Teen's moving design wins coveted Google competition
Staff writers American high school student, Sabrina Brady, won the fourth annual Doodle 4 Google program with her moving illustration of her father returning home from war.
How to capture a good family photo
Livia Gamble You don’t have to be an expert to take a good family photo. Here are the tips and tricks of the trade you need to know in order to transform those drab looking family snaps into professional quality shots.
The battle to let them be bored
AMBER ROBINSON Are we robbing our kids of their imagination by not giving them time to be bored?
Families that cycle together
KATIE CARLIN There are plenty of ways to have fun together as a family but bike riding has got to be one of the best. If you want to make cycling your family pastime we have everything you need to know about riding with kids and where you can find a family-friendly track near you.
Imagination is the limit
ANDREW DADDO Whether you were kicking the winning goal for your footy team or singing your favourite song to a sold out audience there was once a time when your imagination made anything possible. Do you encourage your kids to do the same?
Everybody needs good neighbours
JUSTINE DAVIES The benefits for kids growing up in a strong and community-minded neighbourhood can include fewer social and learning problems, fewer emotional problems and better physical health.
Nature is growing kids in more ways than one
Livia Gamble New study finds even more reasons to encourage your children to play outside.
Active party games the kids will love!
JUSTINE DAVIES Tired of spending a fortune every year on your children's birthday parties? Justine Davies has some tips on how to keep the party guests entertained without the hefty price tag.
Raising good team players
JUSTINE DAVIES Good sportsmanship, just like good manners, good grammar and good dress sense, is a learned behaviour.
Walking the line between fun and safety
ANDREW DADDO When do kids cross the line from having fun to entering unsafe territory? Andrew Daddo wonders how you tell when to step in and when to keep quite.
Hey adults, we just want to let our hair down
Miki Perkins Playing in the dirt, riding bikes, building cubby houses and splashing around down at the creek. Sounds idyllic doesn't it?
Boosting their self-confidence
JUSTINE DAVIES Developing your child’s self-confidence doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact it can be as simple as giving them some spare time to play.
Backyard games for cooped-up kids
KATIE CARLIN Are you looking for ways to inspire your kids to spend more time playing outside? Challenge them with a game of backyard soccer, cricket or baseball by combining a few affordable essentials with items you can easily find around the house.
The importance of play
Melinda Ham Giving children the freedom to develop their own games improves their social skills and reasoning, writes Melinda Ham.
Life after school: all homework, no play
Ainslie MacGibbon There is no evidence homework is beneficial in early school years, writes Ainslie MacGibbon.
The dirty secret about raising kids: It’s child's play
Maggie Dent The secret to raising strong, happy kids? Dirt and lots of it.
How to engage bored kids in play
JUSTINE DAVIES Is tough love the way to go if it gets your kids outside to play? Justine Davies shares her tips on how to beat boredom and engage their imagination.
Top ten classic schoolyard games
KATIE CARLIN The list of the old schoolyard favourites could go on forever but how many of these once loved games do your kids still play today? Now is the perfect time to teach them with our list of top ten classic schoolyard games.
Combating the barriers to play
JUSTINE DAVIES With less garden space, more scheduled activities and more homework kids often have no energy left for free play. So how do we break those barriers down?
A day of fun and games at the park
KATIE CARLIN There is no reason to spend up big to keep your kids entertained these school holidays. We have everything you need to make your day at the park full of fun.
The restrictive issue of over-parenting
JUSTINE DAVIES As parents we all want to keep our children safe but how do we find the balance between freedom and safety?
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Unstructured play
ANDREW DADDO Andrew Daddo discovers that imagination is the best game ever invented, sometimes it’s a matter of remembering how it works.
Ideas to encourage unstructured play
JUSTINE DAVIES The message on the benefits of unstructured play is getting through but how do busy families find the time? Justine Davies shares some fun ideas for you to try with the kids.
Kids told to play in Nature’s playground
LAKSHMI SINGH Curtin University research claims that in just one generation, outdoor play has decreased from 73% to just 13% of total play time. Instead, the vast majority of children today indulge in more than the recommended two hours of screen use by watching TV/DVDs, playing electronic games and using computers.
Play is all in a day's work
Susanne North Unstructured, unsupervised fun could be more beneficial for your child's future than you realise.
The relaxed mummy files: The work juggle
JUSTINE DAVIES For those parents who have to deal with all of the other daily stresses, and work outside the home as well, there’s the extra work stress that gets added into the mix - and the fear that they aren't getting any dowtime just to play with their kids.
Choosing extra-curricular activities for your children
Brooke Tasovac Extra-curricular activities give children the opportunity to develop their skills in various areas so children develop a number of interests and talents - but be care ful not to over-schedule.
