Nurture for the Future

Sights and Sounds on the Sunshine Coast

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Ever since Aristotle was little, I have always believed that the best way for children to learn is through first hand experience. Young children are always taking in all the new sights and sounds from the environment around them so I wanted my boys to experience as many fun and interesting new sights as possible. When Aristotle was little, I made it a point to take him around the Klang Valley to see the various tourist attractions. We took a hiatus after I had Hercules because he was such a handful. I’m afraid that the idea of being out and about with a crazy kid was so daunting that I was fatigued before I’d even set foot outside my front door.

Now that Hercules is older and somewhat improved, we are attempting to broaden the boys’ experiences with new sights and sounds…

Last week, we took a trip with the boys to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. I confess that I didn’t think there would be so much to see. We didn’t get through the entire list of things to do that I had come up with but we did make a pretty decent good effort to see something new and fun with the boys everyday. Stay tuned and we’ll tell you all about it!

Meanwhile, here are some of the things we found that are fun to do with the kids…

Brisbane City:

Outside of Brisbane:

  • Super Bee Honey – we didn’t have time to make it there this trip but hubby and I visited the Super Bee the last time we were in Queensland and thought it was a nice place to visit with the kids
  • Honey World – if you can’t make it to the Super Bee, you can still get a “honey experience” here
  • Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – this is just across the road from Honey World
  • Cedar Glen Farmstay – if you want the real farm life experience, this is the place to visit

Parks and Playgrounds

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed from all our visits back to Melbourne with the boys, it’s the parks and playgrounds. You can find some really interesting playgrounds for the kids if you look around. If you just want something nearby for the kids to have a romp around and burn off some of that excess energy they always carry around, all you have to do is use the playground locator. If you’re looking for something special, here are some of the top Brisbane Parks and Playgrounds for Kids that we found (we didn’t get to check them out personally so we won’t take credit or discredit for their “worthiness” of being in the top list):

More Activities for Kids

For more stuff for kids around Brisbane, check out Brisbanekids.com. If you are looking for special events that will be on in Brisbane that the kids might like during the period of your travel, check out A Little Bird.

Just southwest of Brisbane (about 40 minutes out) is the town of Ipswich where there are some really interesting things to do:

And if that isn’t enough for you, there is also a “Top Attractions” list of things to do in Brisbane you should check out if you’re planning to visit. If you can’t decide, you can pay a virtual visit first to see if it’s worth your while.

Gold Coast:

More about the places we visited soon…

Sunshine Coast - Tamborine Mountain

Related:

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Sights and Sounds: PetroSains Discovery Center

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Here are the photos from our visit to the PetroSains Discovery Center…

The tour begins with a short ride in a capsule:

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Gavin found it a little alarming at first and wanted to get out because we ascended into darkness, but after a while he found it pretty interesting.

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SM and M in the seats behind us:

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Some of the sights we saw on the way up:

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Rainforest:

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Development:

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We arrived shortly and the boys went on a rampage of button pushing – touching and playing with anything and everything they could get their hands on.

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They learned about plasma:

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How to conserve fuel with this simulation for driving a car around the block.  You are supposed to adhere to the speed limits and stop at the stop signs – none of which Gavin paid any heed to.

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Here’s a view of the track:

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There were videos to watch…

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Trucks to drive…

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And they also got to try their hand operating some construction machinery:

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The wall of mirrors was one Gavin’s favourite stops:

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After that it was traveling through a time warp back into the prehistoric era:

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Learning about the formation of different types of rocks:

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It was followed by a quick visit into space (sorry no photos).  We tried to take the helicopter ride but both boys were below the required height restrictions (which I think is about one meter).  So we made a pit stop at the children’s play area instead.

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By that time, the boys were getting hungry (and so were the Mummies), so we by-passed the rest of the exhibits with the help of one of the staff who allowed us to exit through the office area.  We thought we had seen most of it by according to the staff, we had only seen half of the PetroSains Discovery Center.  Who would have thought the place was so big?

They offered us a lunch pass so we could come back in again after we had something to eat, which I thought was a really nice option.  Unfortunately, by the time we were done with lunch, M wanted to tackle the rides in the shopping mall and it was time for Gavin to go home for his afternoon nap.  Naturally, Gavin didn’t want to leave, but I think falling asleep in the car on the way home was a pretty good indication of how tired he really was.

Looks like we need to make another trip to the PetroSains Discovery Center – and this time, I’m going to bring the camera!

Between the National Science Center and the PetroSains Discovery Center, I think I like the latter best.

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Sights and Sounds: DinoTrek Exhibition in KLCC

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On Tuesday, Gavin and I visited the DinoTrek exhibition at KLCC with SM and M.  We bought tickets to see the PetroSains Discovery Center and the DinoTrek exhibition but in hindsight, it might have been better to tackle each on separate days.  The PetroSains Discovery Center was a lot larger than I had anticipated, but more about that in the next post.

The combo ticket for PetroSains and DinoTrek cost us RM15 for adults and free for the kids (below 5 years old).  The PetroSains ticket alone is RM12 for adults and the DinoTrek is RM6 (I think).

Most of my photos are rather low quality because I forgot my camera and had to use the one on my mobile.  My mobile was always low on batteries so I had to be selective with the photo taking.

The DinoTrek exhibition was quite small.  They had various dinosaur exhibits, some of which were built to move – well, one of the legs might move or the head might turn.  Below: Stegosaurus

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They also had lots of activities to engage the children.  Below is a dinosaur race – two predator dinosaurs (blue and red) are chasing a prey.  The predators are powered by the bicycles and the one that pedals fastest gets the prey and wins the game.

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There is also a funny photo booth where you can dance with the dinosaurs and have your picture taken with several dinosaur scenes.

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You stand in front of a white screen (below) and watch yourself on the TV screen (above).

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After the dance, they take 5 photos which you can send to your email account.

 

They have a shooting game when you shoot red and green balls and try to get them inside the dinosaurs’ mouths.  The red balls represent the meat and the green balls represent the vegetables.  The idea is to shoot the red balls at the meat-eater and the green balls at the herbivore.

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There is also a pretty cool dinosaur education center that teaches you about some of the different types of dinosaurs.  You can real all about them, see how they run and get a 360 degree view of them.  The device is a little like the one in Minority Report where all you have to do is point to the screen with your hand (within the frame in the picture below) and it will register which button you want to press.

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A dinosaur exhibit shows a velociraptor hunting a prey.

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There is a sand pit for the children to practice their paleontologist skills digging for dinosaurs.  This was M’s favourite part of the whole exhibit.

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The Maiasaurus was a dinosaur that was found near its nest.

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Gavin observes how the baby dinosaurs break free from their eggshells.

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T-Rex versus the Spinosaurus:

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Brachiosaurus:

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There were also lots of terminals with interesting games.  Gavin enjoyed the “colour your dinosaur” one:

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And “create your own dinosaur”:

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Other games included digging for dinosaurs and identifying the skeletal remains, picture puzzles, and the dinosaur quiz.

It was a pretty interesting exhibit with something to engage children of all ages.  I think the two boys enjoyed themselves.

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Sights and Sounds: The Bird Park

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I took Gavin to visit the Bird Park on Wednesday with SM and M.  It was the first of our play-date cum home-school excursions together.  From the looks of it, the boys enjoyed themselves and we’re planning to schedule more activities.

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Entry into the bird park cost me RM15, while Gavin went in free of charge.  It is open daily from 9am-6pm.  It was surprisingly pram friendly with alternative ramp access.  Unfortunately, they forgot when it came to the ascent to the gift shop and the restaurant after exiting the park.  Check out the long walk up to the gift shop in the photo below (and this doesn’t include the two extra flight of steps to the Hornbill Restaurant and Cafe).

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There is an alternate access to the Hornbill Restaurant and Cafe that doesn’t require you to ascend quite as many steps but it means exiting the Bird Park from the way you get in and walking back to the car park.  Even then, you still need to negotiate at least five or so steps up.

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Here is Gavin at the Love Aviary – where the colourful Love Birds are.

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There were also some colourful blue and green parakeets.  The green ones were a little shy and kept flying away when I tried to take photos of them.

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All over the park, you will see peafowl.

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There’s enough of them to ensure that you’ll at least get one majestic display from a peacock showing off his pretty feathers.

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Gavin sees some birds flying above and points excitedly at them.

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The walkway down to the flamingos can get pretty slippery if the weather is wet.  Even with my Merrells I had a bit of trouble keeping my grip.

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M displays a fascination for Gavin’s pram.

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SM, M, and Gavin watching the erm… where they ibises?  I forget the name.

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Thanks SM for one of the few photos I ever get to take with Gavin since I’m usually behind the camera.

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After a while, Gavin wanted to walk.  As always, he was also eager to lend a hand and tried pushing the pram on his own.

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It was hot and humid in the bird park, so Gavin found a drink of water from his Kleen Kanteen water bottle to be heaven sent.

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Gavin looking rather fatigued after wandering around the park.

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SM and M’s taking the photo opportunity from the bird man who comes around with a polaroid camera.  I think it’s RM10 for the photo memory.

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After our long hike up the stairs to the souvenir shop and the Hornbill cafe, we had lunch and then took pictures with the friendly Hornbills that frequented the balcony of the cafe.

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Here is Gavin with another bird which looks suspiciously like a baby version of a Hornbill.

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Tips for Parents visiting the Bird Park with kids:

  • It gets pretty hot so dress lightly and comfortably.
  • A pair of sturdy shoes with good grip as it can get pretty slippery on the some of the pathways inside the park.
  • Keep your kids close, especially the younger ones who can walk, as there are a few precarious areas.
  • There are mosquitos so insect repellent is helpful.
  • Although it says it is the largest undercover Bird Park, there are plenty of exposed areas so bring some sunscreen, too.
  • Prams are fine but make sure you exit through the entrance near the ticket booth unless you want to make an exercise out of carrying your pram up the long and steep steps to the souvenir shop and Hornbill Cafe.  It is rather ironic that they have ramps everywhere else but forgot about this one little section.

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Sights and Sounds: Butterfly Park – Taman Rama Rama

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I was planning to take Gavin to see the Dino Trek exhibition at KLCC only to discover that it was closed on Mondays.  The closest we got to the dinosaurs were the two exhibits they had on display at the entrance.

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It was the second time that we were attempting to view the dinosaur exhibit without success and I felt rather bad disappointing Gavin again for the second time (the first time, we made the mistake of going on a Saturday and the queue lines were so long I thought it best to come back during a weekday when most other parents were working).  To make it up to Gavin, I took him to the Butterfly Park (otherwise known as Taman Rama Rama) near Lake Gardens instead.

The entry fee was free for Gavin and RM9 for me (RM8 + RM1 for my camera).  Opened 9am-6pm daily, you don’t have to worry about it ever being closed.

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The place is fairly small and you get through it pretty quickly.  The shot above is intended to give you an idea of what the butterfly enclosure looks like, but I’m afraid it doesn’t do justice (sorry – amateur photographer with a point and shoot).

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My only gripes about the Butterfly Park is that it isn’t very child friendly.  The steps are uneven and the undulating pathways can trip up an unwary toddler.  There is also a rock bridge that is freely accessible to all – so keep your young ones close to you if you do decide to pay a visit.

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Gavin had fun wandering along the various pathways that snaked around the garden.  He also enjoyed himself looking at the butterflies, which flew around so much he had trouble keeping track of them.

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The good thing was that they had these areas with pineapples that attracted some of the butterflies to stop for a while which gave Gavin a good opportunity to study them.

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Some of the butterflies were friendly and landed for a while so Gavin could look at them.  Unfortunately, he had a habit of getting too close and they would fly off again.  The green butterfly in the above shot was particularly friendly for it kept flying around us and stopping every so often.  Gavin would exclaim excitedly, “Green butterfly!”

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Aside from the butterflies, there was a Koi pond,

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and turtles.

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On the way out, there is a short exhibit of creepy crawlies,

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deadly creatures (there was a tarantula and some giant millipedes – but I was too grossed out to take pictures of those),

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stick insects (there are three in the photo above – can you find them?), and lots of other funny creatures which I didn’t take photos of.  They also had educational posters, for instance how caterpillars become butterflies.

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They also have displays of different butterflies from all over the world.  The photo above shows some of the most beautiful butterflies in the world from South America.

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And, of course, the butterflies of Malaysia.

It all ends at a souvenir shop where you can buy a variety of local souvenirs as well as butterfly magnets.  Gavin chose a lovely blue butterfly fridge magnet.

Tips for parents bringing children to the Butterfly Park:

  • dress lightly as it gets very hot in there
  • bring insect repellent – there isn’t a lot of mosquitoes but there are some around
  • forget the stroller because there are way too many steps to navigate and it’s small enough so you don’t really need it anyway
  • a towel to dry off sweat or something to cover up for your child as you will be going from the heat into an air-conditioned exhibit which can be a bit cold

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Sights and Sounds: Immunoland at 1Utama

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Babylicious

I took Gavin to visit Immunoland at 1Utama yesterday.  I’d heard read about it in the Star events update but was mislead into thinking it was a single day event.  Well, it did seem strange that they would host the event for only one day and choose the middle of the week to do it.  Turns out that Immunoland will be at the Lower Ground Floor Oval in 1Utama until this Sunday (22 March).  They are open from 10am to 10pm.

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Hosted by Mamil Gold, Immunoland hosts a variety of activities that teach children about their immune system.

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They have bad bugs for the kids to use as “punching bags”.  Gavin didn’t really like the looks of them so he stayed well clear of them.

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They offer a photo opportunity with the Immunoland robot. Unfortunately, Gavin wasn’t interested either.

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There’s a battle station where kids can play a game and “shoot” the bad bacteria.

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Then there is a rocket that the kids can board where they learn about their immune systems.  I’m not too sure what happens in there since Gavin wasn’t keen to go in but it looks like a theater-style setup.

I took Gavin for a walk around the display but that was basically about as far as we got.  He wasn’t interested to try anything.  I was also approached by a few Mamil Gold promoters who asked what formula we were using.  After I told them Gavin was still on breast milk, they smiled, said, “That’s great,” and pretty much left us alone after that.

I sort of thought there would be more educational materials on display, but perhaps they were all inside the rocket.  If you’ve got a child, it might be worthwhile heading down there to check it out.  I noticed that the kindergartens are taking their kids there, too.  Any why not since entry is free and they might learn something.

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