Exploring the Outaouais with kids: Eco Odysee

We love to explore the greater Ottawa area in the summer ,and sometimes we come across a gem! Eco-Odysée is one of those places. Beautiful scenery, boats, maps, clues, and puzzle solving! It can't get much better in my children's opinion.

My oldest son made a video about our trip there last summer - take a quick peek before I tell you more about it.

Water maze adventures

Hop in a paddle boat or canoe and spend a couple of hours going through the swamp maze hunting for animals!

All throughout the maze there are plastic statues of animals. Depending on which adventure you take, you can can move through the maze in a different direction (I love this because there are adventures for different skill levels, but you can continue to do the same level without getting bored).

If you'd rather not paddle or you're just pair, you can get a canoe (it's also a bit cheaper). We managed to get all five of us into one paddle boat, even though it said that the max was two adults and two kids. If your kids aren't too big they're happy to let all five of you in the same boat.

Beyond the maze

Once you're done in the water maze you get to solve puzzles and search for a final answer, which you can bring to reception at the end for a (very) small prize. The kids were really proud of themselves for having solved the entire adventure!

There is also a walking maze and a nice area to picnic.

If you're looking for something fun and a bit different to do this summer, make sure to check out Eco-Odysée!

Small word of warning: we were there on a day that wasn't too hot. I have heard that it can get really hot on the water, so make sure to stay hydrated and use good sun protection.

Celebrating Father's Day in Ottawa

Growing up, my Mum would always say “ask Dad” whenever we presented her with a challenging question. Dad was the bastion of knowledge and facts. He was also the dispenser of punishments, whilst Mum was the hugger, the advice giver. Perhaps because of their differing styles, they made excellent parents and I often try to emulate their example in my own parenting. I still ask Dad tricky questions from time to time, and I always go to Mum for emotional support and advice.

Although my husband and I try not to promote particular gender stereotypes, we do find that we parent our son in very different ways. My favourite activities to do with him are reading together, snuggling, chatting and going for walks. My husband’s top picks are taking him to the park, playing with cars, playing soccer and giving him a bath-complete with toy boats capsizing and lots of splashing!

And in that way Mothering and Fathering are very different schools of parenting, at least in our house.

Of course it’s quite sexist to suggest that all mothers are nurturing and all fathers are fun, but even if they are not traditionally different, parenting styles between the sexes do differ.
Something that brings me great joy is to spy covertly on my husband when he is playing with our son. I find their father/son interactions are so radically different from the way I play with him, and I am able to see my husband in an adorable role of doting father. Some things that they do together sans Mama, include:

•    Laying on the floor, playing cars, complete with engine noises
•    Gentle teasing- “Oh no-you don’t like going to the park, do you???”
•    Chasing-around and around the living room
•    Tickling and wrestling
•    Making up silly songs (many include the word bum)
•    Wearing empty toy boxes on their heads and calling each other “box heads”
•    Watching classic Transformers episodes

In all these ways and more, I appreciate the balance, enthusiasm and affection my husband brings to our child’s life and activities.

So this Father’s day I am going to let Dad sleep in, while I take our toddler to the basement and try and take a leaf from Daddy’s playbook, get on the floor, make car noises and wrestle until we can’t catch our breath.

And then later we’ll treat Dad, by doing one of these awesome Father’s day activities right here in Ottawa and the surrounding area:

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

2940 Old Montreal Rd, Cumberland: Take a look at all the tools and trades. Participate in a carpentry activity, and watch blacksmith, woodworking, and sawmill demonstrations.

The Aviation Museum

11 Aviation Pkwy, Ottawa - Get an up close look at all types of planes and helicopters.

Billings Estate National Historic Site

2100 Cabot St, Ottawa - Father’s Day Antique Car Show, cars, BBQ, and live music.

Pinhey's Point Historic Site

270 Pinhey Point Rd, Dunrobin - Learn about traditional crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, and more. 

Fiona Tapp is a freelance writer, Educator and Mum to one. Check out her blog and portfolio, and find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome to the Children's Museum and Bob the Builder!

I have a secret to tell you. I've lived in Ottawa for 8 years now, and (until the other week) I'd never been to the Children's Museum at the Canadian Museum of History. I KNOW, right!? How could I have neglected this gem?

I finally got a chance to check it out with my 5 year-old the other week - the Canadian Museum of History is our new sponsor on the blog, and I was lucky enough to score passes to the Bob the Builder exhibit that's on now until March 22, 2015.

My oldest has always loved Bob the Builder. Her Daddy is an excellent handyman, and she joins him in his workshop, pounding away on wood with a hammer or helping him with his projects. So her and her little friend we brought with us were SO excited when Bob the Builder himself made an appearance when we arrived!

Some of the other Bob the Builder characters were there, and the kids had a great time climbing in and "driving."

Probably the coolest part of the exhibit was this ball machine - kids could grab big buckets of balls, and a machine would suck them up through a tube. It was the busiest toy :)

As we explored the rest of the Children's museum, the kids completed an activity - finding Bob's "lost" tools. If you find them all, there's a little prize (stickers) at the end (most younger kids will need Mom or Dad's help with finding these tools!)

Although Bob was the highlight, I was SO impressed with the rest of the museum. My daughter spent a lot of time playing pretend in the post office, using the crane to move shipments on a boat, and "shopping" in the bazaar. It's definitely one of the most interactive museums in Ottawa!

After the whole afternoon, my only thought was, "why did we wait so long!?" Can't wait to go back!

Summer is HERE: Ottawa Events Round-Up!

OK, so maybe summer isn't here for another four days, but we're close! It certainly feels like summer. And with only four days of school left (for the French Catholic board), my husband certainly knows that summer is coming ;) As a SAHD, he will be the one in charge of summer fun! With summer comes many great events in and around Ottawa. I've heard of SO many things going on this weekend that I just had to get it all written down and clear in my mind :) I think we'll only be able to pick one or two events to attend, but I'd love to hear about what you're doing!

Teddy Bear' s Picnic

Lemonade Standemonium

Ottawa Dragonboat Festival

Carivibe Festival

Ottawa Fringe Festival

Beechwood Solistic Stroll

Boomerang Kids Charity Strollerthon

Glowfair Ottawa

and of course, we can't forget the Ottawa Farmer's Market!

Phew, that was a lot....have I missed anything?

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I almost forgot the ice cream festival! Ice cream is very important :)

Boomerang Kids Charity Strollerthon

I don't know about you, but when my kids outgrow their clothes without ruining them I do a happy dance because I know I can either pass them on to friends or consign them and make some money. I always turn to Boomerang Kids when I want to consign. I like how easy it is - I drop off the clothes I want to consign, look around for new clothes for my kids, and get credit for the clothes that sell. It takes the stress out of getting rid of the outgrown clothes, and gives me credit when buying more. It's perfect. Something I didn't know about Boomerang Kids is that they're celebrating their 20th anniversary this August. They have 7 locations across Ontario and Quebec. Another thing I didn't know is that they love to give to charity. A popular program at Boomerang Kids is their free strollercise classes. These 1-hr classes let you get out with your baby or child, meet other parents, and get some exercise.

To celebrate Boomerang's 20th anniversary, they are combining strollercise with charity by hosting a kids charity strollerthon. In 2004, they set a Guinness World Record for number of people pushing a stroller in one location. They want to break that record this year and they need your help. They are hoping to have more than 746 people register, which you can do right on their website. If you register before June 15th you'll be entered into a draw to win a $100 gift certificate for Boomerang.

The Strollerthon takes place from 10am-12pm on June 22nd on Parliament Hill. The entry fee is $10 and that gets you a Me to We wafiki friendship bracelet and a coupon for Boomerang Kids. All money raised goes towards Free The Children's Sacred Circle program. For more information and to register, please visit the Boomerang Kids website.