Things to Do with Kids in August

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Thought there was nothing on this month? You're almost right.

August is a tough month to find kids' activities. Perhaps all the organisers take some time off and head to Bali for a month. Now there's a good idea. This month there are some stage shows, some annual celebrations plus a bunch of 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: Friday 1st August
Where: southern hemisphere
Cost: Free

Kids Stage Show Fresh from the US
It's may not quite be Broadway, but the kids stage show 'Still Awake Still' is here in Perth (well, Mandurah) after its tour in the US and Melbourne. Based on the story book by Elizabeth Honey and Sue Johnson, this family friendly show is billed as musical, beautiful and funny! If you arrive in your PJs before the show you can get free hot chocolate.

When: Friday August 8th, 11am and 7pm
Where: Boardwalk Theatre, Mandurah
Cost: tickets $19 under 12s, adults $28 (family $75)
Click for more info.



Daddy/Kids Time
Brilliant! A story time session that runs on weekends specifically for dads and kids. Hosted by AH Bracks Library in Melville, the sessions run every Saturday during term time (all year) from 9.30am to 10am. Not only do dads get the joy of book and rhymes, but the session also has Duplo building. Planet Duplon, anyone?

When: every Saturday during term time, 9.30am
Where: AH Bracks Library, corner Stock Rd, Canning Hwy, Melville
Cost: Free, no bookings required
Click for more info.



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) or other restaurants in Northbridge
Cost: varies

Fun with the Fam 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 2014 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 1st to Sunday 3rd August, various times
Where: along the race course including Northam (Fri 4pm-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.



Does Your Kids Have a Sense of Humour?
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: Saturday 16th August



Pay Respects to the King
No, I don't mean Prince George, 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: Saturday 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 29th and Saturday 30th August (and dates in September – book now, some sessions are already fully booked)
Where: Various locations including Morley, Fremantle, West Perth, Byford and Joondalup
Cost: from $17.60
Click for more info.

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