Things to do with kids

Took emd’s advice and checked out Black Mountain Peninsula with 3yo birthday girl.
Toilet block near the layrground was all locked up with “out of order” signs on it that looked like they’d been there for ages.
Up at the far end of the park (a car ride for anyone with a busting kid) were other toilets – one of the “automatic” toilets wouldn’t close the door and the other one had an automatic tap stuck on full blast.
That would be your department wouldn’t it Minister Hargreaves??

PS: the playground equipment was fairly good, but the swans & ducks so aggressive you could probably get pretty good Funny Home Video clips made there…

Can anyone give me some feedback on the new Discovery Gallery at the War Museum? I’ve been thinking of taking my kiddie there, but I’m a bit worried about how intense it all is – you try explaining the concept of ‘war’ to a 5 year old! Any info therefore much appreciated.

Cockington Green is good. They have a grassy area in the middle where you can have a picnic, and there’s doll houses that the kids are actually allowed to play with. And the train.

National Gallery often has a special exhibition for children.

Botanic Gardens lawns is great on a sunny day, and the cafe does a decent coffee.

The park at Nara Grove/Black Mountain Peninsula has more playground equipment than anywhere else I can think of in Canberra, plus a swing for people in wheelchairs, plus lots of BBQs, plus ducks to feed…

I hear the bird aviary at Gold Creek (near the Dinosaur Museum and Cockington Green) is fun.

Mini Q is good for children under 6 years at Questacon, and more educational than the average indoor playground.

If you go to Mt Ainslie you’re likely to spot some roos and rosellas.

Good places to go:
1. Questacon
2. Black Mountain (Telstra) Tower
3. Australian War Memorial
4. National Museum
5. Old Parliament House
6 Cockinigton Green and The Aviary at Gold Creek

Placed to avoid:
1. Mount Stromlo (no much to do or see, just a cafe and small telescopes)
2. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve (again, not much to see since the fires. A few good photo opps, but the zoo would be more entertaining for young kids)
3. Weston Park (The train is good but the maze is small and expensive and the park it self is to prone to vandalism and syringes being left around)

While you’re at Cockington Green, the dinosaur museum out that way is great for kids, even little ones.

The adventure playground at Kambah is good. John Knight Park (Lake Ginninderra) is also more interesting than the run of the mill parks.

It is twee as hell, but the kids like Cockington Green (it also has a train that that is way better than the lame-arse one at Weston Park).

Buy a $1 loaf of bread and throw it at some ducks/geese/swans.

It’s always a jolly old time taking kids through the display homes at Harrison…! They SO pay attention to all those silly “don’t sit/touch/open/use” signs… 🙂

And there’s the bathroom displays at Southern Plumbing at Fyshwick – so many taps to play with (some even work) and baths to climb into…

Then there’s the National Gallery – try to keep a straight face as all the security weenies freak out while the kids set off all the alarms everywhere.

Parliament House – the dudes on the xray machines just love it when your kids run around behind them so they can see the x-rays of their bags going through.

So much fun in this town where you least expect it.

Check out some of the really cool kids parks that seem to have popped up around the place. The adventure playground thing at Tidbinbilla is awesome, and the park by the water at Condor is very cool also. Just be sure to wrap em up warm.

Take them for a drive out to Tidbinbilla.

What about normal ice skating in Phillip? Haven’t been for about ten years but I think everything’s still up and running.

Stromlo Observatory’s open again, too.