As worldschoolers, we are always looking for opportunities to explore and adventure but also to educate our children (and ourselves!) They often go hand-in-hand, and we find educational opportunities naturally develop whereever we are. Here are our three options for an edventurous day out on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve
This magical spot caters for the whole family and really can be a full day out! First of all there’s a great onsite café with spectacular views of the Glasshouse Mountains, a great first stop to grab a coffee and morning tea, as well as a spectacular photo opportunity! Try to sit at a table outside for the best views of the mountains in the distance.
Once your tummies are full, its time to enter the fantastic Discovery Centre next door. From the hand-carved timber doors to the interactive displays, this place has been so well designed. The Discovery Centre offers hands-on learning- lots of buttons, sounds and visuals to immerse children (and adults) into the rainforest. We love the tunnels with little doors to open revealing rainforest animals and the cave room, a dark display of nighttime in the rainforest. Our son was particularly fond of this room when he was a baby, I lost count of the times I sat in there breastfeeding!!!!!!
The staff (mostly volunteers) are also very friendly and knowledgeable.
After all of this, you could think its time to go home, but you haven’t stepped foot in the rainforest yet! The back door to the Centre leads you out to a boardwalk and the entry to Mary Cairncross Scenic walk. The walk is easy and can even be accessed by wheelchair or pram. It’s 2 kilometre return track winding through the rainforest, with impressive huge fig trees, vines and wildlife such as pademelons, bats and birds. You may even spot a snake or two!!!!
And if your children still have energy to burn after all of this, there’s a fantastic playground and BBQ area near the carpark. It’s the perfect ending to a lovely (and educational) family day out.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES- Interactive displays (learning about Australian animals and their habitats), Rainforest walk (Spotting and naming rainforest flora and fauna), Glasshouse Mountains viewing platform (history and identifying mountains).
The Rainforest Discovery Centre is open from 10am to 2pm daily, with the Rainforest walks open from 7am to 6pm daily.
Australia Zoo
The home of the Crocodile Hunter, this zoo has been really well planned that walking through the tropical landscaped gardens is a real treat. It is so spacious enabling your kids to run around from exhibit to exhibit while you relax and enjoy the stroll. The Croc Show is a must watch, its awesome to watch the crocodiles jump out of the water to snatch their food. There’s also parrots and other animals in the show which keep it entertaining. The show is a great opportunity to grab a bite to eat and watch from the tables in the kiosk or the seats in the arena.
A highlight for kids and adults is the free-roaming kangaroo area where they can be fed by hand. They are surprisingly gentle and even our daughter, who is hesitant to feed farm animals loved feeding the kangaroos! It’s a great iconic Australian photo opportunity too! We suggest taking a pram/stroller/cart to wheel your bags and tired kids around (particularly when getting to the African exhibit which is a LONG way for little feet!) We also recommend heading to this exhibit first as it’s always the hottest/most exposed area of the zoo, getting there earlier in the day will ensure everyone enjoys the day so much more. Also pack your children’s swimmers and towel as they have a little water park to cool off in the Sunshine Coast humidity.
All in all, this is a full day of fun and education that the whole family will enjoy!
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES- Zoo Map (map reading skills and following directions), Information signs at each exhibit (reading skills and learning all the information on them), Feeding kangaroos (How to interact with animals, what they eat), Observing animal appearance, habitat and behavior, Geography of animals around the world.
Australia Zoo is open daily from 9am-5pm.
The Ginger Factory
One for both the adult ginger lovers and the kids! The Ginger Factory is a relaxed day out set amongst beautiful tropical gardens. There’s a café serving lunch, drinks and cake (try the Ginger scones with a cup of coffee- my personal favorite!) while you watch your children play in the playground. There’s also the popular option to DYO (Decorate Your Own) gingerbread, where you may find your child eats the icing before it even makes it onto the gingerbread!!! To burn up all that sugar, take a leisurely stroll through the gardens while the kids search for characters from the well-known book, The Gruffalo. There are two rides, the Ginger Train ride and the Overboard boat ride. The 100 year-old train, Moreton gives riders a taste of history as well as a short tour through the grounds where you can see the gardens, boat ride and ginger factory. The boat ride is reminiscent of the It’s a Small World ride at Disneyland, taking visitors on a journey around the world featuring more than 200 moving puppets! Note, if your children are afraid of the dark then you may want to stick to the playground! Finally, for the adults there are tours of the Ginger Factory to see how ginger is grown and produced into the large array of ginger products sold on site.
There really is something for the whole family here!
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES- Decorating gingerbread (fine-motor skills, design), Playground (gross-motor skills, climbing, running), Train ride (history of the factory, riding in a steam train), Boat ride (differences in cultures/places around the world, spotting the gingerbread man in each scene), Walk through the rainforest (deciphering clues on the Gruffalo walk, identifying parts of nature) and so much more!
Entry to the Ginger Factory is free, costs of rides and tours.