Bestselling author A.L Tait shares her top 22 mystery novels for tweens.
When you’re a mystery reader, there’s no such thing as too many books. Take it from me.
My love affair with mystery novels began a million years ago with The Secret Seven and The Famous Five, through Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, and continues today with Ian Rankin’s Rebus, Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk, and countless others.
The world can be an uncertain and even scary place. One of the best armours we can provide children is the ability to know what is within their control. Helping children navigate wins and losses with a positive mindset helps them brave difficult situations. Try these nine simple ways to help your kids develop a positive attitude.
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Looking for some fun activities in Sydney for families? Sydney is a vibrant city which attracts tourists from all walks of life. Its buzzing energy and tourist attractions draw in travellers from near and far to Australia. There’s certainly no lack of places to explore.
Those traveling with children know that keeping the little ones entertained is a priority, but cities can seem a little overwhelming. To help make the most of your trip to Sydney, we’ve put together a list of the best activities for families.
Amusement parks will always be a source of fun and joy for families. So what better way to keep your kids enthralled than by taking them to this vintage attraction? With plenty of family fun activities, food, amenities and rides, you can easily spend an afternoon here. There’s also a lot of history behind the amusement park. So for those who want to combine fun with a little bit of history, it’s the ideal place.
It’s best to book in advance for Luna Park. Make sure you check out if they have any events going on during your stay.
There’s no shortage of stunning beaches to explore in Sydney. If you’re looking for one which is quiet, safe and suitable for kids, Little Manly Point Park is a great place to start. Manly Cove is equipped with a kiosk and playground. You can easily spend a day here dipping in the nearby refreshing, calm waters or relaxing on the grassy areas near the playground.
Other beaches which are ideal for families include Clifton Gardens and Maroubra Beach. Both have BBQ facilities and offer quieter alternatives to the main tourist beaches like Bondi Beach.
With that being said, there’s no reason you can’t explore Bondi with kids. Take an early morning or late afternoon stroll from Coogee to Bondi, a popular walk which offers gorgeous views. Just make sure to time it well, the midday sun is intense!
Walking tours are wonderful for seeing the sights with a tour guide, and many of them are suitable for children as well. If your kids are capable and willing to walk for a couple of hours, it’s a great way to immerse them in some local history or folklore.
Prices can vary when it comes to walking tours, depending on the sights you want to see. Our recommendation is to try out the various free walking tours that take place. They’re fun, engaging and often include fun stories to keep the kids entertained and interested.
The Powerhouse Museum is perfect for rainy days. It’s one of our favourite fun activities in Sydney for families. With exhibitions aimed at all ages, it’s easy to spend an afternoon here. The Power House has fee general admission for under 16’s, and plenty of interactive activities.
The Wiggles Exhibition* will keep younger children entertained whilst older kids learn about space travel. There’s a cafe and facilities in the museum, so you can even make a day out of it if time permits!
*please note that the Wiggles exhibition is closed at the moment due to Covid 19 restrictions.
What better way to experience Australia’s marine life than from the up close experience of the Sea Life Aquarium? Discover different shark species, stingrays and other exotic aquatic life as you spend the day admiring and learning. Snorkelling with sharks is also an option for those brave enough to try, or you can enjoy the ocean tunnel walk and get hands on with sea creatures.
Continuing on with the wildlife theme, a day spent at Featherdale Wildlife Park is guaranteed to be just as exciting for the kids as it is for the adults. Guided tours are available here, as well as opportunities to hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies.
The wildlife park offers the chance to get up close to koalas, view saltwater crocodiles and the many other animal species which reside in the park. It’s a mid-way stop for those heading on to the Blue Mountains. So you may want to take a few hours for it before continuing onto the World Heritage site, or just spend the day as there’s plenty to see and do at Featherdale.
Featherdale Wildlife Park is easy to access by car from Sydney. However, if you don’t want to leave the city then Taronga Zoo is also a great option. It’s the largest zoo in Australia and is home to over 5000 animals. Gorillas, tigers and elephants are just some of the species of animals that live here. With a lot of conservation work going on it’s a great place to educate your little ones on these beautiful animals.
Whale watching is one of the most fun activities in Sydney for families. Get up close with the sea life off the coast of Sydney. You’re almost guaranteed to spot dolphins, turtles or more. Whales such as Orcas, Southern Right Whales and Pilot Whales are common in these seas. At certain times of the year you may even see whale calves swimming alongside their mothers.
Most cruises offer a free return if no whales are spotted, so it’s a good idea to book a tour like this fairly early on in your Sydney trip. This gives you time to rearrange if your whale sighting is unsuccessful.
Whale tours aren’t the cheapest experience in Sydney, but the memories that last after seeing a majestic whale flip its tail, or Bottlenose Dolphins dancing in unison will surely make up for the cost. The guides are also full of interesting facts about the whales and their habitats, so it’s a great learning opportunity for kids.
Cockatoo Island is one of the many accessible islands located near Sydney. It is perfect for families who want to spend the day exploring and relaxing. From the visitors centre, maps and treasure hunt activities can be picked up, and there’s plenty of grassy areas and cafes to relax at after walking around and admiring the views over the ocean.
Cockatoo Island has a fascinating colonial and Aboriginal history. Adults and older children can take time to learn about the aboriginal influence on the island and the convicts that were once sent there. It’s only a 10 minute ferry ride from Sydney Circular Quay, so it’s easily accessible to spend the day there.
There’s no doubt that Sydney is jam packed with fun, engaging activities for families to take part in. Alongside the famous attractions like Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, we wanted to present some alternatives which will captivate the whole family. We hope that we have given you some fun activities in Sydney for families.
After your trip to Sydney we encourage you to take a trip down to the Great Ocean Road and it’s most famous attractions like the Twelve Apostles and Kennett River Koala Walk to round out your trip to Australia!
Kiran is of the Great Ocean Road Collective. A website dedicated to sharing the beauty of the Great Ocean Road in Australia will travelers far and wide. If you are planning your trip, need some inspiration or looking for authentic advice on Aussie travel visit our website The Great Ocean Road Australia or check us out on Instagram.
Super Mario Brothers 1 and 3 were life when I was a teenager. My sister and I spent hours playing on the second hand Nintendo that she bought from a garage sale. More recently, I bought a Nintendo Switch and a new version of Super Mario Bros and I’m enjoying introducing the kids to it. I’m especially loving that its the only game I can still beat my gamer son in!
We all need quick meals up our sleeves for those busy weekday nights where the kids are hungry, we are running late from work or activities pick up and everything is in a shambles.
This 5 Ingredient sausage and vegetable pasta bake is a favourite in our house. It only takes about 30 minutes to make and the leftovers make a great work lunch the following day.
As I am sure many families are experiencing at the moment during this pandemic, our homes are currently “slashie” homes, and by slashie I mean:
At our place the kids really are having the hardest time of anyone with social distancing and isolating. They miss their friends, their classes, their routine and school. They miss playing and creating with their friends, especially over important milestones like birthdays. Tully turned eight a few weeks ago, Mylo turned six the other day and some of their friends have had birthdays too. We have been trying to get creative with ways they can stay in touch with friends. Here are five of our favourites!
All of a sudden most of us are not just mums, but teachers too. It’s been a jarring couple of weeks, but for a little while at least we’re all having to cover our children’s education. This can be difficult, especially if you’ve never homeschooled before.
While you’ve probably been provided with materials to cover maths, science and English classes, some subjects, like art class, are harder to replicate in the home. If you want to continue nurturing your little one’s creativity while in lockdown, here are some great tips. Continue reading
Hello! How are you all feeling at the moment? Now that we are basically in lockdown, I’ve had some time to play with my Cricut. I’ve even been taking classes at Spotlight (well until they were postponed along with everything else). One of my favourite projects is these Easter bags I made for all the kids we camp with every year. However, camping has been cancelled as well so I’ll hold on to them until next year. This Cricut for Beginners project is almost as simple as the library bags we made before, but with an extra layer of vinyl.
Ok, so right about now we are all collectively freaking out, right? Most of us are now home schooling for the foreseeable future, and we aren’t teachers, for a reason! Most of us will be receiving some work from school, to keep the kids on track, but we are going to have a lot of time to fill. Add on top of that, juggling working from home and multiple kids, and we are going to need some structure!