Activities and Events for the Holidays

Check out this website to find some great places to visit:  http://www.melbourneplaygrounds.com.au

Go to the Movies:  Lots of new movies just in time for the school holidays are now playing.  Get some friends together and see one and have lunch together!

Visit your local shopping centre:  Your local shopping centre usually has some fun activities you can join and most are FREE!

Visit the Dog Beach – Yes dogs have their own beach where they can run and mix with other dogs off the lead!  There are plenty of beaches where you can allow your dog to run and splash in the water.  Check out this website: http://www.weekendnotes.com/best-dog-beaches-melbourne/  for one nearest you.

NGV Kids:  National Gallery of Australia, Federation Square.  Learn more about how to look at art and even create your own artworks.  Cost: FREE!  Website: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whatson/pub/events?catld=1

Why not do some home cooking and make some treats for school lunches.  The whole family can plan, shop for and bake small muffins or patty cakes ready to place in school lunches.  A quick search on the internet or through recipe books is bound to come up with just the right recipe.

Visit the Collingwood Children’s Farm situated on 16 acres on the Yarra River and 4km from the centre of Melbourne.  The farm has lots of activities to do such as bottle feeding lambs, milking cows and watching the many other animals.  There are cows, ducks, pigs and chickens.  You can visit the farm and learn more about animals, gardening and food.  It is open every day of the year.

For more information visit the website: http://www.farm.org.au/home/index.php

Go to the Melbourne Zoo!   Website: http://www.zoo.org.au/

Our teachers enjoyed some games of netball at the Teachers’ Games in Bairnsdale.  Perhaps you could get some friends together and head down to a local netball or basketball court and arrange a game.

Narre Warren or Pakenham Library – Check what activites this library offers these holidays.

Don’t forget that in Term 1&4 all students must wear a hat when playing outside.  Now might be a good time to make sure that you have your hat ready for day one of Term 1&4.

Go to Scienceworks. Visit http://museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/ for more information.

Jells Park on Ferntree Gully Road in Wheelers Hill is also a great park for bike rides, BBQs and picnics.  As the weather should be perfect for a day in the park, it may be well worth a visit.

Perhaps you would like a game of mini golf.   You could set up your own course in your backyard, or at the park.

A Day at the Melbourne Museum
For more information visit: http://museumvictoria.com.au/

Maybe you would like to have a go at bowling. Our teachers all had a great time practising their bowling skills during the Lawn Bowls event at the Teachers Games!  You could try 10 Pin bowling at the Cranbourne or Narre Warren Bowling Centres.

Weribee Open Range Zoo – Opening times from 9:30 – 3:30.  For more information visit the website:http://www.zoo.org.au/Learning/Public_Programs/Holiday/Zoo_Adventures_WORZ

Puffing Billy.  Take a ride on Australia’s century old steam train through the beautiful Dandenong ranges.  Runs daily except for Christmas Day. More information: http://puffingbilly.com.au/

Get the board games out and have a family day of playing Monopoly, Guess who and the like.  What about the whole family do a jigsaw puzzle? Or get the playing cards out and play snap for lots of noisy fun!

Have a pamper day!  You could give mum a massage, paint her nails, brush and style her hair then make her a cup of tea and maybe she will return the favour.  After all that, have fun in a bubble bath. A lovely way to end the first week of the holidays.

Do your dog a favour and get some fresh air by going for a walk together.  Take his ball and play fetch at your local park.

Visit the Koala Conservation Centre – Phillip Island.  Walk amongst the treetops and see koalas in their natural habitats.  More information:http://www.penguins.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&ltemid=41&mytabsmenu=3

A great day to have a ‘Spring’ Clean.  Go through all your toys and clothes you no longer want and give them to a charity store such as the Salvation Army

Pakenham Library – John Street, Pakenham.  Mrs Inglis says Curious George has some new games!  Click here to check it outhttp://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/games/#1

Mrs Inglis is making this rainy day ‘Pyjama Day’.  Why not do the same?  Stay in your PJ’s all day.  Make some popcorn and watch a DVD or build your own cubby houses inside with blankets and boxes.

Or get on the computer and check out some these games:
http://www.rainforestmaths.com

http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/frog/Flash/frog.html

http://www.primarygames.com/see-n-spell/short/question5.htm

http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/lookcover/lookcover.html

http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/puzzlemaths/tangrams_game.shtml

http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/alien/ash.html

http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game8.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game7.htm

http://www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html

http://www.ictgames. com/beaver.html

https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/dlrcontent/4c38313835/index.html

Why not make this an Art and Craft day.  Mrs Mulvaney gets her inspiration from:http://www.scissorcraft.com/ornaments.htm and http://cp.c-ij.com/en/index.html

Visit the Cardinia Mobile Library outside Beaconsfield Community Centre, O’Neil Road, Beaconsfield every Wednesday from 12noon – 7pm.

For some creative fun, why don’t you make your own playdough?  No need to worry if bubs or the dog wants to taste it because it is all edible (even if it doesn’t taste all that nice).  After making it, use mum’s cooking utensils like her rolling pin and cookie cutters for lots of fun.  (Mum for easy clean up after, allow playdough bits to dry out and just vacuum or if it’s a lovely day set up a table outside).

1 Minute Playdough recipe:

Your will need:

·         1/2 cup of salt
·         1 cup of flour
·         1 tablespoon of cream of tartar (Cream of Tartar is a natural powdered raising agent for use in scones, drop scones, soda bread and a wide range of other recipes)
·         1 tablespoon of oil
·         I cup of boiling water (from the kettle) mixed with
some food colouring (OR a the contents of three blackcurrant dazzler fruit tea bags for lovely fruity rich purple)

What to do:

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then mix vigorously with the hot water.  Makes wonderful playdough which lasts for ages in little plastic sandwich bags or plastic containers.

For messy fun, try making GOOP.  Children will be fascinated with this strange substance which feels quite firm when being picked up, but then becomes more liquid and runs out in streams between little fingers.  You will need a large container – your Playgroup’s water trough would be ideal for a large quantity. If you don’t have one, your local Toy Library may have one available.
This is an activity that is best to plan for a shady spot outdoors.

Goop Mixture Recipe

Ingredients

2 packs cornflour
2 cups water
Food colouring/Edicol dye (optional)

Method

1. Mix cornflour and water together in a large container
2. Add Edicol dye or food colouring if desired
3. Add hands for messy fun!

Check out the new Casey Race Swim Centre in Cranbourne.  It’s a great water park with two water slides all included in the admission price (children must be at least 1.2m tall to ride).  More information: www.caseyrace.ymca.org.au

Perhaps you would like to visit a German website like Glenn today.
Click: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/

Don’t forget to visit www.mathletics.com and see if you can verse your friends!