Hundreds attend Lake Mac’s You’re Kidding Me expo

Published on 20 May 2022

Snakes, turtles and large blue tongue lizards grabbed the attention of little ones and their parents at this year’s You’re Kidding Me expo at The Place Charlestown Community Centre.

Hundreds attended the biggest parenting expo in the Hunter Region today, as it connected new and expectant parents with valuable and engaging services, free of charge.

Lake Macquarie City Council Community Planner Children and Families Jessica Salvador said it was great to see so many families connect with more than 50 valuable services and resources.

“It’s always so heart-warming to see families come in and connect with local services they may not have been able to access otherwise,” Ms Salvador said.

“Our You’re Kidding Me expo’s have been disrupted by COVID over the past few years so it was great to see our event reach so many people in person.”

Free 15-minute speech scans, car safety checks, a reptile show and workshops on improving babies sleep and the power of music were just some of the activities available at the event.

Mother Iris Chen attended the event with her one-year-old daughter Alice Chen.

“It’s a great social event for parents and kids,” Ms Chen said.

“I find it very valuable because it helps parents to learn how to educate their kids.”

Julie Logan from Julie Logan Music hosted two music workshops aimed at engaging those under five-years-old in song and dance.

“Babies are wired to respond to music which actually helps with language development,” Ms Logan said.

“It also helps parents understand the benefits of music and use it as a tool to calm down a disturbed child.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said the You’re Kidding Me expo represented the diverse range of services Council provides to the community.

“The expo is such a caring and nurturing environment where parents and their children can thrive,” Cr Fraser said.