Summertime with Kids - Love it or Hate it?

Summer's fast approaching once again - the season that most people love, and others just hate with a passion.

It's a season of sunshine and long days, tinged with a sense of freedom and that glorious smell of coconut suntan lotion. Or did this image stop once the kids came along?

As a child, summer basically meant a welcome break from school, albeit that we'd be terribly bored by mid-August. As an adult, those summer memories linger but perhaps the days aren't quite as carefree as one would like them to be, especially when you have children that need attention and entertainment.

I'm very grateful that my LO will be attending summer nursery this year because I know that he'll have lots of fun with friends, playing and learning with his peers able to have fun with water games and other activities that require outdoor space (sadly, something that is becoming a luxury in today's homes).

I myself had attended summer school when I was younger and I made new friends there, some of whom I'm still in contact with till this day.

What are your plans for the summer and how do you plan on keeping your LO entertained?

Google Santa Tracker

I had seen this in previous years but I forgot about it completely and came across it just by chance - the Google Santa Tracker!

Google have created a Santa village with games and other fun stuff and then on Christmas Eve Google Maps will be tracking Santa's sleigh as he travels all around the world delivering presents to the children - the ones that appear on his list of course ;)

Places to take kids in Malta

Children need entertainment. They want to run around and have fun, play and explore, be free and be happy. So where can you go in Malta that is suitable for kids?

Here's a (non-exhaustive) list of places to take your children for a few hours of fun. Note that not all places are suitable for very young kids.

I haven't included places like 'the swings' because practically each town and village has a small play area available.

I'd love for this list to remain updated and hopefully get longer so please do email me with your suggestions and recommendations and if I think that they are suitable I'll definitely add them.

Attard

• The President's Kitchen Garden - St. Anthony Street
• San Anton Gardens

Bahar ic-Caghaq

• Splash & Fun Water Park (open beginning May - beginning October)
• Mediterraneo Marine Park

Birzebbugia

• Playmobil Funpark - Industrial Estate, Hal Far

Bugibba

• Quattro Play Kids Cafe - Gifen Street
• Malta Bugibba Water Park - Promenade (summer only)

Burmarrad

• Bird Park Malta - Triq l-Imdawra

Fgura

• Jumperoo - Gallarija Shopping Complex

Marsascala

• Sant Antnin Family Park

Mellieha

• Popeye Village - Anchor Bay

Mosta

• Ludi Recreation Centre - Eucharistic Congress Street

Qawra

• Malta National Aquarium

St Julians/Paceville

• Eden Superbowl - St George's Bay
• Funland - St George's Street

Ta' Qali

• BoV Adventure Park
• Ta' Qali National Park
• Petting Farm

Bugibba Water Park

Please feel free to email me with other places - none of these are paid listings.

Review - Maltamum Party at Quattro, Bugibba

On Saturday I took my LO to the Maltamum party which was being held at Quattro in Bugibba. I was curious about going to Quattro because I had seen its Facebook page and it looked very inviting... and I am pleased to say that it really was. 

It took me a while to find because I don't know my way around Bugibba very well, but then I realised just how easy it really is (it's round the corner from the cinema, effectively) and I was pleasantly surprised at how much parking there was. 

Upon entering the place the first thing you see are jars of old-fashioned sweets - yum! There's a colourful bar area with seating available, and there are also a couple of tables al fresco, but the main attraction lies towards the back of the establishment where there is a large soft play area that is divided into two sections - one is for toddlers and the other is for the slightly older kids. Having said that, the kids tend to mix in each section and it's all very safe. 

Should your toddler venture into the 'older kids' area just keep an eye out for the other kids because they can be rough. Case in point, I saw a boy who pushed my LO down the slide! Thankfully he slid down easily and wasn't at all bothered, but I was, because I saw it happen and saw that the boy did it purposely (Grrr!) Thankfully it was the only incident in the two hours that I was there, and there were quite a few children around so I think that counts as successful :)

The soft play area at Quattro, Bugibba (Malta)

You will need socks for your LO and yourself if you do go into the soft play area. I didn't know this when I went but Quattro are well prepared for this eventuality and sell both baby and adult socks for €1 a pair.

The staff at Quattro are very helpful and friendly which is always such a relief, and they have a very decent menu with plenty of food options that kids will like, and at reasonable prices. With regard to the pricing for playtime, because this was a Maltamum party, entrance was free, but I will definitely go back and then I'll be able to tell you more about that. 

The party in itself was fun and well organised and I think that Quattro was the ideal place for that kind of event. The goody bag at the end was a very sweet touch - literally - as it was a bag of smarties and candy. I'm not too sure how I'd have felt about that had my LO been older and able to 'appreciate' the goodies. It seemed like the ideal set-up for a sugar rush from hell vs. a tantrum from hell if you try to take them away. Thankfully I was able to avoid that by giving him one single marshmallow and then putting the bag away without any reaction. 

Thank you to Elisaveta from Maltamum for the lovely party and I look forward to going to Quattro again for some more fun play!

Review - Ludi

I think it's fairly obvious that there aren't all that many child-friendly places to go to in Malta so when something new opens there are high expectations.

I found out about Ludi via Facebook and the photos look promising so I thought that I'd see what it's all about. Gathered a couple of friends and off we went to Ludi in Mosta which describes itself as "Not just a bookshop, but a fun and creative space to learn and to be."

I think that it definitely has the potential to be that but it's not quite there yet.

Here are the pros and cons*

Pros

• The first impressions are good as the place is large and there are beautiful artworks and murals everywhere - you can tell that a lot of time and effort was put into making the place look special and appealing to kids.

• The space is very inviting and can take a fair amount of children without getting too crowded. 

• There is a lovely selection of books in both English and Maltese are available for sale, although I wasn't quite sure whether any were 'samples' as they were all at kid's level allowing them all to be touched by little fingers.

• Also, a great selection of toys - most of them wooden - and suitable for various ages. 

• The 'play area' has a padded flooring which is always welcome for the little ones and appears to be very clean.

• There is a lovely nappy-changing area which is private, yet still within the room, and which is clean and equipped with the basic necessities.

• It is possible to sit down and have a drink and a chat while your child plays safely - and I think that is the ultimate requirement of all parents.

• The staff are very friendly and helpful and very good at interacting with the kids.

Cons

• There's no air-conditioning so it can get a bit stuffy although there is a back yard which allows air to circulate.

• Children aren't allowed in the backyard, yet the door is open and there is no gate to prevent them from going outside (so you might spend most of your time acting as a goalkeeper to keep your little one indoors).

• The menu focuses on being healthy which appears to be a lifestyle choice of the owners and that's fine, but unfortunately none of the things that we ordered were actually very tasty. The cappuccino was a basic coffee, the tea was Early Grey (as opposed to regular English Breakfast) which is a very particular taste and sadly the cake was bland (not even the kids ate it). Considering that it's part of the 'price package' I think that this definitely needs some sprucing up.

Star rating: 3.5-4/5 (it really does hover between a 3.5 and a 4)

Conclusion: Overall I did like the place and I will definitely go back

* this is completely my own opinion based on my experience and should not prevent you from going to the place and trying it out for yourself