March Break in Ottawa: Round-Up!

by Misty

We've got the inside scoop from parents all around this beautiful Capital! Here's a list of some fantastic activities taking place this March Break (and don't forget St. Patrick's Day too!):

Place D'Orleans: Best Break Ever: Activities each day, including Little Ray's Reptile Zoo and St. Patty's Day crafts and face painting!

LEGO: Workshop at Mastermind Toys (call 613-746-4882 to register in-store), 24th Annual Lego Contest at Canada Space and Aviation Museum and Lego Day at Chapters!  

Skiing: this may be your last chance to ski before Spring arrives! Check out Mont Cascades, Calabogie, Vorlage or Camp Fortune

Epic Indoor Bike Park: Nothing says Spring like riding your bike! Why not do it indoors and avoid the salt and slush? 

Tag Along Toys: Check out both locations for crafts, Snap Circuit demos, Bricktek make & take, and glitter tattoos by Sparkling Expressions

Sugar Bush: there's a plethora of sugar bushes to choose from, but some of our favourites include Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm, Fulton's, and Proulx Sugar Bush. Want to stay in town? Try Vanier's Museopark! 

City of Ottawa: March Break camp listings!

Our favourite museums are holding week-long programming, including the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, History Museum (Children's Museum), Museum of Nature, and the National Gallery of Canada.

My family will be heading to Mont Tremblant for the week! Follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as I share pictures, and maybe even a video or two :)

What are you doing for March Break in and around Ottawa?

Making Art (Fun) with Elemenopaint

By Tracy

I first heard about Elemenopaint from my friend Anne. Her six-year old daughter had attended a few Elemenopaint art classes and absolutely loved them. Because our daughters are friends and are similar in a lot of ways, I thought my daughter would also enjoy the art classes. Unfortunately, I kept missing the registration and the classes fill up fast, but finally (thanks to Anne) I was able to register my daughter for a Flag Day themed workshop. 

When I first told my daughter about the workshop, she was very excited. She had always wanted to take an art class, but we could never find the time (or I failed to register before the class or workshop filled up). The Flag Day workshop was a two-hour, Saturday afternoon workshop held in the community room of a west end grocery store. Rochelle, the owner of Elemenopaint, typically runs the classes in similar spaces or out of her home in Ottawa’s west end. She currently runs classes in Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven, but you never know when a class might be held in your community!

When my daughter first walked in to the Flag Day workshop and saw a copy of the painting she was going to create she said, “I could never paint that.” Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Rochelle to put her mind at ease by telling the class, “there are no mistakes in art.” Elemenopaint is all about developing a child’s creativity; allowing them to express themselves and helping them see their artistic potential – perfect for children who doubt themselves. 

After a brief, interesting and interactive history of the Canadian flag, Rochelle taught the kids how to draw their version of Parliament Hill, including the Canadian Flag. She then explained how the painting would come together and made sure every artist had everything they needed. This was a child and adult class because some of the lines were tricky to draw and paint, but having said that, a lot of the kids did the majority of it themselves. Rochelle took the time to visit each child to see how they were doing, see if they needed help with anything and to add a few finishing touches to the masterpieces. By the end of the two hours every child had a large, ready-to-hang, canvas painting of Parliament Hill. 

My daughter was over-the-moon excited at her finished painting and couldn’t wait to get home to hang it in her bedroom. She also couldn’t stop talking about when the next workshop will be and to make sure I register in time (I must get better at this).

This will definitely not be my daughter’s last Elemenopaint class. In the near future, I am hoping to register her for one of the “Just the Artist” art series or one of the Frozen-inspired workshops, and I may even take an adult-only workshop (what a great idea for a moms’ night out!). Rochelle’s wise words, tips and tricks continue to stay with my daughter as she continues to fearlessly express herself through drawings and paintings at home and school.

For more information on Elemenopaint classes, visit Elemenopaint.com or “like” the Elemenopaint Facebook page where Rochelle regularly posts information about upcoming classes, boasts about the talent of her students and also lets fans know when her popular Rainy Day Kits are available for purchase (the Rainy Day Kits are basically everything fabulous from one Elemenopaint class in a box – the perfect rainy day activity!).

If you are looking for an ongoing art class or workshop for your child, I encourage you to take a look at Elemenopaint. It is friendly atmosphere that not only encourages children to learn art, but to also use their imagination and creativity to make the art their own, which in turns makes it fun and something your child will look forward to doing again and again.

Minecraft Workshops at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum

My eight year old loves Minecraft - can't get enough of it!  So when a friend told me that the Canada Aviation and Space Museum was having 3 hour Minecraft workshops in March, I signed him right up for one on Sunday morning.

As expected, he had a blast.  I sat down with him to get him to tell me a bit about the workshop from his point of view. Here's what we came up with together:

If you like Minecraft you should go to this workshop because you can work together with other people to build one big rocket ship. You go mining to get material and climb mountains to get quartz. 

The teachers will take a picture of the rocket ship with the players on it and they will put it on Facebook to compare other people’s rocket ships from when they did the workshop. (note from Lara: I went to their Facebook page and didn't see this but maybe they're coming. UPDATE:  here they are! ) 

It was fun to play with other players to build something.  It’s fun to see other people’s ideas and build something giant together to make something really creative, more creative than I could make alone. 

You can also make your own Golems which protect you.  Most of the kids at the workshop were great but some can be destructive and might destroy some of your work on the rocket and kill your Golems.  That part isn’t as fun.

I think this is a good workshop for anyone who likes Minecraft.  

Check out their web site - I know my son would be happy to attend again any time!

Here's a promo video from their web site if you want to see a bit more of what the workshop is like.

Giveaway: Harlem Globetrotters in Ottawa!

The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Ottawa, and YOU have a chance to win a family pack of four tickets!

Way back in 1926, a Chicago businessman formed a small basketball team to promote a nightclub he owned. After playing thousands of shows around the country, the team became known as the Harlem Globetrotters. They combine comedy, theatre and basketball into one great big show. The acts often feature juggling, balancing or spinning balls, and making difficult shots (all set to great music).

On Sunday April 12th at 3pm, the Harlem Globetrotters join us here in Ottawa at the Canadian Tire Centre, and Kids in the Capital will be giving away TWO family packs (4 tickets)! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me, a) whether you have never been to a basketball game before (I'm with ya there!); and b) who in your family is a sports fan. 

The draw will take place on Friday March 13th at noon EST. Please ensure you can attend the show on April 12th before you enter!

AND for those wanting to purchase tickets right now, save 25% on tickets using the promo code MOMS. Follow this link, and enter MOMS into the box at the top right hand corner of the screen.

****CONTEST CLOSED!!!***** THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTRIES - random.org chose #25 and #15! Congrats Kelty and Alison.