Mother–Daughter Time

I was given two opportunities recently for some mother-daughter time and I took them both. The first was a Groupon for a night's stay at Montebello and the second was a day out in a Ford Focus Electric to explore my city. 

The first I took with my daughter, the second I took with my mom. 

My daughter and I have done special Mommy-Daughter things since she was born, but staying over night and going swimming not once, not twice but three times at a hotel with a sundae bar? That's super special. And it's something she's only really done with Daddy in the past. 

My mother lives with me and while we do go out to movies or go shopping sometimes, we don't often get to spend a day just out without the kid. We drove around Gatineau Park, we went to high tea at Mackenzie King Estate, we stopped for some window shopping. 

There's something about the relationship between mother and daughter. It's special, often tense, sometimes frustrating. Not always easy, to put it mildly. So a bit of time removed from reality is sometimes required. 

Getting away – exploring together away from reality a bit – is the best way to reconnect. 

My daughter, who enjoys being photographed

My mother, who does not enjoy being photographed

I highly recommend getting out with your kids, having some time. Just being together, talking, doing the fun things they choose to do. One of my greatest memories from childhood was the trip to Toronto my mother took us on - just her, my sister and me. We took the train, we spent three days, saw Phantom, shopped at the giant Sam the Record Man. It was great. 

It's great getting to repay a bit of that, and it's great paying it forward, doing things with my daughter that I know she's going to remember. 

Parc Omega in the Summer

Growing up 10 minutes from the Toronto Zoo was a real treat. We had season's passes, which meant that we could come and go as we pleased. I learned a lot about the natural environment at the zoo, and although I sometimes have reservations about keeping wild animals in captivity, I know how important it is for children to learn about conservation.

There's no zoo like the T.O. Zoo here in Ottawa, but we are fortunate to have Parc Omega a short drive away near Montebello, Quebec.

The other week we got a chance to check out Parc Omega with friends, and we had a blast!

First up was the drive there. If you live closer to centre town or the west end, it makes perfect sense to drive north from downtown into Quebec. The drive will take you about 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, us east enders find it a long drive just to get downtown to the bridges.

SO, my husband suggested we take the Ecolos Ferry - an electric ferry that departs from Clarence Island and docks in Thurso. Other than the animals, this may have been the most exciting part of the day ;) It's $8 to cross with a car, and even cheaper if you're on a motorcyle or bikes!

The drive was gorgeous, and we arrived at the Parc by 10:30 am. We drove in and stopped at the gift shop and cafe, and could even check out some goats and red fox below us on the balcony.

Parc Omega is a "safari" - meaning you drive your car through the area to view animals. You can get up close and personal with the animals if you want, by purchasing some carrots to feed to them.

However, this is no African Lion Safari - all of these animals are "Canadian" and this is their natural habitat in semi-captivity. The announcer on the radio station that you listen to as you drive through the park chatted about how Parc Omega will often take in young/abandoned animals. There are elk, white-tailed deer, wolves, warthogs (baby warthogs!!), bears, Bison and more.

The entrance to the vehicle path was VERY crowded at the beginning. Eventually you are able to pass other cars (carefully) if you would like to move ahead. There are only so many Elk noses I'd like to see :)

This handy site map that they give you when you buy your tickets is great for kids to look at while you're driving through.

We made it to The Deers, where there are washrooms, picnic tables and places to rent carts. We had brought a packed lunch, and the kids loved seeing the small white-tailed deer creep up to us while we ate.

After the drive to get to Parc Omega, and then the drive through the safari, we felt it was time to stretch our legs. There are various walking trails, and one leads up to the farm - with a petting zoo, play structure, goats, duck and lots more.

The walk was doable for our 2 year-old, as she chased the older kids along the path. They were also delighted that there was ice cream!

The drive back down led us through the wolves, Ibex and bears. By this time our younger kids were ready for naps, and half of them fell asleep while we drove back out to the main entrance. I would have loved to have checked out Trouts Lake (where you can feed the fish), but we didn't have time. Once the kids are past nap age, I think we'll be able to stay a full day!

All in all, it was a lovely destination, and our friends agreed that it was well worth the money and travel time. We're looking forward to returning in the winter and seeing what the animals are doing in the snow!

Disclosure: We were provided tickets for our entrance into Parc Omega, but all opinions are my own. Check out the hastag #Outaouaisfun on Facebook and Twitter all summer for ideas of what to do in the region.

Parliament Hill: Northern Lights Sound and Light Show

By Chris

We are fortunate in Ottawa to have access to so many activities and opportunities designed for a national audience. For the past thirty years one of those opportunities has been the Parliament Hill Sound and Light Show. Since 2000 a new show has been launched every five years with the newest show - Northern Lights being launched in 2015.

Stained glass Parliament

Northern Lights is a bilingual show offered every night from July 10 to September 12. There is no cost to view the show. The show starts at ten pm in July, 9:30 in August (9:45 during the annual fireworks competition) and 9pm in September. 

Tulips from Holland

The show provides an overview of Canadian history through sound and light. The Northern Lights show is organized through five themes (Nation-building, partnership, discovery, valour, pride and vision). 

Original building and the story of the fire at Parliament

We haven’t yet taken our oldest two kids to the show because of the time, but we did take our toddler (in the hopes that she would fall asleep) and there were many families on the hill for the show. We initially arrived around 8:30 and while many people were already securing spots, we decided to go for a walk and come back closer to the start of the show. We didn’t realize we would need our own seating for the show so be sure to bring chairs or blankets to sit on. Fortunately the weather was beautiful and the ground was dry so we could sit right on the grass.

Fathers of Confederation

The images projected on Centre Block are impressive and take the audience on a journey through Canadian history. It is a challenge to cover 400 years of history in a 30 minute show. The show touches on limited points and people in the development and history of our country. 

West coast aboriginals erecting a totem pole

Younger kids will enjoy the visuals and learn new things about their country (If they can stay awake long enough). The show lasts about 30 minutes. For older kids the show will provide plenty of opportunities for expanded conversations afterwards. 

At the end of the show O Canada played and the whole audience stood and many people sang along. I always find it an amazing experience to be on the lawn of Parliament singing O Canada whether it is Canada Day or at this show.

Have you been to the lights show with your kids? What did you think?

Chris is a Canadian father of three girls, and writes a great blog called Dad Goes Round. Connect with him on his Facebook page!

Hanging out at The Loft

A few months ago there was a Worth a Visit post on Kids in the Capital about The Loft. Last weekend my husband and I finally got the chance to take our five-year-old, who we are hoping will share our love for board games. 

We invited a cousin out, headed downtown and picked a few games to start. We ordered some food and started to play.

We ended up staying there for four hours. And I'm not sure any of us were entirely ready to leave when we did. 

We started with the games we knew the kid would like – Hungry Hungry Hippos, Kerplunk and Jenga – games that require no real skill but offer lots of noise and action. 

Being very, very careful

Then the kid and I walked up and down the shelves looking for something else that could be fun. There are so many options it's a bit overwhelming, but since we were looking for games suitable for younger ages, that narrowed it down a bit. We settled on Pictionary, teaming up in twos, which proved to be a good laugh as we critiqued each other's drawing skills.

Then moved on to Headbanz, in which Daddy got to be a toaster and a potato and Cousin Trisha was a turkey. 

Potato

We finished up with a game of Trivial Pursuit – one of my favourites. And this was the family edition, which was much better than the circa-1970s Genus edition we had when I was a kid. This game is probably why four hours seemed to pass so quickly. And, though I got all my pie pieces first, the kid managed to win. 

While we were playing we sampled from the menu. Though I didn't get to try the S'mores waffle (darn, I'll have to go back), we did get one of their pizzas, some good coffee and a most excellent brownie. When you order you give them a name – it can be your real name or a made up one – so we were the gymnastics family: Flips, Cartwheels and Somersaults. 

The Loft is also licensed if you plan to hang out with grown-ups. 

We will be going back, both with the kid and without. It's definitely a visit I'd plan for a rainy day. It's great to have such a wide selection of games for different ages and skill levels without having to store them in your own home!

Planning Tips for Children's Birthday Parties

People often think that planning a child’s party means filling a room with toys and snacks. That’s not a bad start, but a really memorable party will have some kind of structure. This isn’t about dampening the fun, but giving it some variety. Here’s a glimpse at what a well-planned party might look like…

Stage 1 – The arrivals

Most children arrive at a party with a gift for the birthday boy or girl – and feel a bit embarrassed about handing it over. So instead of just having a table in the corner, you could make this stage a little more fun. Why not have a colourful mail box, or a papier-mâché crocodile with its jaws open, as a creative gift drop-off? Giving everyone a little something to do when they arrive helps to make sure that all the children feel involved, right from the word "go." 

Stage 2 – Free play

It’s during the first third of a party that kids will have the most energy. To encourage free play at the beginning, you might want to leave some ‘treasure chests’ (cardboard boxes) around the place, each filled with a small assortment of materials – soft balls, dress-up clothes, basic musical instruments, etc. This period can be a sort of ‘ice breaker’ for those children who don’t know one another, and can get everyone used to the space. It also lets you and your party helpers to start getting ready for stage 3…

Stage 3 – Lunch (or snacks)

If the children are five and above, they will probably be able to read their own name – so why not include personalized place cards? This might sound a bit formal, but it can really help grab everyone’s attention, and get them sitting down for 15 minutes. Encouraging the children to sit down at this stage helps to make sure that the ‘meal’ has a definite start and finish; mixing snacks and playing can very messy, and is best kept to a minimum. 

Stage 4 – Structured play

After a bit of free play, and an organized sit-down, it’s now time for a combination of the two! Adults often underestimate how much children like to take part in a properly ordered game. (And if any of the party guests are having trouble joining in with others, a structured activity – with everyone joining in together – might be just what they need.) Timeless classics like pass the parcel or musical chairs are a great way of keeping the energy levels up, while making sure things don’t start getting too messy or chaotic!

Stage 5 – The cake! 

Up until now, the party has really been about everyone joining in together, so the cutting of the cake is a nice opportunity for letting the birthday boy or girl take centre stage for a short while. They’ll of course blow out the candles, but why not let them help cut the cake too? (Find a metal spatula if you’re worried about blades.) They can also pass around pieces to all their friends, and will enjoy playing host for few minutes. Behind the scenes, this is also an opportune time to clear away any toys and activities, paving the way for…

Stage 6 – The departures 

Depending on how old the children are, asking them to ‘sign’ (scribble in) a guest book can work really well. It’s nice for a child to feel like they’re taking part right up to the last minute, and it of course leaves you with a lovely memento. Likewise, a slightly personalised party bag makes the whole thing more memorable. If you’ve got access to a portable photo printer, you can print out photos from the day – the perfect souvenir from a wonderful (and wonderfully organised) party!

Joseph O’Brien lives in Bristol (across the pond!) with his two children - ages 12 and 5. He writes for Perfect Party UK – a leading online superstore for party supplies.