Splashing Down the New Waterslide in Busselton!

The Busselton Jetty foreshore is a fantastic destination for a summer holiday, especially with the addition of this enormous waterslide suitable for the entire family!

The slide's footprint is as big as an 8 lane Olymic size swimming pool!

As we drove into the Jetty carpark, the kids noticed the bright colored inflatable waterslide that towered three stories high! It certainly seemed like an excellent way to cool off, so we decided to check it out.

We purchased a family pass that was good for one hour of unlimited sliding for all of us.  

The slide is suitable for ages 3 and up, and kids under 110cm can slide with an adult.  

There were 30 steps to climb up to the top, which was actually part of the fun for the kids. 

We had a blast sliding over and over again!  We raced each other down the two side slides, slid down the big center slide in pairs, and had contests on who could slide the farthest. 

We had grandparents with us, and they enjoyed watching us from the shaded area at the end of the slides.

We had a blast slipping and sliding all hour long.  Everyone in the family gave it a big thumbs up!  It's an activity not to be missed this summer!

Discovering Dinosaur Island at Adventure World

A trip to Adventure World always promises a full day of fun and adventure, and now, with the temporary addition of Dinosaur Island, there is even more reason to visit!  Dinosaur Island will be enchanting guests of Adventure World now until March 2015.

My four year old and I spent the day swimming and playing among the prehistoric creatures hidden in the trees surrounding the pools in the Kingdom Falls area.

Just follow the huge dinosaur prints once you enter Dragon's Kingdom, and you will find Dinosaur Island!

At first Hagen was more than a little cautious of the enormous, life like dinosaurs because they looked so real.  He kept his distance and wouldn't keep his eyes off of them.

They moved and made noises, just like real dinosaurs!

He started to feel more comfortable once we came across the adorable baby stegosaurus.

The misty Dinosaur Island tunnel was a huge hit with all the kids, and added a sense of mystery to the atmosphere.

 I imagine the cool mist would be an even bigger hit on a hot, sunny day!

We strolled around the "island" looking for all the dinosaurs hidden within the trees.

Tyrannosaurus Rex was quite easy to spot.  He had a low guttural growl that sent shivers down our spines!


We stopped and read the many different signs along the way with facts about each dinosaur, including their actual size and what they liked to eat.


There were also signs about dinosaurs around the pool area on Dinosaur Island.




There is so much to do and see at Adventure World, so of course we hit a few of our favorite waterslides and rides before leaving for home late in the afternoon.  Hagen went home bursting with stories for his older siblings about the "real" dinosaurs he saw at Adventure World, and now they want to go see them too!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party

Blank Canvas Gifts, A Perth Mum's Idea, Unleashes Kids' Creativity!

Blank Canvas Gifts is the "brainchild" of a Perth mum. Budding artists from age three can create their very own personalized works of art on projects like t-shirts, library bags, sunhats, pencil cases, and even dresses.

What a surprise yesterday to come home to three gift bags from Blank Canvas Gifts on our doorstep. It was like an early Christmas for my kids as they hurriedly opened the canvas bags to see what was inside.



I loved the way the gifts were packaged in a reusable drawstring bag.  There was a gift tag on each featuring a cute Blank Canvas Gift character.

  

Inside the bags the kids found a blank canvas, or project, suited for them to complete with all the tools necessary for them to unleash their creativity.



My 13 year old daughter received a cushion, my 11 year old son a T-shirt, and my 4 year old son a Santa Sack.  It was so much fun watching them open the bags. They squealed with delight when they pulled out the paints, brushes, glitter and gems from their bags.

 

My daughter's Blank Canvas was a cushion with a removable cover for her decorate.  Her gift bag contained paints, a little palate, paintbrushes, gems and glue.

My eldest son's T-shirt project came with 3D paints, brushes, and some very special glow in the dark paint.  He was pretty excited about that!

My younger son's project was a "Santa Sack" complete with a blank letter and envelope to mail to Santa himself.  I love this idea for Christmas gifts this year!  His Santa Sack came with paint, brushes, and a "finishing touch" of red glitter.  

I loved these brushes for my youngest.  They were perfect for his little hands to grasp onto!

Letter to Santa

Glitter!

It was a beautiful day outside, so I set up a crafting table on the patio, and the kids eagerly got to work!

Each project came with a blank piece of card for the kids to plan and practice drawing out their masterpieces before putting it on the actual canvas.  It gave me such joy to see them concentrating so hard, and putting so much effort into their projects.

 

This handy little pamphlet was full of tips and descriptions of all the different projects and supplies.

It wasn't long before the Blank Canvas projects started looking like amazing, personalized works of art!  I loved how each project was so completely different from the other, just like each one of my kids!

My 11 year old son took the longest with his project.  I found him mixing his primary colors to create new paint colors when he needed them.  

The paints and supplies provided in the kits were top quality!  The projects themselves were high quality 100% cotton.  The paints, brushes, glues, and embellishments were all renowned brands I had heard of and used before such as Scribbles, Tulip and Aleene's.

 

I was very impressed with the quality of all the paints and supplies, and we had plenty left over for future projects.  In fact, my teenage daughter has already used the paints on a while pair of canvas shoes she had that needed some personalization!

Blank Canvas Gifts were a huge hit with all of my children.  It appealed to my 4 year old, on up to the teenager.  I plan to buy some projects for Christmas gifts this year, and it will be my new go to gift for birthday parties!

Here are my kids showing off their works of art:

This Santa Sack will sit under our tree waiting to be filled for years to come!

My kids were all so proud of their work, and were thrilled with themselves... a definite self esteem booster!  I know we will cherish these projects for years to come!

Gift packages range from $30-$45 and include everything needed to create a self inspired work of art. Each pack comes with fabric paints and brushes or markers to complete the project.  There are also a variety of "finishing touches" which you can add to your gift pack, such as the gems, glitter and glow in the dark paint. 

To see all the Blank Canvas Gifts has to offer, check out their website, or find them on Facebook.