About Newy with Kids

Newy with Kids is a locally owned and independent digital media brand dedicated to showcasing the best family-friendly events, activities, playgrounds and things to do in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley. Established in 2012 by local mum Reena Bilen, the site now reaches more than 100,000 monthly visitors and 100,000 – 150,000 pageviews, making it one of the region’s most trusted sources for family fun.

Families use Newy with Kids to find playground reviews, school holiday guides, local adventures, day trips, seasonal round-ups, itineraries, community events and family-friendly businesses. Newy with Kids provides parents, grandparents and carers with information about things to do with kids of all ages from newborns to teens.

Alongside the website, Newy with Kids publishes a widely read weekly newsletter and shares daily updates across Facebook and Instagram. Loved by parents, endorsed by local businesses and recognised by major media, Newy with Kids helps families plan fun, meaningful experiences across the region.

Who created Newy with Kids?

Hey, thanks for dropping by! I’m Reena, creator and managing editor of Newy with Kids. After my daughter was born, it was one of the happiest times of my life, but it was also one of the most challenging. I went from full-time work surrounded by other adults to being at home with a new baby on 12 months maternity leave.

I was lonely and life started to feel a bit like Groundhog Day with every day the same as the one before. I wanted to get out with my baby but I just didn’t know where to go. (I didn’t grow up here – I’m originally from Edmonton, Canada).

I remember thinking that it would be so useful to have a website that contained information on local attractions, events and activities for parents with babies and kids. So I started one!

It gave me a great excuse to get out and explore kid-friendly attractions, activities and events around Newcastle and Hunter region with my young child. Sometimes, my firefighter husband tagged along on our adventures as well.

Since that time, Newy with Kids has grown into a trusted website, Facebook page and Instagram account and weekly email newsletter which provides information to thousands of families in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter region.

No matter if you’re looking for a new playground, kids eat free offers, school holiday activities or an upcoming kids concert, Newy with Kids is your go to guide.

Here’s some of our most popular posts on Newy with Kids

As well as the fun factor, this website has given me the opportunity to meet some amazing and interesting people in this community.

I’ve made so many friends through Newy with Kids and also have to give a big shoutout to my readers, some of whom have been there since the very beginning. Thanks for your support!

I’ve been fortunate to have a team of local contributors share their insights, stories, and tips with the Newy with Kids community. The site is filled with quality content thanks to the efforts of both current and past contributors, all of whom have helped shape it into a valuable resource for local families.

If you have still questions about me or Newy with Kids, check out out this Q&A featuring questions from Newy with Kids readers.

Ownership & Advertising

In case you’re wondering about our ownership, Newy with Kids is a 100% independent female-owned media publication owned by me. I rely on advertising revenue as our funding model. Visit our Advertising page if you are interested in advertising and supporting independent media.

Newy with Kids works with local small and large businesses, councils, attractions and brands to create unique and interesting content that will appeal to readers while meeting campaign needs.

Media Coverage

We’ve also been featured in media outlets. Newy with Kids has built a strong reputation as a trusted source for family-friendly ideas and advice, and this has been recognised by major media outlets across the region and nationally.

We have appeared on ABC Newcastle, ABC Australia, NBN Television Newcastle, the Newcastle Herald, Newcastle Weekly and InTouch Magazine. Reena, our founder, has been interviewed for radio, profiled in news articles and featured for her work creating community-driven activities such as the Newy with Kids Scavenger Hunts.

These media features reflect our long-standing commitment to helping local families discover meaningful, fun and accessible things to do across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
You can explore our full media coverage on our In the Media page.

Involvement in Community Events

Newy with Kids has been involved with fantastic community events with City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie City Council, Curious Legends, and Hunter Central Coast Development Corporation.

I would love to hear from you. Comments, questions and suggestions are all very welcome. Get in touch via email or LinkedIn.

Reena

P.S. When I started Newy with Kids, I never imagined it would grow into such a loved resource for families across our region. Every time someone takes the time to comment, share or send a thank you message, it reminds me why I do what I do. Thank you for being part of this wonderful community ❤️

I just wanted to thank you for the brilliant job you do with the Newy with Kids page! I find your page to be such a useful resource when looking for ideas of what to do with my daughter. We have done many of the walking tracks, loved the Christmas Lights guide, and today we had a fabulous time doing 2 of the scavenger hunts around Newy. We saw a few other groups completing the same maps as us. Thank you so much for all the effort, research and ideas you put into providing such a fabulous resource for Hunter families

DANIELLE

Your page has been such a help. We moved here from Melbourne 12 months ago – we would not have the wonderful life we have here without your community’s help!

MEGAN

Thanks for writing about this park! Treated our boys to a visit today and it ticked all the boxes for our 2 adventurers. I wouldn’t have tried it without your review. Keep up the good work!

SARAH-JANE

Good morning Reena. I would like to thank you for your excellent work in producing and distributing Newy with Kids. Your emails have become a valuable resource when seeking and planning activities to do with my grandsons. I hope you continue doing what you are doing for a long time to come.

PHILLIP

This account/blog/everything has been like a best friend to our family over the past 3 – 4 years. I honestly don’t think Newy would have felt like home if it hadn’t been for you. We, like you, felt lost with tiny humans and have used your blogs to discover the lesser known gems of Newy (and beyond), depended on it for sourcing pubs with playgrounds, kids eat free, playgrounds (did I mention playgrounds?), events, safe tiny human swimming spots…so so many things.

Ash

Since having my son just over 3 years ago this has been my go-to for things to do in the area, whether it be play dates, family friendly places to eat, special events or mini adventures. Thanks Reena for providing such a fabulous resource.

kristy

Very informative about the places visited. It’s a fab website & we use it regularly. Love the way that you cover free things as well as how much to pay for others so it covers all families. Thank you so much for all your hard work 😊

Loz

I have to say how much I love your posts and everything you bring to Newcastle!! My son is now five and we’ve been slowly working through your 100 things to do list (I think we’ve now done about 85!) And your birthday party post is so good for ideas! Thank you thank you thank you!