Thomas Britz looks at the children’s puzzle game that harbours a mathematical paradox or two Have you played the puzzle game Tangram? I remember, as a child, being fascinated by how just seven simple wooden triangles and other shapes could offer endless entertainment. Unlike LEGO, the Tangram...
Visual artist and lecturer Naomi Zouwer advises how to set up a kids’ art studio at home (and learn to love the mess) Many parents want to encourage their children to be creative. This is not just about training the next Archibald Prize winner. Young people...
Lisa Lintern’s feels buoyant as she watches her son overcome his fears at the pool. Let’s be honest; we all secretly want our children to be ‘best’ at something. It’s a natural urge even the most level headed of us fights to suppress. Why else did I...
Dr Simon Coghlan and Lucy Sparrow look at why violence against animals in video games is ubiquitous. Players can kill or torture non-human animals in various popular games, including Minecraft and Grand Theft Auto V. The rise of this (increasingly realistic) trend in games – along with...
Sarah Cameron finds a little bit of magic goes a long way. I always envisaged a magical childhood for my kids, a time filled with the types of secrets and mysteries that punctuated my own youth. Fairies and sprites hidden in tree trunks and under toadstools;...
After a dramatic year in which Elizabeth Reed introduced her son to all manner of sporting pursuits, he made it quite clear he wanted to write his own script. Ten years ago we had our first child, a son. Obviously he would enjoy sport; all boys...
Annie's ice cream pudding Prep time: 15 minutes plus four hours freezing Cook time: nil Serves: 6-8 Ingredients 4 cups (1 litre] good quality vanilla ice cream 1 cup (125g) frozen raspberries 1 Cup (140g) Vienna (toffee) almonds roughly chopped 1 cup (80g) roughly chopped chocolate coated honeycomb Mixed berries and apricot coulis to...
Kris Bordessa’s sons have a tendency towards truncation in their communication The bright, bold colours of billboards and street signs intrigued my oldest son, Brad, long before he could read. “What does that say, Mum?” he’d ask from the back seat as we whizzed down the...
Fiona Adams bids Father Christmas a fond farewell. “Mum, please tell me Santa is real,” begged my 10 year old. Lana had just found out at school that “The Tooth Fairy is really your mum and dad”. She was devastated, and I silently cursed the child...
‘What am I supposed to do about all this really bad stuff?’ Phoebe Quinn and Katitza Marinkovic Chavez report that many young people feel anxious, powerless, sad and angry about climate change. Although there are some great resources on children’s eco-anxiety and climate distress, the vast majority...
