.au 

 

Under the Crystal Sky | 15 May - 3 June | Sydney

Star Made Rainbow | 2008 

Sugar, pigments, origami, modeling compounds, plastic objects, artificial plants and flowers, beads, 

confectionery, straws, tables Dimensions variable (detail)

My daughter and I went the opening night of the exhibition Under the Crystal Sky created Pip & Pop (Nicole Andrijevic and Tanya Schultz).  As soon as we walked into the gallery we were hypnotized by the wonderful sugary formations that took over the whole room.  As we walked around we discovered little treats and wonders within the habitat. 

Under the Crystal Sky created by Pip & Pop, is a vibrant installation lavishly filled with dunes of coloured sugar, embellished with miniature objects and all things sweet, accompanied with a soundscape specifically designed by Big Ear.

The exhibition springs from Pip & Pop’s fascination with thekawaii (cute) aesthetics of Japanese pop culture that ranges from items you come across at the local bargain shop to intricately folded origami pieces, to disposable edible objects.

Meet Pip & Pop in person on Saturday 16 May for a chance to discover the creativity behind the imaginary paradise.

This is an exhibition not to be missed!!

Pip & Pop are one of the three selected finalists of the Japan Foundation, Sydney’s new artist program,Facetnate! Facetnate! is a grant program launched early 2008 to support emerging visual artist/s whose work is strongly influenced by Japan. 

--

Dates: 15 May - 3 June 2009

Venue: Japan Foundation Gallery Chifley Plaza, Sydney

Gallery Hours Monday - Friday 11am- 4pm 

Meet the artists: Saturday 11am - 4pm

Admission: Free

More info 

Earn Your Tucker - Rouse Hill House and Farm

During the school holidays friends and I took our children to Rouse Hill Farm for their Earn your tucker event. It was fantastic. 

The children were given hobby horses to ride up to the stables and then put through a series of tasks that would have been daily chores on the farm back when it really did operate as a farm. These included, collecting milk, turning cream into butter, feeding the cows, grinding grain for the chickens, pumping water, feeding chickens and collecting eggs. 

The children were kept entertained and busy for the two hours they worked on the farm. They then collected their hobby horses and headed back to the main cottage where a great meal of fresh bread, butter and jam was laid out. 

Adults were offered tea and coffee, children were offered chocolate milk. Each child was given the cream they made and a fresh egg to take home. This event isn't on all the time so you need to watch out for it but Rouse Hill House and Farm could be worth a visit anyway. 

You can book a tour of the farm or go on an open day. 

They also have a July event for 5-10 year olds, 'Snoops & Sleuths'. 

If it's anything like Earn Your Tucker then it's probably worth the drive.

For more infomation visit www.hht.net.au

Snoops & Sleuths

Rouse Hill House & Farm 
15.7.09, 16.7.09, 22.7.09 & 23.7.09
10am - 11.30am | $10 per child

Don't try this at home! | SFF 2009

The Sydney Film Festival this morning announced its line up for this years festival.  I think the highlight of the kids films this year will be The Fox and the Child (Le Renard et L'efant), directed by Luc Jacquet  (March of the Penguins).   I would have liked to see more live action films for kids -  I am having an animation overload at the moment.  Take the family to see one or all films  and support children's cinema within the festival. 

Coraline   

Dir Henry Selick | USA | 100 minutes | 3D Animation  | Australian Premiere

Based on the on the book by Neil Gamain, Coraline is the first stop motion film shot in stereoscopic 3D. The unique visual journey follows the fearless Coraline as she discovers a parallel universe behind a secret door.

Teri Hatcher, who plays Coraline's mother,  will be a special guest of the Premiere on Wednesday 10 June.

Official website: www.coraline.com

Suitable for ages:  8 and over

Wednesday 10 June 6.30pm | Greater Union

Saturday 13 June 12.00pm | Greater Union

--

The Fox and the Child | Le Renard et L'efant

Dir: Luc Jacquet | France | 96 minutes | Australian Premiere

Kate Winslet narrates this story of a red headed girl and her friendship with a fox.

Suitable for ages 7 and up

http://www.thefoxandthechildthemovie.co.uk/

Sunday 7 June 12.15pm Greater Union

Sunday 14 June 12.30pm Greater Union

--

Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms

Dir: Thomas Borch Nielson | Denmark | 78 minutes | Australian Premiere

A fun loving animation packed with wriggling worms, creepy bugs and wicked disco beats 

Suitable for ages 6 and up

Monday 8 June 12.00pm

Saturday 13 June 2.45pm

Screening with 

Little Dinosaurs 

Dir: Dana Dorian | Scotland | 2 mins

 --

Brendan and the Secret of the Kells

Dir: Tomm Moore, Norma Twomey | Ireland | 75 mins | Australian Premiere

Adventure, action and danger await 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and and a serprent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells.
  

Official website: http://www.thesecretofkells.com/  

Suitable for ages 6 and up

Saturday 6 June 12.30pm | Greater Union

Sunday 14 June 2.35pm | Greater Union

--

Ticket prices: Adults $17.00 Children $7.50

To view the entire program visit the Festivals official website. 

Little Big Shots 2009

The Happy Duckling

Little Big Shots kids film festival is returning for another year and launches at the ACMI on May 31 2009.   This unique film festival consists of kids flicks that are made by adults and children. Each programme consists of a  wonderful variety of shorts that are sorted in age appropriate groups. 

Little Big Shots includes over 90 films from 25 countries as far reaching as Russia to Argentina, Estonia to Bangladesh and Finland to Sth Africa.

Two of our favourites in this years line up include:

The Happy Duckling

Directed by Gil Dolev |Scotland 2008 | Animation Length: 8:45mins Language: English

This beautiful animation follows a the journey a a little girl attempting to get rid of a persistent duck. The special thing about this animation is that it the chase occurs within a pop up book.  My 7 year and 5 year old loved this.

Anything you can do

Directed by Emma Buckley| Australia 2009 | Live action | Length 7minutes Language: non verbal

Two boys face of in a back room. The competition is fierce. Faces are pulled, grapes are thrown and burps are unleashed. But when the stakes are at their highest, and no punches are pulled, will victory still taste sweet. 

For a full program visit Little Big Shots

--

The festival, launches on May 31, 2009 at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne and continues over three school days (June 3 - 5) and the Queen’s Birthday long weekend (June 6 - 8).  

An Australia-wide tour follows and includes screenings at Warrnambool’s Fun4Kids Festival (June 28 –July 5), the Adelaide Festival Centre (July 16 - 18), the Sydney Opera House (September 9 - 13) and Kyneton Town Hall (October 21).  

Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years | MCA | NSW

Last school holidays when deciding what to do with the kids ( aged 10, 7 and 5), I lived by the following code:

1. It had to be fun and
2. It had to be free

At first we thought it may be impossible but we were delighted to find that when you digged deep enough treasures do appear.
One of those treasures was the Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Discover the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama with this major exhibition that spans decades of her artistic practice.Working across different media and forms that include painting, collage, sculpture, installation and film, as well as performance and its documentation, Kusama creates works that reveal a fixation with repetition, pattern and accumulation.

Expect lots of dots!

Some parts of the exhibition were difficult to prevent my children from touching, as it was just too tempting. They loved the rooms that allowed them to be  enclosed (with a small group)in a room of dots and mirrors or starlights and water(it felt like we were in space) revealing amazing patterns.

If your kids want to learn more about Yayoi and have fun with dots, the Queensland Art Gallery have a fantastic online interactive experience where they can dot to their hearts content.
An education kit is available online to download for older kids.

This exhibition finishes on the 8th June so you don't have long to catch it.

--
Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years
24 FEBRUARY - 8 JUNE 2009
Cost : Free
Location: MCA
140 George Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
Australia