Brisbane's Kids

Review: Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium

I had this marvelous idea to take the kids for their first trip to the planetarium. My reasons were simple enough, I wanted to explore something new with them and the planetarium has a show for kids called “Secret Of The Dragon”. I read that in the latest Brisbane Child.

The boys love all stories involving dragons and are always showing me the moon in the sky. I’m telling you this because the show was a disaster that I didn’t see coming for the above reasons. Simply put the boys were too young.  I figured since they are happy to sit through “Ice Age” a 30min show on the stars would be easy.

What I didn’t realize was that of course the theatre is blacked out and the dome screen is so large it’s all quite to “real” for little people. So after about 7minutes of saying ohh “isn’t this great, were on the dragon flying up, ohh there’s a planet called Saturn etc” Both of them (aged 4 and 2) decided it was time to go because it was too scary. Ie they both started crying.

Outside however they were both fine and even told me they did like some of the show but the dragon was too loud. So you win some and loose some I guess. This time I lost, but I have to say that I’m slightly annoyed that the lady at the ticket booth didn’t tell me that the show was directed for kids between 5 and 8years. And the thought did cross my mind that maybe I should ask for my money back but the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium was in financial trouble not so long ago and as I’d like it to be open for when the boys are old enough to enjoy it, I decided to think of my $20 as a donation and leave it at that.

Look if you do have kids over 6 that haven’t been to the planetarium I do recommend you go, even just the full spacesuit is worth a look, let alone the beautiful pictures of space on the walls and of course the shows themselves. Then top the trip of with and ice cream and a wander through the Botanical Gardens, we certainly enjoyed that part!

© 2008 Brizzy Kidz.