Kids 'go green' at the Living Smart Festival

Date Posted: 29 August 2012

This year's Living Smart Festival on Saturday 15 September is set to be the best ever for kids, with interactive performances by ABC TV's dirtgirl, and much more.

Young people can get up and close with dirtgirlafter she performs live on stage, and have even more fun at the 1233 ABC Newcastle Planet Kids area, where they can learn drumming, try yoga, and enjoy solar-powered Wii games all day.

Council's Manager Sustainability, Alice Howe, said the Festival's kids' area is bigger and better this year.

"It's important for kids to learn about sustainability from a young age and Planet Kids makes green living fun," Dr Howe said.

"Kids can have fun jumping on the bike to make a pedal powered smoothie, check out the Reverse Cycle vending machine, or take part in some of the fun workshops and exhibits. It is also a great chance to explore the award-winning Lake Macquarie Variety Playground."

1233 ABC Newcastle Planet Kids features:

  • dirtgirlworld – join Charlie Darling in her quest to find "dirtgirl", to see if she can be the most eco-friendly person in the whole of dirtgirlworld. Can she compost, reduce, reuse, recycle, harvest rain water, plant a garden, swap and barter, use eco fuel, scare away predators naturally and, last but not least, get grubby! dirtgirl thinks it is all great fun and uses songs and games to navigate her way through the challenges. She phones friends (just like in her ABC TV show) and asks the kids in the audience to help her out by joining in to prove that she has the Eco Factor!
  • Kids' drumming workshop – learn simple rhythms and enjoy fun drum games
  • Kids' yoga – healthy body and healthy minds
  • Oakvale Farm – get up close to our animal friends
  • Aboriginal painting – learn about Aboriginal culture and create your own artwork
  • Recycled arts and craft – turn waste into art

2012 Living Smart Festival

When:  Saturday 15 September

Time:   9am – 3pm

Where: Speers Point Park

Cost:    Free

Festival highlights:

  • dirtgirlworld live show
  • Shannon Lush – green cleaning expert and author of Spotless
  • Lish Fejer – green it yourself expert as seen on ABC TV's Carbon Cops
  • Ask an Expert – get answers to all your gardening, water, energy, green building, bike maintenance, renovating and green cleaning questions
  • 1233 ABC Newcastle Planet Kids – activities and entertainment
  • Lake Aboriginal cultural cruise – free trips on the Solar Sailorone of the only boats in the world powered purely by solar energy
  • Music – live local music
  • Market stalls – handmade eco and designer wares
  • Workshops – for sustainability and wellbeing
  • Museum 2 You – the Australian Museum's mini exhibition with real specimens and objects
  • Pedal Power Smoothie Making – make a delicious smoothie using your own pedal power
  • Reverse Vending Machine – recycle your bottled and cans and get a prize
  • Eco displays and demonstrations
  • Food and fair trade coffee

The Living Smart Festival aims to raise awareness of sustainability issues through music, art, fashion, food, market stalls, workshops, and a native plant giveaway.  This year's theme is "your sustainable home and garden".

Hosted by Lake Macquarie City Council, this year's festival is supported by Newcastle Herald, 1233 ABC Newcastle, NBN, Hunter Resource Recovery, Hunter Water and NSW Bike Week.

Getting there:

This year we're offering an even more sustainable event, with free shuttle buses and ferries running all day to get you to and from the festival.  Or you can ride your bike, enjoy the spring weather and take advantage of the free valet bicycle parking. Free transport timetables are now available.