Ottawa Halloween Activities

There is more to Halloween than just trick or treating and Ottawa has a lot of Halloween activities for ghosts and goblins of all ages! Whether you are looking for a family-friendly Halloween Party, Halloween themed date night fun, or an indoor place to bring the kids’ trick or treating the day of, here are some Halloween activities taking place in Ottawa this month:

The Haunted Walk – Halloween Season
When: Nightly until November 5th
Where: Various locations in Ottawa

Great for older children and adults, The Haunted Walks are best known for their tours and stories of ghosts and haunted places and Halloween is the perfect time to experience one of these walks! For more information: http://hauntedwalk.com/ottawa-tours/ 

A Barnyard Hallowe’en:
When: October 29th to 30th from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Admission: Included with Museum admission

Tour the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum as a family in your favourite Halloween costume and then participate in making some ghoulish treats, a creepy craft and enjoy some Halloween themed storytelling and games. There will be a costume parade and scavenger hunt for the kids and for an additional fee they can decorate their own pumpkin to bring home. For complete details visit: http://cafmuseum.techno-science.ca/en/whats-on/event-a-barnyard-halloween.php

Saunders Farm – Haunting Season
When: Saturdays and Sundays between now and October 30th
Where: Saunders Farm, Munster, ON
Admission: General Day Admission is $18.58 + HST (kids 2 and under are free); General night admission: $31.86 +HST

Scarier at night and as a not-as-scary experience during the day, Saunders Farm offers families the ultimate in Halloween thrills and chills! New this year is The Carnival, which includes a antique Ferris wheel and carousel.

The Day Haunting Season is fine for kids as the more scarier attractions are closed and the jumping pillows and main play area is open. There is also a pumpkin patch hay ride available for young visitors.

The Fright Fest (Night) at Saunders Farm is good for children ages 12 and up or is ideal for a scary date night! For more information visit: http://saundersfarm.com/

Incident at the Bunker: A Zombie Adventure
When: October 29, 30 and November 5th
Where: Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, Carp
Admission: General admission: $21.75 + HST

If you have children aged 12 years and older, this 60 to 75 minute Halloween-themed tour is sure to be memorable! After 20 years a terrifying secret has been revealed and guests will be led on an interactive adventure to see what it’s all about. This unique underground experience is in conjunction with Haunted Walks. For more information: http://diefenbunker.ca/incident-at-the-bunker-a-zombie-adventure/

Great Pumpkin Ball
When: October 29th 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: St. Brigid's Haunted Castle

A great adult-only Halloween party in support of the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing - National Capital Region, St. Jude Children's Hospital and the Ottawa Food Bank. For more information: http://greatpumpkinball.com/

Trick or Treat with the Mayor
When: October 29th
Where: Ottawa City Hall
Admission: A nonperishable food donation for the Ottawa Food Bank’s Baby Basics Program

This will be the Mayor’s 10th annual Halloween party and is a lot of fun for children. There are always costumed characters walking around greeting guests, as well as free pumpkin decorating, games and other fun activities. For more information: http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/mayor-and-city-councillors/mayor-jim-watson/trick-or-treat-mayor

Halloween at Rideau Hall
When: October 31st from 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: Rideau Hall Visitor Centre
Admission: Free

On Halloween, Rideau Hall’s visitor centre will be transformed into a haunted dollhouse where toys gather to seek revenge – and of course there will be goodies there too. A fun way to celebrate Halloween! For more information: http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14806

Nature Nocturne: Scales and Tails
When: October 28th from 8 p.m. to midnight
Where: Canadian Museum of Nature
Admission: $25

The Halloween edition of the Canadian Museum of Nature’s Nature Nocturne always makes for a fun date night. This kid-free event is full of music, dancing, and activities. This is a great opportunity to visit the museum in your favourite Halloween costume and without the kids. For more information:  http://nature.ca/en/plan-your-visit/what-see-do/whats/nature-nocturne-october-28

Watson’s Mill Children’s Halloween Party
When: October 29th, 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Watson’s Mill, Manotick
Admission: Free

A children’s Halloween Party with fun Halloween games and crafts. A great way to see this historic mill and celebrate Halloween! For more information: http://watsonsmill.com/events-2016/

Trick or Treat in a mall! 

Carlingwood Mall
When: Saturday October 29th (Free trick or treating for the kids from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at participating stores.). Also: Meet and get a picture with Peppa Pig ($10 per family).* You must purchase your ticket in advance - tickets available from Sunrise Records for sittings from 11-11:50 a.m., 12-12:50 p.m., 1-1:50 p.m. and 2-2:50 p.m.

Hazeldean Mall
When: October 31st from 10 a.m. to 12 noon (free trick or treating throughout the mall)

Place D’Orleans
When: October 31st from 10 a.m. to 12 noon (free trick or treating at participating retailers, as well as artistic face painting)

 

 

How to Host a Teddy Bears' Picnic

Summer is finally here and what better use of a warm day than to hold a Teddy Bear’s picnic!

Not too long ago I had an extra little friend in my daycare class and decided as it was a full house, that something special was in order. I sent home invitations asking the children to bring their favourite teddy bears the next day for an al fresco lunch.

We played games, sang songs, ate a yummy lunch and shared it all with our “bear-y” good friends! The children had a lovely time. 

If you would like to host your own Teddy bears picnic here are some tips:

Venue

We held the party in our backyard, but any spot outside with some grass to play on is ideal. Make sure you have somewhere shady to retreat from the sun's hot rays, and ensure all the children wear wide-brimmed hats and sunscreen.

Decoration

The natural environment, a park or a summer garden, all make the perfect natural décor, but don’t forget to make it extra special by laying out a tablecloth, a picnic blanket and have brightly coloured plates and cups on hand.

Food and drink

Any food eaten outside is fun, but a traditional picnic should include sandwiches, fruit, cheese and a little treat. We made sure to drink plenty of water too, as it was a hot day.

Songs and games

My group is used to circle time, but today instead of just saying their own name, when we said hello, the children also had to introduce their teddy bear and try to tell us all a little about their special friend. We had a black bear, a lamb, a teddy with a bow, a dinosaur and a blue bear in attendance.

No teddy bears picnic would be complete without singing the famous song:

If you go down to the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down to the woods today
You'd better go in disguise.
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

We also sang “Teddy Bear, Teddy bear” and some other toddler favourites such as “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Baby Bumblebee”.

Instead of “Duck, Duck, Goose” we played “Bear, Bear, Honey” and also enjoyed all the outdoor toys, including cooling off by playing at the water table.

Music

Although it’s nice to sing your own songs, it's not a party without music, so after we finished singing- we put the radio on and danced with our bears!

Sunday, July 10th is the official international “Teddy Bears Picnic Day”, so you still have time to arrange a party of your own - just grab a bear or two, pre-bear carefully and have fun! 

Fiona Tapp a Freelance Writer, Educator and Mum to one, can be reached at www.fionatapp.com

Twice Upon a Time

Reading with the kids is something that is so important to me. For that, we need to have books around. We have lots of books because we're fortunate: we're able to buy them, but we also get a lot given to us. Not all families are as fortunate and I was happy to learn about a non-profit group in Ottawa that gives away books to kids. Twice Upon a Time have given away more than 1000 books since they opened in May. They have a pop-up book store, staffed with volunteers, to give out new and gently-used books for kids up to age 12 in Ottawa.  They are located in Vanier inside Heartwood House at 404 McArthur Avenue.

This weekend they are having a fundraiser, a concert of holiday music with Voices in Harmony. Full details below.

Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 4pm Trinity Anglican Church, 1230 Bank St Doors open at 3pm – join us for coffee and a holiday bake and craft sale

Tickets: $15 – children under 12 free Available at at the door and in advance from: Kaleidoscope Kids Books, 1018 Bank St Ottawa Folklore Centre, 1111 Bank St Trinity Anglican Church, 1230 Bank St

Sounds fun! And if your kids have outgrown any of their books, please consider donating them to Twice Upon a Time and share the love of reading with less fortunate children in Ottawa.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I think this is a great program and am glad we have it available for the kids of Ottawa.

Science FunFest “Rocks”! (…and minerals, and maps, and insects…)

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is closed for repairs, but your kids can still get their science “fix” at Science Funfest. Held annually as part of National Science and Technology Week in October, this FREE event features more than 70 interactive activities for your budding young Einstein, with hands on experiences in energy, forestry, mining, geology, mapping, astronomy and agriculture.

Science FunFest

As Funfest veterans, my kids (ages 4 and 8) recommend:

• Bringing in your favourite rocks and fossils for identification • Mining chocolate chip “ore” from a cookie “mine” (HINT: choose your tools wisely and clean up the mine site for biggest profits!) • Creating colourful spin art using solar energy • Seeing glaciers shrink over time in satellite pictures from space • Getting up close and personal with snakes, bugs, and spiders - (parents may be interested in meeting the Emerald Ash Borer; the invasive insect ravaging Ottawa’s ash trees) • Jumping up and down to make an earthquake that can be measured by a seismometer • Spinning the wheel for a skill-testing question in the food safety quiz (…how safe is the food in your lunch box by noon?) • Trying your hand – and eyes! – at land surveying and star-gazing • Starting a chemical reaction to make custom-coloured slime to take home

There are plenty of free giveaways at Science Funfest, so make sure you pick up a complementary “swag bag”. Balloons, face-painting, and Natural Resources Canada’s huge green mascot “NRCat” make it fun for even the littlest ones!

Science Funfest takes place rain or shine on Sunday, October 19 from 11am-4pm at Natural Resources Canada’s Booth Street Complex (on the corner of Booth Street and Carling Avenue across from Dow’s Lake). Dress warmly as some activities are outdoors in tents. Parking is free, and there are a few concessions on site.

Have you been to Science Funfest? What’s your favourite activity? Let me know in the comments.

Wendy is a freelance copywriter in Ottawa and a totally unbiased employee of the Earth Sciences Sector at Natural Resources Canada. 

Walking With Dinosaurs

Walking with Dinosaurs Do you love dinosaurs? Have a dino-loving little one? You'll want to check out Walking With Dinosaurs, on now at the Canadian Tire Center. This show is an arena spectacular with 20 life-sized dinosaurs including the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

I was able to meet the baby T-Rex at an event last week and I can tell you that it was pretty awesome, and he only comes up to his mama's waist. I can't even imagine seeing the big dinosaurs. Not only that, at the show you get to see them move, hear them roar, and learn things along the way.

Baby T-Rex from Walking with Dinosaurs

This show is sure to be amazing, though probably not suitable for all children. My 3-year-old was petrified of Baby T, but my 4-year-old was excited. I would love to know if you're planning to go and what you thought of the show!

 

You can buy tickets on the Walking With Dinosaurs website. The showtimes are:

Thursday, August 21 at 7 pm

Friday, August 22 at 7 pm

Saturday, August 23 at 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm

Sunday, August 24 at 11am and 3pm

 

A big thank you to the organizers and evenko for the opportunity to attend the media preview and meet Baby T.