Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

A month-by-month guide to Fruit Picking Sydney: strawberries, apples, oranges

May 5, 2020 / Seasonal Fun, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Fruit Picking Sydney: A month-by-month guide of where to go and what to pick

One of our new favourite activities is fruit picking in Sydney. We are so lucky to have so many pick-your-own orchards within 90 minutes of Sydney. Depending on the season, choose from strawberry picking, apple picking, orange picking and more.

All of the farms and orchards listed are within a 2-hour driving distance of Sydney’s CBD, making them all do-able for a weekend outing.

Fruit & Nut Picking Seasons

These are the peak seasons and locations for where fruit picking occurs in Sydney. Some crops run longer than others and crossover seasons.

January to June – Apples, Persimmons, Plums (Bilpin)

March to April – Chestnuts & Walnuts (Mt Wilson & Mt Irvine)

July to October – Oranges & Mandarins (Hawkesbury), strawberries (Bilpin and Thirlmere), sunflowers (Bilpin)

November to January – Peaches (Bilpin) and berries (Thirlmere, Bilpin and Dapto)

As the weather impacts the time when fruit will be ready for harvest it is advisable to call the orchards below and check which fruit is ready for picking as the charts on the various websites may vary by up to 2 weeks.

Tips on fruit picking in Sydney

Get all the info first
Check the orchard’s Facebook page for the most current information on their stock levels. Many orchards are bookings only. Some require and entrance fee on top of cost per kilogram for purchasing the fruit at the end.

Wear appropriate clothes
It can be dirty work, picking fruit, through muddy fields, so wear appropriate clothes. Most nut farms provide gloves for picking, but double check before turning up to pick prickly nuts. Most farms are an hour and a half drive out of Sydney and the temperature might be different to that at home, so check the weather before leaving home. Bilpin in particular can get cold.

Bring your own bags
Heavy duty reusable supermarket bags are best. Some people take boxes which is a good option for keeping fruit safe from bruising. Most orchards will provide you with plastic bags if needed.

Stock up on produce
Most orchards sell other pre-packed produce either grown on their own farm or locally. You will be able to pick up fresh eggs, juice, fruit, vegetables and often fruit pies.

Fruit Picking during COVID-19

Many orchards are open during the COVID-19 pandemic, with strict social distancing rules in place. Entry to farms are limited by numbers so if the farm doesn’t take bookings, I suggest arriving when the farm opens as that’s when the least amount of people will be there. During this time it is especially important to look at the farm’s most recent updates on their opening hours and social distancing procedures before driving all the way there and being turned away.

If you are self isolating but want to pick up fresh produce, many farms are doing contactless pick up of their produce, usually by phone order or they have stalls out the front with pre-packaged produce.

Fruit picking with kids

Kids of all ages generally love fruit picking. It’s a great activity for the whole family to enjoy. When visiting a farm with kids, remember to keep a close eye on them. Any fruit picked must be bought – before it’s eaten. Remind kids before starting to pick fruit of the rules. Anything picked goes into the bags, and definitely no throwing fruit, or trampling the plants on the farm.

Farm Reviews

Watkins Family Farm

Glenbernie Family Farm

Bilpin Fruit Bowl strawberry picking.

Canoelands Orchard

Summer: Peaches, nectarines, strawberries, oranges, nectarines, plums, apples, lemons, pears, quinces, blueberries, blackberries, figs, raspberries, tomatoes

December

Blueberries
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blackberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Peaches
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Nectarines
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Oranges
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Plums
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

January

Peaches
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Apples
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee.
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Shields Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee. Call ahead to reserve your spot.
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Peaches
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Lemons
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Oranges
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only

Pears
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Quinces
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Plums
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blueberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blackberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

February

Apples
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee;
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Shields Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee. Call ahead to reserve your spot.
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Peaches
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Lemons
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Pears
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Quinces
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Plums
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Persimmons
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Figs
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Raspberries
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blackberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blueberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Tomatoes
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Autumn: Apples, lemons, limes, pears, quinces, plums, persimmons, walnuts, chestnuts, tomatoes, figs, mandarins, oranges

March

Apples
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Shields Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee. Call ahead to reserve your spot.
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Lemons
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Pears
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Quinces
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Plums
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Persimmons
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Figs
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Raspberries
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

Walnuts
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Nutwood Farm at Mt Irvine: Weekends, no admission fee.
Kookootonga at Mt Irvine

Chestnuts
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Fern Hill Farm at Mt Wilson
Nutwood Farm at Mt Irvine: Weekends, no admission fee.
Kookootonga at Mt Irvine

Tomatoes
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

April

Apples
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: Weekends, entry fee
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Lemons
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Pears
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Persimmons
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Quinces
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

Figs
Bilpin Springs Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee but min purchase $5 per adult

Walnuts
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Nutwood Farm at Mt Irvine: Weekends, no admission fee.
Kookootonga at Mt Irvine

Chestnuts
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Fern Hill Farm at Mt Wilson
Nutwood Farm at Mt Irvine: Weekends, no admission fee.
Kookootonga at Mt Irvine

Tomatoes
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

May

Apples
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.
Shields Orchard: Weekends, no entry fee. Call ahead to reserve your spot.
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Walnuts
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Chestnuts
Pine Crest Orchard: Fri, Sat & Sun, public holidays, no admission fee.

Lemons
Kathleen Groves Farm: Weekends.
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Mandarins
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Oranges
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

Tomatoes
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Winter: Apples, cumquats, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, persimmons, pecans

June

Apples
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Cumquats
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Lemons
Kathleen Groves Farm: Weekends.
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Mandarins
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Watkins Family Farm: Weekends, no entry fee.
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Oranges
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Pecans
The Pecan Lady

Persimmons
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

July

Cumquats
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Lemons
Kathleen Groves Farm: Weekends.
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Mandarins
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Watkins Family Farm: Weekends, no entry fee.
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Oranges
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

August

Cumquats
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Lemons
Kathleen Groves Farm: Weekends.
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Mandarins
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Watkins Family Farm: Weekends, no entry fee.
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Oranges
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

Spring: Cumquats, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, peaches, plums, nectarines

September

Cumquats
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Lemons
Kathleen Groves Farm: Weekends.
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Limes
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Mandarins
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Watkins Family Farm: Weekends, no entry fee.
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Oranges
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.

October

Lemons
Kathleen Groves Farm: Weekends.
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.

Mandarins
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Oranges
Ford’s Farm: Entry fee, bookings only.
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: bookings essential, entry fee.

Sunflowers
Glenbernie Family Farm: Entry fee, bookings essential.

November

Oranges
Wyuna Farms: Bookings only
Anderson Farm: Closed Thursdays, cash only.

Peaches
TNT Produce: Weekends, entry fee.

Plums
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Nectarines
Canoelands Orchard: Weekends, entry fee, bookings essential.

Strawberries
Berrylicious Strawberries, Thirlmere: Weekends only, bookings essential, entry fee.
Bilpin Fruit Bowl: bookings essential, entry fee.
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blueberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

Blackberries
Kareelah Farms, Dapto

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

Get a list of the best playgrounds in Sydney.

Find the best ice cream and gelato in Sydney

Things to do in the Blue Mountains.

Plan amazing NSW road trips.

Where is your favourite place to go fruit picking in Sydney?

Four Stunning NSW Road Trips To Start Planning Today

May 1, 2020 / Australia, NSW / 0 comment

Stunning NSW Road Trips To Start Planning Today

Dreaming of hitting the road? Us too. Start planning your NSW road trips that will take you to beautiful beaches, lush wineries, and cosy country towns.

North: Sydney to Coolangatta

It’s about nine hours to drive straight from Sydney to the northernmost coastal NSW town of Coolangatta, perched on the NSW/Qld border. Along the way are some of the prettiest coastal towns you’ll ever see, each one worth a trip to alone.

Only an hour north of Sydney you’ll find the beautiful Central Coast, followed by Newcastle, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and plenty of tiny little towns in between until you hit Coffs Harbour. Further north is Yamba, Lennox Head, Byron Bay and then Coolangatta.

I highly recommend a few days in the stunning Hunter Valley region, which is north-west of Newcastle, and renowned for its wineries, cheese and chocolate.

Plot your route and plan your future northern NSW road trips between Sydney and Brisbane / Gold Coast with these tips.

North-West: Sydney to Dubbo

Go west and head inland to Dubbo (approx 5 hours direct), and stop off at some of NSW’s best country towns along the way. Head to the Blue Mountains and spend a few days exploring the stunning bush, flowing waterfalls and cosy cafes, then take the route that goes through the historic wine town of Mudgee in one direction, and return via the route with Orange (another great wine town), Bathurst and Mayfield Garden.

When you get to Dubbo, spend a few days exploring the town (including the famous Dubbo Goal), and of course, Taronga Western Plains Zoo! If it’s on your budget, glamp overnight in a Zoofari Lodge.

South-East: Sydney to Albury

It will take around 5 and a half hours to drive direct to Albury, the town perched on the Murray River at the border of NSW and Victoria. Keep going to hit Melbourne, or just enjoy the little towns along the way such as Gundagai, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn and Holbrook.

Plan NSW road trips, with tips on where to stop inland between Sydney and Melbourne.

South: Sydney to Eden

This spectacular road trip down Sydney’s south coast takes around 6 and a half hours if you do it all in one hit. We highly recommend taking at least a week however to do this stunning drive, which winds down through some of Australia’s most beautiful white sand beaches.

Start with a few days in Kiama and Jervis Bay, home to the world’s whitest sand beach, then stop by Mollymook, Ulladulla, meet the friendly kangas at Pebbly Beach, Bateman’s Bay, nearby Mogo Zoo, inland cheese town Bega, popular beach town Merimbula and Tura Beach, ending in Eden and the stunning Ben Boyd National Park.

Plan your NSW road trip, with tips on where to stop between Sydney and Melbourne.

Want more ideas on NSW roadtrips? Get ideas from the Destination NSW website.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids.

Find things to do in Sydney for free.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney.

Find the best high teas in Sydney.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney.

Cool down at one of these free water parks in Sydney.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney.

Get a list of the best playgrounds in Sydney.

Find the best ice cream and gelato in Sydney

Things to do in the Blue Mountains.

Kids’ Exercise Videos and Online Classes

April 27, 2020 / Educational Resources / 0 comment

Kids’ Exercise Videos and Online Classes

Exercise should be fun! Keep little ones fit and active at home with one of these kids’ exercises videos or online classes.

Yoga

Yoga is the perfect physical activity for kids that exercises their bodies and calms the mind at the same time.

Find plenty of online yoga classes for kids.

Dance

There are many, many options here, including all of the local studios who have pivoted to online, live classes. If your kids just want to do the odd class rather than sign up for a term, two options that we enjoy and recommend are below.

Sydney Dance Company

Kids aged 8+ with dance experience can try live jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop and ballet lessons priced at for $12 a drop in class.

Read Set Dance

The preschool set will adore these fun, energetic dance classes that are the perfect entry into the world of dance.

YouTube Channel

Ballet

Many individual studios have gone online, with a range of classes for all ages and abilities catered for with live classes. You can also try a prerecorded classes in your own time, many of which are for free.

Find plenty of online ballet classes for kids and adults.

Acrobatics

Acropals

We have been loving Acropal acrobatics classes, taught live, online for ages 5+ for $10 a class.

acropals.com

Megan Bolton Acrobatics

MBAcrobatics offers live acro classes for beginners to advanced levels

mbacrobatics.com

General fitness

Bfitathome

Bfitathome offers a variety of free live and on-demand workouts and kids sport sessions. Classes include the fundamentals of soccer, basketball, golf and gymnastics, and offer the opportunity to improve specific skillsets and practice drills.

bfitathome.com.au

PE with Joe

The Body Coach TV YouTube channel has emerged as a favourite with PE teachers everywhere to offer kids free home workouts

YouTube Channel

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

Get creative at home with these online art classes for kids.

Get Creative At Home With These Online Art Classes For Kids

April 16, 2020 / Educational Resources / 0 comment

Online Art Classes For Kids

Keep creative at home with these online art classes for kids. Choose from a range of Sydney-based art studios who have gone online and YouTube tutorials that can be accessed any time, anywhere, for easy home-based art classes.

Art Est

Based in Leichhardt, Art Est offers painting, drawing and ceramics classes for kids and adults. They are currently offering a range of school holidays workshops and term 2 weekly online classes. Materials must be collected from the studio and ceramics have to be returned for firing in the kiln afterwards

artest.com.au

Paper Rock Scissors

A Rozelle-based art studio, Paper Rock Scissors has moved online with one-off and weekly classes on offer. Classes are available in two age groups, K-2 and 3-6.

paperrockscissors.com.au

Bondi Paint Club

Based in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, this art studio is offering live-streamed kids school holiday workshops as well as classes for adults. Most of the workshops offered are painting, with the odd clay class. You can use your own materials or order a pack to be sent to your house prior to the lesson.

We tried a class with Bondi Paint Club and absolutely loved it.

bondipaintclub.com.au

Make Your Mark Art

This Brookville-based studio offers a range of pre-recorded video tutorials for kids that can be enjoyed at any time, plus weekly live classes over Zoom and school holiday workshops.

makeyourmarkart.com

Art Spark

Book your kids in for online art classes ranging from sewing to drawing, painting and illustrating.

artspark-studio.com.au

Julia Peadon Art

Kids and adults can enjoy these online art classes. Book in holiday workshops or weekly painting classes for kids. Holiday workshops are half or full day in length.

juliepeadonart.com

Classes on YouTube

There are so many amazing, free art classes available on YouTube. Here are just a few to try:

Carla Sonheim

Carla offers beautiful classes for kids of all ages, with new classes being uploaded weekly.

youtube.com/user/CarlaSonheim

Art for Kids Hub

This is a family-run channel, with plenty of easy art tutorials that kids can follow along with.

Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems

The author and illustrator of the Elephant and Piggy and Pigeon children’s books has recorded a wonderful series of videos to teach kids how to draw his famous characters and more.

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

Get fit with kids’ exercise videos and online classes.

Easter Activities For Kids

April 7, 2020 / Educational Resources / 0 comment

Easter Activities For Kids

Get creative at home with these easy Easter activities for kids. Bake, craft and play with these Easter-themed ideas.

Easter egg hunt

A simple Easter egg hunt can be done in a small courtyard, backyard and even inside an apartment. Use real chocolate eggs or plastic ones filled with stickers, jelly beans or other small items. The plastic eggs are great for hot weather and we collect ours to reuse them time and time again. Get ideas on how to reuse plastic Easter eggs here.

Easter hat parade

Put on your own Easter hat parade in your living room. Take an existing hat and use craft materials like pom poms, glitter, pipe cleaners to make a magical Easter creation.

Dye your own Easter eggs

Hard boil eggs and use food colouring to dye eggs. You can follow the recipe below. We did this with two years olds so it’s something that’s really for kids of most ages.

epicurious.com

Sensory play ideas

Perfect for babies and toddlers, sensory play stimulates children’s senses of sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. Here is a list of great ideas for how to engage littlies in sensory play:

findingmyselfyoung.com

Bake Easter cookies

Make and decorate your own Easter cookies with this simple recipe that the kids can help with (or make themselves if they’re a bit older):

kidspot.com.au

DIY bunny bags

An alternative to Easter Eggs, these bunny bags can be filled with food or fun treats, and kids can make them for each other, relatives or friends.

mumlyfe.com.au

Create your own marbled Easter eggs

This is a fun STEM activity for students and children at home, courtesy of Penguin Books. Designed for kids in grade 3–5, this ‘eggs-periment’ activity combines science and art.

penguin.com.au

Easter cupcakes

These are so easy to make. Make a basic cupcake base and basic buttercream frosting, then tint the frosting green with a few drops of food colouring. Kids can decorate the cupcakes with the frosting, desiccated coconut or chocolate shavings and mini Easter eggs.

This is my favourite cupcake recipe and favourite vanilla buttercream frosting recipe.

Easter Rocky Road

This Easter loaded rocky road is a delicious mixture of white chocolate, jelly beans, lollies, chocolate eggs and marshmallows.

stuffmumslike.com

Upcycled Easter cards

Create your own melted upcycled Easter crayon shapes and colour in Easter cards with this simple Easter craft.

simplifycreateinspire.com

Easter activity sheets

Download these educational and fun free Easter-themed activity sheets that include telling the time, find-a-words and colouring in.

Download the activity sheets here

Macca the Alpaca Easter printouts

Author and illustrator Matt Cosgrove has created Easter-themed printouts based on ‘Celeste the Giraffe Loves To Laugh’ written by Celeste Barber and his book, Macca the Alpaca.

mattcosgrovebooks.com

Easter activities for kids with special needs

My dear friend Julie has written up some excellent ideas for how to celebrate Easter at home with kids who have additional needs.

havewheelchairwilltravel.net

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Free Disney Activities For Kids and Adults

April 6, 2020 / Disney Travel, Educational Resources / 0 comment

Free Disney Activities For Kids and Adults

Entertain yourself at home with these free Disney activities for kids and adults. Get fit, creative or zen, the choice is magically yours.

Disney on Broadway Dance Tutorials

We had such a good time learning the choreography from Aladdin’s ‘Arabian Nights’.

You can also learn a sequence from The Lion King.

Disney Zumba Videos

Get fit with this round up of free Disney-themed zumba videos that includes music from Moana, Zootopia and Aladdin at elitedaily.com

Disney Paper Dolls

Print these Disney characters, including princesses and Star Wars heroes, then colour them in, cut and assemble to create your own paper doll set.

Anna and Elsa hairdo tutorials

Get busy trying these Anna and Elsa hairdos from Frozen 2.

Disney family moving with Moana

Get active with a Moana-themed exercise video.

Imagineering in a Box

Disneyland Resort California — Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

The Disney Imagineers have put together Imagineering in a Box, a free online program created in partnership with the Khan Academy and Pixar. The program is a series of interactive lessons in theme park design and engineering, designed to give a behind-the-scenes peek into Imagineering’s development process. With 32 videos including actual Imagineers, case studies, and activities, the program is a fun way to dream up your own theme park.

khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/imagineering-in-a-box

Disney mandalas

Print and colour in these free Disney mandalas.

Draw Disney characters

The Disney Family YouTube Channel has a series of videos where the Disney animators give lessons on how to draw some favourite Disney characters including Ariel from The Little mermaid.

Colouring in sheets

Print out your fave characters and fill your days with colour!

Disney colouring in sheets.

Moana colouring in sheets.

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Get creative at home with these online art classes for kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

More Disneyland Resort California Tips

How to have the best Disneyland holiday ever.

A guide to using MAXPASS At Disneyland.

Celebrating Halloween at Disneyland.

Celebrating the holidays at Disneyland.

Hotel review: The Grand Californian Resort & Spa.

Character Dining: Goofy’s Kitchen.

Character Dining: Minnie & Friends Breakfast at the Plaza Inn.

Character Dining: Mickey’s Tales of Adventure.

Our favourite Disney souvenirs.

The best bits of Disneyland with little kids.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disneyland.

How to survive and enjoy Disneyland with a toddler.

Frozen Live at the Hyperion Theater.

Building a droid at the Droid Depot, in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Savi’s Workshop Lightsaber Building Experience.

Enjoy a drink at Oga’s Cantina.

A guide to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Enjoy Donald Duck’s Seaside Breakfast.

Dine with royalty at Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures.

Find the perfect Disneyland character dining experience for you.

The perfect (virtual) day at Disneyland.

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

Get creative at home with these online art classes for kids.

Get fit with kids’ exercise videos and online classes.

Online ballet classes for kids and adults

April 1, 2020 / Educational Resources / 0 comment

Online ballet classes for kids and adults

Ready to try your first ballet class? Or are you and the kids stuck at home and looking for online training? These amazing (and mostly free!) online ballet classes for kids and adults, taught by some of the world’s top professional dancers, will have you and the little ones dancing the day away.

The American Ballet Theatre

One of America’s premiere ballet companies, the ABT has uploaded a series of virtual ballet classes for kids from tiny tots up.

YouTube Channel

The Wiggles

Join Emma’s Bowtiful Ballet Studio on the Wiggle’s YouTube channel for plenty of toddler-friendly ballet classes.

YouTube Channel

The Australian Ballet

The Australian Ballet is teaching ballet basics through live streamed videos on their Facebook page that can be joined or watched later.

Facebook Page

They have also launched an online studio where classes of various levels can be access for free. Suitable for beginners through to advanced.

australianballet.com.au/event/studios

The Australian ballet has also launched a pre recorded series of online ballet classes for kids of all ages.

australianballet.com.au/education-resources/classroom-warm-up-activities

The Nationale Opera & Ballet

The Dutch national ballet company is live-streaming free basic ballet classes to their YouTube channel. You can tune in live or watch them in your own time.

YouTube Channel

Francisco Gella Dance Works

The founder and artistic director of contemporary dance company Nuevo Dance has published a series of instructional dance videos on YouTube.

YouTube Channel

Kathryn Morgan

The former New York City Ballet soloist has created over 300 videos that cover everything from ballet technique to full barre classes and variations. Her videos are suitable for intermediate to advanced students.

Youtube Channel

Lazy Dancer Tips

Presented by Alessia Lugoboni, these 10-15 minute ballet workouts are suitable for all ages and beginners to intermediate level dancers.

Youtube Channel

Website

The Ballet Coach

An English National Ballet School-rained dancer, Sarah De-Feu has a range of ballet videos to suit preschoolers to even grandparents who want some exercise. While she has previously uploaded most of her free coaching videos to Facebook, she has recently started uploading her videos to YouTube where they are now live-streamed and available to watch later at any time.

YouTube Channel

Ready Set Dance

The preschool set will adore these fun, energetic dance classes that are the perfect entry into the world of dance.

YouTube Channel

Sydney Dance Company

Kids and adults can try live, online ballet classes. Kids classes are aimed at kids aged 8+ with a moderate amount of ballet experience. Adult classes start at beginner level.

sydneydancecompany.com

Tiler Peck

The star of the New York City Ballet, Tiler Peck, is live-streaming classes on her Instagram account.

Instagram page

View this post on Instagram

Hey guys! My sister’s school @garces.memorial is taking precautionary measures and going online for classes. I teach their Advance Dance class tomorrow and I wanted to open it up to everyone since so many students won’t be able to go to their normal classes. The first class will be tomorrow at 10PST/1EST on my Instagram live. I know this is a really hard time for us and dancers around the world are looking for ways to stay in shape while being at home! Let’s do it together, kitchen countertops and all ? #dowhatwecan #togetherisbetter #ballerina #TurnItOutWithTiler #dancetogether

A post shared by Tiler Peck (@tilerpeck) on Mar 15, 2020 at 4:15pm PDT

Ashley Bouder

A principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, Ashley Bouder is live-streaming classes and saving them on her YouTube channel.

YouTube Channel

Dancewear Royale

Thanks to Leotard brand Dancewear Royale, you can watch a series of dance classes on their Instagram account. The classes are a range of styles from ballet to pilates and core workouts to contemporary. Even beginners can have a go.

Instagram page

View this post on Instagram

Soloist dancer with @balletvlaanderen @shelbygrooves and creator of @biscuitballerina teaches a really nice contemporary ballet class for the living room or small spaces (part II). Enjoy! About the artist: Shelby received her professional training on scholarship at the Washington School of Ballet and the Houston Ballet Academy. Shelby began her career with Houston Ballet 2 and as a apprentice with Dresden Semperoper Ballett (Germany). She was a soloist with both BallettMainz and the Hessisches Staatsballett in Germany before joining the Royal Ballet of Flanders in 2016 under the direction of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui where she is currently a soloist. She has danced leading roles in works by Crystal Pite, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Akram Khan, Hofesh Schechter, Ohad Naharin, Johan Inger, Martha Graham, and Merce Cunningham amongst others. In Dance Europe Magazine Critic's Choice (October 2017), she was nominated in the category "Outstanding Performance of a Female Dancer" for her performances in "Approximate Sonata 2016" by William Forsythe and "Café Müller"by Pina Bausch. In 2017, Shelby created the viral social media personality Biscuit Ballerina® as a way to encourage a sense of humor around ballet and promote mental health awareness. Shelby leads mental health workshops for dancers around the USA and UK and also publishes interviews and articles on the subject of dancer mental health on her website. Biscuit Ballerina® has been featured in The New York Times, Dance Magazine, and Pointe Magazine. The creation of Biscuit Ballerina® was nominated in the category of "Best News" in Dance Europe Magazine Critic's Choice (October 2018). . . #dancewearroyale #bestrong #coronavirus #ballet #balletto #calisthenics #pilates #yoga #physicaltherapy #danceclasses #stayingsafe #workouts #principaldancer #onlineballetclass #ballerinalife #stayingstrong #stayinginshape #activewear #customdancewear #balletlifestyle #modernballet #contemporaryballet #balletdancer #royalequeen #ballerinalove #balletlovers #dancelovers #activewear #activelifestyle

A post shared by Dancewear Royale (@dancewearroyale) on Mar 31, 2020 at 6:31am PDT

Mary Carpenter

Ballet teacher Mary Carpenter is now filming full-length “kitchen ballet classes” and uploading them to her YouTube channel.

YouTube Channel

Facebook page

Tanya Pearson Academy

One of Sydney’s leading ballet schools, TPA has been live streaming their ballet conditioning classed and uploading them to their YouTub channel for everyone to enjoy.

YouTube Channel

Claudia Dean Coaching

The Aussie ballet star is a former dancer with The Royal Ballet who now runs a private coaching business. She has over 70 videos available to browse and try.

Youtube Channel

Claudia Dean Live.

Bloch

Bloch is streaming live ballet classes on their Instagram Stories.

Instagram account

View this post on Instagram

Former dancer with Hungarian National Ballet and Bloch Europe Influencer, Camilla Mancuso is an exquisite Italian dancer based in Rome, Italy. Currently in quarantine, this inspiring and dedicated ballerina invites us into her home to follow her dance journey whilst �in isolation.

A post shared by Bloch Australia (@blochau) on Mar 27, 2020 at 10:02pm PDT

Dance Domain

This dance studio located in Sydney’s Inner West is moving to online classes. Check their Facebook page for details, or enjoy their live-streamed classes that are already running.

facebook.com/DanceDomain

Tutu Studios

A tiny dance in the house? The beautiful Tutu Studios, where we used to take classes in Sydney, is moving to online classes. Check the website for details on how to enrol.

tutustudios.com.au

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Get creative at home with these online art classes for kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

Get fit with kids’ exercise videos and online classes.

Free Online Yoga Videos For Kids

March 26, 2020 / Educational Resources / 0 comment

Free Online Yoga Videos For Kids

Help kids stay calm, keep active and learn mindfulness with these free online yoga videos for kids. Namasté!

I will stay but saying that I am a yoga devotee, and have been for years. Yoga has been part of my weekly, often daily, fitness routine for years, and recently I’ve bene involving my daughter in the practice.

Yoga is an excellent activity for both kids and adults. For kids, yoga has many benefits. It helps them to slow down, relax and unwind. It encourages body awareness and enhances flexibility, strength and co ordination. Yoga can also help kids with their concentration and to feel calm. While doing yoga, kids can connect with their inner self and begin to practice mindfulness, which helps reduce stress and mental health in general, plus helps improve sleep!

We practice yoga together in many ways. Sometimes we do yoga poses together based on these kids Yoga Pretzel cards, and sometimes we do videos – either those aimed at kids or suitable for all ages.

Whichever way you practice, you can enjoy the benefits listed above, as well as connecting with your kids by spending quality time together.

Here are four free online yoga videos for kids to try this week.

Cosmic Kids Yoga

Our number one favourite online yoga videos for kids is Cosmic Kids Yoga. These videos are super fun and creative, often themed to pop culture like the popular Trolls movie. Cosmic Kids Yoga helps kids enjoy yoga through stories with videos designed for kids ages 3+.

youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

The Karma Class

This brand new online platform is suitable for kids ages 1.5 and up, all the way to teens. Classes are free and include breathing exercises, mindfulness activities and yoga classes designed to help families remain calm, healthy and strong.

online.thekarmaclass.com

Flying Yogis

This Sydney-based practice is posting yoga videos for kid on their Facebook page. We have attended their yoga and acrobatics classes in person in the past and loved them.

facebook.com/FlyingYogisAustralia

Yoga with Adriene

Adriene has a cult following on YouTube, where her library of videos includes over 500 yoga tutorials, including plenty that are aimed at beginners and kids.

yogawithadriene.com/yoga-for-kids/

This is a great children’s yoga video to try with yogi Join Jessica and Ava – designed especially for kids! This is a short yoga sequence perfect for littles using animal-inspired poses to build strength and balance.

Alo Yoga

This is a great 15-minute yoga class for kids with teacher Alissa Kepas. Alissa is passionate about yoga and does lots of classes for all ages, from preschool / elementary to upper grades and teens.

Alissa’s free nature yoga video for kids.

More of Alissa’s online yoga videos for kids.

StoryHive

Enjoy this colourful family-friendly yoga class with Sophia Khan. The video is aimed at total beginners so is a good introduction to yoga with a warm up, breathing practice and poses, and cool down.

The Karma Class

Beth Borowsky, founder of The Karma Class has created an online kids yoga and mindfulness program to help children with their stress and anxiety and to stay calm – especially during Covid 19. While there is a complimentary platform, she has also just released member-based option for $19/month which includes 30 videos to start with and many more to come.

thekarmaclass.com

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Get creative at home with these online art classes for kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

Photo by Jyotirmoy Gupta on Unsplash

Live-stream animal cams from around the world

March 20, 2020 / Educational Resources / 0 comment

Live-stream animal cams from around the world

Is there anything more relaxing than watching cute animals? From the comfort of your living room, you can live-stream incredible animals from zoos, aquariums and national parks across the globe.

Taronga Zoo in Sydney has launched Taronga TV. Tune in daily for a packed schedule of fascinating keepers talks and shows, 24/7 live animal streams, amusing animal antics and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks at what the animals (and the keepers) actually get up to when the zoo is closed.

taronga.org.au/taronga-tv

San Diego Zoo has baboons, African penguins, apes, polar bears, koalas, elephants, tigers and more, all streaming live.

zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams

Wildlife Sydney Zoo is live streaming their animal feedings and keeper talks on their Facebook page.

facebook.com/wildlifesydney

SEALIFE Sydney Aquarium is live-streaming their animals, including their gorgeous penguins on their Facebook page.

facebook.com/sydneyaquarium

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary have put webcams up to share their gorgeous koalas.

koala.net/webcams

Shenshuping Gengda Panda Center in China’s Wolong Valley Nature Reserve has cameras in 11 panda yards so you can observe these gentle giants napping, eating bamboo and napping some more.

explore.org

Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo have set up cameras so you can watch live streams of the animals from home. Baby snow leopards, penguins, giraffes, lions and more!

zoo.org.au/animal-house

Monterey Bay Aquarium have ten live webcams featuring animals from sea otters to jellyfish.

montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams

Atlanta Zoo have a Panda Cam.

zooatlanta.org/panda-cam

The Cincinnati Zoo is streaming animal safaris on their Facebook page, website and YouTube channel.

cincinnatizoo.org

Katmai National Park in Alaska is the place to see brown bears trying to catch salmon and also bear cubs!

explore.org/livecams/brown-bears/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls

More things to do at home

Travel the world with kids without leaving your house.

Free online educational resources for kids.

Live stream animal cams from around the world.

Enjoy the perfect virtual day at Disneyland.

Help little ones stay zen with these free online yoga videos for kids.

Try an online ballet class, perfect for adults and kids.

Enjoy free Disney activities for kids and adults.

Get creative at home with these online art classes for kids.

Get fit with kids’ exercise videos and online classes.

Know of any other places you can live stream animals?

The perfect (virtual) day at Disneyland

March 18, 2020 / Anaheim, California, Disney Travel, Disneyland, Travel, USA / 0 comment

The perfect (virtual) day at Disneyland

Can’t make to a Disney park right now? There’s no reason you can’t enjoy Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks in the mean time, albeit virtually. Through the magic of the internet, you can stroll through the parks, meet characters, ride the best attractions and finish up the day with fireworks.

Disney released a series of 360-degree panoramas on Google Street View that feature top Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort locations. Take a virtual stroll through the parks to bring back those happy Disney feelings and also help plan your next vacation.

Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland California — Matt Stroshane, photographer

You can also virtually experience Disney’s incredicoaster, Frozen Ever After, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Splash Mountain, Smugglers Run, Indiana Jones, Expedition Everest, It’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion, and the new Rise of the Resistance rides.

After the full Disney experience? Try character dining, listening to music streamed live by Disneyland musicians, enjoy a princess makeover at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, tour Mickey Mouse’s house, meet characters, watch Disney’s Soundsational Parade, try the latest snacks, watch World of Color and finish it off with front row seats to the fireworks.

You can even score the best view in the house to see Disneyland California’s brand new Magic Happens parade.

Miss the Dapper Dans? Us too! Enjoy their performances from home through the magic of YouTube.

You can even virtually visit Tokyo Disneyland, thanks to their excellent YouTube Channel, where they have uploaded Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea stage shows.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TDRofficialchannel