Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

The Early Start Discovery Centre: Australia’s First Children’s Museum

March 6, 2016 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

Australia’s first children’s museum has opened in Australia! The Early Start Discovery Space in Wollongong is the country’s only dedicated “Children’s Museum”. Last weekend we drove the hour and a half south of Sydney to check it out and see what made it different from a regular play space.

The Early Start Discovery Space is located on, and operated by, the University of Wollongong. It was designed to teach children through play using interactive exhibits. It was created using educational resources and is mapped to the NSW Board of Studies K-6 Syllabus. The museum is suitable for kids from birth to age 12, with the lower level completely accessible and some of the best family bathrooms I’ve ever seen.

We visited on a bit of a dreary day and expected the place to be crawling with people. It wasn’t. We were happy surprised that while there was a constant buzz of people in the space, it was certainly not full or so busy that Cheese couldn’t try her hand at every single exhibit without having to wait her turn. I ran into a friend there who mentioned how busy it was that day, compared to during the week, so I imagine if you do visit on a week day you might have this entire magnificent space to yourself!

The museum is spread across two floors, with each exhibit in a designated area. Upon entry we received a very helpful map which enabled us to plan our visit.

The majority of the exhibits are on the entry level:

Shipyard
Ahoy, it’s pirate play!

Tummy Tour
Crawl through a human digestive tract! In through the mouth, out through the … you get the picture.

Construction Site
Learn about safety on building sites, dress up in a vest, hard hat and tool belt, and build the city. Kids can lay carpet tiles, place mortar and bricks in the house to build walls, or thread pipes and connectors into the frame.

Market Place
Littlies will love “shopping” with realistic-looking groceries, and older kids can use a shopping list to collect their goods and then “buy” them.

CreARTivity Space
The place for artists to let their imaginations go wild. This space also features daily educator-led activities.

Book Nook
A quiet spot to enjoy a book or join story time activities.

The Cave
Grab a torch and discover stalactites and stalagmites.

Lights, Sound, Action!
Kids can dress up in costume and perform.

Games Area
Big kid games like chess and giant Connect Four.

Crawler’s Cubby
Soft play for babies plus gears for toddlers/preschoolers.

The Pod
A 2 story interactive LCD screen where kids can be part of the story on the screen in front of them.

The Dig/Archeology was closed for maintenance on our visit.

Also scattered around the floor are little nooks with activities like building, threading and puppets.

The floor is a giant circle with the exhibits and amenities spread around the inside and outside edges of the circle. It’s fantastic as kids can literally run in circles here and find it endlessly entertaining to start over at the exhibits they already discovered as they entered. Hours of fun, guaranteed.

Upstairs are activities best suited for slightly older kids.

Digital Media Lab
Kids can learn how to create an eBook, an ePoster, video and editing

Galileo’s Study
This science-themed area teaches kids how a telescope works and basic astronomy.

When it’s time for a snack, head outside to The Discovery Gardens. There are shaded picnic tables so you can bring your own food, and take a breather while kids explore the fruit and veggie beds, quarry and creek.

If you’re like us and never pack lunch (busted!) try the onsite cafe, Espresso Warriors, where all-day brekkie is on the menu, as well as amazing looking pastries and a kids menu that features meals like ham and cheese toasties, fish, sweet potato chips and grilled chicken for $10-11. Each kids meal comes with fresh fruit and a juice box.

The Early Start Discovery Space
University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong.
The Discovery Space is located on Ring Road opposite the Western (P4) Car park.
Hours: Tues-Sun 9am-4pm (Closed Mondays)
Prices: Adults and children 12 months and over: $15. Children under 12 months: free.
Get Directions

Aqua S: Sydney’s Best Ice Cream

March 6, 2016 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Let’s begin by saying that Sydney’s ice cream game is strong. Aqua S burst into an already saturated market with its now famous aqua blue Sea Salt Soft Serve. It was an Instagram sensation, sending countless food bloggers to the tiny ice cream store to try their unusual flavoured soft served, and photograph it against the cloud-painted wall inside the shop. A new dessert sensation was born, and Aqua S has been holding its own as a solid dessert spot in Sydney ever since.

Aqua S has weekly flavours such as Pandan, Lychee and Green Apple. Mix them up with the basic Sea Salt for the gorgeoyus coloured twist, and add fairy floss, caramel popcorn or a toasted mashmallow for a truly Instagrammable dessert.

I found the soft serve to be very creamy and rich, and the sea salt flavour to taste more like salted caramel than anything else. There is plenty of seating inside and the store is easily accessible for strollers/wheelchairs.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Aqua S
27/501 George St,
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 8668 5957
Prices: $
Hours: Daily 12pm-10pm
Get Directions

The Sweet Spot Waterloo: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Waterloo

March 6, 2016 / Inner South East, Sydney, Sydney Food, Waterloo / 0 comment

The once industrial inner east of Sydney has come a long way. It’s now full of cute little dining spots, including The Sweet Spot, a kid-friendly cafe in Waterloo that is famous for its delicious desserts.

We stumbled upon the patisserie in search of a sweet hit, and continued to return for its savoury dishes.

A regular order for us would be Corn Fritters (roast tomato, avocado, bacon, balsamic reduction, poached eggs & a slice of sourdough, $15) where I swap the bacon for haloumi, kids’ chocolate milkshake, Pancakes ($12) and the Big Breakfast (chorizo, spinach, mushrooms, bacon, roast tomato and 2 eggs, $18).

We found the food very reasonably priced, big portions, and absolutely delicious. We could easily very happily share two meals, but it’s all so delicious we would end up ordering one dish each, then stuffing ourselves to the brim.

While there is nothing particularly kid-friendly about the cafe, we found the open air seating, spaciousness and attitude of the staff to make the patisserie very family-friendly. There is plenty of room for strollers to fit next to tables, and if little ones need to be strolled, there is a long ramp that leads down out of the cafe where babies can be calmed down or walked around until they’re able to return to the cafe. It’s an easy place to escape from other diners if your kids aren’t having a good day out.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

The Sweet Spot Waterloo
Shop 1, 2 Allen Street,
Waterloo NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9690 0340
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-3:30pm Sat&Sun 8am-3:30pm
Get Directions

Marionette on Booth & Gladstone Park: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Balmain

March 6, 2016 / Balmain, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

This tiny little place, tucked away from busy Darling street, is one of the most kid-friendly cafes in Balmain. While their main game is coffee (check out their website, The Little Marionette for more details about their roasting business), they also have fantastic food and friendly, accomodating staff.

We noticed on our visit that most families were getting their coffee and food to go, and enjoying it in Gladstone Park across the road. We chose to dine in and enjoyed the surprisingly quiet dining area inside.

It’s pretty obvious that families are among the prime visitors to this little cafe from the outside. They have set up a challkboard wall and at any time of day you’ll see either kids creating a masterpiece on the wall and pavement, or evidence of the mini Picasso who had dined there perviously. It’s a genius move really, as parents can order their coffee or food to go while kids are happily occupied.

We ordered an In House Bircher Museli (with yoghurt and honey, small $7), pot of English Breakfast organic tea ($4), Breakfast Sandwich (fried eggs, bacon, spinach, fresh tomato and avocado topped with relish on Turkish toast, $12), a kid’s toasted Cheese Sandwich ($4), Babyccino ($1), flat white ($4).

The babyccino was a hit, with the takeaway cup and marshmallow perched on the straw. My bircher was delicious – very generous serve for a “small” size. Alec said repeatedly how delicious his sandwich was, so I think we have found our new regular cafe in Balmain.

Across the road from Marionette on Booth is Gladstone Park, where you will find large grassed areas under cover of trees, a large playground with climbing structures for kids of a wide age range, basketball courts and bathrooms.

Highchairs: No.
Stroller storage: No.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Black Star Pastry and Cafe
1A Booth St,
Balmain NSW 2041
Phone: 0402 434 597
Prices: $
Hours: Mon-Fri 6:30am-4pm, Sat 7am-4pm, Sun 8am-4pm
Get Directions

Grandma’s Little Bakery: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Alexandria

March 6, 2016 / Alexandria, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Grandma’s Little Bakery is a kid-friendly cafe in Alexandria, serving up home-style cooking and baking in a cosy, friendly environment. Their concept is “bringing together flavours & loved recipes from real Grandmas & Grandpas from all over the world”, which I found very sweet.

As a result, their menu features dishes like their famous Shakshuka (2 eggs served on a hot pan, olive oil with added ingredients like feta or spinach, served w/ Bread), soups, salads, sandwiches, and an all-day breakfast menu.

This little cafe is a favourite with families because of its little play area inside. While it is really best suitable for toddlers, older kids were having a blast in there too.

We ordered the Unique Ricotta Pancakes (served with yogurt, strawberry & dressing with honey blossom sauce with a touch of nuts & seeds, $12.50), an iced chocolate, $5.50, and a kids’ fresh juice, $4.90.

The food wasn’t the fastest, but we were there on a busy day. We also found the staff to be a bit harried, but again, probably because it was a busy day.

The store part of the cafe features rows upon rows of jams, cookies and baked goods if you feel like taking something home for later.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Grandma’s Little Bakery
42 O’Riordan Street
Alexandria, NSW 2015
Phone: (02) 9690 0069
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sun 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Eden Coffee: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Zetland

March 6, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Food, Zetland / 0 comment

Eden Coffee used to be our local brekkie joint when we lived nearby. While their focus is on providing the best coffee possible to diners, they also have fantastic food, friendly staff and a very welcome vibe. If you’re after a kid-friendly cafe in Zetland with great coffee and delicious food, Eden is your best bet.

Despite there being nothing particularly kid-friendly at this cafe, like a kid’s menu or play equipment, it’s still really family-friendly, as evidenced by the many families who brunch here every weekend. Mums regularly park their strollers at the tables both outside and indoors, as the cafe is big and roomy, with an upbeat atmosphere that welcomes tiny and perhaps noisy guests.

We dined at Eden on many, many, many occasions. My regular dish was the Avocado Smash plus Haloumi (smashed avocado on sourdough with roasted tomatoes), or the Eve’s Breakfast (eggs your way, house-made baked beans, sauteed mushrooms and kale, roasted tomatoes on sourdough), while Alec loved the Adam’s Breakfast (eggs your way, spinach, bacon, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, baked beans, on sourdough).

We would regularly order a babyccino, kid’s milkshake or smoothie for Cheese, plus either banana bread or toast.

The staff at Eden are fantastic. There’s nothing like your regular cafe knowing you and your order when you walk in (or perhaps it’s a sign that we are boring and should branch out into other menu items?).

Highly recommend our old local. If you’re in the ‘hood, drop by!

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: No.

Eden Coffee
781 Elizabeth St,
Zetland NSW 2017
Phone: (02) 9699 3309
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 7am-4pm
Get Directions

Lemonia: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Annandale, Sydney

March 6, 2016 / Annandale, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

We were wandering around Annandale recently and came across the adorable Lemonia Cafe right on Booth Road. The cafe has heavy Greek influence, from it’s name (inspired by the greek word Zesty (Ζέστη) which translates in English to “marked by spirited enjoyment”) to the menu. A chalk board inside the cafe proclaims that fresh Greek cakes will be available on Monday afternoons and we are sad that it’s Saturday and not Monday so we could try them.

The menu has lots of vegetarian and gluten-free options. No specific kid menu, but there are plenty of things that kids will eat.

The charming waitress taking our order noticed our preschooler was getting antsy and we had neglected to bring anything to entertain her, and very thoughtfully took her to the back of the cafe to select some toys and a colouring in sheet from a cabinet. On closer inspection, the toys could do with a bit of a bath, but the colouring in sheets and pencils were very welcome!

Our food came quickly and was all spot on. Alec had the Megalo Brekky (your choice of eggs, grilled tomato, confit mushrooms, chorizo, roasted chats, bacon & sourdough $21). His mushrooms in particular were fab, but his whole dish was fresh and full of flavour. I ordered Luxe Artisan Toast (sourdough $6) plus a side of Avocado ($4.5) for Cheese, and the Museli Bowl (natural yogurt with a choice of mixed berry, poached pear confit or fresh strawberries with toasted museli $11) for me.

My muesli dish was just how I like it – mostly natural yogurt and fruit with a small amount of museli.

Next to the cafe is a small shady park that is perfect for kids to run around in, or you can walk to the nearby Orphan School Creek playground a few streets away in Forest Lodge (entry via Wood st).

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes (outside).
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Lemonia Cafe
4-8 Booth Street,
Annandale, Sydney, NSW
Phone: 02 9552 2425
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 6am-6pm
Get Directions

High Tea At Parliament House: Sydney’s Most Exclusive High Tea

February 27, 2016 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 1 Comment

On the last Friday of every month, at precisely 3:15pm, excited lovers of cake and tea are admitted into the rarely seen Strangers’ Dining Room at Australia’s first and oldest Parliament House to enjoy their High Tea in the House experience.

It’s a somewhat secret experience at the moment, as so few people are aware of this high tea. When combined with the limited seating option available, this high tea becomes Sydney’s most reclusive, and exclusive, afternoon tea experience.

To get to the Strangers’ Dining Room, overlooking the beautiful Domain park, requires walking through a metal detector and passing by some heavily armed guards. It’s a bit of a surreal way to enter a high tea room, that’s for sure.

With the only dining option for 3:15pm, a small crowd gathered in anticipation of the dining event about to take place.

After checking in with our names, we chose our table – by the window with the best natural light.

The china drew our attention immediately – it’s a special Wedgwood china pattern designed for Parliament House. I was hoping to be able to purchase a tea cup to take home, but sadly they are not available for sale.

There are three options available:
Traditional High Tea served with tea and coffee – $42 per person
Hope Estate Pinot Chardonnay NV Sparkling High Tea – $44 per person
Lerida Estate Lake George Brut Rose Sparkling High Tea – $52 per person

The High Tea in the House was created by Executive Chef David Learmonth and his team of expert chefs. While not every component was made in-house, every ingredient on the menu was sourced from NSW.

Scone tier
Lemonade scones with strawberry gel and cream

Savoury tier
Bocconcini tartlet with chive coulis
Smoked salmon and dill cream cheese crepe roulade
Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches

Sweet tier
Milk chocolate aero squares
Flamed lemon meringue pie
Macarons
Mini cupcakes
Opera cake

I was somewhat perplexed when the tea stand arrived with the one type of sandwich, the salmon scroll and the bocconcini tarts after I had told them I was vegetarian, as usually I am given an alternative to meat. After confirming that this was the regular platter and there was no vegetarian option I was grateful that there happened to be two vege savouries for me to eat. After we devoured the savoury plate, another was brought over, which I loved. The hot weather had put me off eating too much sickly sweet stuff and I was craving savouries. I do appreciate when extra sandwiches are offered at all high teas, actually, as well as additional tea.

Speaking of tea, I chose an English Breakfast loose leaf tea which came in a beautiful silver pot. The handle was burning hot strangely, and the post only held enough water for two very small cups, but it was a really lovely tea.

The scones were excellent, even though they were not super fresh. I really love when scones arrive fresh out of the oven!

The dessert tier defeated me on this day. I enjoyed the lemon merengue tart, the opera cake and the tiny vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting, but I couldn’t eat any more!

On the whole, I enjoyed the high tea, in particular the savoury tier and scones. The desserts were good, but not very creative. I did think that this high tea was excellently priced. At $42pp it’s cheaper than the majority of high teas in Sydney, and in a location you’re likely to never be privileged to step foot in again.

NSW Parliament House
6 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9230 2248
Bookings are recommended and can be made by contacting NSW Parliamentary Catering on 02 9230 2248 or by email to dps.catering@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Get Directions

Little Passports: The Best Subscription Boxes For Kids

February 25, 2016 / Kids, Product Reviews / 5 Comments

Is there anything more fun than getting letters and packages in the mail? I thought not. While we love travel, we are not one of those nomadic families who travel year-round. We spend most of our year in Sydney, loving our life here but also dreaming of seeing every country under the sun.

Little Passports is a fantastic new find I made recently that fits perfectly into our lifestyle. It’s a monthly subscription box for kids designed to encourage a love of travel and teach them about the world.

The way it works is simple. Choose the monthly adventure best suited to your family, select your subscription plan, and then watch your kids’ faces light up when they receive their monthly packages filled with letters, souvenirs, activities & more.

There are three age brackets, or “adventures” to choose from – which means the packages delivered are very tailored to each age range.

Early Explorers for 3-5 year olds
Explore a new world theme each month, like music, oceans and dinosaurs.

World Edition for 6-10 year olds
Discover a new country each month, with souvenirs and hands-on activities.

USA Edition for 7-12 year olds
Learn about two new states each month, with activity-packed State Journals.

We selected the Early Explorers for ages 3-5.

Next, choose your plan. Each plan includes the Traveler Kit and subsequent monthly world theme kits. Note: prices are in US Dollars (USD). These prices are for the Early Explorers boxes.

12 Month
$13.95/month
One time payment of $167.40 USD
+ $36 shipping to USA/ $66 USD shipping to Australia
Auto renews after 12 months
Cancel renewal anytime

6 Month
$15.95/month
One time payment of $95.70 USD
+ $18 shipping to USA/$33 USD shipping to Australia
Auto renews after 6 months
Cancel renewal anytime

Monthly
$15.95/month
$15.95 + $3 shipping
to USA/$5.50 USD shipping
to Australia, billed monthly
Auto renews each month
Cancel renewal anytime

First Month: The Traveler Kit
The first month you will receive:

A fun orange suitcase
Wall-sized World Map
20-page activity booklet
Luggage Tag
Stickers and photo

Little Passports: The Best Subscription Boxes For Kids via christineknight.me — “Landmarks” themed kit

Every month following, the kits will have a different world theme. Each kit will include:

20-page activity booklet
Fun Souvenirs
Flashlight Adventures
Trading Cards
Letters, photos, stickers and luggage tags

What I love about Little Passports:

The characters:
Little Passports has created three adorable characters called Max, Mia and their dog Toby, to guide children on their adventures. The characters are very age appropriate and super cute. Having characters make the adventures more relatable for little preschoolers, and each month when the kit arrives, kids can look forward to an update from Max, Mia and Toby’s new adventures like they are getting care packages from a friend.

The variety of themes:
There are so many! Rather than focusing on one location, the broader theme of “music” or “art” lends itself to different types of conversation, as well as being easier for a preschooler to grasp the concept of. Locations, distance, space – these concepts are tough for little kids to understand, so the themes encompassing a feature that numerous locations have in common makes learning easier for this age group. Cheese is able to tell me, for example, that the Eiffel Tower is in Paris, but she has no idea where Paris is.

Themes that the kits encompass:

Landmarks
Music
Animals
Food
Art
Natural Wonders
Oceans
World Coins
Space
World Discoveries
Dinosaurs
Science
Celebrations
Habitats
Transportation
Insects
Sports

The activities
Each kit has activities that kids can do on their own, like stickers, and adult-participation, like the activity books. This mix works well as we have items that Cheese can get out and enjoy on her own, but also ones that we can do together, leading to further discussions. There is a lot of detail in each pack with interesting facts about the world, so when we go through these pack together, I read the information to Cheese, then we chat about what it means, and what she thinks about it.

When I first opened the activity books I wasn’t sure how Cheese would go as she is typically more into physical games than those on paper. I was really surprised however, as she was really happy to sit and work through the whole book in one sitting. I did need to read the instructions to her, but she was then able to perform each activity entirely on her own (note: she is 4.5 yrs old).

They’re educational
I’m a big fan of learning through play, and these kits enable kids to do just that. The landmarks kit we received had the cutest mini figures of famous landmarks around the world like the Sphynx and Great Wall of China. After their introduction to Cheese, they are now being used in imaginary play with her other toys, and she’s dreaming up new and exciting geographic locations for her games. These kits, with bite-sized information and games that teach about the world, are an easy way for kids to absorb knowledge while playing.

We now have the world map on the wall of Cheese’s bedroom and talk about the different continents, what landmarks are on them, where we live, where we used to live in New York, and so on. I plan to write on the cities soon, where we have been and where we are going, so she can get a good picture of the world and dream up her own big adventures.

Thank you to Little Passports for sending us these kits to check out. All opinions are my own.

This post contains affiliate links. This means if you buy a kit from Little Passports using these links I will receive a very small commission from the sale. Thank you for supporting me and my blog.

Webjet: The Best Travel Planning Apps

February 24, 2016 / Travel / 2 Comments

If you’re on the go (and, ahem, on your phone) all the time like I am, this great travel app from Webjet is going to make your holiday planning and booking so much easier. The app enables you to search for flights, hotels and car hire and then book them, all in the one app.

I do most of my travel research on my trusty phone, so I really enjoyed using the app to quickly find the best deals within my budget when planning out upcoming Hawaii trip. I found the app to be fast, very easy to use, and also very thorough. It had all of the options I needed to filter choices with when booking a family holiday.

The smart app knows what destinations you’re looking for and auto populates with the correct airport.

Select the number of adult and children.

Your options are presented in an easy-to-read manner.

Sort by departure time, airline, price, stops or duration.

You can also select filters from the bottom of the screen to refine your search by airlines or stops. I prefer “no stops”.

The date selector is easy and intuitive. Vastly easy to navigate than many hotel websites!

The hotel booking tool is similarly easy to use. The selection criteria makes it easy to find hotels when travelling with kids.

The hotel lists come with TripAdvisor ratings that you can click through to read.

Sort hotels by recommended, price, star rating, hotel name, special offers, or, my favourite, TripAdvisor review scores.

Using the filter button at the bottom allows you to select hotels matching a particular rating ot TripAdvisor review score.

Choose the map view to see hotels in the area you would like to stay. Zoom in and out for more detail.

Clicking on the hotel will bring up its location, price for your dates, star rating and TripAdvisor review.

Click on the hotel for further information. I won’t be staying here!

Select to view the price by “per night” or “total price”. I prefer “per night” as I find it easier to compare various hotels this way to see which gives me a better deal.

All your options are listed when you select the hotel. Choose your room type.

Total price and your dates for review.

Pay directly within the app.

Next – car hire. I love how easy this app makes it to book your hotel, flight and car hire all at once.

A variety of cars can be selected.

Sort by car price, company name, car type or make.

Filter by car type or make.

Choose to see the price “per day” or “total”.

All the info you need. How many people its fits, how many bags, info on the shuttle bus from the airport to the car hire, price for the duration, what’s included for your price.

Choose your extras – all of your family needs are here!

Pay within the app.

I really enjoyed the ease with which this app made researching and booking hotel, flights and car hire.

Try the Webjet app for free on iOS and Android.

This post was written in conjunction with Webjet. All opinions are my own.