We all enjoy a good party, and Ruth Wajnryb reminds us of their primary purposes. Nostalgia is a funny thing—funny-peculiar, not funny, ha-ha. Once you’re on a jaunt down memory lane, it’s easy to get carried away. Take children’s birthday parties, for instance. When I was raising...
Jane Goodall's youth-led action program inspires generations of conservationists, writes Mahima Kalla. Renowned scientist and conservationist Jane Goodall is touring Australia and New Zealand at the moment. The 90-year-old “woman who redefined man” is best known for her discovery of tool-making in chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. But...
When her daughter turns 12, Stephanie Legg-England decides that some pampering is in order. It’s not easy to run a birthday party for children if you are shy, or if your mother and sisters live too far away to help, or if you want a personal...
In the lead-up to her daughter’s fifth birthday party, Kylie Ladd discovers that politics isn’t just for grown-ups. My daughter Cameron is a party animal—a political party animal—that is, always with her eye on the numbers, ever sensitive to the ebb and flow of support among...
Denise Yearian believes that charity birthday parties can encourage children to think and act altruistically. At a time when many parents are pulling out all the stops for their children’s birthday parties, some families are hosting parties where the aim is to give gifts away. Children’s...
Good basic recipes can be rejigged to suit different occasions and ingredients, writes Roberta Muir I originally made a mango, lime and crème fraîche sorbet (more accurately called a sherbet); when I needed something to accompany a friend’s chocolate tart, I used the base recipe to...
This wonderful idea from the Donna Hay kitchen will look beautiful as a decoration as well as yummy to eat! Ingredients Plain Gingerbread Dough 125g unsalted butter, softened ½ Cup (90g) light brown sugar ⅔ cup (230g) golden syrup 2½ Cups (375g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda,...
Frances Doyle has 5 expert tips to save the day Book Week is here again. Around Australia, parents of primary school-aged children are coming up with costumes, so their kids can take part in parades. Some kids are going to love wearing costumes and showing them off...
The eminent annual awards continue to celebrate and honour quality Australian literature for young people and enjoys a superb growth trajectory. Entries across the six categories covered topics relevant to our complex world and the lived experience of our young readers—including life within a migrant family...
A class party is a rewarding experience for Chantai Snellgrove’s daughter, but it is an even greater gift for her mother. My daughter Kailee is now 12 years old. I used to struggle when deciding what to do for her birthday. Should I invite my friends...
