It’s a huge event, welcoming some of the biggest faces in children’s entertainment and you can attend if you’re in Sydney on 3 March this year! Babyology is proud to be a supporter of this mammoth event that the kids are sure to love.

Target’s Kids Day Out is to be held at the Sydney Showgrounds at Sydney Olympic Park from 10am until 4pm – here’s the astoundingly huge line-up!

ABC 4 Kids Stage

In the Night Garden
Bananas in Pyjamas
Dirtgirlworld
Roary the Racing Car
Wotwots
My Friend Mark
Miffy
Postman Pat
Lunar Jim
Shaun the Sheep
Teddy Rock
Elmo
Cookie Monster
Jimmy Giggle (Giggle & Hoot)
Jay Laga’aia (Play School)
Sofya Gollan (Play School)

Main Arena

Yo Gabba Gabba (Nickelodeon)
Ben 10 (Cartoon Network)
Lah-Lah (Nickelodeon)
Barbie (Mattel)
Magical Tales (Nine Network)
The Outback Show
Enviro-mentals
Carptus Idiotus (Australia’s Got Talent)
SKB – Street Kulture Breakers (Australia’s Got Talent)
LA Dance Crew
Zigitty Crew (AKA Little Justice Crew)
Adam Mada

Kids Arena

Dinosaur Petting Zoo
Freestyle Motor Cross Riders
Kitchen Whiz (Nine Network)
Beau Walker (Nine Network)
Anthony Georgiou (Junior Masterchef)

There are also roving entertainers, a Kinect XBox 360 gaming arena and giveaways from sponsors. Park your pram in a dedicated parking area and shop at the marketplace – there’s something for all members of the family.

Tickets were sold out for the 2011 show so get in quick to purchase tickets from Moshtix – they’re $50 each plus booking fee. Children aged under two are free with a paying adult. A dedicated iPhone app for the day will be available for download soon so you can navigate and plan with ease! Also keep up to date with developments on the Kids Day Out Facebook page.

We’ve mentioned the lovely linen and decor from Kate Lauren Designs quite a few times here at Babyology and it just keeps getting better. If you missed out on their giveaway in our last Prizeapalooza, perhaps today will be your lucky day!

Kate Lauren Designs has expanded its range once again, with a selection of gorgeous fabric lanterns in two sizes. Hung alone or in a group they will provide a point of visual interest that might just be the finishing touch in your nursery or playroom, plus frankly, they’re stunning.

They’re so pretty it’s too hard to choose, which is good news for the winner, who will take home not one, not two, but three fabric lanterns of their choice, to a value of just under $150. The lanterns have a 35cm diameter and come in fabrics which coordinate with six different Kate Lauren styles. Now, the hard part – all the same? Three different styles? Ahhh, the decisions!

To enter leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section, telling us which style (or styles!) of lantern you would choose if you were our lucky winner. You have seven days and entries close midnight 17 February 2012.

For full details see our Terms and Conditions.

Are you sitting on the edge of your chair in anticipation, fingers crossed, hoping you might just be lucky enough to be one of the chosen ones for our first round of Prizeapalooza winners? Well don’t wait any longer, click through to find out if you’ve bagged yourself an awesome prize!

One thing’s for sure, loads of Babyologists wanted to win a luxurious Isabella baby bag from Storksak on day one! Valued at $449, it’s a stunning leather bag you will be only too pleased to pack everything nicely in before heading out. No more scrounging around blind for that rusk or dummy, with Storksak’s Isabella everything has its own place. The very lucky winner is:

J. Swift

Day two‘s competition of a $100 Party Goods gift voucher from Mooo will have you celebrating your next shindig in style, be it a birthday party, christening or baby shower. Whatever you need to make your party table complete, Mooo has you covered! The winner is:

C. Oakley

Add the finishing touch to your child’s bedroom or playroom with a sensational contemporary art piece from Artbuds from day three. The winner is able to choose from two limited edition Charlie Immer prints Shape Fitter and Pool Guy, valued at $180 each. The winner is:

G. Baynam

A big thank you to all our sponsors and entrants! Winners and sponsors, we’ll be in touch by email soon.

There’s play centres and then there’s play centres (in other words, Australian developers, take note!). Two years ago we showed you the amazing Purple Dragon Kids Club in London. The original venue has since been turned into a kindergarten but thankfully, Sharai Meyers, the genius behind Purple Dragon found another spot to create her unique brand of combined parents-and-kids-paradise.

Purple Dragon Chelsea is packed with all the attractions that blew us away the first time round and more – an ‘imaginarium’ loaded with dress-ups and with a superhero call centre (shown above), separate soft play areas for babies and bigger kids, a volcanic playhouse with a dinosaur outside, a large cubby full of pretend play gear, a music room with a purple grand piano and a huge selection of instruments and recording gear for creating music, a kitchen, a swimming pool and a simulated golf course where you can have lessons with a pro – phew!

For the grown-ups, there’s ‘pods’ for child-free time where you can catch up with the latest on an iPad or use the time for a quick mani-pedi. Like the original Purple Dragon, the Chelsea club also has a cafe and offers an array of lessons and activities for kids.

The original Purple Dragon had day-passes for visiting Aussies – unfortunately the new Purple Dragon is strictly members only. So again, let’s hope something similar pops up closer to home!

We introduced you to the wonderful, colourful world of Tootsa MacGinty last year. Designer Kate Pietrasik is back with another collection of unisex clothes made for play.

All the clothes at Tootsa MacGinty are unisex, except for a few dresses. The clothes are designed for function and fun – terrific colours, practical styles and hard-wearing fabrics are the key, ensuring that pieces really can be passed on from one child to the next.

The 2012 Spring/Summer collection features gingham, a colourful take on stripes and Tootsa MacGinty’s trademark animal motifs – a little rabbit peeping from the back pocket of the jeans, a frog on the overalls and more.

While I love the whole Tootsa look, I am crazy for the striped Angel Marinière long-sleeved t-shirts and the thoroughly adorable Charlie singlet and pants set. Oh, and the Robin seersucker shorts with the tiny bee motif on the pocket teamed with the Sunny t-shirt – okay, I’ll stop raving now!

Prices range from £16 – £32 and all pieces are available directly from Tootsa MacGinty.

Baby-wearing enthusiasts, day ten of Prizeapalooza is just for you!

Babes In Arms is giving away a revolutionary ERGObaby Performance Carrier, valued at $199.

This amazing carrier can be used from birth, right up to twenty kilograms. It can be used in three different positions: front, hip and back, letting you adapt how you carry your child as they grow. It’s a comfortable mode of transport for baby and offers plenty of support for the wearer.

And just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean that carrying a baby will be hot work. The ERGObaby Performance Carrier’s outer layer is a lightweight, durable and high-tech fabric, while the internal lining is made from breathable mesh, with a panel for extra temperature control. The fabric is quick drying and has non-absorbent batting, so it can even be carried through water.

To enter leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section, telling us why you need an ERGObaby Performance Carrier. You have seven days, with points given for brevity, and entries close midnight 16 February 2012.

For full details see our Terms & Conditions.

While preparing for a recent camping trip to Seal Rocks, I spent a bit of time trying to find an iPad car mount. I soon discovered that all the backseat mounts are intended for a single viewer, which was not going to go down well with our two backseat travellers.

Eventually I came across the Coulview, a headrest mount for iPad and iPad 2 which pivots to let you angle your device so that multiple rear passengers can see it.

The mount attaches to the headrest posts with two screws and is very easy to get in place. It holds the iPad very securely and doesn’t move, even over rough terrain. The only downside is if you keep the mount in the car without an iPad in it, the mounting clips stick out and can catch on clothing, so I’d recommend always removing the mount when not in use.

It’s comfy, cool and coming to Australia – the Flux Junior Chair takes children’s spaces to the next level. Thanks to The Little Kidz Closet, you can own a piece of pure design genius and just today they’ve been placed on the site for pre-order, with delivery slated for the end of March!

The news is really that fresh and we’re the first to announce it – we love having our fingers on the pulse so you can be on the cutting edge of what’s new and local to you here in Australia.

The adult version has been around for a while and won the Grand Designs Product of the Year Award in 2011. This junior version is suited to kids aged three and up and can be flat-packed in just a few folds. It’s made from polypropylene, is free from sharp corners and edges, and can easily be constructed and deconstructed without the need for tools.

The Flux Junior is even strong enough to seat an adult – it has a weight limit of 90kg so it can be deployed for those large family get togethers and other social occasions where more seating is required in a hurry. This smaller version was only released a few months ago in Europe and already it has made its way to our shores – very impressive!

Pre-order from today in six beautiful colours for $159 each, from The Little Kidz Closet.

We’re hoping a good night’s rest will be had with the prize on day nine of Prizeapalooza!

Today we’re giving away a luxuriously cosy Dimples Sleepsack valued at $139.95 from BabyO.

This super sweet sleepsack is made from a blend of New Zealand Merino wool and pure cotton, using two layers of fabric to deliver just the right amount of warmth and weight so it’s perfect to use throughout the whole year.

The Dimples Sleepsack can go from cot to car seat or pram with ease as it morphs into a handy jumpsuit with the use of clever button closures. Each Sleepsack is adorned with a beautiful hand embroidered motif and is designed to fit children aged from newborn through to two years.

To enter leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section, telling us if your baby is a ‘sleeper’ or ‘night owl’ and how they’d benefit from a Dimples Sleepsack. You have seven days and entries close midnight 15 February 2012.

For full details see our Terms & Conditions.

I’m a complete sucker for a puzzle and I’m wisely choosing not to reveal just how obsessed I was with the Rubik’s Cube back in the early 90s, but alas folks, I see this little gem coming to live with me soon so I can spend every spare minute twisting and turning.

Children and adults alike will love using brain power to nut out the colour sequences of the Eni Puzzle. This tube-shaped puzzle has tiles in eight colours that start out in neat columns and all going well, will end this way also. A missing tile allows a little space to shuffle the tiles up, down and around to solve the puzzle. The fun doesn’t stop once the colours have returned to being lined up as there are plenty of patterns to make!

The size of the Eni puzzle is fantastic. Designed to fit comfortably in your hand, it’s not at all cumbersome and is perfect for children (and coincidentally, a great size for my handbag).

The Eni Puzzle is priced at $12.95 and available from Sukimama, who deliver all over Australia.

Feeling daring? Then look no further than Kido Store for these exclusive papier mache decorator heads from Dwell Studio. For those who like a bit of bold to their decor, these heads will make an impact with their unexpected take on traditional trophies gloated over by hunters of old.

We know they’re just paper of course, made from recycled cement bags, layered with pages from French novels and finished in oil-based varnish. The heads are handmade in Haiti by a not-for-profit organisation and we imagine you’ll find this menagerie an amusing and artistic addition to the family home.

Make a statement in the nursery and expand on the jungle theme in a left-field way; choose from the gazelle, giraffe, blue zebra and pink zebra – all $110 each, exclusively from Kido Store.

Snap! Superb photographs will be a cinch with day eight of Babyology’s Prizeapalooza.

Today’s prize comes from Mum the Photographer. One snap-happy Babyology reader will win a Mum the Photographer membership valued at $69.95 (including a free image polish from the Finishing Room which is usually $18) and a Square Storyboard valued at $50. The total prize is valued at $137.95.

Mum the Photographer is an online program giving you unlimited access to tricks and tutorials to help improve the photos you take of your children. Take a peek at all the information on offer – there’s quick tips for instant improvements or detailed tutorials so that you can fine tune your photography skills.

Rest assured, owning a fancy camera is not a prerequisite! Mum the Photographer caters for people who own basic compact cameras right through to those with a camera bag full of lenses.

To enter, leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section telling us what occasion you want to be camera-ready for. You have seven days to enter and entries close midnight 14 February, 2012.

For full details, see our Terms & Conditions.

The most-played imaginary game in our house is ‘cafes’. A good game of cafes ticks all the boxes – there’s imaginary cooking, eating, customer service and of course the best bit, having mum or dad sit down to a freshly brewed coffee!

I think I’ll have to start scavenging for cardboard because when I saw the amazing cardboard coffee shop created for a little girl, Emilia, I was truly blown away.

Like my kids, Emilia likes playing cafes and coffee shops. Unlike my kids, Emilia’s mum built her an astonishing cardboard cafe of her own, known as ‘Millz Coffee‘.

Emilia’s mum is the incredibly talented Traci of 45Wall Design. Traci claims the Millz Coffee project started with the acquisition of a toy wooden coffee pot and the throwaway line, “maybe I’ll build her a coffee shop to go with it.”

And she did. In fact, I think Traci has  set a precedent. Look at the amazing details – a Millz Coffee logo, felt food, an espresso machine, a cash register and even bags of coffee beans!

Millz Coffee is a lovely reminder of what can be created for kids with a little imagination (and a little talent!).

(via 45Wall Design)

This is possibly the cutest storage solution I’ve seen.

The Quackie, by French design studio E-glue, combines a cupboard, a drawer, a hanging rail and a toy-box, all configured to look like a very modern duck… on wheels!

The choices of colour are modern but the use of wood veneer gives the Quackie an on-trend mid-century feel.

The Quackie is not in production quite yet – E-glue are appealing for a manufacturer. I’m sure a design this cute will be snapped up. We’ll keep you posted.

Want more animals in the nursery? We’ve featured a bunny rabbit toy box and polar bear and whale bookcases previously.

Special occasion coming up? It seems these days there’s always a birthday party or baby shower just around the corner, and if you’re the lucky host then today’s Prizeapalooza will be sure to get the creative juices flowing!

If you’ve ever felt awestruck and slightly intimidated by some of the fabulous parties featured on Babyology, it’s time to let you in on a little secret: some people can come up with these ideas all on their own, but for most of us, it comes down to finding a great party supplier. Party & Co is just such a place, and they are offering the winner of today’s prize the opportunity to trawl their great online store and select goodies for themselves to the value of $110.

All the hard work has been done for you, and you will find an amazing array of stationery, decorations, tableware and much more already sorted into themes. All that’s left for you to do is choose – and trust me, that will be hard enough! You can choose from the party themed items for boys or girls, or from the baby shower supplies.

To enter leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section, telling us which themed party at Party & Co is your favourite (or two if you’re having trouble deciding). You have seven days and entries close midnight 13 February 2012.

For full details see our Terms and Conditions.

We took a road trip recently from Sydney and looped through Mudgee, Dubbo and Orange. I was petrified of the hours and hours in the car but the kids had a terrific time chatting, playing games, watching movies and sleeping. The highlight of the trip was visiting Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo and I’ll tell you why. 

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is home to more than six hundred animals and is the only zoo in Australia where you can see three species of rhinoceros as well as African elephants.

Overnight accommodation is in a luxury tent at the Zoofari Lodge which is located within the grounds of the zoo and provides magical up-close experiences with some of the wildlife. The tents are located just behind the African savannah so we were able to see and hear giraffe, eland, zebra and buffalo roam freely.

We arrived mid-afternoon and drove around the zoo, getting out to see animals along the way. Check in at the lodge was 3pm so we had time for a quick dip in the saltwater pool before preparing for our first up-close encounter with the African wild dogs. They seemed very ferocious and the staff kept saying that if we fell into the enclosure, there would not even be a bone left. I think this was to scare all the kids but I was pretty scared myself.

We returned to the lodge by 6pm in time for a three-course dinner, with a kids menu, so everyone was happy. After dinner you head out again, this time with torches, for a ninety-minute night tour that for us was the most exciting part of the trip. We saw elephants and wombats dining and visited other animals as well. By far the best bit was watching one of the tigers leap up on his hind legs to gobble raw meat by torchlight. Our guide used a very long set of tongs to feed the tiger and we all huddled and gasped as we watched him feast.

The next morning the behind-the-scenes tour begins at 7am, but let’s face it, anyone with kids is usually up that early anyway. Besides, the tents are in the zoo so the animals are your early wake up call. We went to feed the giraffes bucket loads of carrots for breakfast and we were licked many times by their long blue tongues. We also fed the hippos, rhoinos, lions and the cheetahs. The cheetah was tracking my youngest as we walked away and had there not been a fence between us, I might have been a little alarmed.

After the tour we returned to the main house for a full buffet breakfast before checking out. With Zoofari, you can stay the entire day at the zoo and enjoy the animals. Included in the package is free bike hire, so once checked out, you can explore the public areas of the zoo on bikes.

Zoofari Lodge caters to families with plenty for the children to enjoy including a saltwater swimming pool, library, a dedicated kids menu at the Main House and an educational and entertaining experience with the animals.

My children will be talking about our Zoofari experience for many years and it will be a long time before they experience something similar again.

Dubbo is 415 kilometres west of Sydney, about five-and-a-half hours’ drive (or stop in Mudgee overnight if you have children in the car). From Sydney you can catch a fifty-minute flight with Airlink, Qantaslink or Regional Express. From other locations, Dubbo is ten hours from Brisbane and Melbourne and five hours from Canberra and Newcastle.

An overnight package at Zoofari Lodge includes two days’ zoo admission, three tours, a three-course dinner, breakfast and bicycle hire, from $309 an adult, $165 per child aged over four, or $59 for children under four. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is open daily (including Christmas Day) from 9am to 4pm. For more details see the Zoofari Lodge website.

We have a winner, so click through to see if it’s you!

Ok, so we’re all crazy for this incredible crib here at Babyology. It has seriously stolen every heart on the team, whether we’re pregnant, not pregnant and not planning to be, or hoping for one more little one in the future.

We all want one, so there is a little bit of good-natured envy going on around here over the winner of our January competition, which was very generously sponsored by Kido Store, where you can exclusively pre-order the Kalon Studios Caravan Crib.

So you’re all dying to know who won? Here’s our winner, who is due to be a first-time parent in March!

C. Friend, NSW

One lucky little babe gets to start his or her life in a dreamy designer cot by Kalon Studios. If you weren’t the Babyologist above, then perhaps you’d like to scoot over to Kido Store and pre-order this beauty, which is slated for delivery in March. Don’t forget the amazing co-ordinating dresser too.

A big congratulations to our winner and thanks to Kido Store!

It’s time to take a breather, relax, and settle down for a restful night’s sleep, courtesy of Prizeapalooza day six.

There’s nothing that looks more peaceful than a sleeping babe. And anything that can help babies sleep is blissfully welcome – cue Bubbaroo. Today’s prize is a filled with heavenly goodies that aim to help babies sleep, and look beautiful. One Babyologist will win a Bubbaroo Newborn Pack, which includes a Joey Pouch Swaddling Bag and a newborn to six month, medium weight Joey Swag Sleeping Bag. The prize also includes a sweet Bubbaroo Blankie – today’s prize is worth a total of $169.90.

The Joey Pouch makes swaddling a breeze – it’s straightforward and simple. Baby can still move their arms and legs in the pouch, and it allows them to sleep with their arms up, which is a natural sleeping position for newborns.

The Joey Swag Baby Sleeping Bags are an alternative to top sheets and blankets, for those children who like to move around in their sleep. The Bubbaroo Blankies are soft, beautifully designed and generously sized – they’re sure to become a favourite bedtime addition to any cot.

To enter leave a comment below with your full name in the Post a Comment section, telling us which of the sublime colours you would choose for your Bubbaroo Blankie and why. You have seven days, with points given for brevity, and entries close midnight 12 February 2012.

For full details see our Terms & Conditions.

You don’t have to have tickets to the 2012 Olympics to enjoy London in three dimensions.

Explore the iconic landmarks of London in the superb new book, Pop Up London by the extremely talented Jennie Maizels.

All the things that London is famous for, both old and new, are included. As we follow the course of the River Thames, readers are treated to a pop-up Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, the Underground, the London Eye, the new Olympic stadium and more.

As well as lots of neat paper engineering, the book includes snippets of history and hidden details – little books within the book, things to find, marching guards at Buckingham Palace and most impressively, the drawbridge on Tower Bridge – kids will be begging to raise the bridge over and over again.

As a retired rower, my favourite spread includes a moveable boat race between Oxford and Cambridge – go crew! And mention must be made of a certain just-wed couple waving to the crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Find Pop Up London at Book Depository for about $25. Book Depository ship free to Australia.

Love pop-up books? So do we – check out some of the other pop-up books that we have reviewed in the past including Hansel and Gretel and The Little Prince.

When I was little my mum made me a patchwork quilt in a very traditional style – squares of fabric salvaged from old clothes, linen and various scraps. My favourite squares were made from a soft blue and grey striped shirt that had belonged to my Dad. With this in mind, I recognized the instant appeal of Mrs. Jermyn’s custom made bears.

While you’re putting in some overtime at the office, your old business shirts can also put in some overtime, repurposed as cuddly teddy bears. Designer Annika Jermyn turns shirts into bears, cleverly using collars, buttons and seams to add detail to each creation.

Jermyn’s Etsy store, Mrs Jermyn, offers a range of ready-made teddies or you can send her one of your favourite shirts and she’ll weave her bespoke magic just for you. It’s nice how different fabric lends different personality to each bear – I’m all for the traditional pin-striped Mr Joshua but I do like the friendly looking checked bear, Mr Oscar!

Ready-made bears are US$80, as are custom bears. Mrs Jermyn ships to Australia.