The New Millennium Park

I visited Milleninum Park (on Trim Road in Orleans) a couple of years ago, when the giant slide structure had gone up, and baby trees lined the playground. It was HOT. Although the kids loved the play structures, I found myself choosing different parks with more shade.

Fast forward to the present, and the City of Ottawa has made major upgrades to the park, including an awesome new splash pad. My husband and kids visited the other weekend for the grand opening.

The multi-million dollar expansion makes it the biggest build and expansion for a park, besides the development of Lansdowne Park. The roads got an upgrade, new parking and sports field, and of course - the new splash pad. 

The splash pad was designed by architectural engineers, and all the water drains into to a rocky riverbed and then into the sewer (the environmentalist in me is cringing slightly - water recovery systems cost about $100,000, but that's around what the City will be paying for all the water that gets used here!!)

Of course, the two main play structures are still a big hit, and the trees are growing slowly to create some shade. A brand new shelter helps, as well as the ability to run to the water for a cool down - perfect for these scorching summer days.

Wondering about bathrooms? There are public washrooms right across the road, and a port-a-potty right beside the park for those brave souls ;) 

Our girls love pretending to be pirates and princesses atop the pirate ship, and a replica of the Parliment buildings has a giant slide and plenty of room for both parents and kids to climb. The twirly big top is also a hit (although watch out...they will get dizzy!!)  

All in all, we will definitely be back to Millennium again!

Have you visited Millennium Park? What do you love about it?

Kayaking for Kids - They can do it!

We spend a lot of our summers up at our parents' cottages and something both sets of grandparents invested in (I know - we're really lucky to have access to TWO cottages) are kayaks for the kids.

My kids took to it in no time flat and the most common comment I get from friends when they come to the cottage and try out the kayaks is, "Wow! I can't believe they can do that!"

So my message to you is:

Your kids can kayak!

My kids started using the kid sized kayaks around the age of 4 or 5 and while not all of them were proficient at 4, at 5 they could definitely get the boat going where they wanted it to go.

At 8, my older son could handle a full sized kayak if all the kid sized ones were being used by younger children because he'd had enough practice with the little ones.

What about SUPs?

Stand up paddle boards (SUPs) have gotten really popular in the last few years. We have a kid sized one of those too and while all the kids can manage it, most of them seem to feel about it the way I do about the adult sized one - it's fine, but they prefer the kayak. My daughter however really enjoys the SUP and has such incredible balance on it she can practically do acrobatics on the water without falling off!

What if I don't have a cottage?

There are lots of great places to kayak in the Ottawa area and kayaks are pretty easy to transport thanks to roof racks and hatchback trunks (especially the kid sized ones). You can also bring kayaks with you camping! Bon Echo and Bonnechere Provincial Parks are great spots. So, pack some snacks, your kayaks and your lifejackets and head out to:

Dow's Lake Pavilion (you can rent kayaks here too)

Ottawa Valley - there are a bunch of great spots and this guide has all the details you need for your paddling adventure.

Petrie Island - You can launch your kayak at the free boat launch at the west end of the main parking lot in Crappie Bay.

Shirley's Bay - a popular spot and a great place to teach kids how to launch without getting in and out from a dock.

How much do they cost?

Ours all came from Costco and we know a lot of others who got them there.  I've also seen them at Canadian tire, and for a basic sit on top kids' kayak you're looking at about $100. They've been a great investment for our family!

Ottawa Parks: Cardinal Creek

We have our favourite parks around town - the one within walking distance of our house and then Brewer and Millenium are at the top of the list, but sometimes we want something a bit different and we go exploring. There is another great park in Orleans that is big and boasts a lot of different features and it's definitely worth a visit

Cardinal Creek

Cardinal Creek Park boasts a fabulous splash pad, a little kids' play structure, a bigger kids' play structure area, basketball courts and a children's garden.

Splash Pad

This park has a great splash pad and the day we were there it was packed. There are regular water canons, but also some really fun extra features like the flower tree, the ring things I always call the car wash, and the water that just shoots straight up out of the ground.

Play structures

There are swings, spinning ball things, big kid climbers and a toddler climber too. I loved that they had different stuff - stuff for climbers and stuff for kids who aren't as strong climbers. 

Children's Garden

I've been to the children's garden on Main and was excited to see that they have opened one at Cardinal Creek.  "The garden will have raised garden beds and an accessible pathway so that disabled children canalso have access to it. It has features such as a butterfly garden, strawberry patch, touch and smell area and a meeting place to encourage education and story-telling."

Such a great way to get kids to learn about growing food and to get together for play dates.

It's a great park for kids of all ages - definitely worth checking out!

Do you have a favourite park? We're going to be featuring a park a week all summer and if you want to write a post to highlight one of your faves send us an email at kidsinthecapital@gmail.com!

"Help Me" at the Park

I feel so lucky that I will be spending the summer playing in the park. This gives me the chance to enjoy so many of the simply wonderful aspects of life so I thought that I would write about my experiences and observations.

This year I have a 1 year old, one that is 2 and three quarters, and two eight year olds in tow. My 11 and 14 year olds and their friends will be hanging around as well. This should bring me some challenges, a chance to practice living in the present and lots of fun.

Because I am a bit of a parenting nerd, being in the parks also gives me the chance to witness parents and notice all of the different parenting that goes on. Sometimes I get some new tricks to use and sometimes I see techniques that don’t fit with me at all; but whatever the case I always enjoy seeing the different ways that parents and their children relate. It gives me the opportunity to connect and fine tune the way I choose to parent.

I do this by observing other parents, checking out the way kids play together and getting into many conversations with other caregivers about the issues that are being presented every day.

This week I was a bit surprised when another caregiver lifted the 2 year-old that was with me down from a climber. I don’t know exactly what she was thinking but I sure was curious and will guess at a few of the reasons here.

Marley, who is 2 and three quarters, was up on a pirate ship climber and to get down she would have to climb the rope net ladder. This is a new challenge for her. She did get up but never down before and was asking for help. I was sitting about 15 feet away, so not right there. My 8 year-old daughter was right beside her but not strong enough to help her down. She was however able to start to instruct her about what to do to get down… “Turn around and go backwards… you can do it… I’m right here.”

As Marley started to do this the other caregiver said “I’ll help you down”, picked her off the climber and put her on the ground.

Here’s what I think about this…

1.     I think so many people find it hard to watch children in any amount of struggle. The impulse to relieve them of this struggle can be very strong. But the struggle is the motivation to try new things, learn and grow. On the other side there is a reward of increased confidence and more possibilities.

2.     I think that the caregiver worried about the child’s safety and was concerned that she might fall. I can understand this worry but in this situation I was very confident in Marley’s ability.

3.     I think that the caregiver was not paying attention to the interactions that were going on between the children and what they were working out together. In an effort to fix the situation the children were cut off from the learning experience that they were sharing. And,

4.     I think that it is surprising when someone feels comfortable picking up a child without having a relationship. It is interesting to me where people draw this line. When they feel it is their right or even responsibility to physically move a child in a situation instead of having a conversation with them.

I am only assuming here that the caregiver wondered why I had not gone over myself to help Marley down. She may have thought I was lazy or didn’t notice. I’m pretty sure she didn’t realize that I was consciously making the decision to allow Marley to try something new, challenge her self and work out a situation with her friend all while in the careful watch of someone who cares.

I’m sure there was no harm done here but I must say that I am a bit disappointed that Marley didn’t get to realize the full benefits of her experience learning to climb the ladder. I am consoled knowing that she will have many more chances to try something new and feel success this summer and in the rest of her life.

Kaeli Van Regan is the founder of Living Inside Out. She combines her love of life and nature with education in Child and Youth Work, Life Coaching and Energy Healing to provide coaching to expand and uplift the family unit. Check her out onTwitter, Facebook and YouTube.

How to Host a Teddy Bears' Picnic

Summer is finally here and what better use of a warm day than to hold a Teddy Bear’s picnic!

Not too long ago I had an extra little friend in my daycare class and decided as it was a full house, that something special was in order. I sent home invitations asking the children to bring their favourite teddy bears the next day for an al fresco lunch.

We played games, sang songs, ate a yummy lunch and shared it all with our “bear-y” good friends! The children had a lovely time. 

If you would like to host your own Teddy bears picnic here are some tips:

Venue

We held the party in our backyard, but any spot outside with some grass to play on is ideal. Make sure you have somewhere shady to retreat from the sun's hot rays, and ensure all the children wear wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen.

Decoration

The natural environment, a park or a summer garden, all make the perfect natural décor, but don’t forget to make it extra special by laying out a tablecloth, a picnic blanket and have brightly coloured plates and cups on hand.

Food and drink

Any food eaten outside is fun, but a traditional picnic should include sandwiches, fruit, cheese and a little treat. We made sure to drink plenty of water too, as it was a hot day.

Songs and games

My group is used to circle time, but today instead of just saying their own name, when we said hello, the children also had to introduce their teddy bear and try to tell us all a little about their special friend. We had a black bear, a lamb, a teddy with a bow, a dinosaur and a blue bear in attendance.

No teddy bears picnic would be complete without singing the famous song:

If you go down to the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to the woods today
You'd better go in disguise.
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

We also sang “Teddy Bear, Teddy bear” and some other toddler favourites such as “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Baby Bumblebee”.

Instead of “Duck, Duck, Goose” we played “Bear, Bear, Honey” and also enjoyed all the outdoor toys, including cooling off by playing at the water table.

Music

Although it’s nice to sing your own songs, it's not a party without music, so after we finished singing- we put the radio on and danced with our bears!

Sunday, July 10th is the official international “Teddy Bears Picnic Day”, so you still have time to arrange a party of your own - just grab a bear or two, pre-bear carefully and have fun! 

Fiona Tapp a Freelance Writer, Educator and Mum to one, can be reached at www.fionatapp.com