Lisa Johnson comes to the realisation that she is reliving her own past disappointments through her son. The Dance, the Awards, and the Quiet Fury Every second year at my son’s school, there is a dance. Each child attends a series of lessons to learn dances such...
Jennifer Dudding reflects on the competitive undercurrent of modern-day children's parties. The Cake That Broke Me My legs were aching, pins and needles creeping through the soles of my feet, and my upper arms were starting to seize up. I felt elation and exhaustion in equal measure,...
John Hughes’s temporary experience of being a stay-at-home dad enables him finally to understand why parents ask teachers so many questions. Juggling Roles at School and at Home I am in the unusual, but not unique, situation of having my daughter attend Kindergarten at the school where...
Creative, Budget-Friendly Party Ideas Kids (and parents) Will Love When the party's over and the cake crumbs have settled, there's still one final surprise that keeps the fun going—party bags! But forget the same old sugar-filled goodie bags. With a little creativity (and a modest budget),...
The 2025 shortlisted children’s books foster a curiosity in the natural world, a love of nature and a hopeful spirit of collaboration to overcome environmental challenges The Environment Award for Children’s Literature was started in 1994 by a group of environmental educators who wanted to work...
Sonja Walker’s minute-by-minute planning means that her parties pass muster with all the troops. Navigating the Birthday Party Minefield Birthday parties can be a minefield for unsuspecting parents. Who should be invited and who shouldn’t be invited? How many kids is too many? How long should it last?...
It was a close-run thing, but his son’s fifth-birthday party ended up being a treasured event, writes Daniel Prokop. The Pressure of the First Real Party When my wife, Beth, and I celebrated five years of being parents, we received the official thumbs up from our son,...
Children are not waiting to become artists, writes Alise Hardy. They are artists now. At Carclew’s South Australia bold new exhibition This Is What Art Looks Like (May 5 - 30th), young artists aren’t just learning—they’re creating work that’s thoughtful, powerful, and deeply connected to identity,...
Nominations Open for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize – Children & Young Adult Category Submissions are now open for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize, Australasia’s most prestigious literary award for historical fiction. With a total prize pool of $150,000, the Children and Young Adult (CYA)...
As well as being a mood-boosting treat this Easter, chocolate can also be good for us, and researchers are working to make it even better for gut health, report Wenan Cai,Dr Kristy DiGiacomo,Said Ajlouni and Senaka Ranadheera While many of us enjoy chocolate throughout the year,...
