Paying Fun Forward with Saunders Farm

Located in Ottawa’s far west end, Saunders Farm is best known for their memorable Haunting Season activities and challengingly fun Summer Mazes. Their mission is to create a space that provides fun, food, and memories for everyone, which they accomplish through opening their doors to tens of thousands of guests each year.

Saunders Farm is my family’s summer and fall go-to destination. Between April and September is Mazes Season (Saunders Farm has the world’s largest collection of mazes and labyrinths). During this time Saunders also hosts memorable birthday parties, Farm Camps, Farm Dinners, and corporate and team building events. 

In October, Saunders Farm turns to Haunting Season and Fright Fest - daytime is family-friendly and evening is... not for the faint at heart and is perfect for those who love a good scare!

Things to do

During summer and fall, kids (and adults) can be found playing on Saunders Farm's unique play structures and tree houses, sliding down the big witch mountain slide, jumping on the jumbo jumpers, getting lost in the numerous mazes or racing the pedal carts. It's outdoor fun for the entire family! Oh, and they sell delicious homemade fudge onsite that is irresistible!

Give the gift of Saunders Farm this Christmas

Annual Pass Sale (and Paying it Forward)

This year, Saunders Farm is once again offering their Play it Forward annual pass sale. For each 2018 annual pass sold in the month of December, they will donate a pass to less fortunate families in our community. Annual passes are on sale for $49 + HST!

What's included with an Annual Pass?

• Unlimited Access to their Summer Mazes Season, Haunting Season, and FrightFest.
• Bring-a-Friend Pass to be used anytime. Must be accompanied by Pass holder.
• Exclusive invitations to special events held on the Farm throughout the year. You're part of a ridiculously amazing club... woohoo!
• 10% off Birthday Party packages 
• $20 off 1 Summer Farm Camp registration
• 10% off purchases in the Farm Shop

Holiday gift cards

Saunders Farm also offers $25 gift cards (available for only $20) and $50 gift cards (available for only $40). Saunders Farm gift cards make the perfect gift for friends or family, stocking stuffer, or teacher gift. Gift cards will are available year-round, but the sale price is only for the month of December!

WIN an Annual Pass!

We love everything Saunders Farm has to offer local families, which is why we're giving away an ANNUAL PASS! The winner will receive an Annual Pass that is good for the Summer and Haunting Season, and the good news is that you don't have to wait until spring to learn more about Saunders Farm. You can follow their fun all year round online:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saundersfarmfun/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaundersFarmFans
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/saundersfarm  

To enter

To enter the giveaway visit our Facebook Page and on the thread pinned to the top of our page tell us one activity mentioned in this post that you’d like to do at Saunders Farm! Hurry though - the giveaway ends Friday, December 8th at midnight!

Festival season in Ottawa is for every season!

Fall is almost over, and we've already busted out the heavy boots and snow pants. If you're like me, you associate the winter months with more indoor activities or maybe some skiing, sledding and snowshoeing. I save my festival-going for days when I can wear flip flops and cute capris!

But just because the summer is over doesn’t mean that festivals and events are done here in Ottawa.

When I caught up with the coordinator for Ottawa Festivals, I was so surprised at the number of family-friendly events still going on in the city over these next few months. Ottawa Festivals is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating an effective networking environment for festivals, special events and fairs in the National Capital Region. Their members host events for all interests and age groups - not limited to just Bluesfest and CityFolk!

How amazing is it that we have access to all these fun activities, even with the snow piled up outside? I know it certainly helps the winter blues to get out and enjoy myself.

Here's just a few of the amazing events coming up soon:

New Year's Eve Hogman-Eh!

The Scottish Society hosts this family-friendly New Year's Eve party at the Aberdeen Pavilion. The best news? It's FREE!! Live music, a kids' zone, vendors, food and a 7 p.m. ringing in of the New Year so you can get the younger kiddies home to bed. Doors open at 5 p.m., and you can find out more on the website.

Fancy New Year's Eve Charity Ball

If you found a babysitter (hey, can I get their number??) and want to do an adult-friendly event, then the charity ball is for you. Tuxedos, floor-length gowns, charity casino, dancing and so much more! Find out more here, and grab your tickets (prices range from $169-$244 per ticket)

Christmas Lights Across Canada

Check out Canada Heritage's launch of CLAC on December 7th at 7 p.m. - a lightscapes multimedia show, free hot chocolate and beaver tails and live performances! If you miss the launch, you can still catch the lightscapes show running on loop every evening from December 7th - January 7th.

Winterlude

Even if you aren't a winter fan, it's a MUST to head down to the canal during Winterlude and go for a skate. OK fine, maybe just eat a beavertail? (here are some of our tips for checking out the festival!)

HOPE Volleyball Winterfest

If you think HOPE Volleyball is just for summer, think again! HOPE Winterfest takes place on March 10th, 2018 at Le Dome (Louis Riel.) Register now!!

What are you favourite local Ottawa festivals and events?

***Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by Ottawa Festivals, and you will be hearing more about great events in the coming months. All opinions are our own.

Entertainment Essentials when travelling with kids

Whether you are heading out on a road trip or flying on an airplane, travelling with kids can be tricky. It can be difficult to find things to keep them busy, to keep them entertained and to keep them from fighting. I remember road trips when I was a kid – I was lucky enough to be able to read in a moving vehicle, but my brother was not, which meant he spent most of his time figuring out ways to get me in trouble. Because of this, I am not surprised that 1 in 5 Canadian parents say one of their main concerns when travelling is keeping their kids entertained.

Whether you have one child or six kids, it is inevitable you will hear, "ARE WE THERE YET?" at least a dozen times during any given trip. On a recent family trip to New York City, my husband and I heard it at least 100 times from my daughter when our plane got delayed by a couple of hours and we were already on the other side of security and customs.

Nowadays kids are lucky to have technology to keep them busy, including tablets and iPads filled with games, educational apps, and of course, Netflix. Netflix is great for keeping kids busy at the airport, but what about when there isn’t WiFi? Luckily, Netflix now has downloadable TV shows and movies – for young kids, tweens, and teens (and adults, too).

While I consider myself tech-savvy, downloading e-books from the library can be somewhat of a challenge for me, but downloading TV shows and movies from Netflix is easy-peasy. Just remember that although you will be able to watch downloaded TV shows and movies without an internet connection, you will need an internet connection to download content with the Netflix app. 

I was so happy we decided to download a bunch of television shows and movies from Netflix onto our family iPad. Even though most airports say they have free WiFi - it's not always reliable (or free). My daughter was able to plug in her headset and watch a new downloaded movie from her Netflix app and keep herself entertained during our delay - and forgot all about wondering if we were there yet. ;)

So, if you’re travelling with kids this holiday season and are looking for movies and TV shows that will keep everyone entertained here are some tried and true downloadable titles: 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG)

This classic Christmas movie needs no introduction. A perfect film for Dr. Suess fans and for the holiday season!

The Christmas Bunny (PG)  

The Christmas Bunny follows the unfortunate story of a foster child who finds an injured rabbit on Christmas Eve. She takes the rabbit to a lonely woman that runs an animal shelter on her farm, who helps her nurse it back to health. The two become quick-friends and the story is nothing short of Chrismas magic.

Elf (PG)

The story of Buddy the Elf, who is raised by elves at the North Pole, but quickly realizes he is more human than an elf. The search for his real dad results in hilarious and heartwarming comedy that will have viewers of all ages laughing. This movie is a household classic and we watch it at least a dozen times during the holiday season.

Arthur Christmas (PG)

An animated movie that tells the story of how Santa's clumsy son Arthur gets put on a mission with St. Nick's father to give out a present they misplaced to a young girl.

Full House

A 1990s classic sitcom that is entertaining for kids and adults alike. A widowed father enlists the help of his brother-in-law and his best friend to help him raise his three daughters. This television show is funny and also has some good life lessons for kids. It's good-hearted fun for kids 7 and up.

The Little Rascals movie (PG)

A 1990s humourous remake of the 1930s classic TV shows with Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla and the rest of the gang. Through mischief and mayhem, tricks, ingenuity (and some potty humour), the rascals will learn the value of true friendship. 

Matilda (PG)

Based on the novel by Roald Dahl this is the heartwarming story of a wonderful little girl, who happens to be a genius.

The Cat in the Hat (PG)

Fun for kids who are fans of Dr. Suess - but intended for an audience of about 8+ due to some crude humour. The movie version sees two bored children have their lives turned upside down when a talking cat comes to visit, but with some added humour and chaos.

HOP (PG)

E.B., the Easter Bunny's teenage son, heads to Hollywood to become a drummer in a rock 'n' roll band, when he gets into abit of mischeif thanks to a slcaker named Fred.

To find a show or movie you may want to download for your family, check out the ‘Available for Download’ menu on the Netflix app on your mobile or tablet device and browse all of the titles available to take with you whenever and wherever you want.

What are your picks for TV shows and movies to download from Netflix Canada before travelling? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment. 

Disclosure: KITC is part of the Netflix Stream team and receive perks (like Netflix giveaways!), all opinions are our own - and in the case, my daughter's who has watched all of these downloads on our road trips to Sudbury, ON to visit family.

10 Gift Ideas For Kids – That Are NOT Toys

I don’t know about your house, but my house has way too many stuffed animals hiding in beds and in closets, as well as un-played with plastic toys and small knick-knacky toys hiding under furniture. Every Christmas I try and come up with non-toy gifts that I know my daughter, as well as other kids we buy gifts for, will love. With that in mind, here are some fun gift ideas for kids – that are not toys!

1)   Magazine Subscriptions

Whether the child is a nature-lover, crafty kid or likes quick facts, magazines such as Highlight, WILD Kids Magazine, Chirp and OWL are perfect for kids. They are quick reads, full of colourful pictures, and usually have many facts and puzzles.

2)   Books

Whether they are early, emerging or advanced readers, books make great gifts for kids of all ages! And if you’re unsure what kinds of books a child may want, a gift card for a local bookstore works just as well. AND if the child is not a reader – what about a notebook and artistic pencils or pencil crayons? Or a fact or joke book?

3)   Science Kits

Local stores such as Tag Along Toys offer many fun and educational science kits for kids of all ages! From creating candy to making your own soap, building a volcano to making batteries out of potatoes, science kids are always a hit for the inquisitive kid who likes to learn how things are made and how things work.

4)   Museum passes

Ottawa is lucky to have so many fun and engaging museums! Whether you decide on a 3-in-1 museum pass, a pass to the Canadian Museum of History or the Canadian Museum of Nature, you are giving kids a gift that will keep on giving (and a place to see and things to do all year long!).

5)   Movie passes or a movie date

If the kids in your life love movies, why not give them a gift card to the movie theatre! This time of year, Cineplex Odeon has a great deal on $40 gift certificates that includes coupons for lots of free stuff, such as popcorn! You could also create a coupon that promises them a movie date (complete with popcorn, of course).

6)   Sleeping bag or an “overnight bag”

If you’re a grandparent, aunt, uncle or Godparent, the gift of a sleeping bag or overnight bag filled with everything kids need to make a sleepover comfortable and fun is usually unexpected – and knowing that it comes with a sleepover with their favourite people makes it fun and something to look forward to long after it is unwrapped! You can have a lot of fun building this gift by including travel games, travel towels, treats, etc.

7)   Blanket or pillow with a picture on it

Think about what your kids love to do, who they adore or if you have pets – think of how incredible it would be for them to have a blanket or pillow to cuddle with that on it! Photo blankets and photo pillows are a unique, personal gift that can be purchased from the comfort of your home computer and is sure to be a hit for kids of all ages. 

8)   A butterfly or bat House kit

If your kid is a nature lover then these kits that can be found at Lee Valley Tools or Home Depot are sure to be a hit. They can spend the winter building and decorating them as well as researching and thinking of a good place to put them come spring.

9)   Fun socks or pajamas

It’s a well-known fact that many kids don’t get excited when they receive clothes as gifts, so why not put a spin on it and find some funky socks or pajamas! One year we bought my daughter knee-high narwhal socks that continue to be a hit (holes and all).

10)  Kitchen tools

I am all about getting kids involved in the kitchen, so why not invest in some kid-safe kitchen tools so they can help you bake and cook! You can even make copies of some of their favourite recipes and create their very own personalized cookbook!

What not-toy gifts do you enjoy giving the kids in your life? We’d love to know!