Best Things to Do with Kids in August: The Secret List

Best Things to Do with Kids in August: The Secret List

Post
Subscribe

Posted 2013-07-25 by Shannon Meyerkortfollow
August is a tough month to find kids' activities. Perhaps all the organisers take some time off and head to Mauritius for a month. Now there's a good idea.

I've looked high and low and found a few staples of the cold months, and thrown in a few things you can do at home.



Happy Birthday Black Beauty
August 1st is known as the horses birthday (in the Southern hemisphere anyway, in the north they have their birthdays in January). So this is a good opportunity to celebrate some of our favourite equine friends with kid-friendly horse movies such as Black Beauty, the Black Stallion, Flicka, Racing Stripes, Gus and National Velvet.

For something a little more low-brow, here is a YouTube clip of a horse singing Happy Birthday .

When: Thursday 1st August
Where: southern hemisphere
Cost: Free



Little Food for Little People
There's not a lot on in the way of big family-friendly events this month, so why not make your own and take the kids and grandparents out to yum cha on a Sunday morning. There are a number of restaurants in Northbridge that open at 10am, and the little bite sized morsels are fun to eat and fabulous for sharing.

One of the best things about yum cha is that the food is already prepared and there is no waiting. The food is brought to the table on trolleys, and kids can see what they are before you order. Dragon Palace on Francis Street is very child-friendly with a big stash of highchairs, plastic bowls and spoons for the kids, and knives and forks for those who find chopsticks a bit tricky.

For kids who are averse to new flavours try the sticky rice, fried rice or ask for plain steamed rice. Vegetable spring rolls are always popular as are the fluffy BBQ pork buns. Mango pudding is a child-friendly way to finish the meal. If you're a big enough group and nab a table with a lazy Susan, then your kids will have a great time spinning them round and round while you try and grab the food as it flies past.

When: every Sunday from 10am
Where: try Dragon Palace (66 Francis Street, Northbridge)
Cost: varies



Ava Go at the Avon Descent
If the thought of strapping yourself into a small piece of plastic and hurtling through freezing cold water for hours on end makes you excited, then you should be front and centre as the competitors for the 2013 Avon Descent take to the course for this three day event.

Even if it makes little sense to you, then you can still take the kids and have a fabulous time at one of the free race day family events along the course.

From the opening ceremony and fireworks in Northam on Friday evening, to the finish line festivities in Bayswater on Sunday, you will find a multiple of great activities in a number of towns and parks along the way.

Free activities include BBQs, dance and music, bouncy castles, performers, face painters, food tastings, cuddly animals and balloon twisting. What more could you possibly ask for?

When: Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th August, various times
Where: along the race course including Northam (Fri 3pm-9pm), Toodyay (Sat 10am-4pm), Guildford (Sun 11am-3pm), Ascot (Sun 11.30am-3.30pm) and Bayswater (Sun 11am-5pm)
Cost: Free
Click for more info.



Love Your Sister
As a mum with three daughters who often fight and compete, I had always planned on starting my own 'Sisters Day' tradition to encourage them to see how brilliant it can be to have sisters.

How cool is it then that August 4th is actually International Sister's Day.

Maybe at your place it needs to be brothers' or siblings day, but it is a chance for them to focus on each other – in a good way. Maybe it means a picnic – let the kids choose the menu based on their sister's favourite foods – or get them to plan their day so that everyone gets to do their favourite thing. Maybe give your own sister a call too…

When: Sunday 4th August
Click for more info.



That's Not Funny
Knock knock. Who's there? Bottom. Bottom who? You're a bottom.

This is an example of my daughter's ability to tell a joke. Awful really, but if it involves the word poo, wee, bum or bottom it has her and her sister rolling on the floor in laughter. Sigh. Lucky for them, August harbours International Tell a Joke Day.

On this day, let them joke all they want, or share some of yours. Here is a link to some kid-friendly jokes.

When: Friday 16th August



Pay Respects to the King
No, I don't mean the new Royal baby, I mean Elvis. On August 16th, 1977 Elvis Presley left the building, leaving behind a repertoire of great songs. Twenty five years later, the good people at Disney released Lilo and Stitch, one of the most under-valued of all the Disney cartoons, and my personal favourite.

With a soundtrack almost exclusively featuring Presley songs, and plenty of fun nods to Elvis this is a gorgeous story of a little girl in Hawaii who adopts a slightly odd alien (she thinks he's a dog).

Kids will love the dysfunction and adults will love the sweet storyline about family not necessarily being restricted to blood relations.

Rent it, buy it or borrow it, this is a great rainy day movie for kids of all ages.

The trailers for Lilo and Stitch are some of the most clever marketing. Ever.

Read about them here.

Even better to watch them .

When: Friday 16th August

Playschool Kids Concerts
Eternally popular with littlies and not so awful for their parents, these 40-minute shows are short enough for little attention spans yet long enough to be good value.

With plenty of singing and dancing and all the old PlaySchool favourites, it would be wise to book now to ensure you get a place.

When: Friday 30th and Saturday 31st August (and dates in September – book now)
Where: Various locations including Morley, Fremantle, West Perth, Byford and Joondalup
Cost: from $16.50
Click for more info.

#august
#western_australia
#rainy_day
#lists
#kids
#fun_for_children
#free
%wnperth
193762 - 2023-06-16 03:54:38

Tags

Free
Festivals
Music
Outdoor
Markets
Nightlife
Fundraisers
Family_friendly
Community
Arts_culture
Random
Educational
Food_drink
Holiday
Theatre_shows
Copyright 2024 OatLabs ABN 18113479226