Our young adventurers 12 year old Brooke and 10 year old Samantha were lucky enough to get first try today at all of the fun at the exciting new Play Space at the Canberra Centre.

Both girls were later interviewed by WIN news Canberra, and were very excited to give their enthusiastic kid’s perspective of  this new family hot spot.

“We’ve got books, we’ve got colouring, we’ve got amazing places to climb,” Brooke told the WIN News interviewer Alison Hattley. “There are balls everywhere – it’s really, really fun!”

Watch the WIN News TV interview

Play the video to below to watch the WIN News interview…

Watch it on the WIN News Facebook Page here

Now open and a permanent feature of the Canberra Centre, the Play Space offers mums, dads, bubs, toddlers and kids up to the age of 12 with some fun respite from Christmas shopping – and of course the up-coming January sales!

With a reading corner, a craft and colouring station, and plenty of safe, soft play areas, the Canberra Centre Playspace is sure to be a hit with Canberra parents and children alike.

Enclosed with a child-safe gate, the new Play Space is within clear view of the food court tables. This means that mums and dads can relax with some well-earned refreshment whilst the kids can have fun burning off some energy, or just quietly reading, colouring and learning at the same time!

A welcome break for Canberra parents

The Play Space’s colourful, stylish design was inspired by the natural Canberra environment. The end result is a fun and playful design that the kids obviously love. Today the centre was a welcome break for busy mums in the middle of Christmas shopping. The really great news for parents is that the Play Centre is absolutely free!

As for our Brooke and Samantha’s verdict on the new Playspace? It’s a big thumbs-up!

You’ll find the new Canberra Centre children’s Play Space located on level 1, just off the foodcourt.

Find out more about the new Canberra Centre Playspace at their official website here.

Do you shop at the Canberra Centre? Tell us in the comments below!

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The Alzheimer’s Australia Memory Walk and Jog is getting ready to launch for another season to help to raise much-needed funds in the battle to help fight Dementia. Memory Walk and Jog fund-raiser events have and will be happening all around Australia.

We’re very proud to join the ranks of people such as Ita Buttrose, actress Doris Younane, Hawthorn footballer Sam Mitchell and many other fellow Australians coming together to raise awareness and help in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

We’ll be at the Canberra ACT Memory Walk & Jog on Sunday, 17 September 2017 – please come along and join us at this fun day out for a very important cause.  Grab a friend, a partner, bring the kids, and even the dog! Maybe you could organise a team with some workmates, friends or family!

The really great thing about the Memory Walk & Jog is that it’s perfect for all ages and levels of fitness. There are several walking and running options, including a 1 kilometre leisurely walk, a 5 kilometre walk, and a running race of 7kms!

If you’re not able to make it on the day, never fear – you can still donate to this worthy cause at the official Memory Walk & Jog fundraising website here!

Lets all band together to take part in the Memory Walk and Jog, raise funds and help to make Dementia a distant memory!

2017 Canberra Memory Walk & Jog information

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Participants will experience an all-new Tropicolor Zone™ on course, where they will be bathed in a tropical array of colors and delicious island scents as they pass through the shade of palm trees, arches, and island-style music.

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Canberra has a public swimming pool in every town centre – but which are the best? How expensive are they? What extra family features do they offer? And perhaps most importantly – can mum or dad get a coffee there?!

We’ve just test-run all of the major Canberra swimming pool centres to help you compare them and work out which ones are the best to take your children to – and keep them (and you!) occupied and entertained!

So, without further ado, here are the Let’s Go Mum! top 5 Canberra swimming pools picks for families!

1. Big Splash Water Park, Macquarie

The Big Splash Water Park is located at Macquarie, and is a great fun water slide pool and park. It offers a full size 50 metre swimming pool plus a good-sized baby and toddler pool adjoining. In addition to these pools, there is also a fun water-play toddler pool area, and a entertaining bigger-kid pool – Splash Island – with small water slides and more water-play features.

But the real big guns here are the six major water slides of varying speeds and difficulty, from the very slow to the super-fast. To ride the water slides there is extra cost to the standard entry fee.

As if the water slides aren’t enough to keep everyone busy, they also have an inflatable floating bouncy castle which they did actually have up on the day we visited, on the main pool (unlike all of the other Canberra swimming pools on the days we visited!), which they packed away at 3pm.

This centre is suited to picnics – there is a nice grassy shaded area located in the centre of the pools, plus there is a large food canteen, and good change and shower rooms available.

This centre is a great choice for families of babies and toddlers, as under 2yos are free, and the toddler pool is lots of fun and included in the general admission price. Families with older children will also love this water park, however as it does cost extra for the water slides it can get quite expensive if you are visiting regularly – therefore, this pool may work out better just for special occasions.

Big Splash Admission Prices

All-inclusive slides and swimming pools: Adult (over 12yo)  $27, Child (over 1100mm height) $27
Splash Island (see our photos above) – Children (over 2yrs and under 1100mm height) $12
Pool admission only – Adult $8, Child $7
Under 2yo free

More info and all current prices can be found at the Big Splash Water Park website here

Google Map location – Click here for directions to Big Splash Water Park

2. Civic Swimming Pool

Run by the YMCA, this old favourite city-centre public swimming pool, or Canberra Olympic Pool as it is officially known, is located right in the Civic city centre and has a 50 metre indoor pool and very deep 25 metre outdoor pool with a twist – it has diving boards! There is a high-diving platform with three levels (the top level is closed), plus two pool-level spring diving boards at the other end of the pool – all which kids and adults can access (there are some age limits for safety for different dive heights). This is something different and fun-fun-fun for older kids who can swim.

For those littlies that can’t swim, they also offer a large, completely shaded outdoor little-kids pool (not heated). This family pool is suitable for babies, toddlers and children.

A small canteen is on site for ice cream, and there are (rather dated but serviceable) change and shower rooms. There are expansive lawns surrounding the pools too, great for picnics – but watch out for bindies!

This pool offers great value for lots of fun for families.

Admission Prices:
$6 Standard, $4.40 Concession
Family – 2 adults and 2 children – $17.00
Family – 2 adults and 3 children – $20.00

More info and all current prices can be found at the Canberra Olympic Pool website here

Google Map location – Click here for directions to Canberra Olympic Pool

3. Gungahlin Leisure Centre

Run by the YMCA, the Gungahlin Leisure Centre is an indoor structure which offers a full-size 50 metre swimming pool, two heated, good sized-family pools plus a heated fun water play area with sprinklers, water-guns and dumping buckets. They do apparently offer an inflatable fun climbing pool float, but it wasn’t up when we were there. The Gungahlin Leisure Centre is a fairly new structure so everything, including the change and shower rooms, are modern and new. This centre also boasts a proper café with a coffee machine – tick!

Admission Prices:
$6 Standard, $4.40 Concession
Family – 2 adults and 2 children – $17.00
Family – 2 adults and 3 children – $20.00

More info and all current prices can be found at the Gungahlin Leisure Centre website here

Google Map location – Click here for directions to Gungahlin Leisure Centre

4. CISAC, Belconnen

The Canberra International Sports and Aquatic Centre (CISAC) is a large indoor complex located in Belconnen town centre. There is a full size 50 metre swimming pool, 25 metre heated swimming pool and large heated family pool – perfect for babies and toddlers. Adjoining the family pool is another slightly deeper, round pool with a mushroom water fountain – good fun for small children.

This swimming pool centre is a fun option for families – that is, when all their play equipment is available. CISAC has a fun, heated indoor water slide suitable for all ages. There is an inflatable bouncy float on site, however it wasn’t up the day we visited, due to staff shortages. CISAC also has a permanent outdoor bouncy pillow, which was deflated on the day of our visit.

There is a nice poolside café with coffee machine and hot food, and a dive and swim shop. When everything is in service, this is a really great family pool – however the day we visited was not that day.

Admission prices: $6 Standard, $4.90 Concession, $4.50 Child – extra charges apply for the indoor slide and bouncy on-pool float – the bouncy pillow is free.

More info and all current prices can be found at the CISAC Belconnen website here

Google Map location – Click here for directions to CISAC Belconnen

5. Lakeside Leisure Centre, Tuggeranong

The Lakeside Leisure Centre is run by the YMCA and is located in the Tuggeranong Town Centre. This is a large and modern indoor structure offering a full-sized 50 metre swimming pool with a half-way divider, plus good-sized family pools next to it. They apparently have a fun bouncy pool float available (which wasn’t up when we were there) to provide extra holiday fun for the kids who can swim.

There is a canteen, and change room facilities are large and modern. This swimming centre is a good option for south-side families on a hot summers day.

Admission Prices:
$6 Standard, $4.40 Concession
Family – 2 adults and 2 children – $17.00
Family – 2 adults and 3 children – $20.00

More info and all current prices can be found at the Lakeside Leisure Centre website here

Google Map location – Click here for directions to the Lakeside Leisure Centre

Of course there are other great local swimming pools around the ACT, such as the outdoor Dickson Pool (honourable mention), and there are many beautiful natural swimming holes too, however we have chosen the largest swimming pool centres in this review to keep the comparison simple.

We hope our Canberra Swimming Pool guide helps you to choose the swimming pool option which entertains your family the best – and that won’t break the family budget! Have fun cooling off in Canberra!

Have you visited any of these Canberra swimming pools? Perhaps you have another family favourite swimming spot elsewhere in the ACT/Queanbeyan region? We’d love to know! Tell us about it in the comments below…

This post is not sponsored and all opinions are our own. All prices are correct as at January 2017, but check supplied website links for any price changes.

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You’ll find the Spiders exhibition on the very top floor of Questacon (admission prices listed at the end of this article) – but the real fun begins in the Questacon entrance with a huge, hairy, black funnel web! If this doesn’t creep you out enough, wait until he rears-up and shows off his motorised, waving legs! Cute! (Shudder!) Needless to say, he’s a huge hit with the kids.

Now my two girls are the type that scream “Spider” at a teeny little piece of fluff a mile away from them, but they both just loved this whole exhibition, from start to finish, and we spent a good hour going through everything.

Brooke and Samantha loved all the hands-on opportunities to examine spiders up close, and learn about their remarkable capabilities – how they see, what they eat, how they catch their prey – you can even watch huge videos of attacking spiders….charming!

Steel yourself – the only real ones are behind glass!

It really is all creepily spell-binding, and by the time you get to the glass case full of real-life large spiders, you’ll be almost desensitised….almost! Don’t worry – all these spiders in this glass case don’t harm humans…well, not seriously!

The kids really enjoyed the hands-on investigations into what makes spiders – well – what they are – eight-legged freaks! No, no I don’t really mean that – by the end of the exhibit even I had grown far more respect and admiration for spiders. (Now I tend to stifle the impulse to whip out the bug-spray whenever I see one – well, at least for half the time!)

Speaking of bug spray, it would take a very big can to do away with this huge version of a funnel web! Press play on this quick video – if you dare!

Check out the Questacon Spider show

Make sure to catch one of the Questacon live shows too, located in the downstairs theatre. .

An assortment of ever-changing Questacon science shows run throughout the day. Playing for around 20 minutes, these interesting and fun live shows will have you and the kids loving learning about science! We saw the Spiders show, presented by Sam. He was very entertaining and kept the kids really engaged. We emerged from the show positively brimming with impressive spider knowledge!

Still want more? Take a pet spider home with you!

Don’t forget to drop into the Questacon shop before you go to get a cuddly tarantula, remote control spider or even a $3 plastic “pet” spider complete with scan-able coaster – this works with a special (free download) Spider app so that you can project spiders onto yourself – or at least, on your mobile phone! They even play ball – awwww!

Questacon is tons of fun for both kids and adults any day of the week, but with the added attraction of Spiders, you really should scuttle on down there before the whole exhibit up-and-crawls away – don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time – the Spiders exhibit ends in October 2016.

Questacon National Science and Technology Museum Info

Admission prices (as at April 2016)
Adult $23.00 Concession $17.50 Child (4 – 16 years) $17.50 Child (Under 4 years) Free Family (2 Adults + 3 Children) $70.00 ($8.00 for each additional child)

Location King Edward Terrace, Parkes, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Opening hours Open daily between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm – closed 25 December.

Contact details Phone: +61 02 6270 2800 Official website – http://www.questacon.edu.au/

How to get there On Foot – Questacon is approximately 30 minutes walk from the city centre (Civic)

By Car – Paid parking is available next-door to Questacon

By Bus – Action buses are the Canberra bus service around the city. Find out Action bus routes here.
By Train or Tram – not available in Canberra city

Have you ever visited the Questacon museum in Canberra? Did your family enjoy it? Tell us in the comments below!

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The Australian War Memorial is a majestic museum – a place to remember Australia’s lost soldiers and commemorate their sacrifices in war. Here also is a multitude of rare war artefacts, displays and art works housed in a huge complex of galleries. But is this the kind of museum you’d take children to? Well, as it turns out, it’s fabulous for kids.

I did have a few initial doubts about taking the kids to the War Memorial. I hadn’t visited this museum for many years, and couldn’t remember it as being particularly suitable for children. Happily I was to find out that over the years it has developed some excellent children’s educational and interactive areas. But even without the kid-friendly areas, the War Memorial has a lot to offer children and families. The gravity of the history and stories it has to tell is invaluable to every Australian, young and old – and it can also be a lot of fun!

Upon arriving we found ourselves in the enormous open courtyard of the Roll of Honour, where the tens of thousands of lost soldier’s names are inscribed on the walls covered in bright red Remembrance Poppies – it’s a sobering sight. It had the children thinking and asking all sorts of questions – and examining the names on the walls. Here too is the eternal flame, and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier that represents so many lost soldiers.

We circled back around and entered the inside of the museum, stopping by the information desk to pick up a free map – which it turned out we barely needed, thanks to the extremely helpful guides dotted around the museum.

We made our way through numerous galleries and exhibitions of the different World Wars taking in life-like war scenes, articles, photos, weapons and so much more. Now and then I wistfully gazed at some display or other that I would have liked to have examined more closely as we passed by at our eager-child’s-pace – oh well, perhaps when they were a bit older!

The children found the many dioramas and small models of battle scenes  fascinating rather than frightening. Stuffed, life sized war horses stared glassily out of their cases. Old uniforms, bullet-marked hats, a Gallipoli landing boat complete with artillery holes – the sheer volume of artefacts was astounding.

Half way around we emerged into the Aircraft Hall and then over the bridge to Anzac Hall, a huge pavilion containing several full-sized aeroplanes, a Sydney-Harbour-invading Japanese midget submarine and scattered war guns, all with accompanying eerie light and sound shows – the affect was remarkable, and the kids loved it as they ran about exploring and playing imaginary games.

Here’s a quick 30 second snatch of what the Anzac Hall aeroplane show is like…

Keeping up with two excited kids often going in opposite directions is hard work, so at this point we stopped at The Landing Place Café and enjoyed some lunch overlooking Anzac Hall It gave us time to stare at and puzzle over just how they got the blue lighting to look like shimmering water! Then we set out on a mission to find The Discovery Zone.

A child-focussed area, The Discovery Zone is open mostly to school children during the week days, but is open to the public all day on the weekends and holidays. For families, it’s worth visiting the War Memorial just for this interactive area alone, as this is where the kids probably enjoy and learn the most at the War Memorial.

A kids hands-on area, at the Discovery Zone children can dress up in different war outfits, sit in an Iroquois helicopter “in flight”, play in a fitted-out submarine complete with periscope, radar and sleeping quarters and try out life in a trenches replica (even find out what “Trench Foot” – a rotted foot disease looks like on their own leg thanks to some tricky lights – ugh!).

Next stop in The Discovery Zone is learning all about how to be a Peace-Keeper, including bridge engineering, land mine removal and water purifying – all in model form, of course! Lastly you enter a World War 2 backyard for some real 2nd World War-time atmosphere. The Discovery Zone is pure child-gold, and highly recommended for families.

I finally managed to extract the girls from the Discovery Zone to go and see the Vietnam exhibitions. This featured a large area housing army tanks, jeeps and aeroplanes. From here we were directed to seek out the bridge of the Gulf War ship, the HMAS Brisbane – which was another exciting discovery for the kids – they raced up a flight of stairs to find a complete ships bridge just waiting to be explored!

Our last areas to visit were the corridors of the Boer War, then back down to the World War 2 galleries. It was hard to take it all in, but somehow we covered an awful lot, and in the end we had spent a quite a few hours really enjoying this museum with two kids under ten years old.

If you’re visiting Canberra with the kids, the Australian War Memorial is a great way to bring Australian history to life on a fascinating family day out!

The Australian War Memorial – useful info:
The Canberra War Memorial is located at the top of Anzac Parade in Campbell ACT.  It’s just a short bus ride or drive from either the city centre (Civic) or airport, and around a 3 and a half hour drive from Sydney. The War Memorial is well sign-posted and easy to find, with free car parking. Entry is free (gold coin donation).

You’ll find the Australian War Memorial website here for further information

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