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By Andrew McKenna Let's face it, who doesn't love a cable car? Small children, adults grinning stupidly, commuters at the bottom of the mountain ... James Bond. Some of my highlights from travelling overseas have been trips on cable cars. Valparaíso has a beauty. To be more precise it's a funicular railway, climbing up a steep hillside with the brilliant colours of Valpa and the sea beyond spreading below.  Another ripper was in Bournemouth, but this time I had the added thrill of taking my boys on it. They were wide-eyed with delight, and it remains one of the highlights...

Every child is born an artist. It is remaining an artist that is difficult. — Pablo Picasso. Every child seems to be born with a creative impulse. It's instinctive, as much a part of being human as is higher thought or longing to go home. Of course not all your little guys will turn out to be Picassos, but by nurturing and encouraging the art maker in your child, they will undoubtedly become more of a rounded human being. They will be better at seeing other points of view, be better at thinking for themselves and working out new ways...

The forest - the grim, dark, rejuvenating, life-giving, mysterious forest. In folktales the world over, there's something special about going into the forest. The hero on his or the heroine on her quest inevitably treks deep into the forest. There are helpers and dangers along the way. In one lovely Danish tale, three brothers take it in turn to set out through the forest to bring a healing apple to an ailing princess. When they lose their way an old lady appears, asking what they have in their basket. The first two brothers don't spare her the time of day,...

Giant Jenga games, Shirts and Skirts, interactive games ... it's all coming together on Sunday, 9 November at Abbotsford's Convent for the Open Day. "The day will be a great opportunity for children, parents and students to come and discover the riches at the Abbotsford Convent," said Ujjval Goble of Dragonfly Toys. The Open Day will give everyone the opportunity to explore the fascinating history of Abbotsford's Convent, meet its artists, and enjoy its markets and workshops. There will be giant interactive Jenga games, including a block stacking game, giant chess, giant Connect 4, noughts and crosses writ large, and...

Painting a tiger or a snake or a butterfly on a child's face is similar to the child donning a mask. If you've dabbled in Commedia or theatre or even just tried masks on, you'll know there's a certain power in a mask. It's akin to donning a new persona. When I tell stories to kids I use masks, and each one, whether it be a crow or a galah or the mighty sun, brings its own energy and power. Some masks used in Tibetan ceremonies are kept locked away all year, and only brought out for an annual ritual. And...