Tony Raka Gallery and Art Lounge in Mas (Jalan Ray Mas No 86) offers an ongoing series of monthly art activities on Sundays for kids. Children get to join real, working artists – hands-on – to make their own memorable piece of art and have fun in the process. Past classes have featured slime making and creating robots from recycled materials. Classes cost 200,000-250,000, which includes materials and a special kid meal afterwards. Contact the Tony Raka Gallery on (0361) 7816785 for information on upcoming classes. Bookings are essential.
The gallery will feature children’s string art in an upcoming exhibit, How Long Is A Piece of String, a colorful cobweb installation. The show opens Sunday 16 December and runs until Saturday 23 December. The gallery will be open daily 10 am – 5 pm. The opening reception is Sunday 16 December from 4pm – 6 pm. Everyone, big and small, is welcome at the opening and the show.
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The newly rebuilt Gili Islands are open again for travelers. Now is a good time to visit or re-visit the Gilis as tourism is quiet and businesses on the islands need people to come and spend money. This means you’ll get to see the Gilis as they were years ago before they became so busy and built up. But not for much longer!
Gili Air is perhaps the most family-friendly island of the three. As a local community project, a group on Gili Air is building a playground for kids from tires, bamboo and recycled materials. Check out the Gili Air – Pinboard group on Facebook for more information about which hotels and restaurants are re-opened on the island and ask about activities for kids. The group is closed, so you’ll need to request to join. There are lots of activities for families, from renting bikes to ride around the island, horseback riding, snorkeling trips to see turtles and manta rays or just exploring the hard coral beaches.
Nad Brahma restaurant (Indian vegetarian and vegan food) on Gili Air will soon offer up-cycling workshops. Kids will learn what they can make out of plastic bottles, tins, tetra pack, glass and other ‘rubbish.’ Parents can enjoy a delicious vegetarian Indian lunch, or a slice of yummy vegan cake, while they wait. Check the Facebook page, @NadBrahmaGiliAir, for workshop dates (or message them).
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Nyoman Warta Batik offers a fabric painting class especially for kids. You can find them on Google under ‘Nyoman Warta Batik Class’ or visit them at Jalan Goutama No. 12 in Ubud. Classes are offered daily at 9 am or 2 pm. Bookings are essential and need to be made one day in advance. You can call Nyoman on +62 8573 710 3707.
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The Cubby House Kids Club in Canggu (Jalan Pantai Berawa, Banjar Tegal) offers a “Kids Kitchen’ series of cooking classes for kids aged 4-12. The classes provide a fun and educational experience, with hands-on instruction from a chef. At the end of the class, your child will receive a Chef’s Certificate and a copy of the recipe they made. Classes are held every Saturday from 10 am-11 am and cost IDR 150,00. Upcoming classes feature Klepon (Balinese coconut and palm sugar cakes) on 10 November, Onde-Onde (sesame filled cakes) on 17 November and traditional Balinese rice dish Nasi Tumpeng on 24 November. Bookings are essential and can be made at cubbyhouse@finnsrecclub.com. You can visit their website, cubbyhousekidsclub.com, for more information.
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Four Points Sheraton Kuta (Jalan Benesari, Banjar Pengabetan) offers a ‘We Love Pizza’ cooking class for kids. The class will teach kids, step by step, how to make a pizza: creating the dough for the base, covering it with creative and delicious toppings and then baking it in a wood-fired pizza oven. Bookings are essential. Call the hotel on +62 361 849 6606 to reserve a spot. Classes cost IDR 100,00 for each kid under 12. The cost includes soft drink or lemon tea, as well as a scoop of gelato to eat after pizza.
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Setia Darma House of Mask & Puppets started as a private collection of masks and puppets that opened to the public in 2006. Artist and curator Agustinus Prayitno wanted to create an educational experience for families, to show them the diversity of cultures and religious and artistic traditions from across the archipelago, and around the world. Each mask or puppet is accompanied by a detailed description of where it comes from and how it is used. The collection houses over 1300 masks and 5700 puppets.
The museum will be holding a special exhibit, called Sustainability Through Differences, from 31 October to 15 November.
The museum is open daily from 8:00 am – 4 pm and is located in Jalan Tegal Bingin, Banjar Tengkulak Tengah, Sukawati. Admission is free. For more information, visit their website at http://www.maskandpuppets.com or call them on +62 361 898 7493.
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Blue Dolphin Playskool and Samasta Lifestyle Village in Jimbaran are hosting a Market Day on Saturday 17 November from 4-7pm. Bring your family and enjoy games, auctions, great food and cool performances. Be sure to enter their raffle to win amazing prizes. All proceeds will go to support the Seeds of Hope Children Home. For more information, call 0361-8953973 or 081239427181.