Pastello at NGV

This week, we ventured into the city by train to visit the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). We were delighted to discover that the acclaimed Pastello – Draw Act kids’ exhibit was still running – it proved to be a fantastic, and free, event that even our under-one year olds enjoyed.

NGVforKIDS invited Melbourne-based Italian designers Erika Zorzi and Matteo Sangalli (Mathery Studio) to create this interactive space especially for children and families. ‘Pastello’ is the Italian word for pastel or crayon, and the exhibit is rather aptly named, with crayons on every surface, as well as projected onto a screen in the main entry.

With the help of Melbourne designers and a local crayon factory, the designers have created a range of objects out of coloured wax for children to use as drawing materials across three drawing zones.

The concept of the exhibit is to turn the idea of drawing on its head; kids can strap on crayon-studded shoes and helmets to make their marks on the paper-covered walls. Crayon coated cutlery and ropes make for unusual drawing implements, and kids’ artwork can be pegged on the display wall when they’re done.

They’ll delight in seeing what marks they can make by swinging the big crayon pendulums, and pushing the enormous crayon ‘boulders’ back and forth. While our kids were too little to do this, they enjoyed watching us make marks using the crayon utencils, and, of course, crawling around on the astroturf floor!

According to the creators of the exhibit, they wanted to ‘create a fun, memorable and playful space that encourages children to think outside the box to reconsider the act of drawing’. But the Pastello – Draw Act exhibit will challenge every visitor’s idea of mark-making – big and small!

Where: Ground Level, NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

The exhibit runs until 31st August 2014, and entry is free.

Art for one and all: Footscray Community Arts Centre

At Bubba West, we think one of the best things about Melbourne’s west is the spirit of community. There are several local organisations busily bringing diverse groups of people together in the pursuit of education, engagement, and enjoyment. Footscray Community Arts Centre is one of them, and has an exciting array of programs and activities on offer for everyone – from babies to the elderly. If you haven’t been yet, now is the time to check it out!

In our last interview, we brought you Footscray’s fantastic (and fantastical!) 100 Story Building, the social enterprise improving kids’ literacy and engagement. Now, we bring you Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC): a hive of local creativity where everyone’s welcome.

The pram-, child- and breastfeeding-friendly Centre collaborates with artists, the local community, not-for-profit organisations and others to run a huge range of arts activities, exhibitions and programs spanning circus, music, dance, design, and fine arts, to name a few.

The main gallery space, Rosyln Smorgon Gallery, within the main entry is spacious, with local community-based exhibitions frequently changing. Arriving at the Centre with prams was a joy; the wheels positively gliding over the polished concrete floors.

On our visit, several excited four year olds (and their mums) spent some time perusing the art on display, excitedly pointing out and discussing the works they liked best.

There were no solemn back-clad security guards, or snooty bespectacled gallery directors to shush the group or shoo them along – on the contrary, FCAC is all about engaging with all members of the community, and this includes kids. In addition to the curated arts exhibitions, the Centre’s cultural enterprise model is informed by engagement, collaboration and conversation with communities.

With local, national and international program outcomes, the Centre works closely with people with disability, Indigenous communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, marginalised and disadvantaged communities, and the communities of Melbourne’s west.

The Centre offers exhibitions, performances, theatre, film screenings and concerts throughout the year, as well a contemporary arts festivals and events. FCAC also runs workshops, masterclasses and training programs. Their Learning and Development program contributes to FCAC’s goal of subsidised community programs for disadvantaged and marginalised groups, using funding generated from ‘fee for service’ workshops. The workshops contribute to the core programs, such as Emerging Cultural Leaders, the Indigenous Cultural Program, and ArtLife, a multifaceted day arts program for people with intellectual disabilities.

Image courtesy of Footscray Community Arts Centre

Among the workshops on offer, there are some great options for children, including Kids’ Circus Club and Toddler Music (both featured on Bubba West this month), Kids’ Animation, Acting Up, Dance Story Time, School Holiday Programs, and the brand new and very exciting Baby Has a Curly Line music program.

Bubba West spoke with Simon de Lacy-Leacey, FCAC’s Creative Producer Learning and Development, and one of the Centre’s 18 full-time staff.

He says that, in an effort to increase accessibility, some of the children’s progams are run by casual drop-in, requiring no prior booking.

‘As a parent, you might be having a bad day, and it can be hard to commit to a regular class, so our casual classes are very popular,’ says Simon.

The classes are intimate – most of the music classes run with 8–12 children, while the circus class holds 5–6 – meaning the kids get lots of quality interaction with tutors.

‘The Baby Has A Curly Line course is a new one we have introduced,’ says Simon. ‘There’s one class for the 0–9 month age group, and one for 10–18 months, with workshops running each term.’

Through sound and song, music-making, and a range of engaging multi-sensory activities, babies and parents learn new ways to nurture and extend children’s natural musicianship. Babies experience the surreal through the integration of Sydney Nolan imagery, combined with auditory, tactile, motoric and kinaesthetic elements (stay tuned for the in depth Bubba West story!).

‘Another program that we’re quite excited about is Dance Story Time,’ says Simon. ‘We’re working with Ausdance to combine dance movement and literacy. Tutors go through all the childhood favourites, like Alice in Wonderland, or Where the Wild Things Are, and bring these stories to life with movement, getting the kids to act out the parts of the story.’

These drop-in sessions are designed to completely immerse children (aged 3–5) in the story, while improving literacy and getting them active, too! At only $10 per child, these sessions make a great weekly activity to look forward to. For older kids, the GamePlay workshops have been popular, where kids aged 10–15 learn the basics of video game design through developing a platform or puzzle game.

‘While we run all these great programs that the public sees, a lot of what we do here goes under the radar,’ says Simon. ‘We’re all about working with the wider community and we develop a lot of partnerships. For example, we’re currently working with AMES (providing assistance to newly arrived refugees and migrants), with a Refugee Week exhibition in June, and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre; so, there’s lots going on!

Image courtesy of Footscray Community Arts Centre

‘It’s all about access for all – FCAC’s mantra for 40 years – and working with the wider community here in the west. We focus on working with marginalised groups, and our eventual aim is to have some subsidised places in each of the fee-for-service classes.

‘We already have some supported places in our school holiday programs, which are provided to people through the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre courtesy of support from the Bendigo Community Bank in Seddon. Our April school holiday program was so successful we had to turn people away. We hope to have more places available in future for single parents out there. We’d love to take our Toddler Music into an outreach program.’

FCAC also works with schools, providing art and culture workshops. ‘We recently had Baby Guerilla come in and do a paste-up workshop with high school students,’ says Simon. ‘The kids loved it and created artwork on the side of FCAC.’

While there is a lot going on behind the doors of the FCAC, there are also things happening in the local community. Perhaps you’ve been past the corner of Donald and Barkly streets in Footscray lately? There, you’ll see the start of the animated mural project, an initiative by artist Christie Widiarto, supported by FCAC  through the Emerging Cultural Leaders program.

‘Christie’s idea was to combine stop-motion animation with the outcome of a mural to combat the graffiti issue here in the west. Christie’s told us that already some of the taggers have acknowledged what they’re doing and have said they’ll leave the wall alone,’ says Simon.

The wall mural involves painting repeated layers with slight changes to create the sense of movement, all captured in a series of photographs. The design will feature stories about Footscray. In particular, the project aims to give people aged 15–25 in Melbourne’s western suburbs the chance to contribute to the mural, learn animation, gain new skills through free arts workshops and connect with the community’s cultural leaders.

And there’s plenty more in the works at FCAC.

‘We’re looking at collaborating with PBS’s Rockabye Baby model here, as well,’ said Simon. ‘Live music for parents during the day time, so that kids can attend too. It would be kid-friendly music, but nothing like The Wiggles!’

With outdoor performance spaces, a basement gallery, perfect positioning beside the lawns of Happy River Café, and so much happening for the inner west’s littlest residents, Footscray Community Arts Centre will be on our list of favourite destinations for a very long time. See you there!

Footscray Community Arts Centre
45 Moreland Street
Footscray

 

Phone: 9362 8888

Fax: 9362 8866

Email: reception@footscrayarts.com

‘Bring your baby’ exercise – in Inner West Melbourne

Being at home full time with my little one, it gets tricky trying to fit exercise into my schedule.  I do a lot of walking to keep fit but I’m in need of more variety.  On a recent walk in Footscray park, to my excitement, I discovered newly installed exercise stations along the river.  It occurred to me that the equipment is perfect for parents such as myself.  My little one can crawl around and play on the grass while I get a workout in the beautiful open air surrounds.  There are three stations set up along the river with a new track leading to them to complete a circuit.  With three pieces of equipment per station there is heaps of variety with rowing, step and cycling machines included.

Since that trip to the park I was inspired to find more exercise opportunities that I can bring my baby to.  Classes or groups are great as they get me out of the house and its good to have an opportunity to connect with other people now that I am no longer at work.  Here are the results of my search, check them out if you are like me and craving a bit more exercise.   Alternatively, I might even spot you at the park.  Who knows? Perhaps this could be the start of a Mums, Dads and Bubs Footscray Park exercise group.

West Footscray Neighbourhood House run a Pram walking group tuesdays at 10 am.  Its a great opportunity to catch up with others and get fresh air.  It is free and all walkers are invited to stay on for coffee and a chat afterwards.

Bay City Strollers provide structured workouts for mums with qualified trainers in the park. Sessions include walking with strollers as well as strength training.  The classes are designed to involve your baby as much as possible and there are also post-natal classes available.  Classes cost $20 per for a casual session or $18 dollars if you buy a 10 Class Pass.  They meet every monday and thursday at 9:30 am at Fearon Reserve in Williamstown.

The MAC provides classes for new mums on mondays at 11:30. Babies are welcome up to 12 months of age.  Casual classes cost $14.50.

Mumma Afro offers African Dance classes you can bring your bub to.  The classes are in held at the Kensington Scout Hall from 10:30 – 11:30.  Alternatively register your interest for her class running next term at the Yarraville Community Centre.

West Footscray Neighbourhood House run a pram walking group tuesdays at 10 am.  Its a great opportunity to catch up with others and get fresh air.  It is free and all walkers are invited to stay on for coffee and a chat afterwards.

Do you know of any others?  We would love to know about them, if you are thinking of forming a local group, don’t forget to let us know and we will add it to our event calendar.

 

 

 

Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park

Melbourne’s autumn weather is looking fine and warm for the next few days. Why not make the most of it with some outdoor activities before the wind and rain of winter keep everyone in hibernation? The Point Gellibrand Foreshore area in Williamstown is a great location for a family day out, with picnic areas, playgrounds, nature, historical sights, the beach, and, of course, good coffee nearby!

Point Gellibrand Foreshore spans the coastal area between Ann Street Pier and Thompson Street, in Williamstown.  It was the site of Victoria’s first permanent settlement and seaport and was crucial to the initial growth of the state, so it’s a very important part of our local heritage. You can reach the Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park via Battery Road (this road’s bluestone wall is believed to have been worked on by convict Ned Kelly himself!). Pack the bikes, or your walking shoes, and start your day on the coastal trail that takes you around Port Phillip Bay. You’ll get beautiful views of the bay, and might be lucky enough to spot a cargo ship on the water.

At the eastern end of the Bay Trail, you’ll find the amazing Timeball Tower, built in 1849.  It was most likely Victoria’s first navigational aid of any distinction, and was also used to help shipmasters determine the local time; the large ball at the top would fall at exactly one o’clock each day. Older kids will appreciate the history and scale of this impressive tower, while younger kids will enjoy the gigantic anchor positioned next to it, and all the grassy space to run around in!

Head back along the trail in a westerly direction and you’ll be rewarded with a restful, and naturally wild, oasis with picnic tables, a barbecue or two, and a pretty good kids’ playground, complete with ‘binoculars’ to watch the ships out at sea. Little kids will have fun jumping all over the rubbery dolphins, and speaking into the communication pipes, while older kids will be climbing the ladders, using the swings, and traversing the rubber stepping stilts.

When the littlies get bored at this coastal park , head over to PG Sadler Reserve on the corner of Garden Street and The Esplanade. There’s even more green grass to play on here, plenty of shade, seats for the adults, plus swings, slides, an abacus, giant clock, monkey rings, and more. If the sun is shining and the weather is fine, stroll over to the beach adjascent, which is a calm location for building sandcasltes.

 

Our Top Melbourne Activities for Toddlers and Kids this Winter

Image courtesy of the NGV

With cabin fever season ahead, we have researched some of the best places to take your kids this winter.  Here are some of our favourites.

Pastello – National Gallery of Victoria

Italian design duo Erika Zorzi and Matteo Sangalli of Mathery Studio have designed a new immersive kids’ art space.  All I can say is ‘wow’!  Kids are encouraged to rethink the act of drawing in surprising ways using huge crayons attached to their heads and feet.  The exhibit is free and loads of fun for parents and kids.  It is one of our top places to be this winter.  Don’t miss this one!

Fishy Fun For 2 at the Aquarium

Take advantage of a quiet week day and visit the Aquarium this winter.  Melbourne Aquarium is offering a Fishy Fun For 2 voucher for $28.50.  The voucher includes entry for an adult and child under 4, a fish feeding experience and a coffee.  Make sure you download and print the voucher from here before you go in order to take advantage of this mid-week special.

Image courtesy of Melbourne Zoo

Keepers Kids at the Zoo

Does your little one love animals? Melbourne zoo now has a new attraction for kids, a behind-the-scenes immersive experience. Kids learn what veterinarians and keepers do to keep the zoo ticking over.  After dressing up as their chosen zoo professional, they are presented with challenges to solve: How do you attend to a sick lion?  How do you transport a sick animal?  How can you build the best enclosure?

Keepers Kids is free with the standard entrance fee, and runs every day between 9am and 4pm.

Mexican May Workshops at the Immigration Museum

Celebrate Mexican culture and learn new skills. The Immigration Museum is offering a range of weekend workshops in May.  Learn how to create Mexican artwork, craft your own sugar skulls or try your hand at some Mexican children’s games.   For bookings and more information, head to their website.

Mexican Art Workshop: Saturday 17 May,  2pm – 3pm (suitable for kids aged 5 and up)

Mexican Children’s Games Workshop: Saturday 24 May, 2pm – 3pm

Decorate Your Own Sugar Skull: Saturday 31 May, 2pm – 3pm (for adults and kids aged 8 and up)

 

Dreamworks Drop in: Land of the Dragons at ACMI

Drop in on a Sunday for this free family workshop.  Using ACMI’s professional green screen studio, you will learn how animations work, immerse yourself in a fantasy viking landscape and act out your own screenplay. Running on Sunday the 25 May, drop in 10 minutes before a session and soak up the fun.  Located in studio 1, sessions run at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm

Kids Drop in: Circus Celebration at ACMI

In a Madagascar-themed green screen room, bust out some circus moves and learn about the art of animation.  Free sessions run on Sat 7 June at 11am, 12pm, 2pm, and 3pm, and on Sunday 8 June, 11am, 12pm, 2pm, and 3pm.

Little Big Shots International Screen Festival for Kids

Celebrating its 10th birthday, this fantastic screen festival offers films for the little tots in our lives. Offering quality films that provide alternatives to the Disney franchise,  the film showings are all arranged by age so you are bound to find something for little and big kids in your family.  We are especially looking forward to the Tiny Tots package for kids aged 2 – 5.  Tickets are $10 and screenings for different films will be running throughout June.  Check out their website for more information and to book.  It is also a great option for winter kids’ parties.

 

 

 

 

Ideas for Toddler parties in winter

This season, we will be showcasing the best party ideas in Melbourne to hopefully make it easier for you to organise your next event.  My son is turning one in July, and I have been thinking a lot about the logistics of holding a toddler-friendly party in the middle of winter.  While small, toddlers do need lots of space to roam and interesting things to explore.  While I would love for him to have a birthday party at the park, it is just not feasible in cold, wet July.  I also want to somehow hold the event at home.  I would rather spend my dollars on a fun experience for him, or suitable toys, rather than a venue.  It will also make catering easier as I can use my own kitchen and just relax with my friends while the kids play.

After much brainstorming, research and head scratching, here are some of my top ideas for indoor, at-home toddler parties.

Indoor soft fall play equipment

Wiggle Worm is a local company that hire out soft fall play equipment for kids’ parties.   Set up the equipment at home or at a hire venue and then sit back and relax while the kids entertain themselves. Suitable for crawling babes upwards, your kids will have a ball climbing, crawling and tumbling.  Who doesn’t love a ball pit?  This is perfect for toddlers aged 1 to 2 who love exploring. Packages start from $280 for weekend hire.  The most basic package includes a ball pit, large vinyl building blocks, 4 Hopperz (rocking ride-on animals), 1 rocking fish, a soft fall seesaw and a small soft fall climbing pyramid.

Toys!

Hire toys from the local toy library and let the kids play while the adults get to catch up.  Check out http://www.toylibraries.org.au to find a toy library near you.

Sensory Play Party

Babies and toddlers are highly sensory and learn through touch, feel, sound and taste.  Set up activities based around these senses.  Some ideas include:

Fill a tub/baby paddling pool with rice bubbles.   Add buckets, spades and trucks and you have an indoor sandpit.  It’s safe, edible, crunchy fun that will keep them amused for ages.  It is also easy to just vacuum up after the party is over.  If you are worried about carpets, put a tarp down.

Make musical instruments from common household objects.  Biscuit tins make drums that can be decorated by guests, fill jars with rice, or even bells, for some cool shakers and let them create a racket!

Have fun creating terrariums. Get some large plastic jars, help kids shovel in dirt and pebbles and then let them choose some succulents to plant into each jar.  Plastic zoo animals can be used to decorate them, turning them into little landscapes. These can then be taken home by each child as a party favour.   With jars costing as little as a dollar and with succulent cuttings used from your own garden or a friend’s, this is an inexpensive but memorable party activity.

Cover your floor in large sheets of card/paper and let the kids go nuts drawing on it with crayons.  Show them how to draw around their friends to create silhouettes. Or draw a road and have them push matchbox cars along it.  The possibilities are endless.

Fill a room with balloons.  Before blowing up the balloons, fill them with different objects that make sounds.  Rice and bells work well.  Just make sure they are objects that won’t cause choking.

For older toddlers aged 3, why not get them involved in making their own lunch?  Set out some plastic tablecloths at small tables and have plastic plates with grated carrot, cheese and other veg.  Show the kids how to fill their own wrap and let them choose the ingredients.  It will be messy, but you are bound to have more kids eating healthy party food.  Another alternative is to let them decorate pre-made cookies.  Remember that trusty tarp for your carpets!

Role Play

Kids love dressing up, so have a box of dress ups for the party goers.  Some ideas: big shoes, old dresses, fun hats, plastic noses, feathers, masks, and capes made from sheets.

Alternatively, you can hire play kitchens from PartyKidz, make up some play dough and let them ‘cook’ in their own kitchen.  You could even have some groceries set out, some pretend money and baskets for little shoppers.

Another idea is to hire large push cars from  Hireatoy starting from $25 dollars per weekend.  The day before the party you can create petrol pumps or houses from boxes for the kids to drive past or play with.

Ask the kids to come dressed up as kings, queens and knights and have them play in your very own castle. PartyKidz hire out toy castle cubby houses from $120 for 5 days.

Mobile Farm Animal Party

Does your toddler love animals?  Who can resist cute fluffy baby chicks, bunnies, goats and lambs?  Aussie Farm Animals come to you.  Packages can be tailored for indoors or outdoors, so you don’t need to worry about weather conditions.  Contact Aussie Farm Animals  for package prices.

 

 

 

 

Toddler And Preschool Circus Club

Does your little one bounce around the house, climb furniture, jump on the beds, and rummage through your kitchen cupboards just looking for a way to burn off energy? If so, take them along to the Footscray Community Arts Centre on a Thursday morning, where they will enjoy physical games to develop their coordination skills and build confidence at the Toddler and Preschool Circus Club for ages 1–3, and 3–5.

We visited today and watched the kids have a blast with tutor Franca, who has worked in all areas of live theatre, and is also the Women’s Circus in-house trainer. The children were taken through an ‘obstacle course’ involving plastic hoops, hopscotch, a crawl tunnel, wooden climbing boxes, colourful twirling scarves, and special circus balancing plates. As they move through the fun circuit, kids have to listen carefully and follow Franca’s instructions to complete each activity.  Younger siblings enjoyed exploring the workshop space and watching all the action from the sidelines.

It was great to see the kids (and their mums!) have a great time burning off some energy and mastering each challenge through concentration and coordination. With a free coffee for parents at Happy Rive Cafe afterwards, the Toddler and Preschool Circus Club is a good way to start everyone’s day!

DATE & TIME

Every Thursday, 8 May – 26 June,
10am – 10:45am (1-3 years)
11:15am – 12pm (3-5 years)

COST: $20 per session (includes a free coffee at Happy River Cafe) /  $140 per term
(8 sessions).

We ran into Joyce, fellow Melbourne blogger (view her blog at Tot: Hot or Not), who was having a great time with her kids. Special thanks to Joyce for the cute photos we snapped of her two little ones enjoying the class!

Music for Toddlers – Footscray Community Arts Centre

If you are looking for activities for your little one to burn off some energy and learn something new, then you can’t go past the classes at Footscray Community Art Centre. Yesterday we were lucky enough to review the Music for Toddlers class. The class is an educational and fun session for little ones aged 1 -3. Kids play drums, bang spoons, cluck like chickens, dance and shake rattles.

Learning is best when you don’t even know it is happening because you are having fun. Music for Toddlers is a stellar example of this. Kids are introduced to counting, musical beats, lyrical structures and singing. Much of the learning however, is covert, little ones learn how to listen, how to follow instructions, co-ordination, sharing and helping. As a teacher myself, I was pleased to see vocabulary learning interwoven into the lesson. Students learn about opposite words through kinesthetic learning. When instructed to sing softly or loudly, drum quickly or slowly, they are able to enact, see and hear the differences in the words.

While most of the kids were aged 1 -3, some had younger siblings in the class as well. Our 10 month olds, although a bit too small to take part in some of the activities, had a great time bopping to the music and watching the other kids. The beats are refreshingly adult friendly, and are catchy but not annoying. We left with very tired, but happy babies and with a few more songs in our repertoire to sing at home.

Music for Toddlers, Footscray Community Art Centre

DATE & TIME

Every Tuesday, 29 April – 25 June

9:30 am – 10:15am and 10:30 – 11:15am

 

Every Wednesday, 29 April – 25 June

9:30 am – 10:15am and 10:30

AGES: 1 – 3 years
COST: $20 per session (includes a free coffee at Happy River Cafe), $140 per term (8 sessions).

Class runs as a drop in session. No bookings required though there’s a limit of 15 families per session. Full term pass available, click here to book.

The Younger Sun Bookstore

The weather over the weekend was pretty grey, dreary and wet.  After spending all Saturday indoors we really needed to get out and stretch our legs. My son is very attached to two very worn board books that we read to him every night.  We decided that we needed a change of reading even if he didn’t.  With this in mind we headed to Yarraville to seek out the guidance of the staff at the Younger Sun Bookshop.

The baby version of the Sun Bookstore, Younger Sun is a speciality kids’ bookstore catering to tots all the way to pre-teens. We had a great time browsing their excellent collection and the lovely lady behind the counter even wheeled out some stickers, books and toys for my son’s two year old cousin.  While she happily played, we took the time to find THE perfect board book.

For a small store the Younger Sun’s collection is quite comprehensive and the staff are always very helpful and knowledgeable.  No question is too hard, and they are happy to look up titles if they are not in store. With a wide range, we noticed books that cater to a little one expecting a new brother or sister as well as books for children with Aspergers, lots of classics and books on mathematics to keep the budding mathematician happy.

The store also runs a book club on the last Wednesday of every month at 4pm.  If you join you get 20% off the RRP of the books.  This month they are featuring the Adventures of Stunt Boy by Lollie Barr.   In summer, they run book readings for tots in the pop up park.

Opening hours:  Mon-Fri 9am-6.30pm; Sat 9am-5.30pm; Sun 10am-5pm

Address: 9 Ballarat Street, Yarraville 3013

Beat the Baby Brain: Our top local activities for parents

Opinions are divided as to whether Baby Brain is actually a myth.  When I was pregnant, everyone told me I would get absent-minded.   I was fuzzy headed and I did a few ridiculous things, including accidentally locking myself out of the house while wearing pyjamas.   However, I often wonder if I just noticed these events more because people told me they would happen.  If I really analyse things honestly, I was quite good at being absent-minded before I was pregnant.  Those that live with me will attest to this; pre-baby, I was known to put my keys in the freezer and  ‘store’ full tubs of butter in the dishwasher.

I think it wasn’t so much a case of brain drain, but, rather, that my attention was directed to the upcoming birth of my son.  Professor Helen Christensen at the Australian National University in Canberra followed 2000 women over a 10-year period.  She tested cognitive abilities at different stages, and her study revealed that there was no difference in cognitive ability before or after pregnancy.  She concluded that changes in behaviour were a result of mothers directing their focus to the upcoming birth instead of concentrating on daily activities.

As with anything to do with health, opinions are still divided.  In another rather scary 2002 study, Angela Oatridge of Hammersmith Hospital in London looked at brain scans of women before and after pregnancy and discovered post-pregnancy brains were smaller.  If this fills you with horror, you will be relieved to know that this was reversed six months after delivery.

For me, the real brain drain happened after the birth of my son.  It wasn’t the pregnancy or being a mum that caused it, but rather the extreme lack of sleep.  There were days when I couldn’t piece together simple sentences, and I even developed a mystery stutter.  The broken sleep had slowed my poor brain down.  My pace of living was also slower; instead of rushing around meeting people, teaching classes or writing reports, I spent hours holding and gazing at my beautiful son.  I was  living purely in the moment, rather than planning ahead or thinking about past events.

Now that my son is a little older and I’m getting (a little) more sleep, I find myself craving more activities to keep my brain ticking over.  As any stay-at-home parent will attest, it is always lovely to get out and speak to adults when you are spending most of your time talking to yourself and your very patient baby.

Boredom, isolation and lack of sleep are seen to be top contributors to post natal depression.  Gone are the days when we had entire communities chipping in to raise a child.  We live our lives in relative seclusion and it is sometimes hard for new parents to find opportunities to connect and engage.  Here are our top local activities that are child-friendly, but geared towards parents.  Hopefully, they will help you get that brain ticking over and connect you with other like-minded souls.

 

Image Credit: Culture Mamas

Culture Mammas promise to ‘nourish your mind with art and culture events where little ones are welcome’.  They hold gallery visits, talks and workshops for parents to connect with other art makers and art appreciators.

With its pram-friendly venue, family art days, markets and periodical art talks for parents, Substation makes it easy for parents take in art and culture in a fantastic local venue.

Image credit: Footscray Community Arts Centre

Footscray Community Arts Centre is an Australian Breastfeeding Welcome venue, which means that it has ample room for prams, changing room for infants and places to feed comfortably.  Aside from their fantastic art programs they run parent- and child-friendly events throughout the year.  There is something for everyone, with exhibitions, music events, theatre productions, picnics, drawing classes and even dad and child animation sessions.

If you feel like you have spent too much time around the house, but don’t have childcare, Mumma Afro will get your blood pumping again.  The class is geared for mums and you can bring your baby along.

 

Want to learn more about our fantastic area, take in our surrounds and eat great food?  Lauren Wambach of Footscray Food Blog  runs tours of the local markets, as well as tasting sessions.  While it is a little tricky fitting prams on these walking tours, babies in carriers can come along.

Image Credit: YCC

Yarraville Community Centre offer a huge range of courses AND they offer occasional daycare.  Get some much-needed respite while learning something new.  With dance, art, gardening, sewing, computer skills and more on offer, there is something for everyone.