Monkey Baa | The Witches

Monkey Baa's The Witches is theatre at its most theatre like.  Theatre stripped bare.  Based on Roald Dahl's book of the same name, one actor (Guy Edmonds) takes on the entire story, playing over ten characters with limited costumes and props. 

My almost six-year-old sat on my lap and from the moment the actor started performing he was enthralled. My ten and twelve-year-olds enjoyed it too.  I enjoyed that they had to work for understanding.  That there were no fancy props, nothing literal.  It was as far from television you could get and while the little one got a bit lost sometimes at the end he understood enough and he experienced a version of what might be becoming the lost art of storytelling. 

In our after-show discussions the children liked the effects, which are pretty limited, but my ten-year-old also pointed out the skill of a one-person show being able to tell an entire book of characters and this, I think, is why it's worth taking your kids to see it.

After a  sell-out season at the Griffin Theatre - The Witches makes a return to Monkey Baa in Darling Harbour over the school holidays.

Sarah and family.

DATES & TIMES: 30th June - 4th July (10:30am, 1:00pm)
VENUE: Lend Lease Darling Quarter Theatre
(across from the Children’s Playground in Darling Harbour)
TICKETS: $25pp / $90 Family 4 / $110 Family 5 / $23pp Groups 10+
www.monkeybaa.com.au

Kids in the Garden - Butterflies, birds and planting peas

We asked Sarah from Grow Eat Enjoy for some tips on how to get creative outside over the school holidays........

Ok, so we’re nearly through the first week of school holidays, the weather is great, hopefully your children are too and I’m sure we’re all having fun.  But there’s another whole week to go so here’s some garden ideas to keep up your sleeves in case you find yourself lying in bed at night wondering how you’re going to fill another day.

Make butterflies out of used milk bottles. This is a little tricky to cut but a good tracing exercise if your kids haven’t fully mastered scissors yet.  Cut out the shape of a butterfly from the sides of your milk bottle.  When you have 5 or more you can thread them with fishing line and hang them in your garden.  They look sweet, flutter in the breeze and may even signal to cabbage moths that these plants are taken thus saving you that annoying task of picking caterpillars off your brassicas.

Make birds out of used milk bottles.  This is like a magic trick and children of 8 or over love it.  You can paint them afterwards and string them up in a similar way to the butterflies.  Instructions here.  Persist, with practise these get easier and better.

Plant peas.  Big seeds for little fingers.  Even if they sit on the surface they’ll still often germinate so hard to go wrong.  And they grow quick, and taste sweet.  You can eat the tips or wait for the pods.  You can even grow chick peas at this time of year which are a pretty alternative.  Soak your store bought chick peas in water and watch them sprout.  Plant them out or keep them in damp cotton wool and watch the plant unfold before your eyes.

If nothing else just get them outside observing.  Dig a hole, climb a tree, pick your neighbours rosemary, smell it, taste it, stick it in a jar of water and pretty soon it will sprout roots and you’ll have a rosemary of your own.

Grow Eat Enjoy 

Rio 2

It was with much excitement that I took my three sons (11, 9 and 4) to the preview screening of Rio 2.  My four year old couldn't remember the first movie when we spoke about it the night before but quickly remembered as soon as we walked in and he saw those familiar images again.

All the favourite characters are back in this one plus some new ones and it was the new characters that seemed to catch my children's imagination.  So much so that I wondered if some of the characters from the first movie seemed a little superfluous.

The movie was fun with similar environmental themes, lots of music (and songs, were there songs in the first one?  I can't remember) and colourful flying/dancing sequences.  The laughs were slow to come but were definately there a little after mid-way.  All three children enjoyed it.  My eleven year old said he enjoyed how distinctly different all the characters were from each other.  If I told you what the nine and four year old liked I'd be ruining the end and a minor twist.

Sarah Brill

RIO 2
Release date: 3 July 2014

Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms

Sydney Film Festival.

I took the family (4yo, 6yo and 40+) to see Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms at the Sydney Film Festival today. Of the four children's films this is the one that seemed most suitable for the 4yo despite the program suggesting it was for 6 and over. The audience was large and there were a lot of under sixes there, so other families seemed to have the same idea. I think, however, the program was right. While the 4yo sat through it and even enjoyed it at times the content wasn't suitable for his age group and was a little old for my 6yo too.
The sound was way too loud in the cinema. I also found the depiction of the mother a little offensive (all the female characters were a bit lacking really particularly at the start), the father, and homosexuals don't come off much better. The overall story didn't hold a message I am particularly interested in discussing with my children. On the upside the music was fun and my 6yo was dancing in his seat by the end.
Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms screens again on Saturday 13th June at 2.45pm, Greater Union George Street.

Vivid Light Walk

We braved the crowds last night to see some of the light walk which extends from Observation Hill to the Opera House. This event runs until 14th June from 6pm-midnight and can make for an interesting evening if you don't mind the crowds. Highlights for us were the MCA facade and the bike (kid size) powered blue rings on the foreshore. Take a few glow sticks.

Brendan and the Secret of Kells

Sydney Film Festival.

My son (6) and I went to see this movie today. It was a great relief for me not to be watching the usual computer generated animation of childrens films. The images were beautiful and the story held both of our interest as well as providing for interesting future discussions.

The six year old review. 'It was a good film and I really liked the end. I liked the ink making scenes.'

The film screens again Sunday 14th June, 2.35pm at Greater Union, George Street.

For more information visit The Cartoon Saloon

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

Art Gallery of Western Australia

During the school holidays my children (3 and 5) checked out the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Here they had a great craft activity suitable for a broad range of ages and upstairs ‘wonderland’. Wonderland is a family activity space designed especially for families visiting the current Wonderlust collection. I'd say wonderland would amuse babies up to 6 year olds but probably not beyond. The space is small but well designed and a good way to amuse children if you are interested in a longer look at the art work. You can’t leave them there unsupervised of course but between two adults you can arrange for the kids can have a good play out of the rain and for you can get some culture.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia is at the Perth Cultural Centre, www.artgallery.wa.gov.au

Sydney Youth Orchestra – 2008 Winter Family Concert

image courtesy of SYO

On Saturday I gathered my family together for an afternoon of culture at the Conservatorium of Music for the Sydney Youth Orchestra Winter Family Concert. The afternoon started well as the building looks like a castle and castles are big in our house at the moment. It continued to go well as the boys (3 & 5) proudly clutched their tickets and headed for their seats. Fortunately we were in the back row so the squirming of the three year old didn’t disturb anyone’s viewing.

The first band arrived and played two movements of a symphony. (I apologise for my lack of details but between the tickets, the castle and the trips to the toilet I neglected to pick up a programme). My boys were rapt. My partner and I held hands and felt proud to be exposing our children to such wonders. The band finished. We all clapped. They left and another arrived. This one was predominantly violins and they proceeded to play charmingly. My eyes were drawn to the little ones whose toes couldn’t reach the floor. They finished. We all clapped again.

The second band left and the third arrived. This was too much for my three year old. He took his father outside to play castles while my older son and I continued to watch.

The fourth band was a real band, lots of brass and very loud. Too loud for my sensitive five year old who began covering his ears and asking when we could leave. We left at intermission.

In the postmortem discussion it was suggested that it’s probably better to expose children to music by getting them doing it rather than watching it but I thought it would be exciting for them to see young people playing a variety of instruments. And I think it was. For a little while.

The concert was a fairly casual affair and it was perfectly acceptable to leave between orchestras so I did not leave feeling we were badly behaved but instead that we gave it a good try.

I think youth orchestras are always worth a listen. The quality of performance is usually high and the music is often approached in a more lighthearted manner. Sydney Youth Orchestra Family concerts are an inexpensive and casual way to introduce your children to orchestral music and I recommend you also give it a try. Particularly if your children are over five or like castles.

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Upcoming SYO performances
SPRING FAMILY CONCERT
Sunday 13 September 2008 at 3pmVerbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium
Presented by Sydney Youth Orchestras
Tickets Adult $22 Concession $12 Family $58 (2 adults and 2 concessions)
Bookings City Recital Hall Angel PlaceBook online here or call 8256 2222

Toddler Proms
Sunday 16th November 2008 9:30AM
Sydney's best orchestral experience for young people aged 2-7!
$9 (groups of 4 or more)Under 2s admitted free of charge
Bookings City Recital Hall Angel Place Book online here or call 8256 2222

Australian Institute of Music

Music lessons for 3-5 year olds.

My three year old son and I trekked off last Saturday morning for a music lesson at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM). AIM is located near Central Station and was easy to get to although a little harder to get away from.

The music lesson was run by Bronwyn, a very charming and enthusiastic woman, who allowed me to sit in on the class even though parents are usually ushered out of the room for all but the last few minutes of the lesson.

The lesson ran for almost an hour and included a story about Mozart, singing, rhythm games, instrument recognition games and playing music blocks which are a bit like a xylophone that you can take apart. My five year old would have loved it.

Unfortunately this was not a lesson designed for three year olds so my son spent much of the lesson on my lap. Three year old and four year old lessons were previously held on Fridays with five year old lessons held on Saturday mornings.

After the class Bronwyn explained the three year old class structure which is very different and involves one narrative theme per term through which basic music elements are then taught.

There are weekly concerts for students to participate in and many avenues for musical growth whatever your child’s musical interest.

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For more information visit YAIM or contact Tony Ingersent
AIM
1-51 Foveaux Street,
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010.
(02) 9219 5436

Strange Fruit | Swoon

The kids (3 and 5) and I went to see this show yesterday. I’ve seen Strange Fruit before but the show I saw was not as accessible as Swoon is. Illustrating various aspects of the age old boy/girl relationship sagas Swoon is set to fantastic music that had my usually reserved 5 year old up and dancing. The forecourt is a fantastic venue as you can sit anywhere and be guaranteed a good view (meaning you can also turn up right on time rather than trying to get their early for a good seat). We came for the 11.30am show and stayed for the 12.30pm show as well. I was surprised my 3 year old wanted to sit through it again but he did.

The costumes are beautiful. The performers are happy to wave and chat to little ones and if there’s a small amount of sun about it’s a fantastic day out.
--
Sydney Opera House Forecourt Free, today (20/4), 23 & 26 April 11.30am, 12.30pm and 7pm

Daytripper by Simon Webster

Daytripper is my kind of book. A few years ago my sister and I decided to go to a new place once a month. We did it twice. And we’ve talked about it a lot ever since. Daytripper just may be the book to get us back on track again.

Daytripper contains 52 ‘great days out in the Sydney area’ and covers a diverse range of activities from animal parks to museums to gardens and walks and many other things beside. Each daytrip has a story of the authors experience, a historical look at the venue or area, a list of other activities in the area and a brief run down of the essentials (distance from CBD, costs, opening times, contact details ect).

It’s not a book you can read cover to cover but it is a book you can dip in to from time to time and certainly refer to if you are looking for something to do in the Sydney area. The only down side I can see to it is that the information (opening times, costs ect) may not stay current for a long period, also the jolly tone of the author became a little annoying in large doses. But in small doses, which is how I think the book is intended to be read as it started as a newspaper column, it’s quite amusing and certainly inspiring me to get away from the house and the usual haunts now and then.
--
DayTripper
Simon Webster
AUD $22.95
ISBN:9780733322693
Format:Paperback
Publisher:ABC Books

The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers

This is a story without words. It therefore provoked a fair amount of discussion in our household which is a nice way to read a book when you have the time and energy. The author states that he is ‘endlessly fascinated by everything Elizabethan’ but I have to say all my son picked up about the era was the lack of dental hygiene.

It did however seem to spark a bit of interest in a writer called Shakespeare and I feel hopeful that this may serve as an initial introduction into that world. I also think it’s a book that can sit on the bookshelf for a few years to be dipped into now and then at different ages allowing different aspects of the story to be examined.

An interesting book – particularly for those parents out there who are interested in introducing their children to all things Shakespearian.

For more information on introducing your child to Shakespeare visit:
Shakespeare Library
Shakespeare for kids

--
The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers
Allen & Unwin RRP: $15.95
ISBN: 9781741145359

Au Revoir Parapluie - Sydney Festival

I took my five year old son to see Au Revoir Parapluie. There are no matinees so we went to an 8pm show. Fortunately there was no interval and the show finished well before 10pm. He was entranced.

I wished that I could have taken him to the previous show Bright Abyss as this was a funnier show. There were similar performance traits in Au Revoir Parapluie as there were in Bright Abyss however from my memory in Bright Abyss it was done for comic effect and in Au Revoir Parapluie it became more dance orientated. Beautiful and fascinating to watch but not so funny.
There was some humour and my son eagerly retold these elements. He was also fascinated by the large hooks and thick ropes that adorned the stage. And enamoured by the sword play that occurred.

He asked a lot of questions during the show so I apologise if anyone reading this was there on the same night and sitting near us. I was unable to explain to him why so many shuttlecocks fell to the stage at the end nor was I able to answer a lot of his questions and my suggestion that sometimes things were just beautiful to watch and didn’t always make complete sense was not entirely satisfying.

The staff were very accommodating of the younger members of the audience. My sister supplied my son with ear plugs which were very effective in dulling down the sound which is usually too loud for him but I did wish I’d bought a booster seat with me.
All in all it was a successful night out and as I rolled his sleeping body this way and that to get his pyjamas on I felt I was seeing elements of the show in my own life and I went to bed feeling nourished which is surely what good theatre should be about (sometimes?).

Reading Makes You Feel Good by Todd Parr

In our house we know Todd Parr from Todd’s World which we’ve seen occasionally on ABC kids. So my son was excited to see a book that he instantly recognised as the illustrations are very similar to the before mentioned show. The story itself was not so much of interest to him however, I’m not sure the story is what it’s about.

The book has nice bright pages and a simple, positive message about the joys and uses of reading. Within the illustrations are plenty of words and I think this is where the book succeeds. A lot of time was spent picking out words and recognising letters. This, of course, can be done with any book, but because the subject of the book was reading, everyone was feeling a little more motivated than usual.

It did make me wonder however, don’t all kids want to learn to read? If yours doesn’t, or you think everyone in your house needs a little motivation, then maybe this is the book for you.
--
Reading Makes You Feel Good, Todd Parr
rrp: $14.95; paperback; ISBN 9780733319792

Yuka Oyama - Schmuck Quickies Salon – Powerhouse Museum

We visited Yuka at the Powerhouse Museum on Sunday (see Leigh's entry below). Here is a photo of the ‘jewellery’ she made for my son (modeled by Big Ted). While a little shy at first, as most of the children seemed to be, my son was delighted with his piece. He roamed with Yuka through some boxes until he spotted something he liked and then she added to it to create something he was happy to wear for the rest of the day.

Get in early to avoid a large waiting list.

Schmuck Quickies Salon with Yuka Oyama
Date: Sat 04 Aug 2007 - Sun 12 Aug 2007
Time: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Venue: Powerhouse Museum, Harris St, Ultimo

Gallery Kids - NSW

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is running a program called Gallery Kids from July to September. There are tours ($10) for children aged 3-5 and free performances every Sunday. My nearly five year old and I headed out on Sunday to see the 2.30pm show.

It was packed. We got there early because my son enjoys watching the setting up process so managed to get a good seat but unless your child is old enough to sit at the front without you, seating with a good view was difficult to find.

The show itself was fairly entertaining. Apparently it changes every week. The performer, Mic Conway, did a bit of magic and made a few jokes, while driving his message about art home to the children. I’m not sure they all got it. My child was certainly more interested in his false teeth and chicken juggling. And as a show itself it wasn’t particularly cohesive. However he did get the kids involved by asking a lot of questions and only the very young left during the show.

For the Art Gallery itself it’s a great way to get families in and a good money spinner. My child doesn’t know much about art or have much interest in quietly walking around a place where he’s not allowed to touch anything but he does know where the café is and he knows he likes cake and there were a fair few other kids from the show who managed to find their way to the café too.

On leaving the Gallery I thought wouldn’t it be nice to have an exhibition that was child friendly in some way (something they could touch or interact with) and permanently in the Gallery rather than just putting on child friendly shows around the art?

Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear - NSW

Today my nearly five year old, two year old and I went to see Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear at the Opera House as part of their Baby Proms season. This is an adaption of the children’s book of the same name by Matt Dray. The season runs until July 22, tickets are $16. It’s a repeat season as last year’s season sold out.

It seems to me a hard ask to turn a 30 page book into a 35 minute children’s show but they manage with songs repeating and expanding on the original text and slides of the photographs in the book plus a few handy props. My nearly five year old enjoyed the show and came out with a number of questions about the differences between the stage show and the book. He was a bit disappointed that all 45 toys featured in the book weren’t shown on stage. My two year old enjoyed most of it. It was a bit long for him but he made it through.

I love the Baby Proms for their ability to allow children close access to orchestral music and for the whole excitement of the day trip to the Opera House. I don’t think this show makes the best use of the orchestra but if you’re willing to spend the money and be wrangled into seating position by the Opera House staff then I’m sure you’re child will have a great time.

Digital Camera Project 1

My four year old son came home from preschool one day announcing that he needed to go to the Museum to take photos of the skeletons. The Australian Museum (6 College St Sydney) has a beautiful room full of interesting skeletons as well as other interesting exhibits and a room designed specifically for younger children (Kids Island). So off we went with our digital camera. We asked at the front desk if it was okay to take photos and the man said no problem so after a small detour at the dinosaur skeleton (three photos) we headed to the skeleton room where my son proceeded to click away (about 25 photos). His two year old brother was allowed to take the last photo and then the digital camera was returned safely to my bag and we continued through the museum.

At home I loaded the photos onto the computer and we went through them with my son telling me which ones he wanted in his project. He then showed me the size he wanted the photos to be and, after watching for a while, wandered away to do something else. I persevered and printed a page of his skeleton photos that he took to preschool the next day. His teacher laminated it for him and he got to show it to the rest of the class and talk about his visit to the museum.