Free for kids??

[Guest gormusoglu]

Hi, maybe a silly question, but apart from the beach in Adelaide, is there any free stuff for the kids to do? By this i mean a water park or something. I read in other parts of Australia they operate things for free, even in mount gambier.

 

Thanks

[snifter]

I like Tusmore Park.

 

http://playandgo.com.au/index.php/tusmore-park-paddling-pool-more-review/

 

If that is the kind of thing you are meaning.

[snifter]

Also this link might be handy

 

http://www.kidspot.com.au/thingstodo/sa-adelaide/parks-and-playgrounds.htm

 

And the Adelaide default page so you can find other stuff http://www.kidspot.com.au/thingstodo/sa-adelaide/default.htm

[Guest guest8040]

Tusmore Park looks fab!!!

[paulandkerry]

Our Council do free moonlight cinemas in the summer and there's also usually a few free concerts on (usually with some of the X Factor contestants and local bands) and of course the concert/fireworks New Years eve in Elder Park in the City is a great free event. Prospect/Walkerville Council do an excellent free event on a Thursday evening at Club 5082 for locals young bands. Depends on how old your kids are - mine's 15.

[Guest gormusoglu]

Hi snifter, yes that is exactly what I mean. Lovely park! We have two free pools in our area, so am still weighing up the pros and cons to moving over, or is it just battling with myself!!

 

Watched 'wanted down under - revisited' yesterday - yes i know I know, but they went to Adelaide and then went home to england after two months, then returned to Oz but went to Brisbane! So wanted to make sure there was enough there to do.

 

Can i ask PaulandKerry, does your son feel like there is enough for him to do in Adelaide? And do you as parents feel that he has a wide set of opportunities for when he leaves school? Don't wish to sound like I'm prying, but the main reason for me thinking about moving is because my 10 year old is bored stiff and just watches tv. He is quite sporty, but it is very costly and with my job, i find it hard to get him places after school.

 

Thanks everyone xx

[snifter]

Hi snifter, yes that is exactly what I mean. Lovely park! We have two free pools in our area, so am still weighing up the pros and cons to moving over, or is it just battling with myself!!

 

Watched 'wanted down under - revisited' yesterday - yes i know I know, but they went to Adelaide and then went home to england after two months, then returned to Oz but went to Brisbane! So wanted to make sure there was enough there to do.

 

Can i ask PaulandKerry, does your son feel like there is enough for him to do in Adelaide? And do you as parents feel that he has a wide set of opportunities for when he leaves school? Don't wish to sound like I'm prying, but the main reason for me thinking about moving is because my 10 year old is bored stiff and just watches tv. He is quite sporty, but it is very costly and with my job, i find it hard to get him places after school.

 

Thanks everyone xx

 

There are lots of parks around Adelaide that have small pools like that or big play areas and so on. Its not just that one

 

My husband and his brother grew up in Adelaide, as did many of their cousins and family. All of them had happy childhoods. They did lots of camping and sports and both did well education wise and are now both living overseas, married to people in those respective countries and both of them planning on returning to Adelaide to bring up their own kids. Some of the Aus family have kids now, aged between 1 year and 15 or so and all the school aged ones are happy, have clubs they do and so on. They all seem pretty happy with life there.

 

A lot of it will come down to what you and your kids make of it. If your 10 year old, having made the move continues to watch TV and not try much else he'll be as bored in Aus as he is in the UK. If he gets out there and gets stuck in, hopefully he'll not be bored.

 

There are things like junior lifesaving might appeal http://www.grangeslsc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=69 and plenty of other sports clubs around.

 

Personally I am looking forward to being in Adelaide later in the year. Hubby is keen to be back home also. Our son will be 5 by then and I can't wait to get him stuck in to life there.

[Guest gormusoglu]

That sounds great thanks snifter. I am trying to gather as much information as possible before we make the plunge. We are not fortuate enough to come over on a PR so the way we are coming is a big risk and so want to make sure it is the best place for us, not just Adelaide, but Australia.

 

My family are dead against it and say we are mad as we have an OK life here. My husband is not totally sold on the idea, but mainly as it is so far away from his family in turkey and his mum is really old now, so will be hard to get back there in time, if you catch my drift. So I am surrounded by negative comments.

 

With regard to my son, although he is not the only reason we are going, I know from living in Turkey where had limited resources, how we were much happier along with other people being more sociable and spending more time outside. So I am hoping that this will rub off on him in Australia and make him more interested in doing more things. He loves swimming, so the beach will help. The amount of time we have got the bikes out and then 10 minutes later we come back home because its raining! I am hoping also that it is safer over there, so within reason, I might be inclined to let him out to play with friends.

 

I will not know until we get there, but I am willing to take the risk. We do know people who live in Port Macquarine, and they wouldn't come back for all the money in the world. Until recently, they lived in a small house and very modestly and still they think it has been the best place to raise their children compared with the UK. They have been there for 25 years. They have worked hard though.

 

Thanks everyone

[Anne B]

There isn't much that's free, but some sports are relatively inexpensive, like Surf Life Saving and Little Athletics. There are loads of parks and playgrounds everywhere, and unlike the UK the swings and equipment aren't wet and muddy for half the year. Also quite a few skate parks, which don't seem full of grafitti, litter and underage drinking like they were in the UK. Ten year olds grow up quickly though, mine is a teenager now and his interests have changed dramatically. Lots of boys here are into scooters and skateboards and bikes. Lots play computer games (PS3 xbox) no different from the UK.

 

I would think very seriously about it of your husband isn't keen - the pull of family is very strong and he may never be happy if he is away from his elderly Mum. Have you thought of a reccie?

[Rachiegarlo]

Most schools have sports teams which are very cheap for the season. Practice is after school usually and the games on Saturday morning, but can be on Friday after school. Schools usually have cricket, football or soccer teams or both if numbers are there. Sometimes Tennis is offered, but there will be something. There is also scouts which is very affordable, with camps and outings and new skills.

[Guest gormusoglu]

Thanks everyone, Anne B, I'm not expecting a miracle lol, but just more opportunity to be outdoors. I don't mind him watching TV or playing games on the computer, but would rather he had more interestes along with those.

 

Reccie is out of the question as one we don't have the money as it is so costly to come to Australia, i would rather waste my money and do the move and then return, than do a holiday that costs a fortune and wastes the equity in our house. One of the reasons we want to come (there are many) is my husband is out of work so often so we just don't have the time to save. Two we are running out of 'age' time, which again relates to the work issue of not having the time to save and come before.

 

My husband doesn't see his mum as we live in England, it's just the thought of not being able to get to turkey in 4 hours if something happens to her that puts him off. And we can't put our lives on hold for one day in hers. I didn't say he wasn't keen, he is up for moving, he is not dragging his feet, but he hasn't the passion for it as he has said already 'I have emigrated already' and knows it is not easy, but he can see that here our children have a bit of a bleak future at present. But if you met my husband, you would know that he is a 'the glass is half empty person' and there is not a lot he will give 100% too lol. If you read my other posts, you can see that it is not a quick decision that we are making and we are trying to get as much information as possible before coming. (If it all comes off that is, we are still thinking about it).

 

Too much to explain over one forum page.

[Guest gormusoglu]

Also, thanks rachiegarlo, it's good to know that sports are available at the schools, as although they are available at ours, it is very limited and usually something like Chess and gardening, rather than sport. Then sport comes along and there is not enough spaces for them all!

 

We are not looking for everything that is free, I am expecting for childrens clubs etc. to be paid for, I do pay for swimming and football as it is and brownies for my daughter, but it was more the free parks I was interested in as we do like to ride our bikes to places rather than use the car all the time. We are quite lucky where we live to have many parks here, so wanted to make sure the place we moved to have similar so that we would not be disappointed and miss the parks here, if that makes sense. Although, as stated before, they are always wet and full of mud or grafitti!!

 

I am a bit of a planning freak, so am on here alot and logging records of areas, rentals, schools, parks, dangerous creatures, and the quantity of 'nice' and helpful comments I have had, as some are not so nice, on these forums, in hope that I will get as much of a full picture of what we are doing before we make the ultimate step to do it.

 

So sorry guys you will see me a lot more and probably asking all sorts of daft questions!!

 

Hopefully soon to be in Adelaide.....

[Guest pizzicarella]

St Kilda is pretty fun. Its not close by... but it lots of fun.