Coloured Vinegar with Bicarb - Kids Experiment

When the kids are bored of doing drawing and painting, try this nifty experiment with them. It uses ingredients most people have at home - vinegar and bicarb soda, and is very simple to set up. It kept my daughter entertained for at least an hour!

You will need the following supplies:

• Tray / Large container (I used an old baking tray)
• Bicarb Soda - enough to cover the base of the tray/container
• Vinegar
• Food Colouring
• Eye Droppers or spoons
• Containers to hold the coloured vinegar - I used a muffin tin, ice cube tray would also work well, otherwise any small container.

The method is really easy:

1.  Spread the bicarb on the bottom of the tray

2.  Mix the food colouring with the vinegar

3. Let the kids experiment by adding the vinegar to the bicarb

4. Watch as the vinegar makes the bicarb bubble in mini eruptions.

By the end the tray was a nice brown mess, and my daughter was mixing it all up with her hands!

We did this experiment outside when it was Summer, but it doesn't really make much mess, so would be suitable as an indoors activity as well.

Fred Jacoby Park, Mundaring

What: Fred Jacoby Park
Where: Mundaring Weir Rd, Mundaring MAP
When: All year - although better in Autum, Winter and Spring.
Who: All ages
Cost: Free
Facilities: Fire pits, Picnic benches, toilets, car park, walk trails.

A lot of the places and parks I take my daughters to are ones that my Mum took me when I was younger. I remember very fondly most weekends (prior to sport taking over our weekends) and on the school holidays we would go to various parks around Perth, always bringing along a picnic. One of the parks I remember going to as a kid is Fred Jacoby Park in Mundaring. I have memories of running around the giant tree, walking along the Kalgoorlie pipeline and finding pinecones to make Christmas crafts out of. So after our visit to Noble Falls, we made a detour on our way home to have a play in the autumn leaves at Fred Jacoby Park.

There is no play equipment here, it is just nature at it's best. It is a great place to make your own nature-based fun.

Fred Jacoby Forest Park is located on Mundaring Weir Road. The access road is sign posted, but the sign is right at the turnoff, so you have no warning that the turn is coming up. If you miss it and reach Mundaring Weir, you've gone too far. There is plenty of parking in the area, both on the street and in an allocated carpark at the top of the park.

The main "attraction" here is the beautiful, large, old English Oak tree. There is a boardwalk built around the base of the tree so that you can truly admire how massive the tree is. The pictures below show the tree in both Winter and Spring. The tree was planted in approximately 1870, making it over 140 years old. There is a path that runs from the top of the park (at the carpark) down to the bottom (where you come in on the access road).

The large English Oak tree in Autumn - full with leaves.

The tree in Winter - no more leaves

Around the base of the tree

The facilities here include toilets, fire pits with barbecue plates, picnic tables and park benches, as well as various walk trails that take you over and along the Mundaring - Kalgoorlie pipeline. There is a creek that runs through the park, which isn't always full of water, but when it is, it provides a fantastic opportunity for the kids to play and explore, as it isn't very deep. Make sure to take along some gum boots!

Fire pit and toilets in the distance

Dried out creek bed full of leaves during Autumn

It hadn't occurred to me before to make use of the fire pits, but many of the families who were picnicking at the park had a roaring fire going - perfect for those Wintery cold days.

All my girls wanted to do was play in the fallen leaves, and boy, were there a lot of them to play in! They had a ball, and it was a struggle to pull them away and continue on our way home.

Playing in the leaves

While I don't think I would specifically make a visit just out to Fred Jacoby Park, there is plenty to see and do in the area, including the Mundaring Weir that is just down the road.

Along the pipeline

Noble Falls, Gidgegannup

What: Noble Falls and picnic area
Where: Toodyay Road, Gidgegannup MAP
When: All year
Who: All ages
Cost: Free
Facilities: BBQs, Picnic benches, toilets, Playground, car park.

There is a bone of contention in our household between my husband and I regarding the seasons. I'm a Summer girl. I love the heat, the long days, the warm nights and all the other great things about Summer. My husband on the other hand loves Winter. He loves the cold, the rain, the thunderstorms, and the chance to light a roaring fire. I have to admit though, there are some fantastic places in Perth (and Western Australia) that are just as nice, if not better, to visit in the cooler months. One of those places is Noble Falls in Gidgegannup.

Noble Falls and picnic area is located off Toodyay road (opposite the Noble Falls Tavern) approximately 40 minutes east of Perth. I seldom get out to this part of the country, and it was my first time to the falls, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Carpark and bridge over the falls and the start of the walk trails

We arrived at the Falls just after 11am, and there were about 3 other cars in the carpark. I couldn't help but think perhaps we had found a secret spot that not many people knew about. I was wrong! 12 o'clock rolled around and the carpark was suddenly full and there were picnickers and bbq'ers everywhere. I'm kind of glad we got there when we did, and got to enjoy the falls and surrounding area in relative peace and quiet. On nice weekends I'd recommend getting there before 12 if you want to have a choice of tables and BBQ's.

Part of the picnic area. Lots of tables, BBQs, bins, shade and space.

The picnic area contains lots of barbecues and picnic tables, as well as a playground and a tree swing. It is also the starting point for a couple of walk trails over and around the falls. There are toilets but they are hidden away and not in the picnic area. To get to the toilets you have to cross the bridge over the falls, and follow one of the walk trails to get to them.

How's the serenity?!

I'm not entirely sure what this is, but we used it to sit on and eat our lunch.

The playground. A little old and run down, but my daughters had fun nonetheless.

The swing on the tree. A little magical and fun for both kids and adults.

We enjoyed taking a short walk around the falls, and it was easy enough for my 3 year old to do. I pointed out some ant nests to her, and she had fun counting and pointing them all out for the entire walk. The falls themselves are nothing spectacular, they are more like rapids or cascades, but the surroundings are beautiful and you can see the Shire has put in a bit of work to make this a great weekend picnic spot.

Part of the Falls

Along the walk trail

  

Upstream of the falls.

Adachi Park, Ascot

What: Adachi Park
Where: Great Eastern Highway, Ascot MAP
When: All year
Who: All ages
Cost: Free
Facilities: BBQs, Picnic benches, toilets, Playground with softfall, exercise equipment, boat ramp, car park.

My increasing obsession with riverside parks (see Bardon Park, Burswood Park and Point Fraser) continued today with a visit to Adachi Park, located off Great Eastern Highway on the foreshore in Ascot.

View of the river with Black Swans included

Access to this park can be a little tricky as it can only be accessed if you are travelling east on the highway. You will need to take the first left hand turn after the Abernethy road set of lights to get to the carpark. I always find driving to new places a bit daunting, so hopefully this information helps someone else mentally prepare for a visit to Adachi Park.

The carpark is located between two parks. Adachi park is to the south and Bristile Park is to the North. While we didn't get a chance to have a proper look at Bristile park during this visit, I did notice it had a lot of exercise equipment through out it. There is also a boat ramp accessible via the car park.

Boat ramp access to the Swan River

Adachi Park has been named after the City of Belmont's sister city - Adachi in Japan. The Japanese theme runs throughout the park via the landscaping and architecture, bringing a certain uniqueness to the park.

The playground is boat themed and covered in soft fall, which I am preferring over sand these days since my youngest is mobile and loves to put EVERYTHING in her mouth. There are enough surrounding trees to partially shade the playground, but be careful if in bare feet, as certain areas are still in full sun. The playground is pretty small, but my daughter enjoyed herself nonetheless , and was thoroughly entertained for the 2 hours we were there for. The downside of this park is how close it is situated to the highway without a barrier between the two, so I wouldn't recommend it if you have a child that is a runner.

There are a few picnic tables and barbecues near by, as well as plenty of open grassed space, with great views over the Swan River. There are also public toilets close by.

If you follow the path South of the playground, you will discover the Japanese garden with archways, bridges and stepping stones. There is also a large gazebo in this area with lots of information about the City of Belmont and Adachi City.

I think this park would be a really nice place to come in winter or spring when the Japanese garden is a little greener and less dried out looking. 

Adachi Park is a perfect place for a picnic on the weekend, a leisurely walk along the river or a relaxing outlook over the river in unique surroundings. 

Partridge Way Reserve, Thornlie

What: Partridge Way Reserve
Where: 79 Partridge Way, Thornlie MAP
When: All year
Who: All ages
Cost: Free
Facilities: Play equipment with soft-fall and sand, lighting, park benches, shade, picnic tables, basketball hoop, cricket pitch, exercise equipment.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to be able to provide information on some of the lesser known local parks. Based on how quiet these parks are, they seem to be very under utilised but can offer some really great facilities.

I try to take my daughters out to nearby parks at least once or twice a week. It is a cheap way to get out of the house, and to a three year old, a park is a park. She doesn't mind how extensive or new the equipment is, she just wants to run around and have a play. There is no need to take her to a fancy indoor play centre, which can cost between $5 and $10 a visit, when there is a perfectly good (and free) park within walking distance.

Today we went out to Partridge Way Reserve in Thornlie.  I was completely blown away by the facilities provided at this park, and it looks like it has only recently been upgraded, so everything is new and tidy. 

Overall look of the playground. Lots of shade and mainly rope-net based equipment.

Lots of shade covering the half soft-fall / half sand playground

The bird nest swing was the favourite for the day

The sand pit side of the playground with more rope net climbing frames.

The hammock style swing was also a favourite

The park also features a basketball and netball hoop with paved area, a cricket pitch and an extensive internal footpath system. Across the oval, on the other side from the playground is a sheltered area with picnic tables. 

Cricket pitch with basketball court in the background

Picnic tables and more benches.

Obstacle course.

One of the unique features of this park is the obstacle course provided for exercise. While this feature isn't really kid-friendly, it's nice to see something a little different being offered.

I can't believe that we had the whole park to ourselves! We will definitely be making this one of our regulars.

Point Fraser, Perth City

What: Point Fraser Reserve
Where: Corner Causeway and Riverside Drive, Perth MAP
When: All year
Who: All ages
Cost: Parking is $2.50 per hour, otherwise the reserve is free to visit.
Facilities: Toilets, benches, information boards, bike hire available, shaded playground area with liberty swing.

Saturdays in our house tends to be housework day. Which means we sit around doing not much and procrastinating. This typically ends with me getting a bit of cabin fever and cursing that I yet again didn't make any plans. Not this time! This Saturday we were going out! 

The plan was to park at Point Fraser Reserve, let the girls have a play, then walk along the river to the Barrack St Jetty, have morning tea, look at the bell tower, have a bounce on Sacrilege (part of the Perth Arts Festival), and then finish off with the walk back to the car. The bad part of my plan was that I didn't check the weather - forecast of 35 degrees!

The playground at Point Fraser Reserve is quite small, but it acts as a great base to go and do other things. About Bike Hire is located here, so you could hire a bike and ride around the river (or bring your own), Heirisson Island is only a short walk to the east, or you can do as we did and head to the Barrack St Jetty/Bell Tower. Most of Riverside drive has two paths - 1 for cyclists, and 1 for walkers.

Path along the river - lots of room.

There is plenty of parking, however it is paid parking and costs $2.50 per hour.

The playground is quite unique as it is shaded by giant metal umbrella like structures. They are a sight to see in themselves. There are swings, a slide, rock climbing wall, large spider net, plank crossings, as well as a liberty swing. I was a bit hesitant at first that maybe the equipment was a bit too grown up for my 2.5 year old, but she jumped straight in, and climbed up the rock wall. I was impressed!

Rock climbing wall and giant shade structures. This part of the playground is covered in softfall.

Another way to get up the mound to the spider net.

Spider net and view of the wetlands and city.

Planks and bridges as part of the playground.

The playground is surrounded by reclaimed wetland, with lots of information boards and boardwalks. Across the road is Ozone Reserve which has more of the same.

Wetlands

Boardwalks around the wetlands - keep a close eye on littlies!

I was exhausted and sweaty after our morning out, but it sure did beat doing the housework at home. Both girls fell asleep in the car on the way home (the big one fell asleep in the pram on the walk back!), which is always an added bonus.