This year Children’s Week runs from 23-31 October and celebrates the talents, skills and achievements of children, and their right to connect with others and respectfully share their views.

This year’s theme is ‘Children have the right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others’. 

To celebrate Children’s Week, we’ve made a series of neighbourhood pop-up playstations that engage the senses, capture the imagination, and encourage creative expression.

Look out for them on the street outside ACC and at the Wingrove Street shops. Our playstations all have different themes to suit different interests and are designed so children can stop for a play by themselves or if the choose, share the experience with a friend.

Our playstations are just one of over 115 free Children’s Week events supported by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. You can also check out other events taking place across Victoria at www.education.vic.gov.au/childrensweek.

Keep your eye out over the long weekend for this super cute covid-safe neighbourhood play experience.

I saw this video being shared this week on the Alphington Facebook page, and I thought I’d also share it, because the Be You T Fool street art on the Chandler Bridge is just so wonderful … and it is so interesting to learn the story behind it.

I hope you enjoy it too.

We’re looking forward to holding our Christmas 🎄 makers market this year. Save the date, Saturday 27 November - you’re guaranteed to feel great 😊 when you have your Christmas shopping done ✔️ before the start of December. And … it’s just lovely to support local makers and micro-businesses … especially after this tough year!

Speaking of which, if you are a local maker and you’d like a stall you can book one here.

Remember our community building blocks? Well they are ready for their street debut.

We’ve made a little (fake) grassy bench for them, and added a lick of paint here and there.

They’ll be out on the corner from this weekend.

This year we are again super pleased to receive funding from the Department of Education and Training to deliver a Children’s Week neighbourhood activity … and here’s a sneak peak at one of eight playstations that will be out on the street as part our efforts to promote creative and imaginative play and create opportunities for children to play by themselves or with others as they choose.

How cute are all these little snails? Lee made them from polymer clay and shells donated by Shirley

Take a stroll past ACC and the Wingrove Street shops to check out our snail world … and the other seven playstations we’ve created as well - from Wednesday!

And what about these pot plants with appendages? Gorgeous.