Baby H and The Children's Museum

by Natasha

My husband and I recently took Baby H to The Children’s Museum for the first time.  It was quite a colourful affair.  There was many different exhibits and activities for the children to learn from and explore. Baby H is too young to grasp everything, he’s also not walking yet so the experience is a little different to him than it would be to a more mobile toddler.

There are approximately thirty exhibits showcasing different countries and bits of their cultural representations. Upon entering the Children’s Museum, we were given a passport that gets stamped once we enter each country on site.

We started our journey in India, where Baby H and his dad boarded a bus and pretended to drive off into the sunset.  Baby H was fascinated by all of the flashing lights and colors.

After India we proceeded to the marketplace housing vendors from different countries.  Baby H played with Swiss cheese, then moved onto Dutch clogs and Chinese fruit and veggies. We even made it to Egypt for a camel ride and a short stop at the pyramids.

Each country’s exhibit was set up to better display the cultural and traditional elements, with a small area for children to participate in local arts and crafts. Once again, our little boy was too young to participate - but the children that were in the area seemed to really enjoy themselves.

With the great number of activities and spots to visit in the museum, I would suggest that trips be planned for no less than a whole afternoon just so you can get the most out of your outing.

If you go for a full day, there is a cafeteria in the basement of the museum where you can purchase snacks and sandwiches. They also have a patio with beautiful view of Parliament Buildings and the Ottawa River.

We will definitely be back to the museum.

Natasha is a new mommy to her first born, Baby H. She runs ShopHaven, a blog that reviews products and profiles local businesses and individuals from the Ottawa area. Natasha is also the creative force behind ShopHaven Baskets; a highly customized gift baskets service.

International Museum Day: May 18

by Sasha

Did you know that tomorrow is International Museum Day? We are lucky to so have many world-class museums right here in Ottawa, not to mention a wide range of community museums scattered throughout the region. Why not visit one? Admission to the museums of Nature and Science and Technology will be free, and there will be special activities at the Museum of Civilization and the War Museum.

Or if the 18th doesn't work for you, here are some other free ways into Ottawa area museums:

The Ottawa Public Library lends passes for the Museums of Civilization, Science and Technology, Nature, and the National Gallery. The passes cover a family of 4-5 (the OPL catalogue has the specifics for each pass). They tend to be hot commodities, but at any given time there tend to be a half dozen or so checked-in at various branches throughout the city. So why not play museum roulette: pick a pass that’s available at a branch near you, and off you go! Just search for ‘Museum Pass’ in the online catalogue.

Admission to the Museum of Civilization (including the Children’s Museum) and the Canadian War Museum, is free every Thursday from 4 until 8pm. It is also free on Canada Day (July 1) and Remembrance Day (November 11).

The Museum of Nature is also free on Thursday afternoons (from 5 to 8 pm), as well as on Earth Day (April 22), and Canada Day (July 1).

The Museum of Science and Technology doesn’t have a weekly freebie, but they are free on Canada Day (July 1).

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Agriculture Museum are free from 4 to 5pm. Every day. How cool is that? And the Agriculture Museum is also free on Canada Day.

The National Gallery (including the Museum of Contemporary Photography) is free on Thursdays after 5, and for children under 12 all the time.

What is your favourite Ottawa-area museum?

Sasha is mom to 2-year-old Miss Bea, and 4 month old Baby Em.  Her ramblings can also be found on her blog, The Rambling Stroller.

Mother’s Day at the Tulipfest Lego® Community Garden: a photo essay

by Avra  

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When the Tulipfest schedule first came out, my husband sent me a link to Lego garden activity with the single sentence: "we should go to this." With two Lego maniacs in the house, this kind of activity is a no-brainer for us, as I am sure it is for a lot of families in the NCR area. Lego events of any kind tend to draw crowds.

  This event appeared to be no exception. We chose Mother's Day as the day to head over. The tent was set up at Major's Hill Park, in the FUNtasia zone. The description in the guide billed it as free with the park passport, or by donation. When we got there at 2 p.m., there was nobody checking passes and no donation boxes in sight. But there were piles and piles of Lego.  And lots of kids.

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A note here: all the building blocks provided were Duplo, which is the larger Lego.  It’s not what we normally play with at home, but it didn’t seem to bother my kids, or even some of the older kids who were in attendance. 

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We started off at the back of the tent. There were about 20-25 other kids sitting in groups of 6-8 around large piles of red, yellow, green and black Duplo.  They had chairs set up along the edges for parents to watch and take photos. There was not a lot of talking:  mostly the unmistakeable click-clack of pieces being moved around and clicked together, punctuated by the occasional: “Look what I made!”

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  Creativity was everywhere. Robin Sather,  A Lego-certified Professional hired specifically for the event, kicked things off that weekend by constructing large, elaborate tulips.  He was still present on Sunday, but all the creations were coming from the visitors.

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The theme was to build something you find in your garden. Each group was given about 20-25 minutes to build a creation before  volunteers asked us to clear out and make room for a new group of kids.   This was not strictly policed, but it did help keep the crowds from getting too large, and allowed kids to have lots of pieces and room to let their imaginations go.   

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We stayed for about 45 minutes, and in that time my little guy created two flowers, a bird and a nest.  When I asked him later if he had fun, he said yes.    The event runs until May 23 from  10:00am – 5:00pm , except for Monday May 16, when it is closed. If your kids like building with Duplo, it’s worth checking it out!

Avra Gibbs Lamey (@gibbslamey) is the mother of two little Lego-maniacs.  When she’s not picking pieces out of the carpet at home, she has a day job as the Communications and Media Relations Officer for the Canadian War Museum.

Spring at Petrie Island

by Cathy Spending time outside as the world is waking up again is one of the best parts of spring.

One of our favourite places to celebrate the season is Petrie Island– the perfect place for a Sunday morning ‘wonder wander’. And if you go in the next few weeks, you’ll get to see one of Petrie Island’s star attractions – turtles! – emerging along many of the Island’s trails.

Easily accessible from downtown Ottawa by turning north on Trim Road, the area is home to many wildlife species, including three different types of turtles. A small network of trails, each between 0.5 and 2.5 kilometres long, lace the property and are perfect for little ones to roam.

When they’re ready for a break, there is a small play area near the beach (with a train my 2 year old loves to ‘ride’) and lots of picnic tables for a welcome snack. There is also a small interpretation centre on site for those wanting to know more – or who’d like a closer look at some of the area’s most reptilian residents!

The area is considered a Class 1 wetland, which means we should have worn our rubber boots when we went last weekend. Some of the trails were still flooded but we saw 5-6 turtles enjoying the early sunshine, as well as a muskrat swimming quite close to shore. Everyone came home muddy, wet, and filled with excitement about what we’d seen. A perfect morning, I’d say!

Cathy is a blog-less but avid follower of Kids in the Capital. She has a 4.5 year old daughter and a 2.5 year old son who both love being outside as much as she does.

A Very Good Day at the Agriculture Museum

by Natasha The Canada Agriculture Museum is a fantastic place to take your kids on a holiday weekend, like I did at Easter. The Museum has many activities planned for busy family-oriented weekends. There may be a line-up to get inside, but it’s really worth the wait.

My family and I stood in line for half an hour before getting inside for the 11 o’clock set of activities, but once in we were very happy to have ignored the size of the lineup and persevered anyway. The Easter bunny that walked up and down along the lineup was a really good distraction for some of the fussy kids, and the staff were very accommodating and quick at getting everyone in with the least amount of hassle.

Those with memberships for the Museum don’t have to wait in line at all, so it may be worth looking into if you’re a regular at the Museum.

The tour started with us meeting the new baby rabbits. There are specific times during the day where staff members bring out the bunnies for the children to see. We met a tiny and fluffy six-week lion head bunny, and Baby H was absolutely mesmerized.

After the bunny meet, we headed towards the dairy barn to see the cows. Last year, when Baby H first saw large cows, he got really scared. This year, he was very interested in the creatures and spent some time watching them eat and drink. He walked around the barn, saying “Moo” to every passerby and eventually ended up seeing the new calves that were just born.

Our next stop was the tractor exhibit. We saw different and old models, and sat in the John Deere simulator tractor. I think there’s a future for Baby H in farming, as he was very happy with his Grandpa in the simulator swaying back and forth and pretending to drive it around. Baby H had a giant smile the entire time he was fake-driving and was very happy for the duration of the visit.

Baby H made some more tiny furry friends when he spend some time watching little chicks that were waddling back and forth in their cages. There was an entire process in the Museum showing children the egg hatching process, with some of the older kids designing their own eggs and some colouring pictures of chicks.

The Easter bunny that kept us company at the lineup was walking around the farm handing out chocolates to attendees. Baby H participated in the Easter Egg Hunt, and traded in some colourful eggs for special chocolate treats.

And finally, a quick visit to the demonstration kitchen showed us how the delicious hot cross buns are made. We couldn't pass this up, as the buns are one of my family’s favourite treats.

If you’re looking for a fun outing with your family on a holiday or long weekend, head over to the Canada Agriculture Museum and brave the lineups for some of their special events and activities, and put Easter at the Farm on your to do list for next year! Your children will definitely enjoy their time there.

Natasha is a new mommy to her first born, Baby H. She runs ShopHaven, a blog that reviews products and profiles local businesses and individuals from the Ottawa area. Natasha is also the creative force behind ShopHaven Baskets; a highly customized gift baskets service.