Go-Karting in the Capital

by Tanya We were looking for something fun to do this past May long weekend which would be appropriate for two kids in their 30s and one who just turned 7. Our choice: go-karting.

Holiday Monday was gorgeous: sunny and hot. We slathered on some sunscreen, packed up -- well,  nothing -- and headed off to Karters’ Korner in Fallowfield. It wasn’t very busy when we arrived midday, but got a bit busier as the day went on. However, with the sprawling layout it was hard to tell just how many people were really there. Based on the dozen or so cars in the parking lot, I’m guessing it was a slow day.

Our choice was to purchase a set number of laps which hubby and I would share. Love this feature: Karters’ allows you to buy one package and split the tickets among several riders.  And the price was pretty reasonable: 12 laps for $36. That worked out to about 20 minutes on the track.

The Dude climbed into a 2-seater with his dad and I grabbed a single for a few laps. BIG MISTAKE. The doubles are way faster than the singles, so they immediately passed me and I was left going around the course on my own. We switched after a few laps and I realised that I should have just waited my turn with the Dude. His giggles and shouting made for a much more enjoyable ride than the silence of riding around solo. Next time, I’ll wait my turn with the Dude and skip the solo ride altogether.

Now given the heat, I secretly worried about climbing onto the hot vinyl seats in my shorts. Turns out that the go-karts were well maintained, comfortable and not nearly as hot as I would have thought. The track was fantastic with some great turns (all the better if you wait until late in the turn to crank the wheel and hear your kid giggle his head off ).

We did find that the laps went by quickly and looked around for our next adventure. Karters’ also has mini motorized vehicles that the kids can drive around but this day was about activities the whole family could do, so mini-putt was our choice.

The course was well maintained and had a retro feel with traditional wooden obstacles such as windmills. The holes were challenging enough to be interesting, but easy enough for the Dude to handle, and even manage a hole-in-one. The ball return is like a Plinko game from The Price is Right: if your ball bounces into the hole, you win a free round. Hubby’s ball plinked right into the hole, so now we have incentive for another outing. Not that we needed one. This wasn’t our first time at Karters’ Korner and it certainly won’t be the last. Like I said, there are 3 kids in our family ;)

Tanya Snook resides with her hubby & the Dude in Barrhaven. In her spare time, you can find her blogging at Spydergrrl on the Web or tweeting as @spydergrrl.

Kid-Friendly Restaurant Review: John's Quick Lunch

by Liisa I have been going to John's Quick Lunch with family for 7 years now. We used to go as a couple with my parents before the kids were born, and now we as a family of 4 or with grandparents in tow (free meal that way!).  We keep going back because the owners and staff make everyone feel welcome, and the food is consistent, good, fresh, and reasonably-priced.

John's is a small family owned restaurant, mainly for breakfast and lunch, though they are open for Friday night dinner (which we usually hit once a month or so). Except on Friday's, they close around 2 or 3pm and are closed all day Sunday.

You will recognize John's as you go east on Wellington, by the huge mural of John painted on the west side of the building.  Inside you will usually find either John or his son Tony behind the counter.

The breakfast food is classic, think pancakes, french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage. The lunch menu holds no surprises either with salads, sandwiches and a few Lebanese dishes, but you must try the Club Sandwich as it is almost annually voted the best in Ottawa.

On a recent Saturday brunch visit, 5 of us piled into a booth for 4, the 2 boys wanting to sit on either side of their grandmother.

The place was busy but we were quickly visited by our smiling server and drink and kids orders were taken right away.  A minute later, drinks in hand, the server returned to take the rest of our orders. John's has kids' options for breakfast with slightly smaller orders, but they are still big enough that we usually split one of these between our boys.

On this day, they enjoyed a kid's order of pancakes with a side of bacon (no need to ask for the extra plate as it arrived with the meal), and a bottle of apple juice split between two glasses.

With several refills of nice hot coffee, I ordered an egg white spinach and mushroom omelette (egg whites, "no problem"). It comes with toast, home fries and beans. While those sides aren't really my thing, and substitutions are welcome, I didn't change them as I knew my boys would like the toast and some of the potatoes.

My MIL ordered a fried egg sandwich with her coffee, and my tea-drinking husband ordered the famous Club with salad instead of fries.

Though most of our plates still had food on them as they were cleared, it was due to portion size rather than enjoyment.

John's takes cash only. Even regulars forget this, and luckily there is an ATM downstairs. You pay your bill at the counter, where on Saturdays, John himself finds your check and rings you up. After a quiet request for permission from the parents, John offers your little people lollipops.

Once again on this visit, John's didn't disappoint; it's not gourmet but hey, it is a family restaurant. It definitely succeeds in making you feel at home while getting a good hot meal on a lazy weekend morning. 

Reviews from the kids:

Lil D: "I like John's because I get to give John the money and he gives me a lollipop. They have good restaurant toast and bacon."

Lil C: "It's yummy. I like pancakes with syrup for dipping".

The Stats: (out of 5)

Food (Quality, taste, freshness): Grown-ups - 4 thumbs up; Kids - 5 thumbs up

Service (Attentiveness and kid-friendliness): 5 thumbs up from grown-ups and kids

Ambience (General appeal and energy, any interesting kid-friendly features): 5 thumbs up from grown-ups and kids

Cost (family of 4 with 2 children under 5) $42 including tax (CASH ONLY)

Speed (Every parents-of-small-children's concern!) Time from seating to order - 3 minutes; time from order to delivery of food 9 minutes; total time in restaurant 45 minutes (with lots of chatting and coffee refills).

John's Quick Lunch (613) 761-1010 1365 Wellington St West Ottawa, ON K1Y3C2

Liisa is mom to two boys, 4.5 year old Lil D and 2.5 year old Lil C.  You can also find her at Fit for a Kid.

My Park: Gerald Poulin Park

by Vicky Gerald Poulin Park is located in Chapel Hill, Orleans. This great 4-season park is the one I played at when I was a kid. Since my parents haven't moved, my own kids now get to enjoy the park like I did. The city updated the structures last year, so they are new and modern.

In the winter, kids can enjoy the toboggan hill, which has a steep side for older kids, and a more gradual slope for the younger ones. At the bottom of the hill, there is a skating rink which is maintained by the city. I used to have skating parties on this rink when I was younger. Someday my own kids will skate there too.

At the other end you'll find a large open space which is perfect for kite flying, soccer playing or running off energy. In the summer, younger kids play in the splash pad, teenagers gather at the beach volleyball pit, and dog-walkers stroll along the winding paths.

It really is a perfect park for every one and every season.

Vicky is the mom to 3.5 year old son named Joel and 9 month old daughter named Mieka. You can read her blog at blog Some Kind of Wondermom.

Feeding the ducks

by Lara

We live in a beautiful city full of green spaces. Spaces I don't always remember to use as much as I should.

With all the rivers that run through our city, and the amazing pathways that go along them, a fun thing to do with kids is one that couldn't be simpler.

Go down to the river and feed the ducks.

We tend to go down to the river near Westboro Beach or to a little spot near Billings Bridge, but there are tons of places to go!

Bring along some stale bread and let the kids go crazy throwing the bread.*
***According to wildlife experts, bread is actually dangerous for ducks and other water birds (like the swans.) So we have updated our post to suggest these alternatives: lettuce, peas and sweet corn!

Be prepared for the seagulls who are..... a tad more aggressive than the ducks - which for me is just hilarious!

And the geese... they can get pretty angry so you might not want to let the kids get TOO close... but they certainly provide good targets for running off some energy.

And enjoy the beauty and quiet of the moment too...

...while the kids use up some of that energy they never seem to lack :)

Lara is mom to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 10 month old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can read her blog at Gliding Through Motherhood.

Midway Birthday Parties

by Eric For Kiernan's third birthday we went to the Midway Family Fun Park located near the Museum of Technology off St. Laurent Blvd. They have an assortment of birthday packages that will have your children and guests talking about it for a long time, perhaps forever associating birthday parties of others with Midway, and asking to go to "my birthday again, with the castle." But maybe that's just Kiernan.

Attractions

We chose the Double Fun package, which got us unlimited play on 2 attractions - the indoor maze of elevated tunnels were one attraction, and the outdoor activities all counted as another attraction. Outside the kids rode the Kiddie Train, slid down the giant inflateable slide, and drove bumper boats around in circles.

Other attractions to choose from include go carts and mini ATV racing, bumper cars, rock climbing and mini-putt.

Each party-goer gets 10 tokens to use on the giant assortment of arcade games, and the birthday boy or girl gets to spin the giant wheel with a chance to win a prize (Kiernan won more tokens).

Lunch

Our smaller party room was a tiki-themed gazebo, but larger party rooms are available. Lunch was provided to each of the kids as a choice of pizza, chicken nuggets, pogos or hot dogs, with pitchers of juice to drink. We paid extra for coffee for the parents - they were able to buy their own food as well. Peanut-free cake was an available option, though we brought our own - and the staff assembled and served it once the meal was cleared.

Security

Staff members were very helpful, guiding the kids through the tunnels and sliding down slides with them. If kids didn't want to stick with a counsellor, they were free to go through by themselves, with two doors locked from the outside to keep them from wandering into the arcade area by themselves.

As well, when you enter, everyone will get their hands stamped with invisible ink, and you can't leave with your child unless your stamps show up under the UV light. Or, you know, if you show up later with the birthday cake and the staff thinks you're a delivery person and not actually part of the party and don't mention any sort of stamp, then when you stay an extra hour with the birthday boy then try to leave, you just need to be grateful your child is not playing shy and and tells the teenage girl at the counter that you're his dad and remembers the full name (including middle name) which is on your driver's license and they eventually let you go. Hypothetically speaking.

Midway is fun, affordable, and cleanup is included! The only downside of the experience according to Lara, was that the party coordinator was not responsive to emails, so you may want to give them a call instead.

Eric is dad to 3.5 year old Kiernan and 1 year old twins Quinn and Juliette.  He also blogs at (slightly) less cynical.