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Indoor Play

Learn & Play! teamLab Future Park at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

November 23, 2017 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

This summer, the Powerhouse Museum is presenting one of the most incredible exhibitions Sydney seen: the innovative, playful and completely immersive Learn & Play! teamLab Future Park. Exclusive to the Powerhouse Museum, Future Park is the latest exhibition by Japanese art collective teamLab.

The exhibition feature eight interactive light installations that respond to real-time interaction. A stunning blend of science and creativity, Future Park challenges visitors to dream up collaborative artworks in a playground for children and adult alike.

Future Park is broken up into the following distinct areas or activities:

Sketch Town allows participants to create their own vehicle or building that, when scanned, comes to life on a massive screen as part of the town. Creators can interact with their designs or print them out to take home and create as a 3D model.

Light Ball Orchestra was a winner with us – two pits of large and small light balls that are suspended from the ceiling and rolling around loose on the ground. As we interact with them, they change colour, creating an ever changing brilliant light show.

Graffiti Nature – Mountains and Valleys was incredibly hard to photograph but looks incredible to the eye. A digital environment populated by visitor drawings of plants and animals, add your own creature and slide into the imaginary world filled with giant, colourful creatures that have come directly from your own imagination.

Hopscotch for Geniuses is one for the music lovers – or those of us who remember hopscotch from our own childhoods! This digital twist on an old favourite game changes the rules and transforms a standard hopping game into a pathway to create an interactive dance and musical symphony.

Connecting: Block Town! lets participants create their own townscape by moving physical wooden blocks on the table. As each block is moved, cars, trains and buildings appear in the landscape.

Sketch People gives visitors the opportunity to draw themselves or a completely new character and then see them move on a large screen right in front of them. The drawings interact with other drawings, forming relationships. Sketch people respond to being touched, so give yours a (gentle!) poke and see what actions you get in return!

A Table Where Little People Live was our other firm favourite installation. While it looked the least impressive from the outset – a dark room with pretty plain looking round tables – it was actually incredibly fun for us both.

On each interactive screen tabletops, little people run around rather similar to the old computer game Lemmings. By placing physical objects on the table, visitors an interact with the little people, prompting them to jump, climb and fall accordingly.

This activity really did provide outbursts of giggles as the little people responded in silly ways, and together we created bigger and crazier object towers to see what would happen to the little people (and these strange random cows that popped up!) next.

Just before the exit, kids can create their dream car of the future through Principal Partner Toyota’s global Dream Car design competition. The winning designer will travel to Japan to present their Dream Car to Toyota.

Future Park is an exhibition that absolutely has to be on your must-see list this summer. It’s engaging, creative, exciting, and, most importantly, fun! Cheese and I played together with each installation, and it was such a pleasure for us to spend quality time doing something we both enjoyed equally.

Learn & Play! teamLab Future Park
24 November 2017 – 30 April 2018
Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007

Book online for a session taking place between 24 November–10 December and save 10% using the code FUTURE10.

Book your tickets online.

The Best Indoor Play Centres in Sydney

November 13, 2017 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Looking to entertain the kids when it’s raining and cold? Try an indoor play centre or indoor playground in Sydney.

Below you’ll find a list of the best indoor play centres in Sydney.

The Best Indoor Play Centres In Sydney

Nubo (CLOSED)

Location: Alexandria
Nubo is our favourite indoor play centre in Sydney. The purpose of Nubo is to let kids explore, create, rest and wonder. Each section of the centre focuses on a different purpose and activity that matches it, resulting in a space looks more like a children’s museum than a traditional play gym. For kids ages 7/8 and younger, Nubo is my number one pick for indoor play centres in Sydney.

Get more info on visiting Nubo Alexandria.

Twinkle Kids Cafe

Location: Burwood

Kids and parents will adore Twinkle Kids Cafe, a light and bright cafe with an indoor playground located in Burwood Plaza, Sydney.

Designed for kids up to age 10, the cafe I think is best suited to slightly younger kids, although my eight-year-old was desperate to get in there and have a play.

Twinkle Kids Cafe features a large ball pit and soft play climbing area, plus dress up and role play activities such as a play kitchen.

Get more info on visiting Twinkle Kids Cafe.

Jungle Buddies

Location: Five Dock
Jungle Buddies at Five Dock is a huge, clean and bright play centre. The climbing structure is massive, with plenty of nocks and crannies and levels to keep kids entertained for hours. An onsite cafe serves a good selection of healthy food. The equipment is all extremely clean and new, which is an added bonus for me and my hatred of dirty sticky things.

Get more info on visiting Jungle Buddies here.

Little Dynamos

Location: Alexandria
This outdoor-themed centre for kids features a a multi-level playscape, a cafe for snacks and an inflated jumping area. Little Dynamoes is a constant favourite among locals as it’s basically a huge kids’ indoor playground. There is a dedicated area for under 3s and free parking outside. The cafe serves a wide variety of well-priced food.
Website: littledynamos.com

Monkey Mania

Locations: Ryde, Bankstown, Entertainment Quarter, Casula, Gosford, Campbelltown, Penrith
Kids can run off steam climbing large play structures and hurtling down slides. We’ve been to Monkey Manias in various locations. They’re a good bet when you need to let kids run off steam!
Website: monkeymania.com.au

Shine Shed – All Abilities Play Centre

Location: Campbelltown
Sydney’s only all abilities play centre, Shine Shed is an amazing place for kids with and without disabilities to enjoy playing in a safe environment.

Feature inside this amazing play centre include a purpose built wheelchair accessible swing, large foam pit, flying fox with adaptable seating options, a long trampoline, a room with lowered lights set aside away from the hustle and bustle for children who may need a low sensory visit and much, much more.

Get more info on visiting the Shine Shed.

Image courtesy of Have Wheelchair Will Travel.

Planet Mino

Location: Chatswood

Planet Mino is a new two-story play center for kids, featuring multiple playgrounds, giant slides, a sand pit, play toys, crafts, legos, jumping castles, trampolines, AR play walls and an in-house cafe. All kids must wear ANTI SLIP socks. Adults must remove shoes and wear socks as well. If you don’t have socks, they can be purchased at reception.

Website: facebook.com/planetmino

Image courtesy of Planet Mino.

Chipmunks Playground & Cafe

Locations: Bankstown, Macquarie Centre, Prospect, Villawood
The Chipmunks play spaces feature large climbing structures made from soft equipment. It’s a great spot for when it’s cold and raining, as there is plenty of room for kids to run wild.
Website: chipmunks.com.au

Ultimate Family Fun Centre Sydney

Location: Northmead
Enjoy 2500sqm of fun including over 750sqm of trampolines, a massive foam pit with a climbing wall at the back, the largest indoor play centre/jungle gym/soft play setup in Australia (split into 0-5 years and 5-12 years), dodgem cars and a party room.
Website: ultimate.sydney

Wannabees Family Playtown

Locations: Frenchs Forest, Hornsby
In the Wannabees child-sized city, kids can discover what they want to be when they grow up. Wannabees is a great place for imaginary play and roleplaying, as kids can pretend to be firefighters, police officers, doctors, beauticians and more the Wannabees City buildings.
Website: wannabees.com.au

Little Rascals

Location: Brookvale
This indoor play space features enclosed climbing areas for both older and younger kids. Little Rascals is fully air-conditioned and features a giant three-lane slide, toddler zone for kids aged 4 and under, 300m² climbing frame, fun ball zone, web climb, trampolines, spiral slide and a cafe.
Website: littlerascalsplayland.com.au

Lollipops Playland

Location: Penrith
There’s plenty of climbing and sliding to be had at this indoor playground designed for kids aged 1 – 11 year. Lollipops Playland features a Multi level Play Frame, Free Merry-Go-Round, Bouncie Castle, Dedicated Toddler Area, Ride On Cars, Dress Up & Play Believe Areas. There’s also a cafe’ and seating area for adults to enjoy.
Website: penrith.lollipopsplayland.com.au

Image courtesy of Lollipops.

Monkey Bar Playground

Location: Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre
A free play area that is enclosed on three sides featuring a mini obstacle course for toddlers and two spiralling towers with a tunnel that runs over the top of an escalator.
Website: rhodeswaterside.com.au

Supa Play Zone

Location: Supa Centre Moore Park
The Supa Centre has two free play areas on level 1: the Supa Crawler, for kids aged 1-5 years, and the Supa Climber, for kids aged 3-8 years.

Both play areas are completely enclosed. The larger Supa Climber is a massive structure including a slide. The Supa Centre has excellent family bathrooms, cafes and free parking.

Website: supacentamoorepark.com.au

The Best Trampolining Centres In Sydney

Sky Zone

Locations: Alexandria, Miranda
Australia’s premiere trampolining features more than 117 interconnected trampolines. Kids can also tackle 30 different climbing challenges at Sky Climb. Little kids can try the “Little Leapers” session where they can bounce safely without bigger kids around.

Get more info on visiting Sky Zone Little Leapers program here.
Website: skyzone.com.au

Flip Out

Locations: Blacktown, Brookvale, Caringbah, Castle Hill, Penrith, Prestons, Punchbowl
There’s plenty of jumping to be had at these trampolining parks. The Flip Out chain is an excellent choice for an indoor play centre in Sydney West.
Website: flipout.net

Image courtesy of Flip Out.

The Best Parkour Centres in Sydney

Australia Academy of Parkour

Locations: Tempe, Pyrmont, Chullora
Kids will be bouncing off the walls literally as they learn the art of parkour.

Website: aapes.com.au

Moving Bodies

Location: Mt Kuring-gai
Moving Bodies is an indoor leisure centre that includes two indoor parkour centres. Kids parkour lessons are available for ages 5+.

Parkour methods involve crawling, running, jumping, climbing, hanging, rolling and balancing. The parkour obstacle course is open to the public Monday – Friday from 10.30am – 3:30pm. Outside of these hours, please contact Moving Bodies for available times.

Website: movingbodies.com.au

The Best Inflatable Play Centres in Sydney

Inflatable World

Locations: Blacktown, Campbelltown, Castle Hill, Liverpool, Miranda, Narellan, Mt Kuring-gai, St Marys, Peakhurst.
The biggest indoor inflatable playgrounds in Australia. Kids won’t want to leave this giant indoor fun park, with seperate areas for little and big kids and a wide range of inflated activities to try. There is an onsite cafe and plenty of supervision from the staff throughout the centre.
Website: inflatableworldoz.com.au

Cool Cats Inflatable World

Location: Randwick
Kids are kept active, entertained and challenged on their interactive inflatable games. A really popular spot with my daughter and school groups!
Website: coolcatsfun.com.au

The Best Indoor Climbing Gyms in Sydney

While kids aged 5-6 and over can generally have a go at any climbing gym on the easiest courses, these three facilities cater specifically to kids.

Sky Zone

Locations: Alexandria, Miranda
As well as trampolines, Sky Zone has an excellent space called Sky Climb, where kids can tackle 30 different climbing challenges. All the climbs at Sky Zone have an “auto belayer” which means the rope system is automatic and doesn’t require an adult to be clipped into the harness and lower them down to the ground again, which is the case at the majority of climbing gyms. For that reason alone, Sky Zone is our fave place to climb in Sydney.
Website: skyzone.com.au

Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym

Locations: St Peters, Villawood
While both locations have a designated kids’ climbing area, the Villawood gym has a much larger area than St Peters. Both locations have at least one party room. Villawood has several tunnels for kids to climb and crawl through. We’ve been climbing for years at both locations. Highly recommend.
Website: indoorclimbing.com.au

ClimbFit

Location: St Leonards
Kids as young as 4 years old can experience indoor rock climbing at Climb-fit, using their designated kids area, crawling through the Groove Tube or holding a birthday party in the party room. Another gym I’ve been climbing at since pre-kids, it’s an excellent facility.
Website: climbfit.com.au

Image courtesy of Lyndon Marceau @marceauphotography

Peak Pursuits

Location: Castle Hill
A bright, new climbing centre, Peak Pursuits features 10 high ropes course activities, 13 vertical activities, two “Leaps of Faith”, “Kung Fu Poles” and a big drop giant slide. Peak Pursuits also runs weekend climbing classes for kids aged 5-12 years old, who have no prior climbing experience.
Website: peakpursuits.com.au

Turbo Climb

Location: Bankstown
A brand new climbing gym inside Bankstown Sports Club, Turbo Climb, features 26 indoor climbing walls up to 10 metres tall, suitable for ages 5 and up. Race to the top of a magical beanstalk or climb a roaring volcano. Turbo Climb infuses a traditional indoor climbing experience with new technology and exciting innovations.

Website: turboclimb.com.au

Image courtesy of Turbo Climb.

The Best Ninja Warrior Gyms in Sydney

Ninja 101

Location: Prospect
Ninja 101 has three seperate areas. The main ninja section has 28 ninja obstacles for kids and adults to test their strength, agility and fitness, plus a three-level warped wall and basketball hoop. There is also an inflatable ninja course that is easier and best suited for young kids, and a futsall court. Coming this year: an under 5s Ninja Playhouse.

Note: if attending during the school holidays the centre takes in large groups from school vacation care and the place can be absolutely packed to the rafters.

There is a cafe onsite with basic snacks and drinks.

Website: ninja-101.com

Warehouse 11 Studio

Location: Artarmon
Warehouse 11 Studio is an indoor action sports centre where kids can skate, scoot, BMX and ninja. The ninja gym section caters to wannabe ninja warriors, big and small, while the rest of the studio features ramps for skating/bikes/scooters.

All sessions are closely supervised. There is a cafe onsite.

Website: warehouse11.business.site

Images courtesy of Warehouse 11.

Location: Mount Ku-ringai

Moving Bodies

The Moving Bodies leisure centre has a ninja course including various sized warped walls, cargo nets, floating doors, rope climb, floating steps, spider wall, peg wall and more. The ninja course is open to kids aged 5+.

Website: movingbodies.com.au

The Best Miniature Golf Courses In Sydney

Putt Planet, Miranda

This indoor miniature golf course is travel themed and accessible, so a great option for strollers or wheelchairs. The theme of the mini golf course is a trip to Mombasa, with a plane at the entrance symbolising the start of your journey.

The Putt Planet website says, “Discover another time and place when you board your Putt Planet flight from Miranda to Mombasa. Putt through the bustling market places, homes and even the sewers of Old Mombasa whilst exploring this ancient doorway to Eastern Africa. We’ve put a roof over the charming streets and laneways so any time is a good time to visit; the weather is always fine!”

Get more info on Putt Planet.

More things to do in Sydney

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

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

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

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

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

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

Find the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Sydney here.

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

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

Where To Find The Best Ice Skating Rinks In Sydney

November 13, 2017 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Ice Skating Rink Sydney

Ice skating is so much fun for kids and adults alike, plus has a lot of health benefits! Kids can enjoy a public skating session at any of these rinks, as well as joining a learn-to-skate program from an early age (most programs start at age 4).

In this post you will find the locations of each ice skating rink in Sydney.

Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink
Sydney’s best value rink hosts a wide variety of public sessions plus learn-to-skate classes and disco events. At this Olympic-sized rink, parking is plentiful, unlimited and free. We love their learn-to-skate lessons because they are drop-in for a bargain price of $17 for a 30 minute group lesson plus 1 hour practice session directly after the lesson (other rinks may offer a 30 minute practice session, a free practice session at another time or none). Facilities also include a heated canteen, coin-operated lockers and disabled access toilets. The ice rink also offers birthday parties, school holiday clinics and learn-to-skate programs plus disco nights and special holiday events. Canterbury is a great, cost-effective ice rink in Sydney.

Check session times and prices on their website.

Macquarie Ice Rink
Located in Macquarie Shopping Centre at North Ryde, this ice rink has the added bonus of being a place to skate and shop at the same time. Macquarie Ice Rink has general public sessions as well as offering term-time and school holiday learn-to-skate programs, an all-day mega skate session with unlimited skating from $20, live DJ sessions, and soccer bubbles on ice. Macquarie Ice Rink has recently had a multi-million dollar renovation and is looking very nice as a result! They offer group bookings and birthday parties, and will validate your parking ticket so you can get an extra hour of free parking. After skating, head to Vogue, our fave cafe in the shopping centre, for lunch. More info on Vogue Cafe here. Macquarie is an excellent all-day entertainment venue with an ice rink in Sydney.

Check session times and prices on their website.

Image courtesy of Macquarie Ice Rink.

The Ice Zoo Alexandria
While the Ice Zoo has the traditional public skating and learn-to-skate sessions, it’s also the place to try some added fun on ice such as ice fitness classes and live DJ nights with light shows. The Ice Zoo has a wide range of facilities and programs on offer, including adult and kids learn-to-skate classes, disco on ice, birthday parties, hockey development classes for kids aged 5 and up and the popular “Snow Play” $15 sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays for kids aged 6 and under to experience snow all year ’round. The Ice Zoo also has penguin skate aids for hire and free parking.

Check session times and prices on their website.

Penrith Ice Palace
Western Sydney’s Olympic-size ice skating centre has state-of-the-art facilities and programs including general public skating sessions, figure skating clubs and lessons, children’s birthday parties, synchronised figure skating and learn-to-skate programs. Penrith Ice Palace also offers Penguin Skate Aids for hire, 2.5hr weekend skate sessions, the ice sport Broomball, kids’ birthday parties, Friday night disco sessions and ice hockey. Car parking is available in the car park or on the street.

Check session times and prices on their website.

Liverpool Catholic Club (LCC)
The LCC Ice Rink offers public skating sessions, learn-to-skate programs, penguin skate aids for hire, ice disco sessions and playgroup sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays for kids aged 2-6. The $13 session includes lessons, games and snow play, small chips and a poppa, plus parents can hop on the ice for an extra $4. There’s plenty of free parking available in the LCC car park. Members pay a discounted rate.

Check session times and prices on their website.

Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean at the MCA Sydney

November 5, 2017 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Sip my Ocean is a brand new exhibition by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist, exclusively on display in Sydney. Pipilotti Rist is known for her experimental video art and multimedia installations where she uses video and sculpture to immerse viewers in colourful projections.

As viewers weave their way through the exhibition, they pass through a series of rooms, each set up to project light and video onto the walls, floor and objects. Pillows and beds on the floor invite the viewer to sit or lay down and watch the kaleidoscopic presentations.

The exhibition is an excellent choice to introduce children to contemporary art. They can sit, watch and engage with the exhibition and take from it their own interpretation, be it a symphony of light and colour, or a delightful array of images, many of them from nature.

In one room, the work called 4th Floor to Mildness invites viewers to lie down on one of 18 beds and look up at two large panels on the roof where underwater images of plants, limbs and sea glass are projected. It’s an experience that feels very much like being underwater.

The highlight for us was the piece of light art called Pixelwald (Pixel Forest), which imagines a TV screen exploding in a room. The pixels are represented by lights hanging from the ceiling that twinkle and surge in response to music.

In the adjacent National Centre for Creative Learning, kids can experiment with mirrored light and projections in the free drop-in art space “Sundays with Pipilotti”. Note: You do not need a ticket to the exhibition to visit the drop-in space.

Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean at the MCA Sydney
5 November 2017 – 18 February 2018
Adults: $22
Concession: $17
Youth: $12 (Children and young people aged between 12 and 18 years)
Family: $56 (Valid for 2 adults and up to 3 children. This ticket is for families with children ages 12–18)
Children 12 and under are FREE.
Buy tickets here

Sundays with Pipilotti
Free entry
Open every Sunday during the exhibition*, 10.30am – 4pm
Location: National Centre for Creative Learning, Level 3
*Exceptionally on 10 December the space will close at midday

Hungry? Check out the MCA Rooftop Cafe and Sculpture Terrace.

Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives at the MAAS

March 7, 2017 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life, Uncategorized / 0 comment

One of the most defining moments of my childhood was a trip we took when I was nine to Egypt. It was amazing. I will never forget seeing the pyramids and sphinx in Giza, and learning about their ancient world became an obsession I’ve never managed to shake.

I was thrilled to see the Powerhouse Museum’s new exhibition for autumn is Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives because, let’s be honest, it’s not so easy to pop over to Egypt to teach your kids about these kinds of things.

The exhibition is really best for kids aged 7+ but I would also say it depends on the kid. We saw children with their families of all ages enjoying it, so I would advise making a judgement call on your own circumstances.

Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives is on display until 30 April 2017, making it a perfect outing in the upcoming school holidays. The exhibition gives visitors the chance to meet six ancient Egyptian mummies and see how the latest technology has enabled us to go beyond the wrappings and discover the lives and customs of these people from the past.

The six mummies were selected from the British Museum collection. They lived and died in Egypt between 1800 and 3000 years ago – the information gathered on their lives is on display alongside their 3D CT scan visualisations allowing visitors to not just view for themselves the amazing end result of mummification, but also see what lies underneath – and fully appreciate the whole mummification process.

Through the exhibition visitors will learn about the lives of regular people in ancient Egypt. What is the mummification process? What were their beliefs? What do the symbols in their artworks and on their coffins mean? Quite simply, it’s all fascinating.

I would suggest visiting the exhibition with kids on a Sunday for the museum’s Egyptian Mummies: Family Sundays.

Each Sunday in March, from 10am–4pm, kids can enjoy ancient Egypt through a fantastic kids play area complete with a dig zone, building area, oasis for reaching and craft area. During the school holidays the dig zone will be open every day.

On an upper level you’ll find Senet, what is possibly the world’s first board game, recreated for you to have a go. It looks kind of like chess, ancient Egyptian-style.

You might even come across a mummy or pharaoh wandering around the museum.

More information about the Egyptian Mummies exhibition:

The presentation of this exhibition is a collaboration between the British Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Visitors are advised that this exhibition contains human remains and CT scan images of mummified human remains.

Strollers must be parked at the cloaking desk on level 3 of the Museum prior to entering the exhibition.

Prices: Adult $27, Concession $25, Child (4–16) $16, Family (2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children) $65.

Pre-book online now and save.

Tickets include general admission to Powerhouse Museum.

Powerhouse Museum
The Egyptian Mummies family activities are free with museum admission.
500 Harris St, Ultimo NSW 2007

Thank you to the Powerhouse Museum for our entry tickets. All opinions are our own.

The Wiggles Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum: An Update

March 6, 2017 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

We had an incredibly fun day at the Powerhouse Museum checking out the changes to our favourite Wiggles Exhibition.

The exhibition has been closed for a while while it was being “updated”, and was reopened over the weekend to the public.

You can read my original post on the Wiggles Exhibition here. Basically the update was a much-needed renovation that focuses the exhibit on the current Wiggles rather than the previous ones. The exhibition now focuses on the four current Wiggles, Anthony, Simon, Lachy and Emma in the front section, with mentions of the original Wiggles through out the museum.

The popular interactive features of the exhibit have all remained, with the screening section expanded to look like a stage for all the little Wiggles fan to dance.

A few other items have been moved around to create more space in various areas, but otherwise remain as they were before.

The update is fantastic for kids who are growing up with the Wiggles right now, while still containing plenty of information on their origins and achievements.

Powerhouse Museum
500 Harris St, Ultimo
Hours: Daily, 10am-5pm
Prices: Adults $15, children 16 and under free.
Online

Thank you to the Powerhouse Museum for entry tickets. We love the museum and all opinions are our own.

The Beach at the Cutaway, Barangaroo Reserve, Sydney Festival

January 8, 2017 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

This summer in Sydney, you can visit a beach where you won’t get a sunburn or sand in your cossies. For the first time in Australia, The Beach, an interactive art exhibition, is available for Sydney-siders to play in an ocean made up of 1.1 million recyclable polyethylene balls, gently lapping against a 60-metre wide shoreline free of sand.

The Beach is the creation of Snarkitecture, a New York-based art and architecture collaborative practice, whose name is drawn from Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of The Snark, a poem describing the “impossible voyage of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature.” In its search for the unknown, Snarkitecture creates architectural-scale projects, installations, and objects.

By transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, Snarkitecture makes architecture perform the unexpected – which is exactly what we experienced at The Beach.

To take a dip in The Beach, you can either do what we did, which is visit between 10am and 5pm and get free access, or skip the queues with one of their paid ticketed sessions. Every morning there is an all-ages ticket session from 9am-10am as well as an 18+ only session on Friday and Saturday nights.

We decided to arrive at 9:20am on a Sunday and thought we might be the first people there – how wrong we were. The line already had a lot of people in it, but we took turns waiting in the line and taking Cheese rock climbing around the Cutaway so time went fast.

At 10am on the dot we were ushered in and made a beeline for the area next to the shallow end. We had hoped to grab a giant floatie but sadly were too late. You are permitted to bring your own, but who can fit a huge flamingo on the train? People tended to latch on to the equipment and not let it go even when they’d stopped using it, so I had no problem asking someone who had finished playing with the one they’d held on to for a long time if we could have a turn, and similarly was happy to pass ours on to other people when we’d had one for a good amount of time.

At first leap in, the ball pit was somewhat scary for Cheese. At its deepest the ball pit is one metre deep, which is pretty much as high as she is. Initially it was a frightening experience for her to sunk under the balls and not be able to get back up again, but after she realised she wasn’t going to get hurt if she was swallowed by them, she started to really have fun and didn’t want to leave.

The ball pit was a lot more work than I had expected it to be! Once your feet are swept out from underneath you, it takes a massive amount of effort to stand back up and haul yourself out. I would say that’s my gym work out done and dusted for the entire week.

We had the most fun jumping into the pit both front ways and also backwards, and playing catch with the giant blow up balls. Cheese tried surfing on a huge ice cream cone floatie and found a bucket to fill and move balls around, including dumping them over her head, our heads, anyone’s heads.

There is a great little shallow end at one side of the beach that is perfect for wheelchairs and little kids. It’s nice for small ones to be able to sit and play with the balls without sinking to their heads, which is what happens in the main area.

Tips for visiting The Beach

If you lose something in the ball pit you will have to wait until they drain it at the end of Jan to retrieve it, so leave all valuables like phone, keys, loose jewellery in the buckets provided.

It’s pretty hot in the ball pit, and sweaty work getting in and out. Take lots of water and leave it with your bag on the beach.

If you arrive early for the first session you will wait the least amount of time during the day as once you are in you can stay as long as you want. Most people stay around 45 minutes, but we stayed for an hour and a quarter.

There is no pass to leave and return, so go to the bathroom beforehand.

There are baby changing facilities available in the restrooms outside, opposite the elevator.

You can take your phone/camera into the ball pit but be very careful not to drop it. I would suggest taking a camera with a neck strap.

There is a coffee cart and food vans outside for before/after snack attacks.

Strollers must be left in the designated parking area outside The Beach.

Final important Q&A thanks to the Barangaroo website

ARE BALL PITS UNHYGIENIC?

GermBLOCKTM antimicrobial balls have been used to create The Beach. This safe, powerful agent provides antimicrobial protection for everyone against 50 different germs and bacteria for the life of the ball. It cannot be rubbed, scrubbed, or wiped off. Each ball is moulded from 100% recyclable nontoxic materials.

CAN THE BALLS BE RECYCLED?

Yes, in fact The Beach balls have already been recycled once thanks to the generous assistance of the Vinik Family Foundation and The Beach Tampa. The Sydney Festival is working with local plastic recycling services to make sure every single ball is recycled after the event. They are composed of a nontoxic Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) which makes them a “Type 4” Plastic for recycling purposes.

ACCESS

The Beach provides wheelchair access by way of an accessible ramp that can accommodate guests using a push or electric wheelchairs. Guests will have full access to all areas of the shore, out onto the piers and onto a shallow ball area along one of the mirrored walls. This area is clearly marked with white and grey flags. Between these flags, the balls have a maximum depth of 250mm. This will allow guests to remain in their wheelchairs and move around the balls. Check out this great blog post on Have Wheelchair Will Travel for more info.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

There are entrances to Barangaroo Reserve from Towns Place, Hickson Road, Munn Street Reserve and Merriman Street. The entrance to the Cutaway is near Hickson Road and Nawi Cove.

Public transport: Catch the train to Wynyard and Circular Quay and walk (approximately 1.1km). The closest bus stops are on Hickson Road at the Nawi Cove entrance, and are serviced by routes 324 and 325, which depart from Town Hall; and route 311, which runs between Central Station and Argyle Street.

By car: An underground carpark is located off Towns Place. You can also park on Hickson Road.

The Beach at the Cutaway, Barangaroo Reserve
Dates: 7–29 January, 2017

Free Entry
7–8, 10–15, 17–22, 24–29 January from 10am–5pm
Tue–Sun, closed Mondays
Last admission for free entry at 3:30pm

All Ages Ticketed Sessions
7–8, 10–15, 17–22, 24–29 January at 9am-10am
Tue–Sun, closed Mondays
Tickets only valid for stated session times
Cost: $15 pp

The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve
Hickson Road Entrance
Barangaroo 2000

sydneyfestival.org.au/2017/beach

Brickman Wonders of the World Sydney – LEGO Exhibition

December 22, 2016 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

If LEGO is your kids’ jam, then you simple must take them to see the new Brickman Wonders of the World LEGO exhibition in Sydney this summer.

Brickman Wonders of the World features over 50 amazing LEGO sculptures of famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Arc De Triomphe and the Great Wall of China, taking visitors on a fascinating journey through history through time.

The exhibit has been curated by the only LEGO® Certified Professional in the Southern Hemisphere (and one of only 14 in the world) Ryan McNaught and his team.

While most exhibits are “look but don’t touch”, this one is incredibly well thought out and very interactive for kids. Several of the sculptures have large bricks pits built around their base, encouraging kids to build their own pyramid, race car or Leaning Tower of Pisa. I thought we would be in an our in an hour, but we honestly could have stayed inside building for most of the day.

The sculptures feature are more than just statues, too. When looked at closer, they reveal amazing set ups with tiny LEGO people in the scenarios that are even more fascinating than the buildings themselves. We searched for “Leo the explorer” in each sculpture, with the aim to discover them all and enter to win a prize at the end, and in the process found ourselves swept up in the tiny detailed lives of the LEGO people in each creation. The level of detail is extraordinary.

The only downside to the exhibition is that there are no bathrooms or food available inside, so you need to exit the exhibition for both. While they will allow children to exit and return again for “bathroom emergencies” when we asked if we could get some food for the kids and then go back inside again the answer was no. My advice: Go first thing in the morning or straight after lunch when kids can last the longest without food.

Brickman Wonders of The World
ICC Sydney, International Exhibition Centre, Exhibition Hall 1
20 December 2016 – 5 February 2017

Open daily. Booking is advisable.
Tickets on sale now at http://www.ticketek.com.au
http://www.brickmanwonders.com.au
Prices: Adult $35, Concession $30, Family of Four (Admits 4) $95, Junior (age 4-16) $25. Kids aged 3 and under are free.

We were provided with tickets to see the Brickman show for reviewing purposes but were under no obligation to write about the experience. I genuinely enjoyed the show and am planning to return over the summer.

Nubo Play Centre, Alexandria: Sydney’s Best Play Centres

December 9, 2016 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 4 Comments

Today we checked out a gorgeous new play centre in Alexandria, Sydney, called Nubo. This space is like no other you will find in Sydney. While most play centres are a seething mass of running, crying sweaty children with parents either frantically trying to locate their wailing child or sitting having a coffee with their feet up, Nubo is a place of quiet and calm, even when filled with kids.

What makes it so different? The purpose of Nubo is to let kids explore, create, rest and wonder. Each section of the centre focuses on a different purpose and activity that matches it, resulting in a space looks more like a children’s museum than a traditional play gym.

While physical activity is certainly important and there are plenty of ways for kids to be active here, they can also build, get arty, indulge in pretend play and read books in the most gorgeous book nooks I’ve seen.

Parents must supervise their kids at all time, and the result is a lot more engagement with offspring such as building with Magnatiles, making a grand old play doh mess or reading a book to them.

Each area has a number of children allowed per activity and the physical ones have an age recommendation too. The whole centre caters for kids up to the age of 10.

Several of the smaller rooms in particular are geared towards older kids, such as the upstairs party room which was set up with Play Sticks and suggestions of what to build with them when we visited, and the large climbing structure in the middle of the space.

Younger kids can enjoy dedicated areas or play with the more complex activities along with an adult. With creative areas such as the Blue Room, set up with Magnatiles and Imagination Blocks, it’s the kind of play that parents can get into, too.

Nubo is really a space that adults can enjoy being at almost as much as their kids will. It’s bright and light and relaxing (yes, relaxing!), with a large cafe space and fantastic facilities such as a feeding room for nursing babies and a gorgeous (!) dedicated kids’ bathroom.

The cafe at the moment serves very healthy basic snacks such as salads, sandwiches and smoothies. In the new year they will have a dedicated kitchen installed and chef to make hot food on site. Nubo serves only healthy food and drinks – you’ll find lots of raw and whole foods here and very little sugar.

During the week, Nubo staff, who are mostly former child care workers, run activities geared towards the younger set of under fives such as story time and craft activities. On the weekends and school holidays these activities change to become suitable for kids aged up to 10.

At the moment these activities are included in the cost of admission but as they develop these events further into workshops that are run in series, they will be charged separately. So, for example, a kid can come for a weekly workshop without also paying to use the play space, but they can choose to pay for a bundle of both if they wish to do so. On the cards for upcoming workshops as they grow are robotics and coding for all ages, even the under 5s.

We highly enjoyed our time at Nubo – yes, that’s right, the both of us.

Nubo
2/160 Bourke Rd, Alexandria NSW 2090
(02) 9317 3206
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm
Prices: $10 for 0-12 months, $18 for ages 12-24 months, $38.50 for 2 years and over. For multiple children it’s $30 each. Current special promotion running: buy one get one free for general admissions and free workshops until 31 December.
Get Directions
Parking: If you can score a spot marked “Nubo” it’s free. Otherwise it’s pay and display ($3 hour weekdays and two hours free on weekends).

Sydney Kids: The Art Gallery of NSW for Families

September 18, 2016 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 6 Comments

Sydney’s Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) was established in 1871, a home to international and Australian permanent art collections, temporary exhibitions, programs and research. The gallery has a particularly beautiful collection of colonial and 19th-century Australian works and European old masters, as well as galleries dedicated to the arts of Asia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

I’ve been visiting the art gallery since I was a teenager. First on school excursions, and then later with friends and my now husband. I’ve loved art all my life and introduced my daughter to art as a baby, hoping that she will grow up to similarly appreciate the arts.

We love visiting the gallery during their family programs as they makes art so much more accessible to young people. The AGNSW has a busy schedule for kids of all ages, from toddlers to teens, and, best of all, the majority of them are free!

Our favourite program is the twice-monthly “drop in and make” art activity. Held in the entrance court of the gallery, the activity is free and suitable for kids of all ages plus their carers/families. The activities are always designed so that little kids can enjoy scribbling if they like, and older kids can create something really beautiful that is themed to a current exhibition.

This month the art-making activity was crafty kimono cards, taking inspiration from the Japanese art of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. We were provided with materials and instructions on how to make a kimono card with a special hidden pocket to store secrets.

There is no time limit on making the activities, which was lucky for us as we sat there making our card for over an hour. The drop in activities are very popular, particularly on rainy days. We were told we should come back a few hours later (not sure what we were meant do with a kid until then?) but decided to wait until a table freed up, which was only about 5 minutes luckily. About half an hour later the majority of tables were empty, so I advise waiting for a table rather than taking the staff’s advice to leave.

On the lower level of the gallery we discovered another free family activity area free with a different activity: “make your own zine”.

This space is also home to rotating activities for kids or adults to enjoy. At the moment, you can create your own self-published booklet filled with ideas, words and images. The activity is inspired by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho whose exhibition is currently on display in the gallery.

This area of the gallery is open Monday to Friday from 11am to 4pm during the school holidays (26-30 September, 2-7 October), as well as every weekend. During the school holidays, gallery staff will be on-hand to provide instruction, inspiration and additional collage materials.

The AGNSW also has age-specific programs running throughout the year. “Kids Club” for ages 5-8 and”Art Club” for ages 9-13 both run on weekends with “tour for tots”, ages 2-5, on week days. For kids with special needs and their carers, “children’s access workshops” runs once a month on week days, and during the school holidays there are special workshops for kids and teens such as calligraphy and “clay club”.

Get more information on family programs at the AGNSW.

Art Gallery of NSW
Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm (Wednesdays open until 10pm)
Prices: FREE
Online: artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Get Directions
Getting there: get the train to Circular Quay and walk, or park at the Domain parking station which is right next door to the art gallery. Weekend parking is $10 all day.