Fit kids have better mental and physical health. Ben Singh and Grace McKeon look at the why, how and when for parents. The mental health benefits of exercise for adults are well known, easing depression and reducing anxiety. Now, emerging research highlights its rising importance for children’s...
Elizabeth Jane encourages people to find their inner happiness rather than seeking it through external things and circumstances. The shock of a relationship breakdown after many years of marriage was the catalyst for Elizabeth Jane’s quest to find the things that gave her joy and allowed...
Holiday playdates are great for kids – but ditch the stress and don’t compare milestones, writes Kimberley Beasley During school holidays, playdates can provide a brilliant opportunity for social interactions for both children and their parents. They can help children get to know kids at their...
Researcher, Chris Speldewinde shows you 3 things to try with kids at the beach this summer. Summer is a wonderful time for families to go the beach and for small children to get to know the water and the sand. But aside from being a place...
The legacy of Kate King’s grandmother looms large over her family. My grandma died this year. I always considered myself very lucky to have my maternal grandmother in my life for so long, and now she isn’t. I was there when she suffered heart failure, and...
‘Live in the light, but carry the dark’: John Marsden’s books are his legacy – but so is his empathy, writes Penni Russon Celebrated author and educator John Marsden, best known for his dystopian young adult Tomorrow series, has died aged 74. The bestselling author of...
Decorating your Christmas tree? Try these crafts inspired by Aussie plants and animals, write Caitlyn Forster, Euan Ritchie and Laura Nicole Driessen While we’re busy preparing for Christmas, many Australian native plants and animals are also busy – growing, flowering and raising their young. What better...
Amid the Christmas crazy, how can parents teach kids what really matters this festive season? writes Catriona May As a mum of a 15-year-old and an 11-year-old, positive psychology expert Professor Lea Waters knows all about the challenges of staying focused on what’s important at Christmas. “Whenever...
Why a musical instrument is the perfect gift this Christmas, says Wendy Hargreaves, and some suggestions for which ones you could get. Christmas is the season to be jolly, but it’s wrapped in some cheerless trials. There’s car park mania, pre-dawn pilgrimages to purchase seafood, and...
Here is a very cute Donna Hay Christmas snowman, which will surely excite the kids! Not everyone loves Christmas pudding, but once made, it will keep for up to 2 weeks in a dry place. The ingredients are all store-bought; all you have to do is...
