Last week, we asked Public Programs Coordinator at QAGOMA Sophie Dixon to give us an insider’s guide to the best Cultural Precinct activities in the coming weeks. Now, we have decided it is time to indulge in a little bit of child-like wonder and explore the Never Grow Up playlist in the Kids category of the Culturalist app. The Cultural Precinct has a bunch of engaging events for kids of any age, because you’re only as young as you feel, right?

One of the biggest events on the Cultural Precinct calendar is The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT8), opening on Saturday November 21. QAGOMA has put together a simply amazing collection of art to enjoy, with a dedicated section for the little ones with APT8 Kids. Artists from Mongolia, South Korea, India, Iran and more will be creating artworks and activities for young visitors to enjoy, including immersive multimedia installations and hands-on activities. The secret to this section is that it’s enjoyable for all – you can even take your child’s play home with the brilliant APT8 children’s activity book.

Imagination is a key component for any child’s growth, one that lessens in adults the longer we are tied to a desk. Outside GOMA sits The World Turns, an immense and intriguing sculpture by artist Michael Parekowhai. The artistically minded can participate in a drawing activity using a specially designed booklet, or just marvel at the wonder of a giant elephant turned on its head.

Relive the feeling of barely contained giddiness by running free in the Sciencentre at the Queensland Museum. Lose yourself in INVENTory, a year-round, hands-on experience that takes a closer look at what’s around us, and how items can be reused and repurposed in fun and creative ways. If you are feeling competitive, challenge your pals to a race on the energy bikes at the Queensland Museum’s ENERGEX Playasaurus Place and learn about your food choices and how it is converted to energy.

If you need to wind down after all that activity (let’s face it, we aren’t spring chickens any more), settle in for Storytime in the Reading Nook at the State Library of Queensland. Hear stories by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, community leaders and elders, then get busy with some craft exercises and see what your hands can create. The last Storytime event is taking place on Saturday November 14 and will return in February 2016 – make sure you head along before it wraps up for the year.

The summer holidays will see QPAC host a smorgasbord of kid-friendly theatre performances for SummerSet, with tales you’d be familiar with from your own childhood. The Concert Hall will host the high-flying and death-defying acts of Cirque Adrenaline, while Steve Backshall of Deadly 60 will host a show boasting a bunch of creepy-crawlies and furry friends in the Playhouse. Other productions include The Tiger Who Came To Tea, Carnival of the Animals and Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. Be sure to also see what’s on during Christmas, including the productions Spirit of Christmas and The Nutcracker.

Explore all of the playlists in the Kids category of the Culturalist app – you can download it for free through the App Store and Google Play. Look out for next week’s instalment of the Culturalist Series, where we will look at the forthcoming APT8 exhibition in detail.

Image credit one: Michael Parekowhai / The World Turns 2011–12 / This project has received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through art+place Queensland Public Art Fund, and from the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery
Image credit two: Children’s workshop for Angela Tiatia, Looking Back 2015 / Photo: Mark Sherwood
Image credit three: Installation view of the Kids’ APT Drawing Projects 2006–12, presented as part of Kids’ APT7 / Photograph: Mark Sherwood
Image credit four: Storytime in the Reading Nook at SLQ with Perry Mooney
Image credit five: Children’s workshop for Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, The Woman and the Parrot 2015
Image credit six: INVENTory Queensland Museum, Photo: courtesy Queensland Museum
Image credit seven: Playasaurus Place Queensland Musuem, Photo: courtesy Queensland Museum