With Stars in their Eyes

For those of you who were lucky enough to be at my end of the world last week, you might have noticed an unusually orange Moon and a very bright star beside it. After heading out to take a curious snap shot, I learned that the star was in fact Jupiter. That got me thinking about the stars and the planets, and that maybe I should visit my local observatory, which then (as always) lead me to an exciting Fun Learning Adventure that I should totally write about on the blog!

So I headed down to the Ballarat Observatory to be greeted by some friendly members who kindly took the time to show me around their grounds, look at all of their equipment, admire the buildings and structures and basically gave me permission to gaze at the stars.

What I learned was quite remarkable; not only is the sky open for viewing, but the history that lies within the observatory, it's buildings and equipment, is incredibly fascinating. Many of the buildings date back to the 1800s and it is the oldest working observatory in Australia. Some of the buildings are graced with the most beautiful donated stained glass windows that enthusiasts from all over the world come to visit.

Much of the equipment held within the observatory is custom built and also holds a wealth of historical information. The observatory is lucky enough to own some of the oldest pieces of telescopic equipment in the southern hemisphere that are still operational today. Inside the dome the roof opens up to the heavens and viewers can climb the rickety old ladder to view the stars in the night sky. New facilities, buildings and telescopes have been added over the generations and there is something for everyone to see and enjoy.

There's even mokey bars for the kids! Actually, it's not, this contraption is known as a Pipehenge (yes, just like Stone Henge). Each of the bars represents some point of local astronomy (the path of the sun during the seasons, the location of the Southern Cross and the latitude of town among other things). It's really quite an intriguing artefact.

The observatory is open Tuesday to Saturday for night time viewings and 3D Movies, and the 3rd Rock Cafe is open Friday and Saturday. They also have a gift shop with books, souveniers and scientific implements to take home.

Bookings can be made by heading to their website http://observatory.ballarat.net/, this will ensure there is someone available to give you their undivided attention, and you can even request a private booking with the gates shut behind you for full run of the grounds and uniterrupted star gazing.

Not only are you able to book veiwing sessions and tours, but they also have some really exciting family and enthusiast events coming up too!

• The Introduction to Astronomy Course starts March 2nd - 23rd March
• Professor Fred Watson's Book Launch & Signing is on March 18
• Starry Autumn Night is on March 30. This is a big family night with activities for everyone! Starry Nights events run every season throughout the year.

There is so much to learn about the universe and a trip to the observatory is a fabulous family outing that everyone can find an interest in. It could be a great way to engage your kids into reading and researching more about the stars and planets and galaxies far far away, and it's a great real life experience that provides solid ground for any projects that come up in class. And who doesn't love a 3D Movie???

Admission Prices include 3D Movies, Tour of the Grounds and Telescopes and Viewing:

Adult - $15

Concession - $10

Child - $6

Family - $40

We have a FREE FAMILY PASS to give away to one lucky family in, or visiting, the Ballarat Region. Click here to enter.

For information about the Ballarat Observatory and Museum visit their website.

To see more ideas for Fun Family Learning Adventures check out our Pinterest boards or like us on Facebook.

Don't forget to follow this blog and enter the competition!



Rockabilly Kids

I have just had the best weekend at a Rockabilly Festival in my home town. Seeing everyone dressed up in their 1950s outfits enjoying their rock n roll dancing, looking at the beautiful old cars and browsing through the market stalls. But the most fun I had was being involved in the *Live Feed* of blog posts and photography throughout the weekend. I had to cover a few different aspects of the festival, but I'm always on the lookout for fun learning opportunities.

So this week I'm sending you off to see my guest post on the festival's website. A few Rock n Roll inspired educational fun ideas for the kids, and while you're there a bit of fun reading & looking for yourself. Please be sure to like & share with your friends and leave a comment on my first ever guest blogging!

http://ballaratbeat.com.au/rockabilly-kids/

Kre8tive Kids Kaddy at the Vintage Chics rockabilly stall

For heaps of other fun learning ideas check out our Pinterest boards or like us on Facebook.

Roses are red....

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Learning is fun,
And craft is too!

Whether you believe in the whole idea of saving your confessions of undying love for one day in the year, who wouldn't love to receive a special hand made valentine from a secret admirer?

Valentine's Day is an opportunity for some fun, light hearted learning activites where the kids can really use their creativity and imagination and get their hands dirty while practicing some of their spelling, reading and hand writing skills from school.

Some ideas to get you started:

>  Hand craft a card (use coloured pens, glitter, coloured paper, stencils, stamps etc)
>  Write a poem (practice rhyming words and rhythm, use their nicest hand writing on special paper)
>  Bake cookies (shaped in hearts or decorated with hearts)
>  Press flowers & leaves in heavy books and create floral art works
>  Cut out paper flowers and write messages of admiration
>  Make gift vouchers for loved ones (e.g a play date, an ice cream, a day of perfect behaviour etc)
>  Write a list of all the things they love (their friends, their family, things they are thankful for etc)

If you couldn't possibly handle the thought of your little one having their heart broken at school by participating in the over-commercialism of Valentines Day and experiencing rejection, you could always keep it within the home too. Make valentines for Mum & Dad, or siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles so that their valentines are received in a safe, comfortable environment and they know their love will always be returned unconditionally.

For heaps of cute valentines ideas check out our Pinterest boards or like us on Facebook.

A List of Learning

Over the weekend I was chatting with my Mum and joking about our family obsession with stationery and writing, but particularly with writing lists. Endless lists of grocery needs, lists of things to do, lists of this, lists of that, just like this list of lists. You will find no shortage of pens and paper in my house, nor at Mum's, my Nan's and even my Aunt's.

So it got me thinking, that list making can be fun. Like making a list of all the things you want to achieve this year, or a list of your favourite songs to play at your wedding.

But it can also be educational. See where I'm heading here? The brilliant thing about making a list (and checking it twice), is that it has a few different learning benefits. Let me list them for you:

• kids can practice their neatest, nicest hand writing in a casual setting without the pressure of being assessed or corrected
• they can practice spelling words they wouldn't normally be writing in the usual school setting, you can write a list of practically anything your heart desires
• it's an opportunity to expand their vocabulary and keep their mind stimulated in times when they aren't formally learning

You can get really creative with your list making too. Make your own notepads from recycled paper, print vegetable shape stamps on the pages or a stencil, put magnets on the back to keep the pads on the fridge.

Then all you need is to come up with the topics for your lists. Maybe the top 10 songs on the radio that your child loves to sing along to, a list of their favourite dinners, a list of famous people they would like to meet, a list of games they want to play at their birthday party, or the funniest fart jokes from school. Tailor it to their interests, if they love dinosaurs, make a list of the biggest scariest dinosaurs. If they love football, make a list of the best players of all time (you can even include stats in that one).

So grab your pens, grab your paper and get list making! The kids will love it, it's a bit of fun and  you can enjoy a quiet moment to yourself while they are busily thinking of things to write down, fully unaware of the learning they are engaged in! Learning that's fun....who would've thought.

Download a booklet of lists here to get you started:

For more ideas like this and more visit our Pinterest boards or like us on Facebook.