Welcoming Our New Sponsor: The JCC of Ottawa Day Camps

Kids in the Capital is excited to welcome our new Sponsor: JCC of Ottawa Summer Camps.

The Jewish Community Centre (JCC), located in Nepean near Carling and Maitland Avenues, runs some pretty cool summer camps from July 2 – August 23. The JCC Camps include the Day Camp (age 2-15), the Traveling Sports Camp (age 7-15) and 16 amazing Specialty Camps (age 5-15). Instructional swimming lessons and a daily free swim in their huge outdoor pool are included in both the Traveling Sports Camp and Day Camp. The facilities, including their outdoor pool, grassy fields, full-sized gym and air-conditioned rooms are all kid-friendly, clean and pretty awesome.

Each week of Day Camp offers a fun and fabulous theme. This summer, the kids will Splash Into Summer, go on Captain Jack’s Pirate Adventure, have some Aloha Summer Fun with Silly, Slimy Silicon & Rocking Rhythms, find their Spirit, join the Circus discover Ottawa’s Next Top Chef.

In addition to the day camp, The JCC Traveling Sports Camp offers kids a truly unique summer experience. It’s the only camp in Ottawa that takes campers on a different action packed adventure trip every day. The campers spend each morning at the JCC where they learn about a variety of sports and have swim lessons. After lunch they travel by bus all around the Ottawa area going to water parks, going horseback riding, ice skating and more.

The JCC is also proud to offer a whole slew of specialty camps. Some new for this summer include Band Camp, You GLOW Girl, Boot Camp and The Directors Cut. Returning favourites include Radical Reactions-Chemistry and Crime, Girls on the Go, Powered Up LEGO Camp, Summertime Splash, Horseback Riding Camp, The Great Adventure, Tennis Camp, Soccer, You Go Girl, Basketball, Girl Power and Last Blast.

Speaking as a mom who sent my girls to the JCC Day Camps for many years, the JCC’s mature and highly qualified staff is chosen for their ability to work with children . I saw this every day as my girls ran to greet their counselors each morning and were hugged back in return. The songs, crafts, games and stories they came home with each day was proof to me that I made the right choice in sending my girls to the JCC Day Camps.

I know the snow is still on the ground but the fabulous camps at the JCC fill up early so if you haven’t started thinking about summer yet, you may want to start.

A big welcome to the Soloway JCC!

The Soloway JCC welcomes everyone, regardless of race, religion, or ability. Anyone can be a member and take advantage of our fantastic facilities and outstanding programs.

Super Bowl Sunday

I don’t know about you but I’m not really a football fan. In fact, watching football kind of makes me want to gag. So it really was a surprise to me when my girls decided they wanted to have a Superbowl party.  To me, it means that I’ll actually have to tune into the game - at least enough to know when it’s okay to serve food! It did take some convincing on their part but we decided to go ahead with it. We’ve invited a few family friends over to help us watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII Sunday night. While my girls think it may be just about watching the game, I thought that I’d plan a few activities to keep the younger kids entertained and some great food ideas to keep the adults happy and fed. We have some younger guests coming so I came up with two really easy crafts that will, hopefully, keep them occupied:

Pom Pom Craft:

Cut 24 pieces of party streamers (12 in each color) into 2-foot strips. Spread the strips out in a circle. Gather in the middle and twist to make a handle. Wrap tape around the handle to secure, then cheer for your team.

Pennant Craft:

Have some felt pieces in brown and the team colours. Cut one piece of felt into a large triangle. Cut brown felt into the shape of a football. Glue football to triangle and decorate with puffy paint.

For food, we decided on standard fare, like pizza, wings and munchies but my girls, for some reason, are in love with the idea of pigs in a blanket so pre-game we’ll be stuffing those piggies. There are likely a lot of ways to make them but this way has always worked for me:

Pigs in a Blanket

For the meat filling, you can use regular hotdogs, little cocktail wieners, all beef or veggie dogs. Really anything will work.  A can of crescent roll dough or biscuit dough will be the “blanket.” Preheat oven according to the dough directions. Separate the uncooked crescent rolls or biscuits. Roll the pieces of meat in the dough and bake according to the dough directions.

For the older kids (and adults who aren’t into football), we’ll put out some board games and set up the Wii or Playstation. With lots of food, drink and activities, hopefully this Super Bowl party will be a hit, even for people like me who didn’t  know who was playing until my girls told me.

What are you doing for Super Bowl Sunday?

Music Under a Midnight Moon: A Children's Theatre Review

I decided that for my birthday I would like to take my son to see some cultural and educational performances.  Naturally, I started by perusing the National Arts Centre website.  I was pleased to find a series of three performances including orchestral and theatrical components directed specifically to children.  Prices were also reasonable $20 per adult ticket, $12 per child ticket.  Total cost for us was just under $100 for 3 performances. This past Saturday January 12th, I took my 5 yr old to see Music Under a Midnight Moon at the National Arts Centre.  This was our first experience with children's theatre and we both could not have enjoyed it more!  We arrived a little early to ensure we could find parking, visit the washroom, and make a wish in the fountain.  We were prepared for a bit of a wait before the scheduled start time, but to my surprise there were activities for the wee ones set up in the lobby to keep them occupied!  At this performance there were tables set up with all kinds of homemade musical instruments. Kleenex box guitars, water bottle shakers, bottle cap percussion instruments, the kids could bang, strum, and shake to their hearts content!  It was kind of a mad house but so much fun!  Kids could also line up and take turns winding the wheel of a street organ!  My son thought it was the coolest thing ever and made me take his picture with it.

All too soon it was time to go find our seats for the main event! The lights dimmed, the orchestra played it's opening piece and the performance began.  It did not matter what language you spoke, this performance was all done in mime so language was not a barrier.  The players took you through each piece the orchestra played in a funny way that all the kids understood.  They played some fun pieces like "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and "Turkey in the Straw".  Their focus was any kind of home made instrument that could be played by anyone.  Bottles of water, wooden spoons on flower pots, stomping with buckets on your feet.

I also found it very intriguing how the music affected my son's mood.  During up tempo pieces he was excited, dancing and bouncing in his seat.  At one point they played a lullaby and he was telling me how he was tired and wanted to go home soon!  Once the moved on to another piece of music, he was back to bouncing again.

The performance itself was exactly an hour.  Put that together with the activities in the lobby, it made for a perfect early afternoon outing.  We were home by 3:00 and enjoyed ourselves immensely!  We can't wait to see the next show in February, Green Eggs and Hamadeus.

Amanda was born and raised in Ottawa where she continues to live with her husband and son “J”. Amanda is bilingual and interests include reading, blogging, socializing, and advocacy on children and teen issues.

Playgroup drop-ins for Ottawa South/Gloucester

by Kamerine I have a three year old boy and a one year old daughter.  When I was on maternity leave with my daughter I pulled my son out of daycare.  I planned to take an unpaid leave from my job to stay home with my kids.

And that's just what I'm doing.  Staying home has been pretty great.  Sure there are bad days but they are far outnumbered by the good.  Staying home isn't the best option for a lot of parents, but it works for me and my family.

There are so many things I love about staying home but there are things I miss about working.  I miss being challenged, having tasks to complete and deadlines to meet, but most of all I miss the adult interaction.  I used to spend a lot of my time corresponding with people by email and over the phone, consulting coworkers and management, and chatting with coworkers who became friends.

Being at home can be very isolating, especially in the cold winter months, so I do my best to get out of the house.  Seeing people saves my sanity and I'm sure my kids love getting out too.

Lucky for us, Global Childcare Services has an outreach program that provides playgroup drop-ins at various locations near me.  The drop-ins are free and they provide a great opportunity for my kids to run around and play with new and exciting toys.  The staff are warm and welcoming and obviously truly care about kids.   There are snacks available for the kids and coffee for the adults.  There are lots of toys to play with, books to read, puzzles to do, and at least one craft set out.  The drop-ins always end with circle time led by one of the staff.

These drop-ins are perfect for meeting other parents.  Over time conversations have moved from the typical "She's so cute!" and "How old is he?" to the friendly exchanges I so crave.  Every week I look forward to going to the drop-ins and seeing the people I've come to know.

I hope if you're home with your kids and in the area - Ottawa South and Gloucester - that you'll check it out.  We're lucky to have this service available.

Kamerine is mom to 3 year old Little J and 1 year old Baby K.  She documents her life with two toddlers, a husband and a cat at followk.blogspot.ca.

A Journey Through Time: The Vale Earth Gallery at the Museum of Nature

by Victoria When the invitation went out from Karen and Lara at Kids In The Capital for a blogger (or two) to attend the members’ only opening of the new Vale Earth Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature, the timing couldn’t have been better. I was on the cusp of starting a new job at NRCan in the Earth Sciences Sector, so I wanted to spend an evening at the museum learning more about the work of my colleagues, in addition to introducing my two older children to the wonders of geology.

The result of two years of planning and three months of renovations, the 8,000 sq. ft. Vale Earth Gallery is a smaller, permanent renewal of the gallery that opened in 2010. There is quite a lot to experience in the gallery, from building a volcano to exploring a limestone cave with a dripping waterfall (complete with life-like bats) to manipulating a two-metre animated globe. The hands-on exhibits make the whole experience literally come alive for both parents and children, with plenty of buttons to push, knobs to spin, and levers to pull.

Best of all, however, are the 14 giant minerals, including crystals, which reportedly weigh between 45 and 225 kg. It was neat to be able to show my daughter one of the best examples of an amethyst - the February purple gem that also happens to be my birthstone - in the world. I was entranced by the diamonds from theNorthwest Territories’ Akati mine, cousins to the stone in my engagement ring by source alone.

My teenage son enjoyed himself immensely with the Sedimentator, the Magmanator, and the Metamorphicator, three simulation machines that allow visitors the chance to create their own type of rock. The ability to cause an earthquake, albeit in a controlled setting, created one of the best bonding opportunities between a child and his stepfather that a mother could ask for. Their goofy grins will forever be embedded in my memory.

Entry to the Vale Earth Gallery is included with regular museum admission. For full details, including fees and hours, go to nature.ca.

Victoria Martin blogs at Girl Gone Wired (www.girlgonewired.net), a parenting and lifestyle blog; and is the Social Media Lead for Kruising for Keely (www.kruisingforkeely.ca), a family team devoted to raising funds for a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. She lives inOttawa,Ontariowith her fiancé, David, and their three children.