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3 Top, Free Things to Do in Barcelona With Kids

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This is a guest post from Carina of  XO- In My Room line of original furniture and blog.

 

1. The Labyrinth Park

The park includes an eighteenth-century neo-classical garden and a nineteenth century romantic garden. All over the park there are a large number of sculptures and many fountains, waterfalls, springs and ponds. In the middle of the park, is the Labyrinth, which is a lot of fun for children who like to get lost in it as they try to find their way out.The Labyrinth Park is the oldest park in Barcelona and since it’s located outside of the tourist radius, (in the district of Horta in the north part of the city) it’s something of an undiscovered treasure.To maintain the park’s beauty, a maximum of only 750 persons are allowed to enter each day. A small amount is required at the entrance to help maintenance and on Sundays and Wednesdays it is free.

The park was built in 1791 by the marquis and landowner Joan Antoni Desvalls of d’Ardena, at the same time the construction of the Desvall palace began. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Desvall palace was a meeting place for the society’s elite. Over the years, three kings have paid a visit to the gardens. When you walk around the garden, it’s easy to imagine how it looked during the celebrations once held there; the outdoor theatre, the beautiful outfits and exquisite food, the children playing games in the labyrinth…

 

 

 

2. The Magic Fountain

Quite spectacular is “The magic fountain” created in 1929 by architect Carlos Buigas for the Universal Expo. It is very popular specially during summer nights (it’s all year round) because of the high temperatures we have in the city, kids like to stand very close to the fountain, and get wet when the breeze blows. The fountain changes colours and pressure of the water according to the music. The showtimes with music now in summer are from 9 p.m. up to 11p.m. every half hour.

 

 

 

3. The Blue Museum, Barcelona

This is a brand new museum!

The Blue Museum designed by architects, Herzog & de Meuron, occupies 9,000 square meters distributed on two floors with modern installations and facilities, built around an immense, free-access hall which is the start and finish point for all the Museum programmes and services: the reference exhibition «Planet Life», the temporary exhibition areas, the Media library, the Science Nest for children aged 0-6 years, the workshops, the cafeteria, the restaurant and the shop and much more.

Herzog & de Meuron, were also responsible for adapting the new Museum premises and for the museographic design of the Planet Life exhibition, a journey through the history of life and its evolution in tandem with our planet, and a portrait of the present day.  The museum is always free for children under 16 and for adults the free admission is on First Sunday of every month and every Sunday after 3 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Sweden’s Archipelago

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Here is a guest post from Gina of the beautiful Swedish blog, Willowday.

Starting with the Stockholm archipelago and it’s 20,000 islands, this area is the perfect introduction to Sweden with typical countryside and sea life coexisting harmoniously. The islands are both lush and green and then, granite rock. You can find fully functioning red farms on some islands, alongside summer houses, selling their local seasonal produce at the dock or if you prefer, an island to yourself to moor up to or the opposite: a restaurant and cafes with a beat. This all begins to unfold just 10 minutes outside of Stockholm with easy ferry rides to take you to the outer limits. If you visit Stockholm, a visit to the archipelago is a must.

Drive 5 hours south west to the Atlantic and you are in Bohuslän, which, in contrast to the green Stockholm archipelago is the golden, rocky coast known as Sweden’s west coast. These islands are set on the Atlantic with restaurants teaming with seafood and sail boats speckling the blue water against the more barren backdrop of beautiful naked rock hills. Precious meadows are alive with wildflowers that magically break the strong profiles of the hills and the combination is breathtaking and compelling.

 

 

 

 

 

Geneva Guide – Things To Do With Kids In Summer

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This is a guest post from my friend, Monica Zugan in Geneva. And what perfect timing. Today is Swiss National Day!

Geneva is one of the most expensive cities in the world. The most expensive Mac Donalds is indeed in Geneva! Spring/Summer is the best time to visit and here are some great things to do:

Lake Geneva

The lake is great in spring and summer. You can rent bicycles for free (max 4 hrs) in several locations in the city (e.g Terrassiere, a container near Mont Blanc bridge, near the train station) and then ride along the lake.

 

The Jet D’Eau Fountain on Lake Geneva

 

Jardin Botanique and Carrousel des Fables

 

Jardin Botanique

 The most beautiful Merry-Go-Round that I have ever seen, Le Carrousel des Fables, is found in the Jardin Botanique (Botanical Gardens) – with an amazing view of the lake and mountains (including Mont Blanc).The creatures that carry the children round and round on the Carrousel des Fables are fashioned after the fables in the timeless poems of Jean de La Fontaine. Copyrart, a non-profit organization – funded largely by the canton of Geneva and providing training for the unemployed – built the carousel. The merry-go-round is the result of the collaboration between artists and artisans. Together, they gave this cheerful animals made of metal and wood shape and form.

Free Admission to the Botanical Garden (yes, some things are free)- the carousel ride is 4 ch or 3 rides for 10 ch.

Carrousel des Fables

Genève Plage 

Also, Genève Plage is a great spot not to be missed. It’s the beach of Geneva. There is a big pool, a huge slide, a pool for children, all on the lake. In this space of 42,000 m2 created in 1933 in the Eaux-Vives area, you will find an Olympic size pool, heated and sheltered from the wind, a vast wading pool, a large diving platform, a giant toboggan 9 meters high, basketball and volleyball courts, petanque, playgrounds, a giant chessboard, a private landing stage for water-skiing, a windsurfing base, a restaurant and snack bar with terrace and a boutique. This oasis, set at the entrance of the Rade, with the Jura mountains in the background, its flower beds and lawns, is one of Geneva’s prime summer centres for leisure and relaxation.Entrance fee is 7ch for adults, 3.50ch for kids, free under 6 yrs.

 

 On the lake of Genève Plage

Water activities at Genève Plage

Baby Plage

Nearby there is the Baby Plage. It’s a Tarzan-inspired tree park with tyres to swing from right on the lake. Kids love it.

 

  Baby Plage

 

Fêtes de Genève

The Fêtes de Genève is happening right now -the pre-fêtes de Genève started on 19 July and the whole thing runs to 12 August. This is the highlight of the summer and draws over 2 million visitors annually. The party boogies on along the shores of Lake Geneva with carnival rides, concerts, food stalls, variety shows and parades. The evenings are capped off with a fireworks show sponsored by a different firework company each night. The finale of the festival is the sensational Techno Parade where each float is a rave on wheels complete with costumed dancers and pumping beats that always get the crowd going.

 

Fêtes de Genève 

Fireworks of the Fêtes de Genève 

3 Top, Free Things To Do In London With Kids – SUMMER 2012

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This is a guest post by Florence Rolando of the fabulous blog, Pirouette. And the second in our series of 3 Top, Free Things To Do With Kids in different cities. Here is our first one from Melbourne.

 

1. Soak your feet in the pool at the John Madejski Garden


The Victoria and Albert’s Museum (V&A) is a great place to hang out with kids, especially when the weather is hot as they can play in the garden’s shallow pool. The elegant courtyard is a real oasis for families, with a small restaurant offering a wide range of healthy food for all tastes. Parents can take turns to visit the permanent collections, or take the children to the British Design exhibit which is lots of fun and a must-see (until August 12) : architecture, design, fashion but also video clips from the Beatles and David Bowie and a room dedicated to video games. Cromwell Rd, London, SW7 2RL. Some exhibits are free, check http://www.vam.ac.uk

 

 

 

2. Visit the Wellcome Collection

 

The Wellcome Collection is a museum exploring the connections between medicine, life and art. The permanent collection is free, and displays an unusual mix of medical artifacts and original artworks. The museum is targeted to kids with interactive giant human body helps understanding the anatomy, films and stations to draw. The food served at the cafe is delicious (healthy). Don’t miss the video showing an aquatic creature turning into a human being in 7 minutes. Impressive.  And don’t miss the book store, full of treasures to read or to play with. Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK – www.wellcomecollection.org

 

 

3. Play with Yoko Ono at the Serpentine Gallery

 

Every summer, the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Part invites an architect to build a pavilion (see it here) in its garden. This year  the guests are Herzog&De Meuron + Ai Weiwei. The gallery itself hosts a show by Yoko Ono, that includes a glass maze, a giant chess game as well as an interactive video project called “smilesfilm”. Free entrance. Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA – www.serpentinegallery.org/

 

Photos by Florence Rolando

 
 

Oman – A Family Night in the Desert

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This is a guest post from Vanessa Boz from her wonderful and popular blog:  BozAround.

 

I’d like to tell you a bit about our recent trip to Oman, officially called the Sultanate of Oman. While we went there primarily to seek some sun and rest in the middle of the long English winter (read: we started with 5 nights in a family-geared sea-side resort called Zighy Bay, stunning location but must improve the family-geared aspect hence I wont speak so much about it here), we managed to have a bit of exciting family adventure in the desert, the highlight of our vacation.

It was the first time I (and we) were visiting the Arabian Peninsula (apart from a business trip to Dubai which had made me ‘allergic’ to those bling bling newly built cities….Btw, Oman/ Muscat is very different, much more authentic). When doing the maths (8 hours flight time + flight cost + year end premium + 4hours time difference), Oman came up as a winner vs. all the other sunny destinations we could have gotten to from London at this time of the year. Indeed it was an easy trip, starting with my first flight aboard an A380 (amazing!!! so spacious! so silent!!).

The highlight was our New Year’s eve night in the Wahiba Sands, a part of the desert located 3 hours drive from the capital Muscat. All of us enjoyed it.

 

From the million-stars sky to the bedouin tent and no-electricity camp, to the camel ride on the dunes, and the sand-board ride with the children…

 

This was our camp, Safari Desert Camp, (above) reached after 30min driving off-track in the desert, 25km from the closest town (some people drive themselves but I strongly recommend hiring a driver if you’re not used to driving on sand dunes!) A true Bedouin-style camp, owned by a Bedouin family. No swimming pool, no electricity. The real deal, but with style and (some) comfort!

 

This (photo above) was our tent, number 1. If you ever stay there, make sure to request a tent and not a hut as it’s infinitely more charming and authentic. They have about 10 tents in the camp, and maybe 5 or 6 huts made of concrete, probably more comfortable but so much less charming.

 

The tent was perfectly suited to a family of 4, with beautiful real beds, floors covered with colourful carpets, and tiny openings in the tent to see the stars and the moonlight.

 

At night, we were treated to a wonderful evening of traditional music and dance to celebrate the new year. Amalya stood up fearless, dancing under the torchlight with all the bedouin women dressed in their colourful outfits, while Marcelo fell slowly asleep on the pillows, to the beat of the drums.

 

…And then, we all headed to sleep at 9pm under the stars, wishing this would be the prelude to a beautiful New Year.

May all your dreams come true.

3 Top, Free Things To Do In Melbourne With Kids

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This is a guest post from Kate Nelson of the blog meetoo.com.au, dedicated to children’s activities in Melbourne.

If you are only in Melbourne for a few days and your time is limited make sure you check out some of these places you can enjoy with children of any age.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Melbourne is the capital of the Garden State – we are blessed with many beautiful parks. And the Botanical Gardens are among the finest in the world. The Gardens are a short tram ride from the centre of town or about 15-20 minutes walk from Flinders Street Station.

You can take a picnic or eat locally.  If you are looking for something nicer than cafeteria food then visit the strip of shops and cafes just outside the Gardens on Domain Road.  There are a number of great venues to eat to cater for most budgets – and most of them are very relaxed (they are used to joggers stopping after their lap of the running track).

The Gardens are a beautiful space to explore with meandering paths, ponds and lakes and different plantings from all over the world.  Best of all there is a dedicated Children’s Garden – which in summer is a wonderful place for Children to explore and play.  Be sure to bring extra clothes or swimmers as there are sprinklers and creeks to play in.  It is closed at certain times of the year and week, so make sure you check the website before you go to avoid being disappointed: Melbourne Children’s Garden

National Gallery of Victoria, NGV International, St. Kilda Road

Recently opened at the NGV is the Kids Space – a permanent dedicated gallery for children 0-8 years.  It is interactive, tactile and colourful – and best of all it’s fun.  Both my children love this space.

The Gallery also offers other spaces where children don’t need to be too ‘hushed’.  The Great Hall is a great space to sit and have a little picnic.  The kids can lie on the floor and stare up at the amazing stain glass ceiling. If you have school aged children ask at the information desk for one of the trail activities – keeps the older kids busy trying to find things within the exhibitions!

Outside at the back of the gallery is a garden – which is often under-utilised – and not only can the kids run around the sculptures, but in the back corner there is a climbing structure!

And finally a trip to the NGV is not complete without running your hands through the water-wall (see below) at the front entrance.

Federation Square, Swanston Street

Fed Square is the central public space in the city. Things to check out:

• Australian Center for the Moving Image – is a gallery dedicated to screen and cinema. Kids love the permanent exhibition as it’s a history of all things screen, so think video games, television and movies from the 1950’s and beyond – lots of fun!  ACMI also has its own cinemas that screen films – and it’s worth checking their listings for ‘kids flicks’ as the tickets are very reasonable at $6: http://www.acmi.net.au/kids_flicks.aspx

•Birrarung Marr – Down the side of Fed Square, on the riverbank, is an area called Birrarung Marr.  This is where you will find the city’s best playground!  And next to the playground is ArtPlay.  ArtPlay runs workshops for children of all ages – and you need to plan these well in advance.  Check their website to make bookings: Artplay. For more info about what’s on at Fed Square check their website: Fed Square

For more local insights, check out: meetoo.com.au. For child friendly places to eat: littleeats.com.au and for kid’s events listings alphabetstreet.com.au