The Great OutdoorsOpen the door - it is right outside!

BACKYARDS IDEAS

• Make a frog play pond ...or a fish pond.....in a dish - make sure you have a toy frog or fish first!

• Make a fairy/dinosaur garden in a large dish using leaves, flowers moss, pebbles, sand, dirt, grass, plastic dino's

• Read Wombat Stew and go and make one in old pots and pans • Create a waterfall - are great on a hot day• Play in a shallow tray of water with boats• Paint pictures on the paving or fence with water and big brushes• Draw on the paving with chalk - have a theme - pirate island, crocodile creek, fairy dell• Imagine - make a boat out of a laundry basket, house out of a large box• The sandpit - one day it is a beach, the next an island. • Make a "Science Box" - explore the garden - look for bugs, look in mulch under leaves

of trees, find spiders in webs, search for the spider when the web is empty.• Scavenger hunt - find things different shapes, things beginning with each letter of the

alphabet• Search for a rainbow - rainbow game - collect some paint swatches from your favourite

hardware or painting store and find things in the garden the same colour.• Cubbies houses/tents and tee-pees. - as Kids get older graduate from the Pop up tents

to constructing their own tents. Give them a tarp, some rope and tent pegs....let them see what they can do....Keep watch and let them have a go - jump in to help just before they give up in frustration or when they have tied each other up in the rope.

• Have a picnic in a cubby• Bubble blowing • Raid the recycling bin and construct things - make sure you have loads of masking tape• Paint whatever you made out of the recycling bin - big brushes and a drop sheet to

protect tables/pavers etc.• Paint giant cardboard boxes • Make boats out of bottle, containers - see if they float• Make pin wheels• Give children a part of the garden or big pots to grow things in - use a mix of seeds and

some potted seedling, so they get quick results and lasting results.• Let older kids help with the weeding and pruning - let them use the choppers/saws• Let them try sawing up sticks with a bush saw• Be on wildlife watch - keep a list of all the wildlife you see. Older kids can record if it is

native or a pest. Record how many seen over a period of time. Have a camera handy the kids can use. Have binoculars available.

• Have a backyard campfire ( Check Fire regulations with council and RFS) • Cook a meal outdoors • Make a bird house or a bird box, possum box or a bat box.• Explore your garden at night time, then explore your street!• Go for a walk in the rain or right after rain.

AT THE PARK• Scavenger hunt, rainbow search, science box and loads of other ideas from the backyard

ideas list garden list• Is there a pond/creek that is safe to access - take your boats to float or take the supplies

in a big box and make boats and float them straight away.• Take binoculars - good for bird watching....and keeping an eye on the kids!• Crayons and paper - make leaf rubbings• Kites - make them yourself, buy a simple "will fly no matter what" type of kite. Forget the

stunt kites - they end in tears. Hornsby Hobby shop are great help when fixing broken kites.

• Go pond dipping - you needs strainer, long pole and a large white dish. Download an ID Chart. talk about the water bugs you find and what their presence shows us. Best in spring and summer ( water bugs are insects). Download and laminate identification charts. http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/waterwatch/getPublications.htm

• Remind kids not to pick vegetation in a park - but let them explore, touch and "use" fallen materials in their games.

• Bushwalks - plan a short, medium or long walk - http://www.wildwalks.com/• Free Guided Bushwalks with Hornsby Council -

http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/my-lifestyle/sports-and-recreation/bushwalks

ORGANISED PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES ON OFFER NOT FAR FROM PENNANT HILLS.

On the Water -• MV Reliance Ferry Tour from Bobbin Head - Pittwater Ferry Services Bobbin Head public

wharf - http://www.bobbinheadcruises.com.au• Macquarie Princess Cruises from Berowra Waters -

www.macquarieprincesscruises.com.au• Seven Islands Cruise and the River Boat Postman Cruise. Hawkesbury River Cruises from

Brooklyn - http://riverboatpostman.vpweb.com.au/ • Lane Cove Boatshed in the Lane Cove National Park, Sydney. Rowboats Kayaks,

Canoes, Pedal boats, Push bikes. http://www.lanecoveboatshed.com.au/• Kayak Hire at Berowra Waters - Phone (02) 94567000 • Ferry up or down the Parramatta River or around the Harbour - http://www.

131500.com.au/Adventure and Sports• Orienteering NSW – Kids Space Race Orienteering at sites across Sydney. http://

onsw.asn.au/juniors/space-racing• Archery Park at Sydney Olympic Park - www.archerycentre.com.au/• Monster Skate Park and BMX Track at Sydney Olympic Park http://

www.monsterpark.com.au/home

• Urban Jungle high ropes at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre - www.urban-jungle.net.au/

• Soccer Clinics - Kidsinthepark.com.au, http://www.soccerkickstart.com.au/Train Rides• Sydney Live Steam Locomotive Society - West Ryde - 3rd Saturday of the Month afternoon.

http://www.slsls.asn.au/• Galston Valley Railway - 2nd Sunday of the Month 10am to 4pm http://www.hme.org.au/• Riding the Rails at Sydney Olympic Park, 30 minute rides from 11am, every Sunday. (The

extended tour -Heritage Railway Discovery Tour at 9.30am every Sunday is better for adults).Nature based activities, including guided and self guided• Sydney Olympic Park - kidsinthepark.com.au. Look for Park Patrol, Park after Dark &

Clue Trails.• Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre - www.birdlife.org.au/visit-us/discovery-centre• Cumberland State Forest - http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests/locations/cumberland-

state-forest • Centennial Parklands - http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/activities• Parramatta Park - http://www.ppt.nsw.gov.au/• Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden -http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/wildflowergarden• Koala Park, West Pennant Hills http://www.koalaparksanctuary.com.au/ • Frog and Tadpole Study Group http://www.fats.org.au/en/component/content/article/8-

multimedia/53-frog-o-graphic-2015-competition• Birds in Backyards surveys - http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/surveys

National Parks Discovery Programs• http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Whats-On/nsw-discovery-program• Lane Cove National Park and Kuring-Gai National Park run Discovery Programs• Kalkari Visitor Centre, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, Mount

Colah Phone: 02 9472 9300 Open seven days a week 9am to 5pm; closed Christmas Day• Mougamarra Nature Reserve Open in 2015 from 15 August to the 20 September,.9am to

4.30pm. You need to book walks well in advance - Email:snr.discovery@environment.nsw.gov.au

Go Green/Rural• Hawkesbury Harvest lists farms open for fruit picking www.hawkesburyharvest.com.au/• Horse Riding – http://www.sydneyequestriancentre.com/ (Vision Valley Horse riding has

closed)• Golden Ridge Animal Farm www.goldenridgeanimalfarm.com.au/ • Kimbriki Tip – visit the eco garden and recycling centre - www.kimbriki.com.au• Eco garden at Fagan Park (Hornsby Council) www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au

Treasure Hunts, Scavenger hunts ready to go• http://activeinparks.org/kids-families/

• http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/whats_on/self-guided_activities• Nature focused Apps - Habitat, Wild Time & Wilder Quest

Other great places to start search:• www. Kidsinthepark.com.au• Local Council Websites - Hornsby Shire Council , Hills Shire Council, Ryde City Council• Sydney’s Child - printed and on-line http://www.webchild.com.au/• Ella's List - http://www.ellaslist.com.au/ Daily activities for Sydney Mums.• Sydney.com • http://activeinparks.org/ - loads of ideas, resources etc• Get onto mailing lists for activities that interest you.

TWELVE IDEAS TO KEEP YOU COOL OVER SUMMER (……. or twelve ideas to help keep your cool over summer!)Try some of these ideas with your children over summer. Water play is loads of fun and inexpensive too!Water Play - Use a large shallow basin and provide a wide variety of containers to encourage exploration & discovery. You’ll find lots of great things in your recycle bin! Set up the water play on the ground or a low table.

• Bowls • Buckets • Bottles• Containers with

holes drilled in the bottomSmall plastic cups

• Measuring cups & spoons

• Corks • Aquarium nets • Scoops

• Plastic tubes

• Eyedroppers• Plastic syringes • Funnels • Plastic squeeze

bottles

• Plastic tubing

• Sponges • Strainers • Water wheels • Wire whisks • Spray bottle

Waterfalls – use empty milk bottles, small watering cans, funnels, buckets and other containers. Create a waterfall of your own design. Set it up in a small table and chairs, on a ledge or similar.

Pretend play – Make a frog pond, duck pond, a fish bowl, rock pool or a busy harbour. Gather together some plastic toys such as boats, people, fish, frogs, ducks. Collect some sand, small pebbles or gravel, larger stones, leaves and twigs from the garden, maybe some shells. You’ll need a flat shallow dish or tray (saucer from a large flower pot or clean cat litter tray) and a jug of water. Get creative and have fun playing.

Water painting -Give each child a small container of water (a large yoghurt tub is great) and some large paintbrushes or small paint rollers. Let them "paint" your fence, porch, paving or pathway.

Chalk art -If you have an area of paving or concrete you don’t mind the kids drawing on, give them the large pavement chalk and let then create a spectacular artwork. Dipping the chalk into water makes brighter colours.

Wash the dolls clothes – set up a plastic basin of water with gentle soap (a mild dishwashing detergent). Set up a second basin for rinsing. Give the children pegs to peg the clothes onto an airer to dry. This helps develop their pincer grip.

Bubbles - Set up a large dish with water. Add some soap & get the children to make bubbles with a kitchen hand whisk it. Try blowing through straws to make bubbles or use a manual (non-electric) rotary eggbeaters

Sponges - Add some sponges of different sizes and densities to the bubbly water. They will make loads of bubbles when squeezed. Try a natural sponge too. Use a spoon to fill plastic containers of different sizes and shapes with bubbles. Stir with a wooden spoon to reduce the bubble foam to water again by stirring.

Washing up – start with the play tea set and then move on to anything else that needs and will survive a scrub. A basin, gentle soap and a nail brush or “dolly scrubber” are all you need. Lay out the toys on a tea towel to dry in the sun.

Wombat Stew…….find an old saucepan or bowl and wooden spoon and cook up an imaginative stew. Don’t forget to set some ground rules for what can and cannot be collected from your garden and make sure they don’t eat it! Don’t forget to read the story book “Wombat Stew” before you start.

Bubbles blowing - make your own bubble mixture by mixing1/4 cup dishwashing detergent (Joy or Dawn brands are recommended) with1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon glycerine (glycerol). (Glycerine is optional, but makes stronger bubbles.) Make bubble blowers with the twist ties off bags & plastic rings from milk bottles etc.

Ice – fill a balloon with water and freeze it overnight. Remove the balloon and place the ice in a dish. Watch it melt, play with it, add water and it will float like an ice berg. Try using other shapes such as large milk bottles, ice cream containers and yoghurt tubs. Take a short trip to Antarctica - tip a tray of ice cubes in to a dish and add water, then play in it with plastic boats and toy whales in amongst the ice cubes.

Remind the children that their water is for playing, not drinking – have drinking water at the ready!Stay close to children when they are playing around water.

Use "touch supervision" - children have to be within an arm's length of an adult.