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A woman helps two young boys with a craft activity at a table, drawing on red paper with markers. One boy wears glasses and a green jumper; the other wears a black cap and a Ramones-print t-shirt, smiling as he holds a green marker.

Your toddler's new pet needs no feeding

Fast 5 Your top weekday events guide + the best posts for under 5s Event Picks ๐ŸŒŸ Featured Event PAW Patrolโ„ข Live! Race to the Rescue (Saturday 22 - Sunday 23 Aug) Ryder and the pups hit the stage in an action-packed musical adventure, plus your chance to win a family holiday to Sea World. ๐Ÿ“CBD ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne CBD โž More CBD picks Melbourne Winter Night Market (Wednesdays until 26 Aug) Queen Victoria Market's Wednesday night market returns with street food, fire pits and free entry all winter....
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Young and older kids stand around a long table cooking and preparing various foods in a cooking class

Say hello to Tot Teens ๐Ÿ‘‹

Tot Teens Monthly events and ideas for tweens + teens Hi there Reader I started publishing Tot 15 years ago when I had a newborn daughter. Back in 2011, everyone was writing blogs, Instagram hadn't been invented and there wasn't a single place to discover the best things to do in Melbourne and Victoria with kids. If you've been with Tot from the start, then your kids are teenagers now too. And you've been asking us for more content relevant to your family's stage in life. So I'm excited to...
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All the Play School characters sitting on a red couch together

There's a K-pop party for kids now ๐Ÿ‘€

The Weekend Bulletin Curated weekend fun + latest posts, straight to your inbox Hi Reader I don't often use this space to talk about things outside of Tot, but I wanted to share a couple of things I've been loving lately - plus something we made ourselves this week. ABC's Australian Story went behind the scenes of Play School for its 60th anniversary. If Big Ted and the arched window were as much a part of your childhood as mine, it's a lovely nostalgic watch. Turns out even the pauses in...
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A young boy in a knitted beanie feeds goats through a fence at a farm.

Ever fed a goat before breakfast?

Fast 5 Your top weekday events guide + the best posts for under 5s Event Picks ๐ŸŒŸ Featured Event Lightscape (Daily until Sunday 2 Aug) Royal Botanic Gardens transforms into a nighttime light trail, with brand-new installations from artists around the world this winter. ๐Ÿ“CBD ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne CBD โž More CBD picks Mandarin Storytime (Monday 27 Jul) Half an hour of Mandarin-language stories followed by a craft activity. For ages 3โ€“5, bookings essential. ๐Ÿ“CBD Rare Book Week (Various sessions, Monday 27...
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Two rangers in green uniforms sit on a picnic rug with two young children at a grassy coastal reserve.

Some of you might remember this

The Weekend Bulletin Curated weekend fun + latest posts, straight to your inbox Hi Reader Some of you might remember the small walking tour of Footscray Market I ran last year. It sold out within days. We worked our way through banh mi still warm from the oven, raspberry pistachio croissants, and Venezuelan tequeรฑos I'd never tried before. But it was the stories behind the food - resilience, community, generations of family businesses - that stuck with me most. I'm not running my own tour...
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Youth Myki Design Competition run by Transport Victoria

Win $1,000 for designing the next Youth myki!

The Youth myki Design Competition is back for 2026! All Victorians aged 5 to 17 are invited to design the next Youth myki. If youโ€™ve got a fridge covered in masterpieces, this is your childโ€™s chance to see their art travel far, in the hands of young people across the state. Youth myki Design Competition 2026 by Transport Victoria Whether itโ€™s hand-drawn or digital, weโ€™re looking for original, creative designs that capture the spirit of young Victorians. Entries close Sunday 2 August 2026. All...
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Two young girls stand inside a giant illusion cylinder in an ArtVo mural of an enchanted forest, with a giant hand above them, oversized flowers, a fairy and butterflies

Yes, cushion cakes are a thing

Fast 5 Your top weekday events guide + the best posts for under 5s Event Picks ๐ŸŒŸ Featured Event The Wiggles: Sparkle! BIG SHOW (Saturday 28 Nov) Australia's favourite family group return with a new arena tour packed with music, colour and non-stop sparkle. ๐Ÿ“ CBD ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne CBD โž More CBD picks Auslan Storytime (Monday 20 Jul) Deaf storytellers bring stories to life in Auslan at this inclusive session for kids aged 3 to 5, with no bookings required. ๐Ÿ“ CBD Stompers (Tuesdays + Thursdays...
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Several young go-karters wearing helmets race on an indoor track, with a staff member assisting one driver at the starting line and an orange traffic cone marking the track edge.

Kids grow up fast (so are we)

The Weekend Bulletin Curated weekend fun + latest posts, straight to your inbox Hey Reader Kids grow up fast, and your recent feedback made it clear it was time for Tot to keep up. So, say ๐Ÿ‘‹ to Tot Teens, launching in just 2 weeks! Tot Teens is a monthly edition just for the parents wrangling older kids. Consider it the newsletter your survey answers helped bring to life. That means three editions now live under the Tot Hot or Not roof: the Weekend Bulletin for school-age weekend plans (every...
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A young girl in a striped top presses a button on a pink Bluey-themed Toniebox 2 speaker sitting on a coffee table at home.

Your littlie's favourite pups are calling

Fast 5 Your top school holiday events guide + the best posts for under 5s Event Picks ๐ŸŒŸ Featured Event PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue (Saturday 22 + Sunday 23 Aug) Watch Ryder and the pups race to save Adventure Bay in this action-packed musical stage show, with lessons in teamwork along the way. ๐Ÿ“ CBD ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Melbourne CBD โž More CBD picks Songbirds Storytime (Mondays) Songs, rhymes and stories made for babies and toddlers up to 18 months, a gentle way to spark their love of language. ๐Ÿ“...
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