Travelling with Kids – Adventure isn't just about the plane trips!
Documenting our family adventures is something that I am extremely passionate about. I write, photograph and collect mementos, storing them in catalogue boxes which I draw out to revisit with the kids months (and sometimes years) after we’ve returned home. They instantly transport out minds back to our trip and help prompt some of the …
Back in 2016, TES published a list of 100 books to read during childhood. Hardly any were Australian, so I set about creating my top 100 Australian books to read, written by Australian authors. Of course, the list was not exhaustive, and I tried not to repeat authors so that there was a wide range …
“We want a pet. We want a pet. What kid of pet should we get?” So begins the newly uncovered Dr Seuss picture book What Pet Should I Get? Written by Ted Geisel (we know him as Dr Seuss) some fifty or so years ago but only discovered in 2013 by Audrey and Claudia Prescott (his secretary …
Entertaining kids when they’re required to stay in the one spot for a few hours, such on a plane or road trip, can be a real challenge if they’re not amused by 21st century technology. Miss N is one such creature and requires some strategic thinking on my part to ensure we have enough activities …
When planning an overseas trip, both T and I kick off the process by purchasing the latest Lonely Planet travel guide for the country we have in mind. With my trusty highlighter in hand, I work through the pages highlighting places of interest and hot tips. It’s only after I work through this process that …
Brought to you by Nuffnang and Disney Junior Whoever said that magic doesn’t exist has never picked up a book and read it. Books have the power to take the reader on a journey beyond the realms of reality. Better still, you can share the magic through a little read-aloud storytelling. Long before my children …
This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and Lonely Planet Kids (with all opinions my own!) When I think back to what sparked my wanderlust and what spurred my deep need to explore and discover, I am certain it was the numerous books that have found their way into my hands. It started off with the Famous …
When thinking of classic Australian Children’s Literature, four books come straight to my mind: Blinky Bill, the Magic Pudding, Ginger Megs and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Our little family never do anything by halves, so for the last eight months or so we have been on a little adventure, not only introducing the kids to the books …
On Saturday I flew to Melbourne for an event and brought along my latest book find to occupy the minutes while I was in transit. Just as the plane levelled out, the man sitting next to me interrupted my reading to ask the title of the book. I showed him the cover and he typed …
Books have the peculiar ability to take us places. The simple act of opening a book, reading its pages and following a narrative can swirl us down a rabbit hole into a whole new world. Fairies and goblins come to life. Castles swirl up out of the fog, drawing us across their moat into their inner walls …
A little over a month ago I received a copy of Season of Salt and Honey in the mail. I was teary before I had even finished the first chapter. Written by Hannah Hunnicliffe, a New Zealand born author, mother of two and avid traveller, the novel is a rare delight that takes you on …
Have you ever sat down with your kids with the intention of drawing only for them to become caught up in creating an ideal this or that? Have they become stuck by their attempts to achieve perfection in their paintings, becoming increasingly frustrated that the ‘eye’ or ‘tree’ or some other thing doesn’t appear on the page like …
Just before Christmas through to the week before school went back in New South Wales, our family spent our time travelling around California, USA and then enjoying the beach for a day or two on our return home. Consequently, our weekly book post went on an unplanned hiatus. You’ll be happy to hear that this …