Great New Idea

Check this great new idea out...

I have recently been approached by a website called GigFizz, who provide special character videos, with personalised messages, that you can acquire for your little fairy or wizard.

Go to this page to see a video on how it works. Here is what they say:\

Here’s how it works... You choose your favourite performer, then type in whatever it is you'd like them to say and do according to their skills. Our performer will then record the video for you and you'll get an email when it's ready. GigFizz is a simple, fun and affordable alternative to a face-to-face performance and you’ll have the video to watch over and over again. There's a bunch of great performers at GigFizz all waiting to put the "special" in your "special occasion".

You can find a really cool wizard here and a really cool pirate here.

It seems like a really great alternative to getting a live entertainer. The kids will love it and they can watch it over and over again. You get to choose your very own greeting, so it is tailored to your needs especially. I think it is a great idea and deserves lots of support.

Here is an introductory clip from myself:

Philosophy for Kids

Philosophy Made Fun for Kids!!!

Here's a great thing you could try for your kids. Perhaps your child could be the next Aristotle, or Plato!

These guys have a website, here, and a facebook page, here. 

The registrations for this particular event close on 28 September 2012, so you might be a bit late for this one. But don't worry, I am sure there are more to come!

New song by Fairy Abby and Wizard Herman!

It's been too long, so here's a song!!!

I would like to introduce to you my friend Jerry. 

I and Fairy Abby have written a song about him.

Check him out on YouTube!!

Free things to do (with kids) in Melbourne

Some Other Sources for Free things to do with Kids

I would like to direct you to the following website for a great list of things that you can do for free in the city of Melbourne.

Here is the link for free stuff to do with kids!

This is quite brief and doesn't give a detailed account of each place, but it does give some ideas. You might want to search the site for some other cool things to do too!

While I'm at it, here is another place you might want to go to find free stuff to do.

This one has a bigger description, but not as many nice pics! The page is a bit busier too, which might be a little off-putting.

Where can I take the kids for free?

Fun play centres for free?

Play centres are lots of fun, but let's face it, they end up costing quite.a bit of money. Once you pay for entry, your coffee, something for the kids... The price gets quite high. So this week I will be recommending some places you can go with the kids, which is absolutely free.

I don't want us to get too excited, so I will start off small. Following on from our escapade into children's play centres, I will first have a look at different places that can cater for the adults and have somewhere for the kids to play, but costs nothing to go (except for the drinks/food of course!).

I have in mind the family bistros that have some play equipment for the kids. Some are better than others of course, so once again it is a bit of trial and error. But I hope I can give a few hints of places to go.

Once upon a time there were some golden arches and this was the only place where you could get a feed and give the kids a play. The play equipment here was fair, but nothing like today's play centres. While the calibre of the childrens play equipment is often so-so in these establishments, two of them seem way above the rest. These are the McDonalds in Ringwood and Ferntree Gully.

The Ringwood Maccas is very new and boasts a large three story play gym, with slides and othe fun things for the kids. This one is really very new and modern and is quite nice to take the little ones. They are really entertained for a long time.

The Ferntree Gully Maccas has been there for a while, bit it is still good. It is not as modern and groovy inside as the Ringwood one, but it's play equipment is good. The only issue with this one is that it is all outdoors, so is not much good in the rainy season. They do have sun shade up for summer. The play equipment is good, though, because it is quite different from other Maccas. It is a lot bigger and is not completely made of that Maccas-style plastic.

This is just some food for thought (ha ha). I promise later posts will be more interesting!

Which Play Centre to go to?

Which Play Centre to go to?

So, now you have a heap of play centres to choose from, which one do you choose?

The Answer, I think, is trial and error. But here are some suggestions;

Some questions you might ask yourself are:

What do I want to get out of my play centre experience? 

Do you want to sit back and relax with a nice cuppa coffee and a paper or magazine while your child(ren) play? Or do you want to go with a group of friends and let your little ones play together? Or perhaps you are just a big kid and want to play too!

You might want to consider the coffee that is sold there. (Some places advertise that they sell Grinders coffee). Perhaps the food is important; for while some play centre's food is really good, cafe, quality, others are not of the same high standard. Some places are small and cozy, whereas others are large, without that same homely feel. (Although, when the small ones fill up they are very loud.)

Which play centre is best suited to my child(ren)'s age?

Finding the 'right match' for your child(ren) is very important. While most play centres are geared to accommodate children of all ages, some equipment is 'more exciting' for the 'older children'. 

You might want to consider, here, the size of the play centre itself. Some play centres are small and more 'homely' than their larger counterparts. As a general rule, I would say that the larger play centres are better for the older children. But keep in mind that (almost) all play centres have a special sectioned off play area for the younger kids.

I suggest viewing their website (enter the play centre name in google search) before going there, to get an idea of their equipment etc.

Where can I get the most value for my money?

Here is the all-important question. This is where trial and error is the most important. Some things to think about here are: how long will the child(ren) be happy to play? Is the equipment age appropriate? Remember, most (if not all) play centres don't allow food to be brought into the play centre (usually because of allergies), unless it is baby formula or something similar (usually, their internet site will tell you what the rules are here). 

In the end, you need to balance what is best for you, for your child(ren), and how much money you are willing to spend. Remember, that when you go to a play centre you need to pay the entry fee, but will then need to buy any food you want to consume in there. So budget well!

Missing Play Centres

Play Centres Missing from List!

I have realised that I missed some play centres from my list of play centres. I have now added the ones that I know I missed - there could be more! I sourced my list from a great kid's site called The Bubhub. 

The two missing ones were Ace Space and Big Slide.

Ace Space

Big Slide