Paper planes and collecting stuff

My youngest son (12 years) has been my child who has held the strongest love of paper planes in our family.  Whenever he is bored you will find him with a piece of A4 paper carefully transforming it into a sleek flying machine.

Just recently we discovered the beautiful paper plane collection by Harry Everett Smith (painter, filmmaker, collector).  Most of the paper planes were collected over 1961 to 1983 on the streets of New York and started their lives as junk mail, grocery lists or a scrap of found paper.

I still love to collect stones and rocks - the smaller ones I keep in a printers drawer in our hallway. My children add to the collection now and again.  They have all had tins of collections over the years. My sister-in-law told me recently of her sons stick collection.

'Children collect to discover who they are, and what the world should be.' Kimberely Stevens (NY Times).

The latest copy of BIG magazine is all about Collections.
Lisa Congdon collects collections with her Collection a Day project.
Book collections over at Hello Bookcase.
Candy Jernigan -  artist and collector of thrown away evidence of lives lived.

Do you and/or your children collect anything? Do you encourage them to start collections?

Spot on Children's Festival | Riverside Theatre

The Spot On Children's Festival returns this year at Riverside Theatre - the festival offers performances and activities for all ages.  We love the Be Kind Rewind Film Festival that will feature classics that every family should experience together - The Goonies, The Karate Kid, The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, The Never Ending Story and E.T.

For younger kids (4 - 9 years) Curious Jac from Lilli Pang, a bilingual storyteller (performed in English with some Spanish, Hindi and Twi language)  brings her show to the festival about being curious.  Other performances for little ones include Ali McGregor's Jazzamatazz! and Lah- Lah Live in concert.

Our friends at the festival have given us a family pass  (four tickets)  to give away  to Curious Jac for Friday 2 October at 10am.  Just email info@artsrocket.org before Friday 25 September with why you want your family to go Curious Jac.  (only the winner will be notified)  Terms.


Spot On Childrens Festival 
Riverside Theatre
Parramatta
29 September - 4 October 2015

Full program 

Be Kind: Re-wind Film Festival – 29 September, 10am to 6pm

Mr Snot Bottom’s Stinky, Silly Show! - 30 September to 1 October, 10:30am & 1pm daily (Relaxed Performance on 1 October at 1pm)

But Wait… There’s More! – 1 October, 7pm; 2 October, 1pm; 3 October, 1pm & 7pm

Ali McGregor’s Jazzamatazz! – 1 to 2 October, 10am & 12:30pm daily

Curious Jac – 2 to 3 October, 10:30am & 1pm daily (Relaxed Performance on 3 October at 1pm)

Lah-Lah Live in Concert – 3 October, 10am & 12:30pm

Sorcerers and Wizards: A Family Concert with the SSO Fellows – 4 October, 3pm

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

Visiting from Tokyo to play dress up - Photograph copyright Louise Hawson

Some fun finds this week -  Enjoy!

• New Conversations with Dumbo Feather for teens
• Explore Tokyo with Shoot Tokyo and Hello Sandwich
• or travel around the world at the Museum of Sydney with photographer Louise Hawson
• or discover some amazing places over at The Cool Hunter
• The GOMA in Queensland have the best online games for kids
• Super cool design workshops at Sydney Design 
• Inspire your kids with Amag - The architecture magazine for children 
• My children are reading Mary Shelly - Frankenstein (15),  R.J. Palacio - Wonder (11) and Emma Cameron - View from the 32nd Floor (9)

Arts Rocket Friday Finds

image sourced from http://www.thecoolhunter.com.au

Finally after being away for a month we are back in the swing of things. Jet lag has passed and we are getting out and about enjoying what Sydney has on offer in Summertime and discovering some fun Friday Finds.

• Blaxland Riverside Park - Cool Hunter: Absolutely  loving the images from The Cool Hunter of this fantastic playground in Homebush. The designers worked with the earth rather than against it to produce an amazing space for kids to go wild.
• Moss Terrariums: This is a project that has been on our list of things to try for a while. Create your own little worlds and add plastic figures to the mix.
• If the weather turns this Summer and you are stuck inside get inspired by the beautiful work using cardboard boxes by artist Annalise Reese. 
• Michelle Schoeps Organic: Beautiful blog that features Michelle's family recipes using amazing produce. 
• If your kids are allowed to stay up late then let them take in a Drive in Cinema experience. The classic  Stand by Me will be screened on the 1st December.
• The  Mother Artist Network Festival is on now on over at BIG magazine...BIG are also after contributions for their next publication with the theme "Into the Dark."

Enjoy your weekend!
Leigh

Laughing Children's Garden - NSW

Photo credit: Jaime Plaza, Botanic Gardens Trust

If you live in the Blue Mountains or planning a visit check out the beautiful Laughing Children's Garden launched yesterday. The garden is situated at Mount Tomah Botanic Garden in the Blue Mountains.

The aim of the garden is to be interactive and to encourage play and creativity by providing aesthetically pleasing pieces of sculpture which enables kids to develop their imagination while using their motor skills through developing games and playing with each piece of sculpture.

LOCATION: Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, Bells Line of Road (via Bilpin)

Lah-Lah's Big Live Band - Review

When the school holidays come along there are always lots of things on for 5-12 year olds to do but babies and toddler activites are few and far between. Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band show at the Enmore theatre is perfect for all of the above age groups and adults will find themselves singing and dancing along as well.

Tina Harris, Lah-Lah, and her band bring a hands on concert experience to children, helping them discover the magical world of music by playing lots of different styles of music to get them moving and dancing, even encouraging the audience to try out the instruments and meet the performers after the show. There is a double bass, drums, saxophone and accordion to check out, and lots of percussion instruments are brought out for children to play along with the band during part of the performance.

Many parents in the inner west will be familiar with Tina’s musical talents as she runs Kindermusik classes for 0-5 year olds during school terms. You won’t be disappointed it’s a fantastic show, running this week and next week until October 18th at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown. http://www.enmoretheatre.com.au/events/2009/10/07/lah-lahs-adventures-proms-for-little-people

Review by Lisa Clarke

MCA Art Family Day - Sunday Jan 18th

MCA Family Art Day Sunday 18th Jan,  10.30am - 2.30pm 

Explore the MCA's Summer exhibitions with this fun-filled event for all the family. Participate in hands-on art activities at Art Stations placed around the galleries, join in on family -friendly exhibition tours, hear storytelling and music, and win great prizes!

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Adult: $12 Student:$10 Child under 12: $8

MCA Members:$2.00 discount per head

Family Pass for up to 6 people $40

Bookings essential to MCA learning: 02 9245 2484 or education@mca.com.au

Visit www.mca.com.au for more information

2009 Sydney Festival - Jan 10 -31

Tickets are now on sale for the 2009 Sydney Festival. The majority of the family events take place in Riverside, Parramatta. If you wanted something closer to the city you can check out Kids in the Garden at the THE FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT or get the kids up early for Dawn Chorus.

Other family highlights include:

Dan Zanes and friends : all ages - Jan 11-12
Join Dan Zanes, former lead singer of rock group The Del Fuegos, his Brooklyn-based band and eclectric music guests as they perform irresistible grooves inspired by all kinds of music from folk roots to early rock ‘n’ roll. Having incited a pint-sized Beatles-like mania throughout the USA, now Dan Zanes brings his rousing family gig to Sydney.

The tragical life of cheeseboy: 8 year and over - Jan 11- 12 + Jan 13-15
Inside a magical travelling theatre tent, discover a storyteller who shares an enchanting and timeless tale.

The Promise: 6 year and over - January 28-31
The Promise is a spectacular fusion of circus and puppetry – dive into a young boy’s imagination while he travels to the far-flung edges of the world with his toy elephant and favourite book. Sparked by a tragedy, he leaves behind the dusty Australian outback, finding new friends and adventure along the way.

Sculpture by the Sea - Bondi Beach and beyond

Photography by Fiona Hueston

Today we headed out to the Sculpture by the Sea before the crowds hit it over the weekend.
Sculpture by the Sea is a wonderful way to spend time with your family....fresh air, exercise and interactive art.

Unfortunality not all of the Sculptures are interactive. I found it hard to keep up my 4 year old to keep him off the Sculptures that could not be touched ( even though they seemed to be tempting children to climb all over them). It does add an little element of stress to the day because their are adults there without children who feel they need to enforce the no touching rule by yelling or frowning. Not a very nice to experience art as a child.

On a positive note our family favourites:

The Bush Ranger: fantastic for kids to run in and out of the over sized helmet.
Ode to joy: This one is very hidden but is well worth looking for.
Underfoot: They loved pretending the creatures were real
Form of Scenery : Beware, kids love it but are not allowed to touch.
Humpback gunship: One of the most kid friendly sculptures. The kids climb into a metal whale and come out at the mouth.
New nomadic Home: I could not get my 4 year and 7 year old out of this piece. really wonderful>would love to have this in our back yard.
You want to do what??!! (Tow an iceberg from Antarctica) . Great interactive piece on the beach at Tamarama.

My favourite:
Bjorn Godwin:
if you need an extension of time to pay, press#

Check it all out and enjoy. We will go back to experience it all again.

For more information visit:
http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/

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

Little Big Shots reviewing comp extended - VIC

Little Big Shots Film reviewing competition extended!
To give those who attend Little Big Shots in Frankston and Warrnambool the chance to enter the competition, LBS have extended the closing date for entries until after the school holidays on Monday July 14, 2008.

So if you thought you'd missed the chance to submit a review this year, now's the time to crank up the computer and start scribing!

The 10 best junior critics will win a spot on the 2009 Little Big Shots children's jury and a season pass to next year's festival, as well as see their winning reviews published up on the Little Big Shots website.
For more information and full program visit: www.littlebigshots.com.au

Five tips for a top-notch film review from www.littlebigshots.com.au

1. Lights, action, camera … and a long line of credits. Plenty of people and decisions influence how a film is made. The film you see on screen is the result of a big creative jigsaw. Script, sound, storyline, directors, actors, lighting, sets, editing – all the people in that long line of credits at the end of a film play a role. Pick out some of the elements of the film you respond to most and explain why they do or don’t work.

2. Don’t give away the plot. This is a key rule of reviewing. Feel free to explain a little about the plot but don’t reveal any of the surprises or major twist, even if Sam does fall in love with Mary at the end.

3. Hook us in! Starting your review with “This film is about …” doesn’t exactly scream “Read me!” Make your reader sit up and pay attention to what you’re about to say. Write creatively and sharply and ask yourself, is this good enough for the rest of the world to read? Hook us in and keep us there.

4. How good were the stars? Think about the performances of the lead actors. Did they do a good job? Were they believable? Did they “get under the skin” of their role or did you feel like you were always watching “the actor”? Did you like the characters and did you care about what happened to them in the film? Tell us!

5. How did the film make you feel? Filmmakers want audiences to respond to their film. Pay attention to how you’re feeling while you’re watching a film. Are you happy, sad, bored, excited, inspired? Maybe your responses change at different points of the film. What’s making you feel that way? And what’s your overall feeling by the time it’s all over.
from www.littlebigshots.com.au

Kids at the House 2008

Kids at the house 2008 tickets go on sale Wednesday 5 Dec. The program features regulars such as Little Big Shots, Baby Proms and an exciting line up that will keep your family busy for the whole year.

We are looking forward to the Danish theatre company Gruppe 38 in May with A Sonatina - a reworking of Little Red Riding Hood. Gruppe 38 presented the little Match girl earlier this year and it was wonderful.
Set as a story within a story, a band of travelling players tells the tale of Little Red Riding Hood from the back of its pick-up truck. But this take is rather different: the main characters are a newly laid egg, a potato with a cold and a nasty potato masher. Even better, the star performer is a live chicken and nothing can happen until she produces the egg.

A Babies Proms highlight is The Drum in April.
A young Indian boy dreams of owning a drum. His mother, who can’t afford to buy him one, gives him a piece of wood instead. What follows is an inspiring journey in which the young boy learns he can fulfil his own desires by being kind and helpful to others.
Based on a traditional Indian folktale, The Drum is a charming musical adventure with Indian dance, percussion and a sitar.
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Visit the Sydney Opera House to download the program and book tickets.

Music at Lennox House - NSW

Last week I took my 3 month old baby to Lennox House in Newtown- NSW for their Tiny Tots music session. Lennox house is a parent and child learning centre in Newtown run by the Department of Education and Training for children from birth to 5 years old.

They have lots of different activities throughout the week like playgroup, baby gym and occasional care and also have a toy library which only costs $15 a year to join. The music session is every Tuesday afternoon at 2 and costs $2.50. Michelle who runs the session makes it really interactive, she plays guitar and has books and toys to accompany the songs.

The children attending usually range from 3 months old to preschoolers, but I think songs and nursery rhymes are great for language development and creative play for children of all ages. The children are also invited to dance along try out some of the Lennox House instruments.

If you’re looking for something to do on a Tuesday afternoon the music session is a drop in program.
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You can contact Lennox House on 9519 3839, they are at 229 Australia St in Newtown.

A Special Afternoon MCA Art Baby Event

A Special Afternoon MCA Art Baby Event for World Breastfeeding Week

Art Baby is a unique social program especially for parents and guardians with babies. Get out of the house and into the MCA galleries with a lively one-hour guided tour of Winter Season exhibitions followed by afternoon tea in the MCA Café. Strollers and prams welcome.

MCA Art Baby Tuesday 7 August, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
$12/$10 MCA Members (children under 2 free)
Bookings essential: education@mca.com.au or 02 9245 2484

More information on Breastfeeding Week can be found at http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

Reel Mums

Before I had a baby I used to go to the cinema a few times a week, and I’m happy to discover that I can still go, and the baby can come too. Friends had told me they would bring their babies in to regular cinema sessions, and despite sitting at the back and baby sleeping quietly would get filthy looks from other patrons. Whilst babies and children are allowed into general sessions at all cinemas (subject to age restriction on certain films), many cinemas have special sessions for parents and children.

Every Thursday morning at 10am the Dendy cinema in Newtown has one of these screenings called Reel Mums, where a bit of noise is expected. The price of admission is $14 for adults and includes a free babycino at the Cinque café beside the cinema. Children under 5 are free. I brought my baby in a baby sling, but if you have a stroller they can be left in the lobby outside the theatre. Generally there are very few people in the mornings movies at the Dendy, so you can have your pick of seats. In the session I went to there were about 10 children, mostly young babies, and their parents and a few other people who didn’t have children with them.

The lights were dimmed but still dark enough to enjoy the movie and although they said the sound was lowered for the screening I didn’t notice. There were a few cries here and there, and some mums feeding their babies or walking up and down the aisles during the session. The good thing is that you know everyone will be tolerant so you don’t have to worry that your baby is going to wake and disturb everyone, and you don’t have to feel bad about having a little chat to your friend about the movie.

Reel Mums is highly recommended. It was great to be able to get out of the house with the baby and do something that I would normally do anyway, and also a good excuse to have a choc top before lunch. Many cinemas in Australia have parent and child sessions, some of which are listed here , and the Dendy lists the month’s movies in their website. Next Thursday’s session is Clubland, showing at 10am at the Dendy Newtown, 261-263 King St Newtown. For bookings phone: 02 9550 5699.

MCA Art Baby

The Museum of Contemporary Arts Art Baby had big shoes to fill after the thrill of a bus ride from Randwick to Circular Quay for my 18-month old Layla! Having booked a handful of spots for some mums from Playgroup (bookings are essential but no need to pay in advance), we rendez vous'd down at Circular Quay on a spectacularly sunny day for the 10am start.

The MCA's staff were delightful. Friendly, helpful, understanding (the tour is actually designed for parents and carers of children under 2yrs, not the kids themselves), and informative. We were split into two groups to tour the MCA and the Craigie Horsfield exhibition, a stunning collection of photography and multimedia installations.

The benefits of MCA's Art Baby are many - tour the current exhibition with your baby or toddler in tow without that nagging feeling you might be annoying those around you (you're all in the same boat), get some excellent insights into the artists on show from the tour guide, introduce your baby or toddler to the wonderful world of art, multimedia, and the stunning MCA itself, and the opportunity to relax afterwards with other parents and carers in the sun-drenched cafe for a generous morning tea including tea, espressos, biscuits, and fruit.

This was a great morning out and thoroughly recommended. As the exhibitions at the MCA change regularly, there's good reason to keep on keeping on with Art Baby.

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The next Art Baby events are on Tuesday 17 July and Tuesday 28 August 2007. Admission: $12/$10 MCA Members (kids under two free, morning tea included).
Bookings essential (Mon - Fri): 02 9245 2484 or education@mca.com.au to join the MCA Art Baby mailing list for updates on these popular events!
Find out how to get there at http://www.131500.com.au.

Participants at MCA Art Baby event, Museum of Contemporary Art, May 2007