Let the kids roam free on Kyneton Show Day this Saturday to explore their imaginations with hours of free activities in the kids’ zone around the netball courts.
There’ll be a new ‘free play’ addition in the kids’ tent where youngsters can choose from a craft smorgasbord, reusing materials like cardboard tubes, boxes, fabric, yarn and ribbon to make – whatever they want.
Organiser Anna Dart said the idea was that they exercised their imaginations.
“The kids come in and rummage through all these materials and that’s when their ideas come,” Anna said. “So it’s not a pre-set activity. They can make whatever they like.”
Anna runs Kyneton kids’ craft studio Little Think Big and says the process is more important than the end result.
“There’s problem solving. It’s not just making something pretty and perfect. It’s trying something out and getting it to work. It builds their confidence too when they can struggle with it a bit and work it out.”
She said it could be a challenge for parents to step back and leave their kids to it.
“They want to offer suggestions and ask them what they are making,” Anna said.
“Especially for the younger ones, they’re exploring. They’re not fussed about making a particular thing. They’re practising cutting or just enjoying squeezing the glue or brushing. It’s a process of discovery.”
Anna will also have a playdough station and a sand pit with different pots and pans for sand play for smaller kids.
“I bring the loose parts, they bring the imagination and magic happens.”
Free to good home
Also in the kids’ tent there are easels for budding artists, free face painting and more.
In The Farm Workshop kids can try their hand at woodwork and make a tractor, tool box, boot remover or their own creation, branded with the Kyneton Show logo, to take home for free.
This year The Farm Shed has a magical touch with glitter and craft for younger kids to make to take home, plus amazing animals twisted from balloons. See how a sheep is shorn, test your milking technique and guess – whose poo?
Anna said she fell in love with the show when her family moved to Kyneton three years ago.
“It was the first event that I said, I just love this place. It brings the whole community together. It’s such a family event with all the animals and so many free craft activities.
“I had such an appreciation for that effort to do all those activities for kids so if I can give back a little bit I will,” Anna said. It makes me so happy.”
2018 Kyneton Show action – what’s on
Dodgem cars, your favourite rides, showbags and camel rides both days – plus all your favourite animals and hours of free fun.
Friday night only
Bigger kids will love the Friday night Carnival, Friday November 16 from 5.30-10.30pm. As well as all the rides, there’s free laser tag in the haybales, and trophies for whoever can stay on the bucking bull the longest. Challenge your mates on the Meltdown in the wipeout challenge – all free, down around the netball courts.
Utes are back this year, on the oval from 5.30pm. Vote for the People’s Choice winner before judging at 7pm. Grab a seat in the Grandstand to enjoy live local music from 7.30-10.30pm with solo artists Marty McKenna and Mat Dynon playing a mix of original songs and covers, plus Melbourne-based band Colouring Cats, and Battle of the Bands winner Dr Frisco playing original songs before and after the fabulous fireworks at 9pm.
Show Day
Get in early to pick up the Treasure Hunt showbag – the best value in the state at $8! Follow the gorgeous map designed by illustrator Lucy King to explore every corner of the show, filling your bag as you go with lunch, Anzac biscuit, more gorgeous illustrations to take home and colour in plus some surprise experiences around the showgrounds. There are only 200 so first in, best dressed.
Free activities
There are dodgem cars, your favourite rides and showbags but you don’t have to spend an extra cent once you’re in the gates with plenty of animals to see and loads of FREE activities to exercise the kids’ imaginations all day.
Our country parkour is back by popular demand. It’s an obstacle course of hay bales, giant tractor tyres and all sorts of challenges to wear the kids out with a separate circuit for littler legs.
They can even make stuff to take home – all for free: exercise their imaginations in the giant kids’ tent with free-range craft, easels for budding artists, free face painting, and more – and the kids can take home whatever they make.
In The Farm Workshop Kids of all ages love woodwork and in the Farm Workshop they can make their own toy tractor, tool box or boot remover, or their own invention, branded with the Kyneton Show logo – all free.
This year The Farm Shed has a magical touch with glitter and craft for younger kids to make to take home, plus amazing animals twisted from balloons! See how a sheep is shorn, test your milking technique and guess – who’s poo?
There’s fun for bigger kids and grown ups too with a chance to test your cycling skills on a towering Penny Farthing under the expert guidance of our bicycle guru Paddy O’Sullivan. He’ll show off his stable of weird and wonderful bikes from a replica 1880s tricycle kitted out as a fire fighting unit to a two tier tandem. Over 8 year olds can try the Little Penny, around half the size of the Penny Farthing on the netball courts in the middle of the free zone. And there are free pony rides and the Lions train for smaller adventurers.
Animals
In the morning, see all the animal judging. On the oval, see serious stallions, spotted appaloosa, pretty ponies and fancy dress fun for novices. At 12.30pm it’s the harness horses’ turn, wheeling their carriages around the oval, from sulkies to delivery wagons from days of old. Enter from 8am on Show Day.
Do you know a Frizzle from a Pekin, a Plymouth Rock from a Rhode Island? See 176 classes of pure bred poultry, proud roosters and waterfowl plus turkeys for the first time in the chook pavilion. Juniors can enter their birds in the novelty classes before 9am Show Day.
Next door, marvel as our junior cattle handlers and champion herdsmen – and women – show off their animal handling skills, parading enormous prize bulls, cows and their calves till lunchtime.
On the bottom oval, see just how much primping and preening it takes to be show ready if you’re a pure bred pooch in the biggest dog show outside the Royal Melbourne Show.
The This Farm Needs A Farmer team will be there all day to answer your questions with alpacas, bees, insects for farming, timber and more. There’ll be demonstrations and lots of tips for wannabe or beginner farmers.
The Wildlife Gone Walkabout team will introduce you to the wonders of some of our native animals where you can safely stroke a snake or a lizard and meet some of our other indigenous wildlife – all FREE.
Free pony rides might be more your child’s speed and little ones will love story time at Farmer Darryl’s animal nursery, with a chance to get up close to ducklings, lambs, kid goats, a calf, a fawn (baby deer) and, for the first time, a tiny, wriggly piglet.
Pavilion open Friday and Saturday
The Watts’ Pavilion will open Friday night for the first time as well as all day Saturday so don’t miss this amazing display of stunning flowers scenting the giant shed, filled with home grown produce and local talent, with entries mailed in from all around Australia.
See the best of country baking, intricate needlework and fine knitting, admire the artistic talent, the photography by all ages and all the clever craft, but most of all share the joy as excited exhibitors, young and old, rush in to see their work on display – and find out who’s won!
Entry
Entry is $15 for adults, children under 16 $5, pensioners $10.
Family pass (2 adults, 4 children) $30
Two-day family pass $50
Book online: www.kynetonshow.org.au
