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Local Recycling Centres Around Melville

Melville Mums
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Local Recycling Centres Around Melville

Recycling your waste is one small way your family can help save the planet and its natural resources. Recycling not only reduces the amount of landfill, it reduces pollution, saves energy and conserves natural resources. Some recycling centres will even offer a small cash incentive for your recycling efforts. This is always a good way to get the kids involved. We’ve found some local recycling centres around Melville that you can visit with the family.

Containers for Change

Containers for Change is a state-wide container deposit scheme that encourages recycling and creates a cleaner WA for everyone. Receive 10c for each eligible containers you return to an approved Containers for Change refund point. You can head to their website Containers for Change to find your nearest centre and for more information. The two closest local recycling centres around Melville are:

  • Good Sammy Recycling, Booragoon – Units 3 & 4, 491 Marmion Street
  • TOMRA Recycling Centre, Myaree – 46 McCoy Street

Bottle Top Hill

Bottle Top Hill is a local community group that collects clean plastic drink bottle lids, plastic bread tags and plastic beer can holders/clips, as well as batteries, printer cartridges, light bulbs and mobile phones/small e-waste. Head to one of their community events they hold on the second Saturday of every month. You can drop off your plastic bottles tops and other recyclables they collect and repurpose. Their Facebook page is an awesome resource to follow for local residents and small businesses on issues of sustainability. 

Fremantle Recycling Centre

Fremantle Recycling Centre allows you to dispose of household and recycling waste. It’s a free service to residents of Fremantle and East Fremantle. You can find more information on their website.

Address: 19A Montreal Street, Fremantle

Opening Hours: They are open on Friday’s 12–4pm , Saturday’s and Sunday’s 8am–4pm (closed on public holidays).

Tread Lightly

Tread Lightly is a national recycling initiative that takes unwanted or used sport and active lifestyle shoes and responsibly recycles them to give them a new life. Their drop off points can be found in several sport chains around the area. The closest local drop-off points around Melville are:

  • Athletes Foot, Westfield Shopping Centre, Booragoon
  • HYPE DC, Westfield Shopping Centre, Booragoon
  • Rebel, Leach Highway & Norma Road, Melville

If you have household items that you’re wanting to donate instead of recycle, you can find Local Ops Shops in our blog. For more information on what and how to recycle in WA, head to the Recycle Right website.

15 Activities to do with your Toddler on a Rainy Day

Melville Mums
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15 Activities to do with your Toddler on a Rainy Day

It’s a challenge to keep an energetic toddler entertained when it’s raining outside. Other than putting on a rain coat and gumboots so they can splash in puddles, here are some suggestions of what to do with your toddler at home on a rainy day.

If you do head out in the rain, just remember to make sure your car is packed with a change of clothes, raincoats, gumboots, an umbrella, a towel and a plastic tub to put wet and muddy clothes in. This way you’ll be ready to dry everyone and keep them warm after some rain play!

1. Create a sensory rice tub

Fill a tub with rice, pasta and oats, then place in the toys and let them feel away. Little animals or dinosaurs are great, as well as measuring cups and little jugs. They will enjoy plenty of touching, pouring and exploring.

2. Have a dance party

Put some music on, leave your inhibitions at the door and let loose! Have fun!

3. Create a treasure hunt

Have some crafty fun together and make some treasure. Take turns hiding it, letting the other find it.

4. Share story time together

Get some cushions or bean bags, get cosy together with blankets and stuffed toys and read some favourite stories together.

5. Put on a puppet show

Make puppets out of toilet paper rolls and other household items, and then put on a puppet show.

6. Rock painting

Find some rocks on a rainy walk, take them home and wash them, then paint on patterns and pictures. Once finished, it would make a lovely eye-catching feature in the garden.

7. Build your own cubby house

Gather your cushions, pillows, blankets and sheets to build a cubby house or fort.

8. Make Oobleck

If you have corn starch in your pantry then you can make Oobleck! Take a bowl, pour 1 cup of water, add in 1.5 cups of corn starch and mix it together! It’s easy to make but it’s messy, so make sure you have an easy wipe-down surface or a mat. It’s so much fun to play with! You can hold it as a solid and then it will ooze out through your fingers. Add a bit of food colouring to make it even better. Instructables have an easy to follow recipe.

9. Finger painting

It’s time to get messy! Lay out the paper, get the paint ready and let your little one stick their hands in and create a masterpiece!

10. Easy indoor obstacle course

Create a toddler-friendly obstacle course using cushions, bean bags, tunnels, soft play mat, pillow balance path. There are some great obstacle course toys available at the moment, like these stepping stones.

11. Visit an indoor play centre

There’s a good selection of play centres around if you want to stay indoors – have a look at our blog about local indoor play centres.

12. Go for a swim

There are plenty of options for an indoor swimming pool with a toddler section including Fremantle Leisure Centre, LeisureFit Booragoon and Cockburn ARC. Take a look at our post about local swimming pools.

12. Form a home rock band

Get out some kitchen utensils, pots & pans and let them go rock ‘n’ roll wild! Try filling a plastic bottle with rice or pasta for a home made maraca.

13. Pom pom drop

Find a wall or door, grab some empty toilet paper rolls or kitchen paper rolls, tape to the wall and drop some pom poms through! It’s that simple.

14. Don’t touch the lava

The floor is lava and you have to get out of the room without touching the lava, otherwise your feet will burn! Put cushions down as stepping stones to help get you to safety. If you don’t have enough cushions, put down some coloured pieces of paper.

15. Hide and Seek

This is an oldie but a goodie!

Have fun! Remember to stay warm but get still get plenty of fresh air when you can.

For some more craft ideas to try and home with the kids, check out these 10 YouTube and Art & Craft channels.

Shirley Strickland Reserve (Ardross) – Playground Review

Melville Mums
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Shirley Strickland Reserve (Ardross) – Playground Review

The playground at Shirley Strickland Reserve in Ardross has had a much-needed makeover, and it looks fantastic! We went and had a look just after the playground opened, and there’s lots to love about the new play space and facilities.

The main feature is a set of connected two-storey towers with a long enclosed slide looking out to the sports fields. It’s quite a tricky climb to the top so it’s probably more suited to kids 5 and over but, with a bit of help from an adult, brave younger ones may enjoy it too.

Other than the main structure, there’s plenty of low-lying nature-inspired play equipment to choose from including stepping stones, totem poles, balance beams and rustic tee pee. There’s also a short double concrete slide for the little ones to play on.

There are no shade sails, but the natural shade cover provided by the established trees does a good job keeping the sun off the majority of the play space.

To the right of the nature playground is a set of three swings – one basket swing and two traditional style swings. For the older kids, there’s also a half-court basketball area with bench seating for spectators.

For families wanting to stay for a while and make the most of the facilities, there are four gas BBQs available with picnic tables nearby that have a great view of the entire play area and sports field.

In the pavilion itself, there are public toilets and changing facilities, plus on community sport days on the weekends, the canteen area is often open, offering basic hot food options, snacks and cold drinks so come down and support the local sporting clubs.

Shirley Strickland Reserve really is a wonderful destination that brings families and the wider community together so if you haven’t already, make sure to put it on your to-visit list!

__________

Essential Info

Fenced? No

Toilets? Yes 

Picnic tables? Yes

BBQs? Yes

Nearest coffee: Several cafes in Riseley St precinct

Location: 100 Coogee Road, Ardross

To read more local playground reviews, check out our Parks & Playgrounds blog section.

6 Things to Consider When Planning a Road Trip with Kids

Melville Mums
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6 Things to Consider When Planning a Road Trip with Kids
road trip with kids - Melville mums

With school holidays just around the corner, one of our local mums shares her tips on what to consider when planning a road trip with kids. It can be quite overwhelming thinking about how to keep your kids entertained for long periods of time in a small space. Hopefully, we can help make your next road trip less stressful and even a bit of fun!

1. Time

This is probably the most important thing to consider as it determines everything else you need for your journey. Firstly, work out how long it’s going to take you to reach your destination. Then you need to add in toilet and rest breaks, as well as when is the best time to leave to avoid any traffic delays where possible.

It’s also a good idea to let someone know when we’re leaving and when you’re planning to arrive. Once you’ve worked out how long your journey will take and what time you’re leaving, then you can work your way through the below points.

2. Clothes

If you’re planning to leave first thing in the morning before the traffic, let the kids wear their pyjamas in the car. At the first pit stop, they can get changed if they want to. Pack their clothes in the side of their door along with their shoes. For younger kids, make sure you have a change of clothes for the journey in case there are any spillages or accidents. Make sure whatever clothes you wear in the car are comfortable!

3. First Aid Kit & Essentials              

Always have band aids, wipes and antiseptic cream handy! Other things to pack with you in the car during a road trip are:

  • Tissues
  • Hand Sanitiser
  • Nappy bag if travelling with babies
  • Bag for your little one if they suffer from motion sickness
  • Pain reliever for any sudden pains or accidents
  • Thermometer – this digital forehead thermometer is handy for quick temp checks on the go

4. Snacks

Pack a cool bag of fruit, preferably things that don’t need to be cut up during the journey, or pre-cut the fruit before you leave. Also pack a bag of dry pantry food such as nuts, muesli bars, chips, biscuits and pretzels. The only form of yoghurt that would be safe to take in the car are the squeezy pouches. They are easy to open and not too messy. Try to avoid lollies or too much sugar as you don’t want the kids bouncing around the car!

Other items to make life a little easier are:

  • A rubbish bag
  • Travel bowls for the little ones to keep snacks all together and to catch crumbs
  • Milk and bottles for younger kids

Make sure everyone has a full bottle of water within easy reach! Ensure that snack bags are easily accessible to yourself or your kids to limit the amount of food stops you’ll need to take.

5. Activities

The length of your journey will determine what you need to pack in terms of keeping everyone occupied. Some ideas for car activities include:

  • Favourite Toys – Encourage imaginative play by creating stories or road trips for their toys to feature in
  • Play games such as I spy, Rainbow cars or spot the kangaroo/cows/sheep
  • Colouring books and pencil crayons – Provide pencils, paper and colouring books for each child.
  • Books – lots of books! However, this isn’t ideal for anyone who gets car sick.
  • Tablets with their own headphones! Having their own headphones makes life that little bit (OK, a lot) more comfortable for everyone!
  • Audiobooks – These are great for when they’ve had too much screen time and they just need to tune out. Or for those who get car sick reading a book. Audible are offering a free trial – they have a fantastic range of audiobooks and podcasts for the whole family to enjoy.
  • Music – There will be some areas during your journey where the radio signal is low so make sure you have your phone charged or some CDs handy to listen to.

6. Rest Breaks

And last but by no means least, always try to work out in advance when you’re going to stop for toilet breaks. Obviously, these stops will be more frequent with younger kids. Try to schedule in time for everyone to stretch their legs and move around a little – kids really need this and it’s important to give them space away from the car, especially on long journeys. Always try to stop somewhere with a play area or grass if possible – let them run off some energy. Remember to pack a potty for younger kids too! 

You might have your own things to add to this list, but I hope it helps make your planning a little easier. Happy travels!

Do you have any other tips for a stress-free road trip with kids? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation in our Facebook group. For some advice about getting your car seat professionally checked before your road trip, head to our blog.

40+ Gift Ideas for New or Expecting Mums

Melville Mums Advertorial
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40+ Gift Ideas for New or Expecting Mums

A toast is definitely on the cards once the baby has arrived, but what else does a new or expecting mum need? Consider gifts that she can pamper herself with, such as beauty products, relaxing items, yummy treats and comfy maternity or postpartum clothes.

You can even gift something homemade – a delicious dinner that can go in the fridge or freezer will be one of the most appreciated gifts.

Practical gifts are great too! Think of items that will make her more comfortable and things that will come in handy once the baby is born.

We’ve put together a list of gift ideas for new or expecting mums, and remember that you don’t need to spend a lot of money – there’s plenty out there for a variety of budgets!

Practical Gift Ideas

  • Stroller Organiser – this universal organiser from Lupantte has insulated cup holders plus space for nappies, phone, toys, snacks, and more!
  • Maternity or Postpartum Pyjamas
  • Comfy Dressing Gown or Robe – she can wear this at the hospital and at home
  • Breastfeeding-friendly tops – these Ekouaer nursing tops are practical, comfy and designed with discrete feeding access
  • Postpartum Underwear
  • Comfy Socks – non-slip for the hospital floor
  • Postpartum Ice Pads – Ninja Mama have reusable ice packs to help with recovery after childbirth
  • Toiletry Bag – pre-filled with some mini toiletries (for the hospital)
  • Large Duffel Bag
  • Fridge or Freezer Meals
  • Baby Bag
  • Maternity Bras
  • The Wonder Weeks Book – a must-read according to parents around the world
  • Water Bottle
  • Baby Wipes – yes she will need plenty of these
  • Nappies – plenty of these too
  • Disposable Nappy Bags – and these!

Indulgent Gift Ideas

Source: Thurlby
  • Sleep Mask – a tired mama will love this 3D contoured silk eye mask
  • Maternity & Postpartum Activewear
  • Snack Basket
  • Coffee Gift Card for the local cafe
  • Travel Cup – this Avanti Go travel cup has great reviews
  • Coffee/Tea Mug
  • Loose leaf tea
  • Candle
  • Epson Bath Salts
  • Bubble Bath
  • Hand Cream
  • Belly Butter
  • Lip Balm
  • Essential Oils – please choose carefully as some EOs are not appropriate for pregnancy or postpartum
  • Hair Moisturising and Strengthening Cream/Oil
  • Pedicure Gift Card
  • Mummy Massage Voucher
  • Wheat Bag – soothe aches and pains with this Thurlby heat pack with removable cover
  • Comfy Slippers
  • Meditation App Subscription
  • Baby Book – this Baby’s First Year journal makes a lovely keepsake of milestone moments
  • Baby Keepsake Box
  • Photo Frame or Photo Album
  • Fitness tracker (for all those pram walks) – this Fitbit Luxe activity tracker has up to 5 days battery life
  • Yoga Mat
  • Family Photoshoot Gift Voucher
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Audiobook gift membership – choose from a 1, 3, 6 or 12-month membership so mum can listen to her favourite books and podcasts

For even more gift ideas to help a special mum or mum-to-be settle into motherhood, check out some of the most popular baby and maternity products.

6 Ways to Boost Your Immunity

Melville Mums
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6 Ways to Boost Your Immunity

Overall, your immune system does a pretty good job keeping you healthy. Colds and flus are a part of life but there are some steps you can take to strengthen your immune system. We’ve put together a list of 6 ways to boost your immunity to help keep you fighting fit!

boost your immunity with these foods

Immunity Boosting Food

  • Yoghurt – Probiotic yoghurt contains helpful ‘germs’ for your gut, that help your body fight sickness. When shopping, look for yoghurt that says ‘contains live cultures’.
  • Kefir – This milk drink also packs lots of healthy probiotics, it is full of antibacterial properties and can restore the balance of friendly bacteria in your gut. Kefir is a fermented drink, traditionally made using cow’s milk or goat’s milk.
  • Walnuts – Walnuts have healthy omega-3 fatty acids that are believed to help your body fight illness. They are rich in Antioxidants and may help reduce inflammation, as well as blood pressure. They are known to be good for the brain too!
  • Fruits and Vegetables – There’s no secret here that these are superheros for our health. Great for the immune system! Aim for ones that are high in Vitamin C, like citrus fruits, strawberries, capsicum, broccoli, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
  • Lean Meats – Protein helps keep up your strength and lean meats contain zinc which are great for our white blood cells to help fight infection.

Remember….

  • Eat Whole Foods – Yes Orange Juice contains Vitamin C, but a whole orange will have more benefits. You should be able to get what you need from real food without reaching for too many supermarket shelf supplements and if you do decide to take supplements make sure to check the ingredients and the quality.
  • Eat a Variety – We’ve all heard about eating the rainbow. Each colour provides various health benefits and one is not more superior to another. It is important to eat a balanced diet of various colours to ensure you are getting the best range of nutrients you can.

Exercise

Regular exercise can boost your immune system and help fight off infections. Exercise increases blood flow, reduces stress and inflammation, can strengthen antibodies and help your immune cells regenerate regularly. Physical activity may also help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways.

Sleep

During sleep, your immune system releases proteins, some of which help promote sleep. Certain proteins need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, so it’s important to get plenty of sleep to help fight off sickness. Inadequate or poor quality sleep is linked to a higher susceptibility to infection.

Hydrate

Hydration doesn’t protect you from germs, but preventing dehydration is important to your overall health. Dehydration can cause headaches and set back your physical performance, focus, mood, digestion, and heart and kidney function. This can increase your susceptibility to infections, so make sure you drink enough water!

Fighting Germs

Fighting germs doesn’t boost the immunity, but it does reduce the stress on your immune system. Make sure that your family are washing their hands regularly and carry some wipes when you’re out and about for quick clean-ups.

If you need some tips on teaching personal hygiene to your kids, have a look at our blog post 7 Fun Videos to Help Teach Kids about Personal Hygiene.

Another germ-fighting strategy is to throw out your toothbrush if you’ve been sick, because the germs can hang around!  “If your child does get sick, throw out her toothbrush right away,” says Barbara Rich, D.D.S., a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry. You could catch the same infection twice and reinfect yourself, so clear out that toothbrush!

Minimise Stress

Whether your stress comes on quick or builds slowly over time, your body will trigger a stress response which is meant you help you during your stressful event. This response however also suppresses your immune system making you more susceptible to colds and infection.

Find your own specific way of relieving the stress in your life through either exercise, meditation, prayer, deep breathing and practice it whenever you recognise stress creeping into your life.

Introduce the stress relieving affects of Yoga to your kids through some fun and entertaining videos. Head to the Cosmic Yoga channel on YouTube for a great variety of videos you can watch and practice alongside your little ones.

It’s important to know that even if you do all of the above, you can’t always prevent colds or the flu, but it can strengthen your immune system to fight it if you do get sick. Eat well, exercise well, sleep well, live well and you will give your body a good chance to recover quicker.

Kids Hairdressers around the Melville Area

Melville Mums
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Kids Hairdressers around the Melville Area
kids hairdresser pink plane salon chair around Melville
Source: Little Herberts

Looking for somewhere to get the kids’ hair cut? We’ve put together a list of local kids hairdressers based on recommendations from local mums in our Facebook group. The suggestions include salons that specialise in children’s haircutting as well as salons that cater to adults.

Banana Skins, Applecross

  • Address: Shop 7/4 Sleat Road, Applecross
  • Phone: 9315 1611
  • Hours: Monday & Tuesday 9am – 6pm; Wednesday & Thursday 8:30am – 5:30pm, Friday 8:30am – 6pm; Saturday 8am – 2pm, Sunday Closed
  • Website: Banana Skins

Located in Applecross, this hair salon specialises in kids and teens haircuts. The 4 staff members have extensive child hairdressing experience. There is always a fun DVD playing and some cool chairs to sit on to distract the littlest squirmers. They run by appointments only, no walk-ins.

Mim & Co, Ardross

  • Address: Shop 5, 14-16 Riseley Street, Ardross
  • Phone: 9316 2599
  • Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday 9am – 5pm; Wednesday 9am – 3pm; Thursday 9am – 8pm, Sunday Closed
  • Website: Mim & Co

Mim & Co Hair Lab is a unique boutique salon, specialising in colour correction and precision cutting. They also offer hairdressing services for children. A funky and modern salon that will make your little princess feel grown up.

Just Cuts Westfield, Booragoon

  • Address: Shop 314 Westfield Shopping Centre Riseley Street, Booragoon
  • Phone: 9315 2229
  • Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 8:30am – 5:30pm; Thursday 8:30am – 9pm; Saturday 8:30am – 5pm, Sunday Closed
  • Website: Just Cuts

You can make the trip to the hairdressers a whole family affair at Just Cuts in Booragoon. All of their fully qualified staff specialise in cutting mums’, dads’ and all kids’ hair. They do not do any chemical or colouring work however.

Roll n Dice, Canning Vale

  • Address: 98 Waratah Blvd, Canning Vale
  • Phone: 9455 2999
  • Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9am – 5:30pm; Thursday 9am – 7:30pm; Saturday 9am – 4:30pm, Sunday Closed
  • Website: Roll n Dice

There are no appointments at Roll N Dice, you just walk in a wait with your little ones in the very cool kids waiting area. They can read books, colour in and play with the activity centre whilst you both wait for their haircut. 

Davilia, Myaree

  • Address: 5 Hulme Court, Myaree
  • Phone: 9315 2501
  • Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 5:30pm; Saturday 8am – 3pm, Sunday Closed
  • Website: Davilia

This traditional barbershop located in Myaree includes an in-house coffee lounge and charging stations for your devices. For your little gentlemen, this is a pleasant salon that offers caffeine for the parents while they wait! 

Little Herberts, West Perth

  • Address: Suites 9 & 10, City West Centre, 102 Railway St, West Perth
  • Phone: 0403 553 379
  • Hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm; Saturday 8am – 5pm, Sunday Closed
  • Website: Little Herberts

Little Herberts is more than just a hair salon – it also sells hair accessories, toys and children’s clothing. The contemporary and funky salon makes kids feel safe straight away and helps the parents distract their nervous little ones. You also have the option to shop and book your hair appointment online.

Tips to Help Reduce Anxiety Before your Kids Haircut

For some children, getting their hair cut can trigger some anxiety, tears and even full fist-pounding tantrums. The noises, the smells and the new environment of the hair salon can give the littlest ones sensory overload. If your child is particularly sensitive, it’s a good idea to try a hair salon that specialises in children’s haircutting.

  • If your child is old enough to talk about their feelings, ask them to tell you in their own words what they’re worried about and just listen and validate their feelings.
  • Visit the salon before their appointment and maybe ask the hairdresser to just comb their hair and help them choose which chair is their favourite. This makes the salon a somewhat familiar place.
  • Try playing hairdressers at home.
  • If the noise of the buzzer or the salon will upset your little one, play their favourite songs over headphones (used upside down) or ear plugs.
  • Be sure to take some snacks to distract your little ones if they are not too upset to eat them.
  • Take along a sibling or family member who can help reassure them.
  • Bring a change of clothes for afterwards if the hair triggers some sensory issues.
  • Remember to be patient and compassionate.

If you’re looking for more local businesses that help our Melville Mums and their families, head to our business directory. You may also find some useful tips on our parenting section on the blog.

15 Screen-Free Activities for Your Kids to do at Home

Melville Mums
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15 Screen-Free Activities for Your Kids to do at Home

It’s easy to turn the TV on to keep the kids quiet or to keep them occupied whilst you’re doing housework or working from home, but we all know that real play is the best kind of play for young minds. It lets them imagine, create, problem solve, and so much more!

Children are eager to learn, especially when they are young, but sometimes they need a little encouragement. Here’s a list of some screen-free activities for your kids to do at home.

1. Puppet Show

Make puppets out of toilet paper rolls and other household items, and then help your kids put on a puppet show for the whole family.

2. Family Olympics

Recreate a kid friendly Olympics in your home with a selection of indoor or outdoor games. Your kid’s could make medals to give to the winners. You could include the egg & spoon race, beanbag toss or make an obstacle course.

3. Toilet Paper Train

You could get crafty together and make a toilet paper train like this one here from Kids Activities Blog.

4. Treasure Hunt

Using their craft skills, the kids can make some treasure, you then hide it, create a treasure map and let them enjoy the treasure hunt. To make it more fun, they can even dress up as a brave adventurer!

5. Make a Kite

This is so simple! All you need are two sticks, a plastic bag, string and scissors. Have a look at this easy to follow guide from Instructables.

6. Rock Painting

Find some rocks in your garden or pick some from the local playground, river or beach, wash them, then paint on patterns and pictures. Once finished, it would make a lovely eye catching feature in the garden.

7. Cubby House

Gather your cushions, pillows, blankets and sheets to build a cubby house or fort.

8. Make Lemonade

Try out this simple Homemade Lemonade recipe from Learning 4 Kids.

9. Make Oobleck

If you have corn starch in your pantry, then you can make Oobleck! Take a bowl, pour 1 cup of water, add in 1.5 cups of corn starch, mix it together! It’s easy to make but it’s messy, so make sure you have an easy wipe down surface or a mat. It’s so much fun to play with! You can hold it as a solid and then it will ooze out through your fingers. Add a bit of food colouring to make it even better. Instructables have an easy to follow recipe.

10. Draw with Chalk

Let them channel their inner artist and create artwork outside.

11. Bird Watching

Lie down in your garden and spot the birds. See how many different varieties of birds you can find, then perhaps later you can research them together in a book (otherwise a little supervised screen time might be needed here!)

12. Practise Mindfulness

Headspace have some great tips on how to teach mindfulness to your kids. Try doing some of these activities together.

13. Make a Collage

Using old magazines, newspapers, birthday cards, cut out some pictures and glue on to card or paper to make a collage. Once finished, you could even frame it for everyone to admire.

14. Play Mums & Dads

I mean really play Mums & Dads. Let them dress up in your clothes (choose clothes you are happy for them to wear) and explore the world of make believe: get their bag ready for work, drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, make a phone call, use the laptop, all pretend of course. Let them put your shoes on – they love wearing grown up shoes!

15. Dance Party

Have a dance party in the living room. Add in some glow sticks for even more fun!

For water-based activities, please have a look at our post 15 Things to Do With Your Toddler on a Hot Day

Have fun joining in, or enjoy some quiet time with a cuppa!

Making Oobleck at home
Source: Instructables “Oobleck”

Getting to Know Dr Anna Stevens – Polar Dental

Melville Mums
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Getting to Know Dr Anna Stevens – Polar Dental

In the latest Getting to Know blog post, we chat with Dr Anna Stevens, owner and dentist at Polar Dental in Alfred Cove. Anna tells us about providing the best possible service for the local community and helping anxious patients overcome their fear of visiting the dentist.

Hi, Anna. Please tell us a bit about yourself, your family and your business.

I’ve always lived in the local area – I grew up and went to school here. I lived in Adelaide for a while when attending uni but came home for the free babysitting. Now my three children go to school locally. I have worked in private dental practice for 15 years and opened my new practice, Polar Dental in Alfred Cove, in April 2021.

What inspired you to open Polar Dental and start offering dental services to local families?

I jumped at the chance to open a new dental practice close to home when the property became available. I wanted to create a bright, relaxed place to go to work every day, and have equipped the practice with all new, modern facilities to provide the best service possible.

I wanted to provide local families and friends with a community-focused dental practice in the area. I find that a lot of people are seeking care locally these days whilst working from home.

What do you love most about what you do?

I particularly enjoy helping anxious dental patients become happy patients! A lot of people, whether young or old, have anxieties around dental treatment, and I look forward to seeing them relax into motivated patients who can attend for regular dental checks without fear. I am passionate about improving oral health and maintaining healthy mouths for life. It’s great getting to know my patients and watching children grow up over the years that they come to see me.

What are some of your favourite places or things to do in the local area?

In my free time I love to spend time on the Swan river (you might see me down there on my stand-up-paddleboard!), visiting the food trucks at Point Walter with my family, and playing hockey with my team at the Melville Hockey Club.

Do you have any advice for mums looking to start their own business?

I would advise that they gain a good understanding of how most parts of their business works, even if they plan to outsource some aspects. Get a good accountant! Be prepared to stay calm and problem solve while dealing with unexpected issues – these will always arise.

To find out more about Polar Dental, head to their website or Facebook page.

If you loved this post, check out our Getting to Know… blog series, which features local business owners who share their stories with us.

Exercise Right Week – Home Workouts & Resources

Melville Mums
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Exercise Right Week – Home Workouts & Resources
Source: Exercise Right

Exercise Right Week is an annual public awareness campaign brought to you by Exercise & Sports Science Australia. This year, the theme is Exercise for the Right Reasons. They want to highlight how powerful exercise, physical activity and movement are for your physical and mental health.

FREE EVENTS

Starting on Monday 23rd May, Exercise Right are putting on a range of FREE in person exercise classes, education sessions and Q & A sessions – all run by accredited exercise professionals! Scheduled events include yoga classes, women’s health information sessions, pilates, walks and more!

Head to the Exercise Right Week webpage for all the event details.

Workout at Home Resources

If you’re looking for simple exercises you can do at home, there are lots of video workouts to choose from, including a mums and bubs video. Plus you can find out more information and facts in their blog and download activity sheets to try with your kids (like this HIIT workout shown below).

Source: Exercise Right

Exercise benefits for children

Some of the benefits you can explain to your kids that they will enjoy from exercising are listed below:

  • Exercise makes your lungs and heart stronger, giving you more energy so you can play for longer.
  • Exercise helps blood flow to your brain and organs, so you can concentrate in school.
  • Exercise strengthens and stretches your muscles. So you don’t hurt yourself when you’re lifting something heavy.
  • Exercise builds strong and healthy bones, helping you stand taller and lighter on your feet.
  • Exercise helps with your coordination and reflexes, so you can catch and kick balls or balance on the jungle gym.
  • Exercise helps to manage weight, keeping your body lean and healthy.
  • Exercise decreases your risk of diseases or illnesses, it even boosts your immune system and can help you avoid getting a cold.

For even more home workout resources for busy mums, head to our blog for a list of online Fitness Programs.

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