December is here, school holidays are fast approaching and this time we have six whole weeks to find ways to entertain and inspire our energetic little minds. This will be my first Christmas holidays at home full time with my little family so the thought of keeping them entertained for six entire weeks is a little daunting.
I did just discover some exciting, entertaining and educational fun that would be right up the alley of my little treasures these holidays so allow me to tell you about it… and then perhaps I’ll see you there.
Cars and Lego, is there anything a young boy loves more? Not in this house, so the Birdwood Motor Museum will be one place I need to visit next month.
The National Motor Museum in Birdwood is hosting the ‘Bricks on Wheels’ Lego Expo and Lego Competition in January. The expo is on the 4th and 5th of January and the competition runs from the 4 – 31st. Entry to this event is covered with your museum entry.
Bricks on Wheels brings talented Lego sculptors and their life-like sculptures to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood for their first ever LEGO Expo on January 4th and 5th. The expo features fabulous LEGO vehicle creations, some of which are based on the Museum’s collection. To add some adventure to your visit check out the LEGO display and then search the collection of more than 300 full-size vehicles to find which ones were LEGO-fied.
The really exciting part is the $1000 Lego Competition, it’s open to children of all ages who visit the museum between the 4th and the 31st January. The children are challenged to create a car, with LEGO supplied on site, and the Museum will award a special LEGO trophy and a $250 Lego voucher for the most creative car in each category. The four age categories are: 4-6 year olds, 7-9 year olds, 10-13 year olds and 14+.
The National Motor Museum is located in Shannon Street, Birdwood.
Opening Hours: 10am-5pm every day except Christmas Day.
Admission: $12 adults, $10 concession, $5 children or a family pass (2 adults + up to 6 children) is $30.
For more information: 8568 4000
The Maritime Museum is bringing Pirates to the fore this January with an exhibition and The Pirate Show performances.
Pirates! Skulduggery at the Maritime Museum is the new exhibition, a perfect accompaniment to the performances, in the Museum from December 23 to January 31, 2014. The exhibition allows you to uncover the truth behind pirate legends and learn about some of the amazing feats of these fabled sea dogs. The fantasies and the facts about pirates are both explored in this new exhibition which offers children and their young at heart chaperones an interactive hands-on experience incorporating the stories of famous pirate adventurers William Dampier and Sir Francis Drake.
The Pirate Show performances are included in your museum entry and children must be accompanied by an adult. Captain Black Diamond and his First Mate set sail on a life-size replica in search of treasure. This swashbuckling adventure includes singing, juggling and colourful characters to draw out the pirate in all of us.
Performances held: Monday to Friday, January 6-24 2014 at 11am and 1pm
SA Maritime Museum is located at: 126 Lipson St, Port Adelaide.
Admission: $10 Adults, $8 Concession, $5 Child or purchase a family pass (2 adults + up to 5 children) for $25.
For more information: 8207 6255.
The Migration Museum has a variety of games from across the world for children to explore these holidays, they will learn something new and discover a whole world of traditional games in addition to Monopoly and Chess.
This is something fun and FREE for children from 5 to 15 that can be enjoyed from the 4th January between 10 and 1 weekdays and between 1 and 4 on weekends and public holidays. This in not a supervised activity but it is very simple and children must be accompanied by an adult.
There is also the new Hostel Stories: migrant lives exhibition which is a fabulous way for children of migrants to discover how their forefathers may have made their fresh start in Australia. Starting now and running until October 2014 this exhibition will help children uncover a little more of their past and help their grandparents recapture communal life and shared accommodation. This exhibition is a must visit for all generations and has stories that will touch all of the family.
The Migration Museum is located at 82 Kintore Ave, Adelaide
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm Weekdays and 1-5pm Weekends
Admission is FREE
For more information: 8207 7580
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!