Camp Wannahaha!!!

Despite the weather of late, I have been looking into summer activities for the kids.  there is no shortage to choose from, either through the City of Ottawa or local churches and organizations.  This year we chose two from the City and one called "Camp Awesome" through one of our local churches.  I hear it's "awesome"  hee hee. This is all well and good, but summer can be LOOOONG for a mom of two demanding active children.  Last year I came up with a way to make summer both fun for my lovelies as well as easy for me to get things done without being "ON" 24/7.  Summer camp at home!! We did as all good camps would do, we planned out each weeks activities from crafts to excursions.  We came up with a fancy camp name "Wannahaha"  Then we made a flag and a sign which we hung outside the house.  We made up camp rules and chores for cleaning up.  Then we made a camp shirt.  That took care of the first week.  There were also door labels to put up in the house.  The kids thought is was awesome.

I made three jars with labels.  Each morning the children had to pick an activity from each jar.  They were labeled "Chore", "Craft/Science" and "Extra".  The kids had to do the chore first and then we could go onto the other activities.  The "Extra" category is a mixture of things that everyone wanted to do. ie: trip (great for touring the city), cooking, outdoor activity (sprinkler), movie etc...  If the children chose to do more than one chore, they could earn an extra activity a week - although this year I will make a BONUS jar instead. It will have big things in it.  For example - go to a movie, the beach or a big cost item.

For the most part, I tried to keep the activities close to home (or AT home more like) and on the lowest cost side as possible.  it may sound like a daunting task, but in fact we had way more activities to do than we had time.  Here is the list we used last here.

I have also since found new sites that have low or no cost activities at home than can be used.  Like this one.

I almost think this is more fun than going to a camp for younger children since it is tailor made for your individual children and they get to program all their own activities.

With summer fast approaching, what are some ways you're planning to keep your children entertained?

Hotel Home

by Alanna My children are very creative.  It is easy to do imaginative things with them.  They wanted to go on a vacation far away like their friends, and stay in a hotel.  This was not feasable for us so I suggested we turn our house into a hotel.  At first they were shocked and maybe a little bit confused, but then they thought it was a great idea.

First off, I had them go and pack their bags.  While they were doing that, I printed out some signs that I found online here.  I put them up all over the house and got to work on a room service menu.

Once the kids bags were packed we put all our bags in the car and went for a little drive (I actually had errands to do).  When we returned home, I got into character.  I jumped out of the car and helped them with their bags.  I had a book ready inside and asked them if they had reservations, handed them their keys and escorted them to their rooms.  They really got a kick out of it.

The activity was seriously successful.  They really want to do it again this year.  I am not sure.  Since then we have actually been to a hotel.  They might be more demanding this time. LOL.

I'd love to hear if it worked for you.

Alanna is a mother of two beauties, Nora age 3 (aka coconut) and Avery 5 (aka polka dot). Former ECE turned mother, party planner and blogger.  Never a dull moment around this house.

Flashback: Summer Camps with the City of Ottawa

Summer is quickly approaching!  Here is a post by Carly about summer camps through the city. by Carly

I'm a big believer in recreation and the Little Man has enjoyed and benefited from the fantastic and highly-trained staff who look after the City of Ottawa's summer Day Camps.  Every time we drive by the community centre where he first went to a half day camp two years ago, he begs again to go back to "Animal Adventures"!  Whether you're in need of childcare this summer or just want to give the kids (or yourself?) a break for a week here and there, the options abound.  I took a few minutes to go through the City's Summer Activity Guide and picked out a few camps that caught my eye, for kids from 2 years of age and up. 

 PRESCHOOL CAMPS:

Fun in the Sun A fun filled, action packed summer with arts and crafts, games, sports, special events, outdoor activities and local trips.  This camp for 4-6 year olds has full or half day options for maximum flexibility and takes place in Orleans, at the brand new AQUAVIEW COMMUNITY BUILDING, 318 Aquaview Drive.  Call 613-580-2782 for more info.

Kinder Korner Community Camps If you live or work in the Nepean area, you’ll find these preschool camps right in your own backyard!  Amazing staff offer camps that are just the right size for your little ones.  Children 2-5 are welcome, camp runs from 9-11:30am from Monday to Thursday at a number of COMMUNITY BUILDINGS throughout Nepean.  Call 613-580-2424 ext. 41238 for more info.

Aqua Preschool Do you have a little swimmer on your hands?  Brewar Pool (613-247-4938), Deborah Anne Kirwan Pool (613-247-4820, Plant Recreation Complex (613- 232-3000) and St. Laurent Complex (613-742-6767) all offer half or full day aquatic camps for kids 3-5 years of age.  Games, crafts, and lots of fun are all on the agenda.

CHILDREN'S CAMPS:

Big Art and Clowning & Cartooning Have a budding artist looking for a creative outlet this summer.  These two camps, taking place at the ROCKCLIFFE PARK RECREATION COMPLEX are just the thing.  Drama, games, animation techniques and the art of clowning are all on the menu.  Call 613-842-8578 for more info.

Drama, Drawing, Photography and Much More The NEPEAN CREATIVE ARTS CENTRE, 35 Stafford Road, offers a multitude of camps on everything from dance to printmaking, music to movie making.  Call 613-596-5783 for more info.

Interior Design, Project Runway & Top Chef Those are just some of the themes offered at AVALON PUBLIC SCHOOL, 2080 Portobello Drive and in French at ÉCOLE ÉLÉMENTAIRE JEANNE SAUVÉ, 1917 Gardenway this summer.  Older kids will love expressing themselves through fashion, design and cooking.  Call 613-580-2782 for info.

Computer Camps Computer camps are offered in partnership with FutureKids of Ottawa right across the City.  Kids will love creating their own animated cartoon, elaborate video games, learning how to make digital movies or exploring the world of robotics.  Check out pages 24-26 of the City of Ottawa Activity Guide (link below) for a location near you, or visit www.futurekidsottawa.ca.

Into the Woods Looking to get your kids out of the house and into the great outdoors this summer?  Get back to nature with this eco-friendly camp and get down and dirty planting gardens, following bugs, exploring forests and going on fun trips.  This camp for kids 4-12 years of age (with full or half day options) takes place at the GENERAL BURNS COMMUNITY BUILDING, 86 Argue Drive in Nepean.  Call 613-580-2424 ext. 41238 for more info.

YOUTH CAMPS:

Leadership The city offers a wide range of Leadership camps for youth 12 years and up, from Orleans to Kanata and many places in between.  Learn communication skills, program planning, team building, child development and camping skills.  Have a teen on your hands who loves working with children in recreation?  These programs are a must prior to working for the City and many offer hands-on learning experiences in camp settings.  Check out pages 38 and 86 of the City of Ottawa’s Recreation Guide for more details.

Equestrian Camps Does your pre-teen or teen dream of spending the summer on horseback?  Both the ST. LAURENT COMPLEX, 525 Coté and the NEPEAN NATIONAL EQUESTRIAN PARK, 401 Corkstown Road offer a wide variety of camps for the horse lover in your family.  For more info on the camps at St. Laurent Complex, call 613-742-6767.  For more details on those offered at the Equestrian Park, call 613-829-6925

Skateboarding, Soccer, Swimming, Hockey, Rope Skipping, Beach Volleyball, Cheerleading & More! Pages 40-47 of the City of Ottawa Recreation Guide are chock full of outstanding sports camps for children and youth.  Pre-teens and teens have their choice of sport and camps are offered throughout the City.

Summer Youth Centres Perhaps your teen just want to get out of the house and hang out with their friends this summer.  Join us for sports, movies, games, special events, camping, outings and more!  TANGLEWOOD COMMUNITY BUILDING, 30 Woodfield Drive and LARKIN HOUSE COMMUNITY BUILDING, 76 Larkin Drive are open Monday to Friday from 3pm to 10pm.  BELLS CORNERS P.S., 3770 Richmond Road and LESLIE PARK P.S., 20 Harrison Drive are open Monday to Friday from 2pm to 9pm.  Call 613-580-2424 ext. 41232 for more info.

More information on any of the camps listed above, as well as many more fantastic options can be found by visiting www.ottawa.ca/recreation. Financial assistance is available to qualified applicants for all recreation programs, including day camps.

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband and her 4 year old son, Jacob.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Museum Membership

by Lara Do you have a museum membership?  The first time we bought one was on Kiernan's first birthday.  We went to the Experimental Farm and by the time we left we were convinced that $90 was more than money well spent.  We've renewed our membership ever since and now, with three kids, the value is even more apparent!

A family pass to the museum of science and technology is $28.  A family membership is $90.  Four time and it's paid for!

This past Saturday we went to Science and Tech for the first time in about a year.  My twins are finally old enough that they can be at a museum without it being a horrifying experience for their parents!

We had such a wonderful time exploring we decided to take on another museum on Sunday!  This time we hit the aviation museum.

We plan on making many more excursions to the Farm, the "train museum" (science and tech) and the "plane museum" (aviation - there is so much more than just planes) this summer.

Do you have a membership to any museums?

Lara is mom to five year old Kiernan and three year old boy/girl twins Quinn and Juliette. Between the kids and her social media consulting business, she spends most of her time running frazzled.

Prehistoric World

by Rebecca This post originally appeared on Bit of Momsense. Thank you to Becky for sharing it here too.

In June, when we took the kids to Upper Canada Village, we passed by Prehistoric World – a place I had been as a child, but had completely forgotten about. We made note that we should take the Boy there someday. In August, we did!

Prehistoric World is all outdoors and has big and small statues of dinosaurs. Naturally, the almost 3 year old and almost 6 year old loved it. All the adults agreed, it was really well done and worth taking the kids (including my husband who was very doubtful about it’s ‘cool’ factor, but he was wrong! ;)

The path passes through a bush/treed area and is clearly defined, and very well maintained. It’s about 1 km in total distance, and takes about 45 minutes to an hour to do. There is a large sand box with ‘bones’ buried to dig up too!

Cost: $8 for each adult, $4.25 for kids 4-15 and children under 3 are free. Bring insect repellent/outdoor lotion because there are mosquitos!

Distance from Ottawa: About an hour

Prehistoric World

Exit 758 from Highway 401 Upper Canada Road Morrisburg, Ontario K0C 1X0 Telephone: (613) 543-2503

OPEN DAILY Late May through September 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

You may want to call first to be sure they are open.

Other Notes: Stroller accessible. Bring Mosquito Repellent (although they had some on-site, if you prefer something other than Off, bring it.) It is very close to Upper Canada Village/Chrysler’s farm, so it may be worth planning a whole day and bringing a picnic like we did.

(The white one above is a work in process…)

Rebecca blogs about family and motherhood, is a self-professed foodie, and dabbles in online engagment and community giving.  She has a strange love for maple syrup that can possibly only be matched by her love for chocolate and coffee.