One for the Birds

Looking for a fun and FREE activity for your kids? Check out Nature Canada's Bird Day Fair on May 31, 2014 (10am to 4pm at Andrew Haydon Park).

Before we purchased our own home, I really knew nothing about birds (um, except that most of them fly....:) ). However, now that we own TREES and have invested in several bird feeders, I'm delighted to see these feathery friends paying us a visit.

Of course my personal favourite is the Chickadee, but the Bird Day Fair will be a celebration of Canada's migratory birds (my chickadees like to hang out all winter!). Some birds travel as far as 25,000 miles round trip from their breeding grounds in the Canadian arctic to their wintering grounds in South America.

Here are some highlights of the day:

• Falcon Ed is back this year by popular demand. Meet life raptors and see their impressive free flight demonstrations
• Join experts on nature walks where you will spot birds and other natural wonders
• Let your creative side loose by helping to build a bird nest big enough to sit in, and learn how to make your own ink prints
• Learn about bird banding, a method that scientists use to study birds, by being banded yourself
• Meet local groups working to protect wildlife

For more information on what is happening at the Bird Day Fair, check out the event page.

If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please contact Sarah Kirkpatrick-Wahl at skirkpatrik-wahl@naturecanada.ca

Family Day Roundup

Not sure what to do on Family Day Weekend? If you're like us, you haven't planned anything yet and are looking for ideas! Check out some of these great activities in and around Ottawa

1) Children's Wish FUNGANZA - Monday the 17th

2) NAC English Theatre Family Day - Monday the 17th

3) Vanier Winter Carnival - Saturday the 15th

4) Last weekend of Winterlude!

5) Valentine's Party at the Humane Society - Saturday the 15th

6) Free Pancake Breakfast (Monday the 17th) with Phil McNeely: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. at 1825 St. Joseph Blvd, Community Pentecostal Church. A magician will be in attendance!

7) Portobello South Winter Family Fun Day (Monday the 17th) from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at Portobello Park in Orleans. Free horse-drawn sleigh rides, snow games and hot chocolate! Bring your skates!

Did I miss anything?

Surviving Winter: February Fun

January felt like a looong month. It always does, but in particular, this winter has been brutally cold. Our dog is depressed, our girls have cabin fever, and we're drooling over vacation catalogues. Alas, no warm vacation for us this year, as we blew that budget in 2013. So 2014 will be a stay-cation kind of year, with a week of family camping thrown in for fun.

Camping in August is a long way off, though, so I'm trying to come up with ways to make February a Fantabulous Month! Here are some ideas we have for making it through until March:

1. Create an indoor "park" - we'll set up cushions to make slides, and our rocking chair will serve as a swing. We might get really brave and create an indoor sand box!

2. Make homemade pina coladas (virgin for the wee ones, but a splash of rum for the adults!), and decorate them with fun drink umbrellas. Play Bob Marley while drinking the coladas.

3. Build a quinzee! Find the courage to sleep in there overnight? (highly unlikely)

4. Take part in all things Winterlude, and eat a copious amount of Beaver Tails.

5. Indulge in a warm, comforting meal with my partner to celebrate Valentine's Day - we're thinking tacos at El Camino!

6. Pull out the seed catalogues, and make 2014 garden plans. Can't wait to try new vegetables we've never grown before, including potatoes, onions and strawberries.

7. Welcome family guests to come check out the Capital in full winter swing! Which means extra play partners for the girls, and a chance for hubby and I to  escape for #5.

8. Declare Family Day to be annual Stay-cation day. Acting like tourists in our own town, we will head out to see Parliament, take in one of our kid-friendly museums and catch a bite to eat.

9. Put some of my New Year's resolutions into effect, and participate in a Wellness Program. I'm excited to cut back on processed foods, and meet some of my fitness goals....which leads me to:

10. The Olympics! Not only will we take in some of the Olympics as couch potatoes, but I also plan to involve my girls in fitness goals, and create our own Family Olympics.

What are you going to do to make February a Fantabulous Month?

Programs for potential Power Rangers and more in the City of Ottawa Recreation Guide

By Wendy Given the number of Power Rangers shows in our Netflix instant queue and Star Wars light saber battles that rage through our family room, it comes as no surprise that my 7-year-old son’s career ambition is to become a Samurai.  While it seems a noble profession (assuming you have aspirations to be a Jedi Knight rather than a Dark Lord of the Sith), where does one get the hands on training to know if you’ve got what it takes?

Scanning through the on-line City of Ottawa Fall-Winter Recreation Guide in September, I was pleased to stumble upon a program for aspiring Samurai.  Shoshin Kendo - the “Way of the Sword” or Japanese fencing - is offered at the Plant Recreation Complex for girls and boys ages 7-16.  The cost for thirteen 2-hour classes is $125 (less than $5/hour), and the purchase of a Shinai (bamboo practise fighting sword) is approximately $35-40.  The somewhat intimidating - but very cool looking - Kendo bogu (fighting armour) is not required for the first year of training, which is great if your young padawan may not be committed to making a career move quite yet.

Kendo classes typically begin with demonstrations of respect to instructors and the do-jo (training hall), followed by warm-up exercises counted out in Japanese, and drills emphasizing foot and sword work.  Younger members practise strikes against bogu-clad teen/adult class mates or a mannequin, always accompanied by blood-curdling cries (great for the abdominal muscles, so I am told!).  Part way through training, less experienced members are separated from more highly-skilled practitioners to receive instruction on technique appropriate to their respective skill level; the adults and teens actually engage in full-fledged fencing battles!  Classes generally end with some good clean fun; playing dodge ball and other games that help develop speed and agility and that – as a bonus – leaves the aspiring Samurai perspiring and tuckered out.

In addition to providing a great outlet for energetic kids, there are many physical and mental benefits associated with practicing Kendo and martial arts in general.  Improved strength and balance; respect for self and others; increased mental focus and concentration; self-discipline and self-control; goal-setting; socialization with peers; and improved self-confidence are just some of the great benefits of martial arts training - and there are a range of programs in the Ottawa Recreation Guide to choose from.  Check out the Guide here  for brief descriptions of their martial arts programs, which include Aikido, Capoeira, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Kung Fu, and Taekwondo.

No would-be Ninjas in your household – no problem!  If martial arts are not your child’s passion, there are plenty of other City of Ottawa programs that span performing arts (dance, music, drama), creative arts (writing, drawing, crafts), a wide variety of team and independent sports, as well as certification programs and workshops on babysitting, being home alone and street-proofing, among others.

Registration for winter programs starting in January 2014 is ongoing.  Click the following link for details, including instructions on how to get your Family PIN and Client Codes required for registering here.  Note that costs cited in the Guide are typically for registration fees only, and additional costs may apply to purchase a uniform and/or equipment.

What City of Ottawa program(s) do your kids (or you) love?

Wendy is mom to Benjamin (age 7) and Evita (age 3).  She achieved the level of 2^nd Dan black belt in Taekwon-do before the birth of Evita, and hopes to get back into it…one day. 

Canadian Museum of Nature 2013-2014 Season Preview

By Helene The Canadian Museum of Nature is largely defined by its impressive collection of prehistoric fossils, so with the 100th anniversary of the museum’s fossil gallery this year, it is a great time to visit. The museum celebrated the milestone at the recent launch of the 2013-2014 season. It has interspersed photos and short stories about the fossils on display, telling the story of how far they’ve come. The gallery easily impresses all ages; however, with primarily framed black & white images, this programming will mostly appeal to adults.

More intriguing for kids will be the live fossil preparation Saturdays from 1- 4pm only in November. The winner of last spring’s Dino Idol “Canadian Club” will be among the fossils to be prepared for study (right in the fossil gallery!). They have been sealed in large plaster field jackets since they were collected in Alberta about 100 years ago.

Other highlights this season include Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants, from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, looks at how ants live, work and play through photography.

Also, the return of a favourite - Frogs: A Chorus of Colours, 25 Sept 2013 through 11 May 2014, was a highlight of my family’s visits to the museum in 2010. Finding frogs from around the world camouflaged in their “natural habitat” is fun for all family members. Hint: bring a stroller or folding stool as many of the displays are out of a toddler’s sightline. A number of hands-on activities such as frog mini-golf complete the experience.

Looking ahead:

For adults and children alike:

Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence, from 3 May – 9 November 2014, focuses on organisms (from the typical fireflies to fish and mushrooms) that light up or glow in the dark and promises to be awe-inspiring. On view for the first time in Canada, it is organized by the American Museum of Natural History Museum in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature and The Field Museum in Chicago.

For the culturally-minded:

Arctic Fest, 2nd Edition (April 2-6, 2014) and Arctic Voices (Nov 2014) First introduced last April, this festival aims to connecting Canadians young and old to Canada's northern heritage through fascinating stories. A collaboration with Science North.

For the science-buff:

X-rays of Arctic Fishes (Jan – June 2014) A small exhibit looking at the architecture of Arctic fishes.

For the explorer:

Passenger Pigeon – Extinct for a Century (June – December 2014) This once common bird in eastern North America became extinct with the world's last Passenger Pigeon dying in 1914.

For the visual:

Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year, 6th Edition (May –September 2014) Award-winning photos from Canadian Geographic’s 2013 national photo contest.

For the movie buff:

3D movies Penguins 3D and The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D round out any visit.

A surcharge applies for entry to the special exhibitions, Frogs and Creatures of Light, as well as 3D movies.