Skiving off to the State Library of Queensland

What if I were to tell you that there is a very special and exciting place that you can take your kid to and it won't cost you more than what you spend on coffee?

These days there are a literal tonne of neon-washed, high-energy places like Area 51, Chipmunks, the list goes on and on. I've been there and I totally get it. Pay the money, get the socks, try your best to tune out while your toddler just exerts all their energy into what can only be described as algorithmically designed cave of overly bright lights and things to do.

These places are relevant and should absolutely exist. But it gets expensive. And you don't want your kids asking for a $15 outing every weekend, or every time they want to go out, because it's going to add up. Plus, it would be nice if there was an opportunity for them to actually maybe learn something at the same time, and not be exposed to so many zany lights and noisy environments.

In Brisbane, there's the State Library of Queensland, and within this building, there's a place called The Corner. It's there as a designated place for families to go with their children and basically just kick around together.

Getting there: Catch the train, or on a Sunday, parking is free in some carparks. This carpark is where I wind up on a Sunday when I'm doing this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aoaJzwKznUfsdcXa9

Please note: I've used Gemini to remove the people from these photos. Usually there's a handful of other kids and familieis there, for your kid to play with, so it all works out pretty well.

There's a bunch of green blocks that kids can use to build things (and then knock down).

Various stuffed toys are scattered throughout for kids to play with and engage with.

Oh hello mister bee!

There's also an entire room where little ones can draw.

However, possibly the most impressive thing, is that every day at 10AM they have some kind of sing-along thing with a presenter. This is not a half-done presentation. The presenter wears a microphone and they have a proper sound system, meaning that everyone can hear and join in.

The staff are also very nice, despite (presumably) being stuck in a room with screaming children all day. My son spilt some milk on the carpet while we were there, and a nice member of staff noticed and came to clean it up. I felt bad about it (after all, someone else shouldn't be made to clean up my mess) - but they just said that little babies do milk spit and that they were used to it.

Afterwards, my son asked for a certain stuffed animal that he was very fond of and the lady went and got it for him! How good is that.

Just across the way, there are also dedicated study spaces, if both parents are in, and if one needs to work or study while the other one entertains the toddler. And finally, the toilets on ground floor are usually a bit messy or out of order. Travel up the stairs just outside of The Corner and use the toilets up there. They're pristine becuase nobody knows they're there! These are the stairs just outside of The Corner.

And these are the practically unused, nice-smelling toilets.

Things to do after

After your toddler has had their fill, the MUSE cafe has a nice place to sit and eat, and a fairly large hose statue that kids love to climb. Here's how to get there from The Corner.

The area underneath the garden hose is padded, so when your kid inevitably falls off (or jumps off) the damage is minimal. The hose itself appears to be made from some fairly dense material, so head knocks on that are less ideal. Coffee prices at MUSE are pretty reasonable, and it's not such a bad use of time to drink a cappuccino from a ceramic cup while your invincible toddler tries to climb to the top of a slippery hose model.

All-in-all, it's a great day out for everyone involved. And if your kid is still having naps in the day, you know they're gonna pass out in the car on the way home (or in the pram on the train).

Have you taken your kids to The Corner yet? If so, let us know how you got on in the comments below!