Category: Ottawa Family Fun

Ottawa Family Fun: A day at Baxter Conservation Area beach

We have always loved going to the beach. Some of my best childhood memories are days spent at Grand Bend or Ipperwash or Port Franks with my family, and my Mom still loves to join us for a day at the beach.

Although they’re a far cry from the spectacular beaches of PEI (yes, I’m still pining for them), there’s a lot to love about Ottawa’s river beaches. Our favourite used to be Britannia Beach, but the beach at Baxter Conservation Area may just be my new fave. It’s a small sandy beach on the Rideau River just south of Kars, tucked inside the southern border of the City of Ottawa on the way to Kemptville. The beach has several picnic tables and leafy trees offer a perfect combination of sun and shade.

Granny made sure the boys were well equipped for water fun!

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

An act of generosity that may have come back to haunt her…

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

Never underestimate a Granny, though – she’s a fierce competitor!

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

I watched Tristan creating this intricate world for more than half an hour before it occurred to me that he was simply executing in 3D with sand and water the virtual worlds he has been creating all summer in Minecraft!

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

But the very best part of any trip to Baxter Conservation Area in the summer is the Ice Cream Float! This is what happens when you cross an ice cream truck with a boat, and it’s brilliant!

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

Bruce Deachman wrote a fun feature of Bob Harlow’s Ice Cream Float boat last summer. Harlow just putters about near the beach, serving recreational boaters mid-river and then coming into the shallows every hour or so to serve ice cream to the families on the beach. How brilliant is that for a business model? “I’m just going to float around on my boat all day, scooping ice cream to cover my costs.” No website, no schedule, no obligation… you work when it’s ideal to be out on your boat and go home whenever you feel like it. Hellooooooo retirement plan!

Family fun at Baxter Beach conservation area

Baxter Conservation Area is a perfect beach for families. Do be aware, though, that although there is a roped-off swim area, there are no lifeguards here. There are no snack bars or concessions other than the ice cream boat. There are clean change rooms, though, and non-flushing toilets.

I used to be a little hesitant about Baxter because I am rather finicky about water quality and always check the water-quality advisory before planning a trip to one of the city’s beaches at Britannia, Mooney’s Bay or Petrie. I didn’t think water quality information was available for the Rideau beaches at Baxter or Rideau Provincial Park, and then yesterday I discovered this AMAZING interactive beach guide: the waterkeeper swim guide. It shows all sorts of local beaches (more than just local, in fact!) and the latest water quality results. While Baxter is only checked bi-weekly instead of daily like the city beaches, it’s nice to see that it has never been closed for poor water quality.

If you get restless with the beach, Baxter Conservation Area also boasts more than five kilometres of trails through wetlands, conifer plantations, mixed forest, alder thickets, nut groves and a solar energy display.

But none of that is as much fun as three waterguns, one Granny, a sandy beach and an ice cream boat! Have you been to Baxter beach? What did you think?

If you go:
Baxter Conservation Area is at 7498 Carter Road, Kars.
Day use admission is $6 per vehicle.
The Ice Cream Float serves up fun after 1 pm most days in summer and weekends through September.

Ottawa Family Fun: Ten things we loved about the Cumberland Village Heritage Museum

I‘ve been meaning to get back to the Cumberland Village Heritage Museum for years now. We went way back in the day, maybe four or five years ago, and I remember really liking it, but we just never got around to making the return trek. We actually started heading out there with a picnic last summer, or was it the summer before, but we got sidetracked by the beach at Petrie Island and never did end up going.

Right about the time I was thinking this would be a great summer for a return visit, the fine folks at the city of Ottawa department of museums and heritage got in touch with an inquiry about blog ads. I love it when a plan comes together! You’ll see their shiny new ad in the sidebar over there on the right, and I’ll tell you a little more about them in an upcoming post. For now, this is the post I would have written regardless of whether they were one of my new bloggy sponsors or not, because I really did love our sunny summer afternoon spent at the Cumberland Museum.

Have you been? In their own words, the Cumberland Village Heritage Museum offers “an immersive, fun, and educational experience that showcases life in the 1920s and 30s with dozens of heritage and true-to-the-era reproduction buildings – including a working sawmill and blacksmith forge – heritage breed farm animals, people in costume, vintage tractor-pulled wagon rides, and so much more.”

The first thing I loved about it is that you can get a family admission for less than $20, and they have no rigid definitions on how many kids comprise a family. Yay!

The second thing I loved, and the things the kids loved most of all, were the quirky games spread out all over the lawn, from a gigantic Sorry board and Chinese checkers to putt putt to a bowling alley to an old fashioned bean bag toss. They had retro wooden scooters, go-carts and wagons, too. The kids thought it was all fabulous!

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The third thing I loved was the kids dressing up in firefighter costumes. Tristan said he wants a pair of these boots for school: “I won’t even need snow pants in the winter!”

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The fourth thing I loved was that everything was laid back and low key and relaxed. You could poke around at your own pace, and even on a summer Sunday afternoon, we almost had the place to ourselves.

The fifth thing we loved, and we loved it a lot, was the steam-powered miniature trains that were run every second Sunday afternoon through the summer. Riding on the trains is free with museum admission, and the gentlemen who own and run the trains are more than happy to talk about their hobby. We made several loops and Beloved was a little too interested in the trains as a hobby for my (pocketbook’s) comfort. 😉

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The sixth thing we loved were the animals. Guard geese, horses, cows and piglets. And Lucas milked a wooden cow – that’s something you don’t see every day.

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The seventh thing we loved were the old fashioned play structures – swinging ropes and see-saws.

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The eighth thing we loved was the tractors!

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The ninth thing we loved is how delightfully accessible and touchable everything is. You can climb on just about everything at the Cumberland Museum, and there are polite and humourous signs letting you know when you cannot. I’m seriously thinking of getting the slogan on the yellow sign printed on a t-shirt for Beloved.: “I’m old and tired, please don’t climb on me.” 😉

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Oh no! I”m already at 10 and there are so many other thing we loved – learning about history by touring the buildings, the gorgeous grounds and pretty flowers, the helpful docents, the curio and curiousities… way more than enough things to keep a gaggle of boys out of mischief for an entire afternoon.

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

Cumberland Heritage Museum

You know what else is cool? They have lots of special events and programming including an upcoming drive-in movie night featuring The Wizard of Oz.

The Cumberland Village Heritage Museum is truly one of Ottawa’s hidden treasures. I’m glad we remembered to go back, and the boys have already said they’re looking forward to a return visit soon. It was a timely reminder for me too, that working with Ottawa’s heritage and museum network is a perfect complement to the blog. Want to know more? Visit them on their Facebook page. 🙂

If you go:
The Cumberland Village Heritage Museum is at 2940 Old Montreal Rd in Cumberland, just 30 minutes east of downtown Ottawa. Admission fees: Adults – $7, Seniors and Students – $5, Families (two adults 2 adults and all of your children under 18 years) – $18, Annual Family Membership $35 (2 adults and all of your children under 18 years). Group rates available upon request. Additional fees may be applicable to some special events and programs.

Disclosure: I have entered into an advertising agreement with the City of Ottawa’s department of museums and heritage. However, this idea for this post pre-dates that agreement and my opinions – and enthusiasm for the museum – are completely my own.

Free Ottawa Family Fun: A visit to Rideau Hall

I have been living in Ottawa for more than 25 years and recommending Rideau Hall as a destination and activity for free Ottawa family fun for nearly a decade, so I figured it was high time we actually headed over and checked it out. It was, to be honest, not at all what I expected. And even though I’ve seen it on the news dozens of times and you can hardly escape hearing about it if you live in Ottawa, I truly think this one qualifies as one of Ottawa’s Hidden Treasures!

I knew that we would see the Ceremonial Guard. They do a changing of the guard ceremony each hour through the summer tourist months, and we happened to arrive just in time.

A visit to Rideau Hall

And while I had a vague idea that there were lovely grounds to walk, I was delighted by the gorgeous green gardens with towering trees and unexpected treasures placed here and there like this totem pole.

A visit to Rideau Hall-2

The main building is well back from the front gate where the changing of the guard takes place. Because there is no entrance fee nor checkpoint through which to file, we didn’t realize that during the early afternoon access to the residence and main building is only by guided tour. A helpful guide stationed nearby explained that if we were to return after 3 pm, we would be able to take a self-guided tour at our own pace, and I would be free to take photos. Photos are not allowed during the guided tour.

A 40-minute tour seemed a little beyond the comfort level of my wrangy companions, so we decided to either come back later in the day or another day for a self-guided tour. As we were walking away, the boys wanted to check out the big fountain to “see if the water is warm.”

A visit to Rideau Hall-3

I had read that there were children’s activities, so we headed loosely back in the direction of the visitor’s centre near where we had entered. Just wandering the grounds without even entering any of the buildings is a lovely outing in itself.

A visit to Rideau Hall-4

A visit to Rideau Hall-5

The boys are headed toward a small playstructure tucked away in one corner. 🙂 As I wandered around, all I could think was “oh my goodness, what an amazing location this would be for family portraits!” I wondered if there was a fee to shoot portraits on the grounds, or if a permit is required. (Did you know you now need a permit to shoot professional portraits in the arboretum?)

After a pause on the play structure, we headed over to the visitor’s centre next door to ask about the children’s activities. We stopped on the way to check out the flags. Lucas knew right away which flag represents Prince Edward Island – the whole family is truly and completely smitten with the province!

A visit to Rideau Hall-6

The children’s activities comprised, at first glance, a couple of small tables set up with colouring sheets, pencil crayons and markers, and some board puzzle cut-outs of various Governors-General coats of arms. The oldest and youngest boys are magnetically drawn to any artistic activity, so they were instantly engaged. So too was the middlest boy, who is magnetically drawn to anything with a screen and an internet connection – in this case, the gg.ca website!

A visit to Rideau Hall-7

I was flipping through the guest book, marveling at how far some travelers had come and enjoying their comments, when the young docent stationed in the visitor’s centre asked if we would mind if the official photographer came by and took some pictures of the boys colouring for potential use on the GG’s website. I laughed and said they certainly were experienced in that, and since they were still fully engaged in creating their coats of arms and didn’t mind, I said sure. A few minutes later, a photographer and his assistant with an arm full of model releases showed up.

A visit to Rideau Hall-8

Altogether, we probably spent the vast proportion of our time at Rideau Hall in the visitor’s centre between waiting for the photographer to arrive and Lucas’s insistence that we not leave until he finished his coat of arms, and the young docent’s easy chatter and eager explanations made the afternoon for us. He explained how it works when the Royal Family visit (we had speculated on that in the car ride over), the various seasonal activities for the public, and shared interesting insight and minutiae about Rideau Hall. We talked about the complexities of the Governor General living in the midst of such a public place, and he mentioned how you can always tell when the Governor General’s grandchildren are on site because of the row of bikes near the residence. He told us that His Excellency so loves to read to his grandchildren that they call him “Grandpa Book.” Isn’t that the most charming thing?

And then he pointed out that the boys could try on the knight’s helmets that I thought were merely decoration. Of course, the boys were all over that.

Sir Tristan:

A visit to Rideau Hall-9

And Sir Lucas:

Sir Lucas

(Sir Simon declined to be photographed.)

On my way out, I remembered to ask the question I had been wondering about: could we take formal family portraits on the grounds? Of course, answered the docent, “this all belongs to the people.” I love that! Who wants to do portraits at Rideau Hall???

So even though we never actually made it inside Rideau Hall itself, we had a lovely visit nonetheless. If you do go, be sure to engage the helpful and knowledgeable staff – they are everywhere, and the several with whom we spoke seemed to genuinely enjoy sharing their time and knowledge. If you’ve never been, I recommend this as a refreshingly low-key but entirely pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.

If you go: Rideau Hall is located at 1 Sussex Drive. Short-term parking is free on local streets. You can enter through several gates on the grounds. See the Relief of the Sentries at the front gate every hour on the hour from 9 am to 5 pm through August 23. Admission is completely free! See the Rideau Hall website for additional details.

Summer of the fox

Summer 2014 is shaping up to be the summer of the fox around here. It started with Tristan adopting the fox as his favourite animal recently. One of his hyphenated surnames sort of looks like the French word for fox, which led to the translation of our family name as “Thunder Fox”, which is a pretty good gamer name. There were foxes in PEI that den in the sand dunes, although despite his best efforts we didn’t see one.

Foxes have been in the media this week, too. There was the real fox found sleeping in an OC Transpo bus:

Funny, I follow Stu Mills on Twitter and listen to CBC Ottawa every morning, but I heard this story when we were out of town in southern Ontario. That’s one little #BusFox who has legs – Stu’s original tweet has been re-tweeted more than 2,000 times!

And I totally got sucked in by this story about a little environmentalist fox who kept breaking into a cafeteria for employees of the tar sands operation in Alberta and pooping on the kitchen fixtures for at least long enough to share it on Facebook – until I realized it was from a satire site similar to the Onion. Oh well. it was still a good story.

The best foxes by far, in my humble opinion, are the two baby foxes that have been adopted by Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo. When we got back from PEI and heard that Little Ray’s had two baby foxes, we hustled out there with the boys. I swear, every time we go to Little Ray’s I wonder why we don’t go more often. Once a year is just not enough! I never leave without learning something, and the boys always enjoy the critters.

Little Ray's Reptile Zoo

Ha, can you see the expression on Beloved’s face in the bottom picture? He does not appreciate the snakes so much.

We enjoyed the reptile show (heh, some of us liked the snake parts more than others), but we LOVED this special guest at the feeding show:

what did the fox say

An 11 week old baby red fox. Isn’t he gorgeous? And the kids got to pet him, too. Such a lovely creature. If you’re looking for something to do with the kids this summer, Little Ray’s is one of the best places in town for a family adventure, whether you’re a fox fan or not.

Canada Day in Ottawa: Tips and Suggestions?

With dozens, probably hundreds, of posts over the last ten years about family-friendly things to in Ottawa, can you believe I’ve never blogged about Canada Day in Ottawa? When we were young and childless, we used to go downtown and do the Hill all the time, and I think I remember battling the crowds once or twice with a stroller, but I just realized that we’ve never brought the boys downtown to enjoy the quintessential Canada Day experience. That will have to wait for another year, as we’ll be in PEI celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Charlottetown Accord in Charlottetown on Canada Day 2014. Three more sleeps!!

This year, my brother and his family will be visiting Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day (nice how they come to town when they hear we’re leaving, eh 😉 At least Willie will have company while we’re out of town!) and they were asking for ideas, so I thought I’d pull together some ideas. Then my bloggy friend Elise mentioned she and her family are planning a special trip to Ottawa to celebrate their first Canada Day as Canadian citizens. How amazing is that? It makes me feel proud and patriotic, and reminds me how easy it is to take our very Canadianness for granted. (Did you know that new Canadians get special cultural passes that allow them free family entry to several Canadian museums and a 50% discount on a ViaRail trip? I love that!)

Anyway, what we have here are two families who are Canada Day in Ottawa virgins (well, with the exception of my brother, who has done Canada Day on the Hill with me many moons ago), and they need some ideas and suggestions. I’ve pulled together a few links, but what I’d love from you are your tips, ideas and suggestions for navigating the madness downtown with kids. One family will be staying right downtown, and the other will be driving in from Manotick.

Postcards from Ottawa-2

Here’s five great sources of official information for things to do in Ottawa on Canada Day:

1. Chris Hadfield at the Canada Space and Aviation Museum

If I were in town, I’d brave the crowds for this one! Canada’s favourite astronaut will be at the Canada Space and Aviation Museum as part of a fun Canada Day lineup that also includes the Army’s SkyHawk parachute team and Canada’s beloved Snowbirds. I’m sad to be missing this one!

2. Canada Day in Barrhaven

Although it’s been years since we’ve been downtown, we’ve enjoyed the Canada Day party in Barrhaven quite a few times. There will be a midway, facepainting, kid crafts, food and more.

3. NCC information on Canada Day in Ottawa

Check this link for the official scoop on things to do on Parliament Hill, Majors Hill Park and Jacques Cartier Park.

4. Capital museums celebrating Canada Day

The NCC has put together a big list of museums and other institutions offering Canada Day activities throughout the region, from the Bytown Museum to the Mackenzie King Estate to the NAC, with a nice hourly timetable so you can schedule your day by the minute!

5. OttawaStart.com’s big Canada Day listings

I saved the best for last. You can always count on OttawaStart.com for compiling the best lists of local activities. Check out their list of various community celebrations and more.

So all of that is a pretty good idea of WHAT to do. Now I need your help, bloggy peeps. Can you share your tips and tricks on HOW to do it? How do you approach the logistics of maneuvering your kids through hundreds of thousands of people on Parliament Hill? Do you go early and/or stay late? Where are the best places to park your car downtown? Are there some Hill vantage points that are better than others? What are the family-friendliest businesses open for Canada Day? What should you bring, pack or leave behind? What should you avoid at all costs? What did you learn the hard way?

Please share your best tips, bloggy peeps! I promise I’ll keep it just between us and Google. 😉 And Happy Canada Day to you all, too!

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: A road trip to Perth

You know how much I love Manotick, but I fear there may be another contender in my heart for the loveliest town in Eastern Ontario. Hello Perth, where have you been all this time? I’ve lived in Ottawa for more than 20 years and yet this was the first time we spent any significant time in this absolutely adorable little town. If you’re looking for a day trip this summer, I highly recommend Perth!

Perth vignettes

For years, to me Perth was not much more than the fast food strip and last place to pee before Ottawa when traversing the Highway 7 route from southern Ontario. One miserable winter day last year, Beloved and I discovered the flea market on Gore Street and although we were barely in town for 20 minutes, it piqued our curiousity enough for a return visit. If you ever want to fall in love with a place, apparently there’s no better time than a brilliantly sunny warm Father’s Day afternoon in June.

We checked out a few of the antique shops, the flea market and a book store, which passed most of the morning in a leisurely browsey sort of way.

Father's Day fun in Perth

Father's Day fun in Perth

Father's Day in Perth

Father's Day in Perth

And then we had lunch on the patio of Mex & Co, overlooking the beautiful river. It really felt like a little prologue to our PEI vacation next month.

Father's Day in Perth

Father's Day in Perth

My only regret is that we had to hustle back to Ottawa after lunch, but even the drive along Perth/Franktown/Richmond Road is bucolic. I gotta admit it, I’ve got a bit of a crush on Perth and I’m looking forward to another trip later this summer. There were lots of interesting shops and beautiful green spaces we didn’t get the chance to explore!

24 things every Canadian child should do before age 12

When I saw this, I knew I had to share it. What perfect timing! ParticipAction is calling on Canadian families to celebrate June 21, the first day of summer, as the Longest Day of Play by encouraging kids to get out and get active.

Here’s their list of 24 things every Canadian child should do before the age of 12:

Experience total weightlessness at the top of a swing
Skip stones across water
Play leap frog
Hang upside down from a tree limb
Jump into water cold enough that it almost takes your breath away
Throw rocks or snowballs at a post from a distance until they get a bulls eye
Ride a bike with no hands
Paddle a canoe
Piggyback someone
Roll down a big hill
Try a sport that requires a helmet
Collect something in a forest
Make up a dance routine
Slide down something on a piece of cardboard*
Build a fort
Hike somewhere for a picnic
Bury someone in the sand
Play outside in the rain
Jump in a pile of leaves
Make a snow angel
Fly a kite
Create an obstacle course
Swim in a lake or an ocean
Make up a game involving a ball

(*As long as that something is not the stairs to the basement, as I learned from my friend Paul in high school. Fun, but painful when you veer off course if you happen to be going down face first.)

Although I do see merit in simply shoving the kids out the door and letting them use their own creativity to keep them occupied, I also think this is a wonderful checklist of FUN things to do this summer. And who says you have to be less than 12? I think this reads like a bucket list for a summer full of family fun. I’m pretty sure we’ve done a lot of these things with the boys, but I’m still going to print this list out and stick it to the fridge. Or better yet, the wall of the tree house!

Family photos at Britannia Beach

What would you add to the list of active experiences Canadian kids should have by the age of 12? I’d add play hockey or baseball in the street, play hide and seek outdoors at twilight, have a watergun fight, jump through the sprinkler, and do the “Nestea Plunge” backwards into the pool.

A dozen reasons to visit Manotick for Dickinson Days this weekend

Did you see the weather forecast for this weekend? Sun, sun and more sun, with a side of heat and a little more sun. Helllloooooo summer, we are *so* glad to see you!

You know I love summer. You know I love free family fun. You know I love Manotick. What’s not to love about free summer family fun in Manotick this weekend with Dickinson Days? There’s a jam-packed schedule of events with a little something for everyone.

Here’s a dozen things to see or do:

1. Dickinson Days Parade on Manotick Main Street, Friday at 7:00. The kids love Manotick’s parades – get there early for a good spot!

Dickinson Days Parade 2013

2. Concert with Junkyard Symphony and fireworks to follow, Friday at 8:30, Manotick Arena and Centennial Park

3. Kids fishing derby on the dam, Saturday 9:00 to 12:00 on the dam behind the Mill.

4. Pancake breakfast in Dickinson Square (in front of the Mill), Saturday 7:00 to 11:00 am.

5. Farmer’s market and village craft sale, Dickinson Square

6. Horse-drawn wagon rides through the village (my kids still love these!)

231:365 Oh look, it's the Mill. Again. :)

7. Used book sale in the carriage house, across from Watson’s Mill

8. Charity BBQ from M&M Meats, Dickinson Square

9. Doors Open Ottawa – there are six Manotick locations participating, including Watson’s Mill, Dickinson House, the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Training Centre and SunTech Greenhouses (have you tried their cherry tomatoes? To. Die. For.)

10. Community dance outdoors in Dickinson Square (Saturday 7 – 10 pm, admission $10, kids under 12 free)

11. Watson’s Mill will be open with costumed interpreters and milling demonstrations and Dickinson House is featuring an exhibit of vintage toys and games.

163:365 Dickinson Days Fun

12. Trivia contest in Dickinson Square, Sunday 1:00 to 4:00.

Can you believe that’s only a portion of the activity going on this weekend? For a full schedule with additional events, details and links, visit the Dickinson Days page.

Hope to see you there!

Family Fun Giveaway: Family pass to Kidsfest Ottawa!

Have you heard about Kidsfest Ottawa?

What’s Kidsfest?

At Kidsfest Ottawa families will enjoy quality, family-fun entertainment including stage shows, interactive animal exhibits and opportunities to meet popular children’s characters, explore over 70 exhibitor booths providing a unique platform for parents to purchase products and services for their families, and have access to fun and valuable information and resources.

Some of the events and activities to expect:

ï‚· the Kratt Brothers will be performing a 1/2 hour live show Amazon Adventure Event on Saturday followed by an autograph signing session

 Mike the Knight will delight crowds with two performances on Sunday with his motto “Be a Knight, Do it Right”

 “Inspiration Stage” will expand your imagination with songs and music

ï‚· Junkyard Symphony will perform on the Main Stage both days and later teach children how to play instruments using recycled materials on the Inspiration Stage

ï‚· Ray’s Reptiles will showcase its new performance of ‘Under the Canopy – Animals of the Rainforest’

ï‚· Funatorium Emporium will be a new partner with its Gyro Gym, Magnetic Wall, Lego Build & Plasma Cars

Kratt brothers!! *swoon* I have such a mom-crush on them! And there’s a special place in my heart for Ray’s Reptiles, too. We do love our critters around here! The boys are super-excited about attending this one – doesn’t it sound like kid heaven? Kidsfest runs Saturday and Sunday April 5-6 at the EY Centre. For details on tickets and the schedule of events, visit the Kidsfest website.

But you, my bloggy peeps, can win one of two family passes that I have to give away! I have TWO family passes, each comprising two adult and two child admissions to Kidsfest Ottawa on either April 5 or April 6, 2014. If you would like to enter the giveaway to win one of the two family passes, simply leave a comment on this blog post telling me about a family-friendly activity you enjoy in Ottawa.

Here’s the fine print:

  1. This is a giveaway for one of two sets of family passes to Kidsfest Ottawa on April 5 or 6, 2014.
  2. A family pass comprises two adult and two child admissions to Kidsfest.
  3. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post telling me about a family-friendly Ottawa activity that you enjoy.
  4. Two winners will be chosen at random from all comments posted. Each winner will win one family pass [2 adult and 2 child admissions] to Kidsfest, good for either April 5 or April 6.
  5. Everyone who “likes” Postcards from the Mothership on Facebook will get a bonus entry. (This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.) If you already like Postcards from the Mothership on FB, just say so in your comment.
  6. This giveaway is open only to residents of Canada, excluding residents of Quebec. (sorry!)
  7. This giveaway will run until 11:59 pm EDT on Friday March 21, 2014.
  8. If you win, you must be willing to provide your full name and contact information to me to share with Kidsfest Ottawa. Your pass will be available at the EY Centre’s “Will Call” desk during Kidsfest.
  9. Please note that the family passes do not include fees for parking at the EY Centre.

Sounds like fun, right? Good luck!

Disclosure: In addition to offering two family passes for this giveaway, Kidsfest also offered us a family pass in exchange for this promotion. Now to figure out which kid has to sit in the parking lot since the pass only covers four admissions, and I don’t think I will be able to convince Beloved to sit this one out, either! 😉

Edited to add: Thank you all for entering. Two winners have been selected and contacted via e-mail and I will share the details once they confirm their availability. However, here’s a good deal for everyone else from Capital Parent: Use promo code ‘CPSOCIAL2014’ and get $3 OFF adult admission when you buy your tickets online!

A rambly review of some of my favourite ideas for March Break family fun in Ottawa

Two years ago just after the March Break, it it 26C in Ottawa. Sigh, remember that? I don’t think we’ll hit shorts weather this year on the March Break, but after a deep freeze of a winter the forecasted near zero temperatures will make it just about perfect for getting out of the house and having some fun with the kids. Here are some of my favourite ideas for March Break fun in and around Ottawa.

We recently discovered the Diefenbunker, which is WAY more fun for kids and grown-ups alike than I ever expected!

Diefenbunker-14

For those of you who don’t know it, the Diefenbunker is a decommissioned military base. Back during the cold war, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker had a complex built deep under some pastoral meadows in Carp, on the very western edge of Ottawa, to house Canada’s top government officials in the case of a nuclear attack. It was the biggest of a series of such complexes built at the time, known as the Continuity of Government plan. From the Diefenbunker website:

The Diefenbunker is a four-story, 300 room, 100,000 square foot underground bunker, and was meant to house 535 Canadian government officials and military officers in the event of a nuclear war. Shrouded in mystery, the Diefenbunker, nicknamed after then Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, was designed and built in secrecy during the crest of Cold War fear, between 1959 and 1961. The name of the facility was given by a Toronto Star journalist who exposed a story of its development.

Read more about our visit to the Diefenbunker here.

Another favourite excursion was to the RCMP stables – and it’s free!

RCMP stables tour

Most people have heard of the RCMP’s Musical Ride, featured on the back of the Canadian $50 bill, but did you know the stables where they keep and train those magnificent horses is right here in Ottawa? I’d been meaning to take the boys down there for ages, but never got around to it. On Sunday morning, we were invited to join Simon’s Beaver scout colony for a private tour, and I have to tell you, I was amazed that I don’t hear more people raving about this.

Read more about our trip to the RCMP stables here.

Last year, I blogged suggestions for five days of family fun in Ottawa, including suggestions for a touristy day, an expensive but fun day of play, a fresh-air day, learning day, and a stay at home day. A couple of years before that, I blogged about seven days of FREE family adventures around Ottawa.

New to us this year is the idea of skiing. Did you know you can get a lesson, a lift pass and rentals for only $49 at Calabogie Peaks or Mount Pakenham?

First day on skis :)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest a visit to a sugar bush this time of year. We love the Log Farm off Cedarview near Barrhaven and Stanley’s Old Time in Metcalfe, but I don’t know what their hours are this year. Ottawa Start has a great map of local sugar bushes on their site.

March break at the Log Farm (3 of 9)

My very favourite thing to do this time of year is get the heck out of the house. Get yourself a bag of birdseed and feed the chickadees on the Jack Pine Trail – my kids never get enough of this one!

Brothers on a winter walk

What are YOU doing this March Break?