Category: Life in Ottawa

Weekend family fun: Culture Days at City of Ottawa Museums

Did you see the forecast for this weekend? It’s like the summer we forgot to have! There’s no excuse to stay inside, so here’s an idea – get out and enjoy Culture Days with free admission at one of Ottawa’s museums.

At the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, they’re exploring “vintage social media” (ha!): “Experience the days of radio and movie magic! In the days before television, iPads, and texting, the family radio and the weekly movie screening were the social media of the day. Everyone gathered around radio sets in family homes to listen to weekly broadcasts of their favourite shows like Little Orphan Annie. Have fun as a modern family learning how to build a radio set transmitter, listening to authentic historic radio broadcasts, watching silent films, and having fun with our film crew activity to learn about gaffers, grips, sound artists, producers, and directors. If you have a future Steven Spielberg at home, this is the event for you! On Sunday, local producers and artisans from the Cumberland Farmers’ Market will be selling their goods – locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, pastries, alongside artisanal products – at their first Harvest Market.” Free admission!

Cumberland Heritage Museum

The Billings Estate National Historic Site is also offering free admission for culture days. The museum will be open for self-guided tours to learn about the history of the site, settlement in Billings Bridge, and the trades that helped them prosper. Admission to the exhibition, use of family-friendly Experience Backpacks, and access to the activity room in Sally’s Kitchen are included. Free!

I’m thinking the fall colours will be lovely out at Pinhey’s Point Historical Site this weekend! Explore the site with a self-guided tour and scavenger hunt that will encourage you to find details about the site that you never knew before. Free!!

If you’re all booked up with fun this weekend, make sure you make room on your calendar next Sunday, October 5, for the hilarious and popular Smashing Pumpkins event at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum! One of their most popular events, you definitely don’t want to miss the chance to watch your pumpkin launched by a trebuchet across the west field towards a giant bulls-eye target! Aside from the absolute fun of launching things across a field, this event teaches about flight technology in the 1920s and 1930s. Make a model airship, play with model trebuchets, and take in some storytelling before decorating your pumpkin for its flight. If you planted a pumpkin in the fall, now’s the time to harvest it! Regular museum admission charges apply.

Pumpkin heads

Check the links above for specific information about locations, hours and programming.

Disclosure: The City of Ottawa is a sponsor of this blog and has provided some of this information. However, all opinions are always my own.

Ottawa Family Fun: Drive-In Movie Night at the Cumberland Village Museum!

How’s this for a great idea for family fun? The Cumberland Museum is hosting a drive-in movie this weekend featuring The Wizard of Oz. From the City of Ottawa website:

“The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, outside under the stars is a rare treat indeed! Listen to the movie and marvel at the Academy Award-winning “Over the Rainbow” right through the radio in your car. Plan to take home a souvenir by having your photo taken with Dorothy, learn about the technology that revolutionized film during the 1920s and 30s, and take our trivia quiz to find out how much you really know about the messages in this classic film. And don’t forget: part of the fun is getting your vintage concessions and snacking on them in the car!”

If you go:
The Wizard of Oz at the Drive-In
Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, 2940 Old Montreal Road
Saturday, August 23 from 6:30 pm – 11 pm
Cost: $10/person, free for children under 5.
No memberships or special passes are accepted for this event.

I mentioned earlier this month that the Museum & Heritage department at the City of Ottawa is our newest bloggy sponsor. I love the idea of working with them because they are all about exactly what I love sharing with you – interesting, educational, inexpensive, local and family-friendly. Here’s a little bit about each of the museums:

Billings Estate National Historic Site
Ottawa.ca/billingsestate
Facebook.com/billingsestate

Visit the historic estate of one of Ottawa’s founding families and spend the day enjoying one of the special events or programs, exploring the exhibitions with interactive and kid-friendly activities, discovering the beauty of well-preserved parkland, or renting the space for your special event or meeting. If you’re visiting with children, there are two new ways for kids to learn about history while spending time as a family. With activities like scavenger hunts, old-fashioned toys, and word games, Experience Backpacks will take kids indoors and out to better understand what childhood was like for kids long ago. Head over to Sally’s Kitchen for the museum’s take on games like Guess Who? and Clue. Hands-on activities like building the Billings’ first cabin from different materials like Lincoln Logsâ„¢ will help your kids connect with the past. These activities are free with regular admission.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm until October 31. Educational and community group bookings are available any time upon request.

Fairfields Heritage House
Ottawa.ca/Fairfields
Facebook.com/nepeanmuseum

An impressive 19th century Gothic Revival farm house, Fairfields Heritage House represents the homestead and community-building legacy of the Bell family. Originally built on 660 acres of farm land, the museum tells the epic story of almost 200 years of rich, local history and the people who so actively helped shape the evolution of the area. Recreated historic rooms of this designated heritage site tell the story of the many generations of the Bell family who made their mark on the home, the property, and their community over the 175 years they lived here. Artefacts – including furniture, personal belongings, and artwork – tell the story of the Bell family’s shifting priorities from farming to social issues to politics. With guided tours, as well as programs and events for families, Fairfields Heritage House remains a hub of community activity.

Hours: Tours are available by appointment Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Nepean Museum
Nepeanmuseum.ca
Facebook.com/nepeanmuseum

Located in the heart of an active neighbourhood, Nepean Museum is a gathering space for families and the community to come together in celebration of local heritage. Spend time engaging in hands-on activities with professional museum educators. An open, welcoming exhibition space, programs designed to spark the imagination, and a collection of artefacts that tell the stories of Nepean’s evolution all come together to make the museum a place where you can learn about history in the way that most appeals to you.

Hours: Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturdays and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Pinhey’s Point Historic Site
Ottawa.ca/pinheyspoint
Facebook.com/pinheyspoint

If you’ve never seen Pinhey’s Point during the fall season, you’re missing out on something special! The colours along the river on the site and across the river to the Gatineau Hills are breath-taking. Scenic views, historic buildings, stone ruins, and rolling hills come together to create one of the most spectacular places in Ottawa to relax, learn, and explore. Make sure to bring a camera!

Hours: The museum will be closed for drop-in visits as of August 31, though the park remains open year-round.

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum
Ottawa.ca/cumberlandmuseum
Facebook.com/cumberlandmuseum

Unique in the nation’s capital, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum provides an immersive, fun, and educational experience that showcases rural life in the 1920s and 1930s with dozens of heritage and true-to-the-era reproduction buildings – including a working sawmill and blacksmith forge – heritage breed farm animals until October 6, people in costume, vintage tractor-pulled wagon rides, and so much more.

There’s no need to drive more than 30 minutes beyond downtown Ottawa to step back in time at a historic village! Whether it’s for a casual day trip to escape the daily grind, to take advantage of the open space to relax on the Village Green playing vintage games, or to take part in one of the special events, families with children will never be bored at the museum. With animals from Rare Breeds Canada (Eastern Ontario Chapter), Radio Flyer wagons, go-carts, two larger-than-life board games, wagon rides, sawmill and blacksmithing demonstrations and so much more your family will want to come back again and again to experience everything.

Ottawa Valley Live Steamers and Model Engineers: Not offered anywhere else in Ottawa, the OVLSME miniature railway is a rare treat! Visitors can experience model steam trains and learn about railway operation and history. Weather and circumstances permitting, this experience is available between 11 am and 3 pm usually on alternate Sundays. Confirm that OVLSME are on site by calling ahead at 613-833-3059, ext 221.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm until October 26 and again from November 29 to December 21, Friday to Sunday from 3 pm to 8 pm. Educational bookings are available Wednesday through Friday. Community group bookings are available by appointment.

That’s a LOT of family fun! Have you been to any of these museums? We’re huge fans of the Cumberland Village Heritage Museum and I’ve been to Pinhey’s Point several times, but there is clearly a lot of exploring left to do here! Through the autumn I’ll be sharing some fun programming that the museums will be offering. Stand by for pumpkin smashing, Edwardian seances, vintage social media, harvest celebrations, culture days and yes, sigh – Christmas activities. 😉

Disclosure: the City of Ottawa is a sponsor of this blog and has provided information about each of the museums. My enthusiasm at having such a great sponsor for the blog is genuine.

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!