Kids in Melbourne
Expat kids moving to Melbourne will scarcely have time to miss their friends back home; relocation to this a fun-filled Australian city will certainly be an adventure to be reckoned with.
The immigrant communities that make up this melting pot place a very high value on family life and are very kid-friendly. The majority of families live in houses, not apartments, with easy access to outdoor space. Not to mention, with at least six months a year of warm dry weather, kids certainly can take advantage of fun filled activities outside of the house.
With both public and private education on offer and an extensive range of subjects to study, expat children don’t often take long adjusting to their new school. Many private schools provide a bus service, but for parents who are stuck with the school run, and needing to get across Melbourne’s sprawling suburbia, a car is essential.
Although children are encouraged, for health reasons to walk or cycle, many parents perceive this to be a riskier option – not because of any danger other than traffic on the roads.
Children start pre-school from three onwards, younger children can attend a playgroup or crèche. Some of these groups are staffed by volunteers and for parents new to the city with time on their hands; helping out at a playgroup is a great way to meet people.
Melbourne caters for all types of kids – from the adventurous to the artistic, no matter their personal preferences there's plenty to see and do.
For kids who love animals there are three zoos within an hour’s drive, filled with weird and wonderful marsupials, the like of which exist nowhere else but Australia. Families can even stay over in the summer and have a slumber party at a zoo, waking up to the sound of a unique dawn chorus.
Or how about a trip a little further out of the city to watch the evening Penguin Parade at Philip Island? Collingwood Children’s Farm is handy to the city and conveniently located on a train line.
For something a little different, Puffing Billy, a steam train, travels through the lush Dandenong Ranges and caters for kids aged 2 to 102.
The beach in summer is the place, and Port Philip Bay boasts a number of golden hotspots patrolled by surf-lifesavers. Furthermore, public education campaigns are run every summer on safe swimming and sun protection as Australia has some of the highest levels of UV rays in the world.
Saturday-morning sport is a main-stay of Australian family life and this is where the budding fast-bowlers of the future learn how to put the spin on a cricket-ball. In winter the boys play AFL (Australian Rules football).
During school holidays older children can check out a 3D movie at the Imax Theatre, or for the more creative kindred spirits, there’s options to learn to make movies, get hands-on with the interactive technology exhibits at Scienceworks or splash paint about at a painting class.
A popular cookery competition that runs on television has sparked fierce interest from young foodies, and in response Queen Victoria Market runs cooking classes and demonstrations for children at holiday time.
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image and The National Gallery of Victoria both run a lively kids holiday program where children can interact with demonstrations and art works.
Every suburban shopping area has a café strip where coffee-fixated parents can indulge their habit. The little ones get their own version made with frothy milk as “babychinos” are a fixture on café menus. Parents need not worry about other patrons smoking near their children, as restaurants and cafés have been smoke-free indoors for many years.
The immigrant communities that make up this melting pot place a very high value on family life and are very kid-friendly. The majority of families live in houses, not apartments, with easy access to outdoor space. Not to mention, with at least six months a year of warm dry weather, kids certainly can take advantage of fun filled activities outside of the house.
Education and schools for kids in Melbourne
With both public and private education on offer and an extensive range of subjects to study, expat children don’t often take long adjusting to their new school. Many private schools provide a bus service, but for parents who are stuck with the school run, and needing to get across Melbourne’s sprawling suburbia, a car is essential.
Although children are encouraged, for health reasons to walk or cycle, many parents perceive this to be a riskier option – not because of any danger other than traffic on the roads.
Children start pre-school from three onwards, younger children can attend a playgroup or crèche. Some of these groups are staffed by volunteers and for parents new to the city with time on their hands; helping out at a playgroup is a great way to meet people.
Out and about with kids in Melbourne
Melbourne caters for all types of kids – from the adventurous to the artistic, no matter their personal preferences there's plenty to see and do.
For kids who love animals there are three zoos within an hour’s drive, filled with weird and wonderful marsupials, the like of which exist nowhere else but Australia. Families can even stay over in the summer and have a slumber party at a zoo, waking up to the sound of a unique dawn chorus.
Or how about a trip a little further out of the city to watch the evening Penguin Parade at Philip Island? Collingwood Children’s Farm is handy to the city and conveniently located on a train line.
For something a little different, Puffing Billy, a steam train, travels through the lush Dandenong Ranges and caters for kids aged 2 to 102.
The beach in summer is the place, and Port Philip Bay boasts a number of golden hotspots patrolled by surf-lifesavers. Furthermore, public education campaigns are run every summer on safe swimming and sun protection as Australia has some of the highest levels of UV rays in the world.
Saturday-morning sport is a main-stay of Australian family life and this is where the budding fast-bowlers of the future learn how to put the spin on a cricket-ball. In winter the boys play AFL (Australian Rules football).
Arts and entertainment for kids in Melbourne
During school holidays older children can check out a 3D movie at the Imax Theatre, or for the more creative kindred spirits, there’s options to learn to make movies, get hands-on with the interactive technology exhibits at Scienceworks or splash paint about at a painting class.
A popular cookery competition that runs on television has sparked fierce interest from young foodies, and in response Queen Victoria Market runs cooking classes and demonstrations for children at holiday time.
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image and The National Gallery of Victoria both run a lively kids holiday program where children can interact with demonstrations and art works.
Dining out with kids in Melbourne
Every suburban shopping area has a café strip where coffee-fixated parents can indulge their habit. The little ones get their own version made with frothy milk as “babychinos” are a fixture on café menus. Parents need not worry about other patrons smoking near their children, as restaurants and cafés have been smoke-free indoors for many years.
