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Don’t worry about your kids becoming bored on the weekends because you can make memories in Melbourne with our Activity Guide. We’ve done all the hard work searching for ideas – so all you need to do is decide where to go first!

IN THE CITY:

The CBD offers a variety of interesting and exciting activities all year round. Check out what’s happening now:

  • IMAX is releasing an exclusive documentary SEA LIONS: LIFE BY A WHISKER 3D.Narrated by award-winning actor Sam Neill, this classic coming-of-age story tells the tale of Otto, a young Australian Sea Lion pup, and the Marine Park Ranger dedicated to saving her species. Presented in immersive 3D, the movie features stunning footage of the uninhabited wilderness of the Great Australian Bight and to the lush kelp forests off the Californian coast. Visit https://imaxmelbourne.com.au/ for more.
  • Looking for an exciting and educational day out? Take your family to one of Melbourne’s three biggest zoos where they can meet all sorts of animals! With everything from lions, to giraffes and Australian bush animals you’ll be sure to have a fun day out. Plus, don’t miss the new Dino Lab where your little ones can explore the giant dinosaurs and learn about their extinction. Visit Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Zoo. Go to https://www.zoo.org.au/
  • Ride the Scenic Railway around the perimeter of Luna Park where you can catch the view of St Kilda beach or enjoy the range of children’s rides on offer. If you’re more of a thrill seeker, have a go on the Enterprise or Supernova to get your heart racing! Visit https://lunapark.com.au/
  • Catch the best views of the city on the Melbourne Star. The giant ferris wheel takes you 120 metres into the sky to see 360 degree views of the busy port, city gardens and streets and views towards Mount Macedon and the Dandenong Ranges. Go to https://melbournestar.com/
  • Walk amongst creatures of the deep at the Melbourne Aquarium. With everything from sharks to seahorses to the Mega Croc, you are guaranteed a fun day out. Plus, don’t miss the Ice Age 4D Cinema! Go to https://www.visitsealife.com/melbourne/

  • If your kids are interested in science, then Scienceworks is a must! With loads of live shows and self-guided activities, your kids will be sure to discover something new! Check out the new show Colour Uncovered! to learn about how and why we see colour or stop by one of the Planetarium shows! Go to https://museumsvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/
  • Discover the rare and beautiful plants in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne. Jump on a bus tour to explore the gardens or visit the new Arid Garden which is over 100 years in the making! Visit https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/
  • Take a stroll down Hosier Lane to admire the artwork of some of Melbourne’s most talented graffiti artists.
  • Discover fresh produce and speciality shops at the Queen Victoria Market. Located on Queen St in the CBD, browse through hundreds of stalls covering 17 acres!

REGIONAL VICTORIA:

Looking to get out of the city for a day? Go for a drive through the beautiful countryside of Victoria where you will stumble upon a number of activities to entertain your family.

  • Summer is here, it’s the perfect time to be with your family and friends making the most of the warm summer evenings – immerse yourself in a magical world of myth and make believe!  Be captivated by a show of world class knights jousting on war horses – as you sip on a cold beer and all enjoy wood fired pizzas together. This summer’s ALL STAR program includes our favourite characters from Alice in wonderland, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the White rabbit! Robin Hood and his crew will be defending the kingdom against the nasty Sheriff! Rapunzel and her Prince will plan an escape from the evil witch’s tower! And do not forget to meet our dragons and the brave knights who compete for the title in our world-famous Championship Joust! Go to: https://www.kryalcastle.com.au

  • Your Mornington Peninsula adventure starts here, at the top of Arthurs Seat. Hit the ground running with our ground-based adventure activities – all included with General Admission! Experience the all-new Sky Scramble as well as our garden mazes, stunning formal gardens & boardwalks, Canopy Walk, epic Tube Slides & giant brainteaser puzzles! Embark on an exciting eco-adventure and get your adrenaline pumping with our exhilarating Grand Tree Surfing course. For the little climbers, our Nippers Tree Surfing course is suitable for ages 4 & up. We highly recommend pre-booking to avoid any disappointment. Visit our website for more information and to book your tickets! www.enchantedadventure.com.au

  • Fancy a ride on a century old steam railway? The Puffing Billy takes you on a 25km journey through the Dandenong Ranges, providing a relaxing day out with fantastic photographic opportunities. Pack a picnic and bring your family along for an enjoyable visit just one hour out of Melbourne. Go to https://puffingbilly.com.au/

  • The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery offers a delightful day of fun with hands on chocolate making classes, a showroom featuring thousands of chocolate products and daily tasting sessions! Don’t forget the landscaped gardens and an orchard, where you can go for a stroll while enjoying a treat from the café. Visit https://www.gorci.com.au/

  • Take a drive along the Great Ocean Road to see the famous Twelve Apostles and the beautiful Loch Ard Gorge. Continue along to reach the Great Otway National Park to enjoy a day of adventure.
  • Spend a relaxing day at the Peninsula Hot Springs where you can immerse yourself in the Bath House or relax in the private baths. Seeking a bit of R&R? Indulge in a spa treatment or massage. Visit https://www.peninsulahotsprings.com/

  • Located at the foot of the Grampians, Halls Gap Zoo is Victoria’s largest regional zoo with over 160 species of animals to keep you entertained all day. Experience a close encounter with cheetahs and red pandas or visit the endangered Tasmanian Devil! With over 600 individual animals to check out, you are guaranteed a day of fun! Go to https://hallsgapzoo.com.au/

Christmas can be a stressful time of year when trying to find the perfect presents! These crowd-pleasing gifts are sure to put a smile on the faces of your nearest and dearest. From your tiny tot to your partner, our Christmas Gift Guide has you covered this festive season.

Baby

Buying for bub is lots of fun, but there are so many options out there. This year, get them something that will keep them entertained and stimulate their growing brains.

Fisher-Price Zebra Walker – $54.99

The Fisher-Price Learn with Me Zebra is a designed to encourage those exciting first steps. The zebra is also full of hands-on activities for sitting babies. It has everything from the alphabet to songs and phrases to help with language development. Available at Kmart, Big W, Target, Myer, TRU and fisher-price.com

Fisher-Price Beat Bo Junior – $14.99.

With bright lights, playful tunes and silly dance moves, this cute product is perfect for keeping the little ones entertained, and will help them boost fine motor and thinking skills. It’s great entertainment for on the go and for making tummy-time fun. Available at Target, Kmart, Big W, Myer, TRU and fisher-price.com

Best Christmas Present Ever 2017. $32.95.

A beautiful bub is the best gift of all, so deck your gorgeous new bundle in this cute-as-pie little number. Available at Unique Baby Boutique. uniquebabyboutique.com.au

Musical Clacker Keys. $10.

Every parent knows kids are mesmerised by jingly, jangly keys. These three bright and colourful keys allow your baby to satisfy their curiosity, but also can help to provide some relief once their first teeth come through. One key is a teether;  one is fun to clack and the third has a button for sounds and music. Available at Target.

Toddler

Little Belle night lights -$149.95

These beautiful night lights will provide a comforting glow for little ones at night – and will be a gorgeous feature in your child’s room. Made with hand-painted brush strokes, each of the night lights are inspired by the imagination of young children. Available at little-belle.com

 

Beginner Jigsaw Puzzle – $23

These cute and personalised 6-piece jigsaws are the perfect first puzzles for your little one. These are made from quality material, high resolution colour, and have clear-gloss coating so these puzzles will last. This bright and fun collection of jigsaw puzzles is a great treat for your toddler this Christmas. Available at tinyme.com.au

 

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Servin’ Up Food Truck – $149.99

Playing shop and restaurant is something kids have loved doing for generations. Keep your little one busy with customers and prepping orders in this play food truck. This helps to introduce toddlers to things like sizing and sequencing, advanced vocabulary, manners, taking turns, but makes it fun with lively songs, sounds and phrases. Available at Target, Big W, Myer, TRU and fisher-price.com.

 

Fisher-Price Zoom ‘n Crawl Monster – $49.99

This is a fun toy for sit-and-play. This toy also help with language with 15 phrases and fun songs. This is a fantastic toy to encourage your little one to get up and get moving. Available at Target, Big W, Myer, TRU and fisher-price.com.

BRIO – My First Take Along Set – $149.95

This brightly coloured play bag is filled with the first tracks in an expandable magnetic train set. It’s perfect to take along when you’re travelling or visiting. It’s fun to use and easy to store, which we all know is very important with a toddler. Both are available at Childsmart.

 

Crocodile Creek Play Ball – $12.95

Balls are a great way to have fun with your toddler and help them learn motor skills.

 

Kids Aged 3-5

Perfect gifts for the fun, energetic 3-5-year-old that will come in handy during the Summer holidays.

Star of the Unicorn Bike – $69

A bike is a timeless gift your child can grow with. Give your child a bike to remember with this cute unicorn inspired bike that makes it easy for you to follow behind with a convenient handle. Available at Kmart.

 

Cotton On Kids

There is always a good excuse to get dressed up during the festive season, and your kids are no exception! We love the sparkly Iris Tulle Dress ($39.95) matched with the Amalfi Jelly Sandal ($16.95). And imagine how dapper your little boy will look in the Kenny Polo ($16.95) and Jerry Loop Back Short ($34.95). A range of adorable party wear is available from Cotton On Kids.

Crocodile Creek Tritan Drink Bottle in Jungle Jamboree, Backyard Friends and Hedgehog- $14.95

A fun gift and something that you can take into the new school year! These coordinate with other Crocodile Creek products such as the Crocodile Creek Backyard Friends Backpack – $29.95

 

The Elf on the Shelf 

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a magical story, explains how Santa’s scout elves help him manage his naughty or nice list. Each beautifully-illustrated children’s hardback book comes as a part of a keepsake boxed set including one of Santa’s scout elves, whose job is to watch the kids during the day and report to Santa every night. Available from booksellers including Myer, Dymocks and independent stores.

Glimmies – $7.99

Glimmies are collectable star fairies that magically light up in the dark. They make a cute little stocking gift for the little ones. Available at shop.funtastic.com.au

 

Crocodile Creek Bear and Friends Floor Puzzle – $24.95

All the Crocodile Creek floor puzzles have a slightly-recessed lid that makes the storage box easy for little fingers to open.  Available at childsmart.com.au

 

Kids Aged 6-9+

Young kids can sometimes be difficult to buy for because their favourites can change so suddenly. Thankfully, so many items these days come with colour options or are customisable. Just pick your child’s current favourite craze and there’s sure to be something to match. This is also a great way to get your kids useful gifts. If you know something they love, finding necessities like clothes and school supplies that they will get excited about will be easy.

Mokuru 

The latest wooden toy from Japan, designed to test your balance and concentration skills. It’s as simple as tipping the wooden piece over gently letting it flip and catching it between your fingers. Available at Kmart

Kmart so slime DIY slime factory kit – $29

Keep your child occupied for hours by helping them create their own toys.

 

Globber My TOO FIX UP- $120 

A scooter is a fantastic gift choice to get the kids out into the fresh air and sunshine. The kids will love the choices of the cool colour combos of this scooter and how comfortable it is to ride (featuring three adjustable height positions). Parents will love that this scooter has a reinforced fixed structure and can handle up to 100kg – finally, something that is built to be as tough as your kids!  Available at globber.com.au

 

Spin to Sing – $39.95

If your child is a fan of The Voice or The X Factor, they will love this fun sing-along game. An app uses music from your smart phone, and there is a 5 star judging system and jeopardy cards to add a hilarious twist. Available from childsmart.com.au

 

JBL Headphones

If you have a music enthusiast, they will love these wireless headphones, which can carry a wireless connection up to 15 metres away and have easy-to-operate controls. They have a long battery life and quick re-charge time. JR300 Junior Headphones -$39.95; JR300BT Bluetooth Wireless Junior Headphones – RRP 69.95; Junior Headphone – $49.95. Available at jbl.com

 

Springfree Trampoline

Designed with your child’s safety in mind, this trampoline will provide hours of bouncy outdoor fun. Boasting over 15 years of research and development, Springfree advances and exceeds safety standards, while also encouraging kids to get outside and get active.

This is suitable for a range of ages and both girls and boys. It is a perfect gift if you have more than one child, or for your child and their friends, because the kids can all enjoy it together. Available at springfreetrampoline.com.au

 

Simon & Schuster Dork Diaries Box Set, 10 books -$49

Encourage your child to develop their reading skills with this hilariously entertaining series. This is a popular book series that your child will devour. Available at Kmart

 

Smiggle

Smiggle products are great gifts because they are cute and customisable, so the kids will love them. They might even get kids excited about school with their range of learning supplies. Some great picks this season are:

DIY Hardtop Pencil Case – $22.95

Smiggle’s hardtop pencil case is a classic favourite. It has all the classic hardtop trimmings including internal mesh pockets and pen holders. Let your child’s imagination go as they create a unique design. It comes with markers for your child to use. They will love taking this to school.

Smiggle Studio Art – $34.95

A great gift for creative kids – this gift includes heaps of markers pencils and paint pallets and brushes.

Smiggle Gift Pack – $16.95

This cute set of glam products, including lip glosses and hair chalks, is a perfect stocking stuffer. All available at Smiggle retail stores.

 

Mums and Dad

The focus of Christmas is often on the kids, but it’s a fun family holiday for mum and dad too. Here’s some thoughtful gift ideas for the grown-ups!

Personalised Ladies Watch and Ring Stand by MijMoj Design – $84.44

This beautifully handcrafted solid oak ladies ring and watch stand, can be personalised with a special message to your Mum. This is a gift she is sure to adore this Christmas. Avaliable at MijMoj.

 

Duchess Necklace by Merci Maman – $175.86

The Duchess of Cambridge was spotted wearing the Merci Maman necklace. Since then, mothers all around the world are copying her look! This gorgeous necklace makes the perfect personalised gift for Mum this Christmas. Avaliable at Merci Maman.

 

Personalised Soft Leather Travel Gift Set by STOW – $810.75

Stow’s best-selling jewellery case is combined with two charming trinket boxes. Make it even more special with beautiful monogramming; creating a beautiful bespoke gift. Available at Stow.

 

The Finest Facial Mask Duo – $60

Let your loved one get stuck into the multi-masking trend with this beautifully presented Expert Facial Mask gift set. Available at The Bodyshop.

 

White Musk Small Gift Set – $30

Introduce your mum to the fragrance sweetened with notes of pear, for a deliciously fruity layer that fits effortlessly with the iconic floral blend with this gorgeously presented gift set. Purchasing these gifts from thebodyshop.com.au helps support the Peace Play Project.

 

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Key and Phone Holder

This stylish personalised phone holder, with an adjoining change dish or key bowl, is a lovely wooden gift for keeping everything together when Dad walks through the front door. All available at giftslessordinary.com.au

 

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