Kidzania

As a closet anarchist of sorts, I strongly prefer to avoid organised, packaged  entertainment like theme parks and party games. So when the homeschoolers proposed a Kidzania outing, I secretly contemplated feigning a sprained ankle while signing up.

In the end however, we went. We arrived at 9 and were ushered into the then brand spanking new theme park where the kids got to pretend to be adults; get jobs, earn money and save or spend it. For all my wanting my kids to break free from the system and therefore opting to homeschool, my kids were perversely overjoyed by the entire concept. One was a definite big spender, one was so miserly I think he will be the first Kidzania millionaire and the last a total sheep, veering from copying one sibling’s nonchalance to wishing he had more to deposit in the bank.

My jaded cynicism aside, it is all in all an interesting and fun experience for the kids. I guess its a good thing to realise that you work lots to earn not much to buy even less. The uniforms and costumes are terribly cute and even I was impressed by the scope of the place.

A word of warning : Parents be ready to spend a lot of time on your feet. And to eat warm, coloured cardboard. The food is one step from inedible.

 

 

CSI agents

 

Another family passion

We’re into our animals and would really like our friends and readers to read this from my other blog

Caring for and helping animals to find homes has been rewarding, challenging, educational and eye opening for the entire family.  The kids are involved and they contribute so sincerely and in such unexpected ways that it’s a constant reminder that their viewpoint and innocence are something to be enjoyed.  So glad they are with me all day!

Note that while we mostly work with cats, I have almost none as the kids and cats together usually result in a flurry of manic movement that my limited photographic skills cannot capture withour inducing nausea in both photographer and viewer.  So you’ll have to use your imagination

Homeschoolers Playdate at Kepong Kite Park

Tomorrow, Sunday 16th Jan, we are going to the Kepong Kite Park to meet up with Fiona and her kids at 4.30pm.  It’s all very exciting and anyone else who’d like to come is most welcome.  There’s no agenda or plan, just the aim to have fun and make friends.

For those of you who do’t know it, it’s a gorgeous public park where many people go to fly kites.  The alsmot constant breeze from highway traffic zooming by helps I think.  The whole place is (mostly) well maintained and pleasant.  People sell kites from their vans and there always seems to be an ice cream seller on his bike.

The children adore spending time there and Bern actually celebrated his 5th birthday there.  The reflexology path is pure torture and the kids howl with laughter when Jon and myself attempt it.  Not sure about bathroom facilities but parking is limited.  I’ve read that you can fish at the lake but thats a dubious pleasure as I’m not enamored of the idea of sitting for hours on end in the hopes of maybe catching a fish.

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Anyways, pop by if you fancy joining us.  We’ll be there with our kites and lots of water.  Drop me an email at aliciahorsley@gmail.com or DM via Twitter @aliciahorsley if you need to.

Butterfly Park

When we revisited Lake Garden, we also squeezed in a visit to the Butterfly Park.  Since the 120 species of butterflies and the rambling garden are much described, I will tell you about the less well known ‘attractions’ of the park.

It has a very large (at least by my gues-timation) collection of preserved bugs, beetles, butterflies and moths.  Bern was morbidly fascinated and kept dragging me off to look at ‘that spotted beetle’ and his ‘favourite beetle’ and the ‘coolest ever beetle’, while Katelin spent ages deliberating over which was the most beautiful butterfly.  She decided that the iridescent South American Morpho butterflies were the most attractive.  Cian was delighted to be allowed to hold his very first ‘own’ Ribena.  We figured it would be OK for him to spill the stuff, plus he was already filthy from the playground.

It is here that I admit that I passed many educational opportunities to broaden their knowledge of these fascinating creatures: but I was so creeped out by the bugs and beetles.  And they were dead!  It made me remember the time Jon took me to the Natural History Museum in London.  I almost passed out at all the displays.  I still cannot decide what confused me more, the ‘life-likeness’ of the dead animals or the ‘deadness’ the glass eyes looking back at me.

Once you find the entrance, (which is inadvertantly small and missable) the place is easy to navigate.  However, don’t bother with your pushchair as there are lots and lots of stairs.  There are toilets but I cannot comment on the quality of them as we didn’t need them (to my surprise).  We paid RM24 for two adults and two children, which is pretty fair.  There was an additional fee for the camera but I forget how much.

Lake Gardens

This tropical paradise is a wonderful place to take your kids.  There are toilets within walking distance from the main play area.  The play area itself it enormous, fairly well maintained and clean.  It can be warm, so remember the sun block.  However, we didn’t have a problem with mozzies, which I found disconcerting as there is a lake there.  Stagnant water = mozzies, or so I assumed.  Also, parking is a little odd.  We had to park some distance away at the parking areas of other attractions and take the shuttle bus over.  However, I attribute this to the fact that the LAMAN festival was taking place.  Will update you once I visit again during a non-event week.

UPDATE: Sept 2008

Jon had a few days off so we took the kids back.  It was great fun as we had our red wagon with us too.  Parking was ridicuously simple, it’s by the main entrance, not 30 feet away.  However, none of the water fountains work, nor are they are any vendors selling water (becuase it is fasting month) so we had to leave due to thirst.  Yes, I was silly not to bring any.  Weikim would’ve!