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, the site now reaches more than 100,000 monthly visitors, making it one of the region’s most trusted sources for family fun.

The Story Behind Newy with Kids

I’m Reena Bilen — creator, managing editor and Chief Fun Finder 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!

What started as a passion project has grown into one of the Hunter region’s most trusted family platforms — a website, weekly newsletter and active communities on Facebook and Instagram reaching thousands of families across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter every week.

Newy with Kids has given me so much more than a career — it’s introduced me to an incredible community of local families, businesses and contributors who have helped shape it into what it is today. To everyone who has been reading since the beginning, thank you.

Still have questions? Check out this Q&A featuring questions from Newy with Kids readers.

What You’ll Find Here

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 — for kids of all ages from newborns to teens.

Some of our most popular guides:

Newy with Kids Scavenger Hunt Series

One of our most popular community projects is the Newy with Kids Scavenger Hunt series — unique, self-directed placemaking activities that get families outdoors and exploring their local area. Each hunt follows a walkable route, uncovering hidden gems, local landmarks and fun facts along the way.

Free, fun and suitable for all ages. The hunts are available as printed brochures or downloadable PDFs families can print at home. To date we’ve created 14 hunts for local councils and attractions. Interested in commissioning a hunt for your council or attraction? Get in touch.

In the Media

Newy with Kids has been featured on ABC Newcastle, ABC Australia, NBN Television, the Newcastle Herald, Newcastle Weekly and InTouch Magazine. Reena has been interviewed for radio, profiled in news articles and recognised for community-driven projects including the Newy with Kids Scavenger Hunts.

Read our full media coverage here.

Work With Us

Newy with Kids is a 100% independent, female-owned media publication. We work with local businesses, national brands, councils and attractions to create content that genuinely connects with Hunter region families — through sponsored content, advertising, event promotion and social campaigns.

Visit our Advertising page to find out more.

What Our Readers Say

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!

JESSE

Get in Touch

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

Reena

About Newy with Kids