Creating Tranquility in Children's Lives

by Amanda Integration of yoga into a child’s life allows for a sense of calmness and relaxation, coupled with environmental awareness and tools for personal stress management.  Children’s yoga classes foster a sharing and caring environment and bring honour and thankfulness for their self, family and surroundings.  Yoga classes encourage kids to move their bodies, create calmness in their little minds and allows their spirits to soar.

Here are some fun yoga postures you can do with your kids at home or at the local park!

 Downward Dog (Mommy Dog)

(Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Begin on all fours (table position) distributing equal weight in your hands while spreading the fingers. Gently lift your hips towards the sky, as your press your heels deep down into the earth.  Keep the fingers spread and hands pressed evenly into the ground as you create a V shape with your body.

Preschoolers enjoy shaking their “tail” in this position as they bark like a Mommy Dog.

Bound Angle (Butterfly)

(Baddha Konasana)

Begin in a comfortable seated position and bring your knees in close to your chest. Allow your knees to slowly drop to the side, towards the earth. Your hips should stay on the floor, with a tall spine.  Press the souls of your feet together.

Move your legs and/or arms in a fluttering motion so your butterfly can fly high in the sky!

Upward Dog (Baby Dog)

(Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Begin on your stomach with your chin resting on the floor, bringing your hands in close to your chest. Spread your fingers and press your palms into the floor.  Pressing the feet into the floor and begin to lift your chest and shoulders off the floor.  Lengthen your arms and press the crown of your head towards the sky. Open up your chest, pressing your shoulder blades together. Toddlers and Preschoolers may want to bark and make noise like a little puppy!

Child’s Pose (Sleeping Bunny)

(Balasana) 

Begin in a kneeling position, with your buttocks on the heels of your feet.  Allow your upper body to fold forward reaching towards the earth.  Your forehead drops towards the floor, and your hips reach back towards your heels.  Lengthen the spine as your breath dances throughout your body.  Place your hands on the floor next to your body.  Another option that the children enjoy is a variation (as shown in picture) with the arms extended in front. This is a great relaxation pose. 

 Amanda is mom to Dominic, 2 months, and can be found blogging about life, product reviews & giveaways at Namaste Mommy, PTPA Panel of Moms & Tools for Schools.  When not feeding and changing diapers Amanda is busy with her company DeGrace Energetics & Little Lotus.

Smorgasbord of Festivals

by Kari There are many advantages to living in a city with such a diverse population, but one of my personal favourites is the plethora of summer festivals.  Last weekend, we attended the South Asia Festival in Confederation Park.  Was it the best festival I've ever attended?  Nope.  Was it still a good outing and intriguing for the little ones?  Absolutely.  My four year old daughter loved the Bollywood infused dancing, particularly when two of the dancers came out into the crowd to encourage audience participation!  The colourful sarees appealed to her dress-up desire and she's still proudly sporting her henna tattoo six days later.

The onsite concessions also provided a hit for the taste buds.  My husband enjoyed the offerings of the New Nupur Restaurant, while the girls and I enjoyed some fresh naan bread after watching it being stretched, placed in the Tandoor to cook, and withdrawn for our pleasure.

This weekend, July 23-25, offers a minimum of three ethnic festivals for your consideration.

The Ottawa Turkish Festival will take place in Confederation Park.  If your wee ones enjoy vibrant colours, interesting sounds, and dancing, this may be worth making the trek downtown.  The water marbling, ebru, sounds cool and I suspect a kabab may be in order.  Admission is free, but some activities, such as face painting will come at a cost.

The Egyptian Festival will take place at St. Mary's Church in Trend Arlington.  If this is your neck of the woods, this free festival may merit a stop-by.  They boost of many children's activities, including a very popular hair braiding station.

The Lebanese Festival will take place at St. Elias Cathedral, across from Mooney's Bay.  The organizers claim days of sights, sounds, and tastes of Lebanon's rich and lively culture.  In addition to the traditional cultural performances, foods, and crafts, they have children's rides, games, face painting and more.  The Make a Mosaic craft on Friday night may just be the highlight of my eldest daughter's weekend!

As the summer unfolds, look for other ethnic festivals, such as the Muslim Summer Festival and the Ottawa Greek Festival Perhaps I'll see you out there...

Kari is the mom of two girls, a 4 year old and 10 month old.  She can be found frequenting free activities throughout the city in hopes it’ll tire them out enough to sleep through the night.

Touch A Truck 2010 - July 18th

If there was ever an event that is just as amazing for kids as it is for parents, Touch A Truck is it! Touch A Truck is a once a year chance to interact with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. From Army vehicles to the remote control lawn mover the city uses.

From Garbage trucks to the Fire Engines. Last year my then 8 year old found the Rogers Mobile TV Studio amazing.

He loved the Army Jeep and even found the Book Mobile interesting. My 5 year old loved the Garbage truck and the construction equipment. He got a plastic fire hat from a fire fighter that we still have (we could use a replacement, hopefully they are there again this year). My husband found the Police bomb squad fascinating (many Dads were hovering around that one) and I enjoyed looking at the smiles on my boys faces. It was a wonderful way to spend a morning.

This year they expect to have over 50 cool vehicles to climb into and enjoy. I took the following out of the Mothercraft Ottawa press release about this years event:

Bring the whole family to a fun filled day where everyone is encouraged to explore the mighty machines, beep horns, pull sirens and explore the inside of their favourite rig or machine. We have some exciting new trucks and equipment in our line up this year. And even more fun including: • “Strongman” demonstration. • Maria Hawkins and band • Hintonburg Hip Hop dancers • Close up magic from Rising Star • Face painting, crafts, Magic and balloon making artist are just some of the activities that await you!

One thing to remember is that if you have a child who is sensitive to loud noises, this event may not be for you. There is a whole lot of horn honking going on. Last year my oldest child proclaimed that they should rename the event "Honk A Horn"! LOL

TOUCH A TRUCK will be located at Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre, 2525 Carling Avenue on JULY 18Th, 2010 from 9 AM to 2 PM. Admission is $5 per person with a $20 maximum per family.

Its all for a good cause as all funds raised from Touch A Truck directly support the prenatal and parenting programs of Mothercraft Ottawa.

Photo Credit to my sister Joanne

Chantal is a mom of 3 boys,  8yo D, 5yo M and 6mo D2. When she finds time she blogs at TwoHandsFull.

Joanne the proud mom of Amélie (8 years old) and Mathieu (4 years).  She is new at blogging and you can find her at Our Money Pit.

Dragonboat Festival: Mooney's Bay Beach

by Sara

Neither my husband or I had ever attended the Tim Horton's Ottawa Dragon Boat festival (despite our best intentions) but we decided this was going to be the year.   The event starts on Friday evening and runs right through until Sunday night.  Over the course of 2 and a half days there are multi-cultural activities and events, live music, roving entertainment, and of course, dozens of teams competing in the races.  There's even a children's area, which this year included performances by an illusionist, Little Ray's Reptiles, Radical Science, and a visit from Spartacat. 

This year the festival raised over $320,000 for several local charities, including the Sens Foundation, CHEO foundation, Bruyere Foundation, ArtsSmarts, The Ottawa Humane Society, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, and Debra Dynes Family House. 

We parked at Canada Post (for free) and then walked over to Mooney’s Bay (about 15 minutes).  There are several off-site parking locations that are connected to the festival by OC Transpo Shuttle bus.  

Clearly we missed out on a lot of the fun of the festival since we were there before noon and didn’t stick around for the beer tent or live music but we did partake in the family-friendly activities, which is what this blog is all about. 

We started our day at Mooney's Bay beach, which is right beside a giant shaded play ground.  The highlight for the boys was throwing sticks into the water and wading into the waves as they watched the boats race by.  It was a great place to watch the races from: we could see the boats heading out to the starting line and then watch them race to the finish line.  And because there are so many heats you don’t have to wait long for the action to start.

We strolled through the staging area where all the teams wait and line up for their turn in one of the massive boats.  We wanted a closer look at the dragons!  It was impressive to watch all the teams waiting in a huge line that snakes all through the staging area.  Even the boys were silenced by all the cheering and singing as people prepared for their races.

The Kid's Zone featured bouncy castles, soccer equipment, a stage for music and shows, face painting, and balloons.  Because the park turns into a veritable tent city for the weekend, it was nice to have a kid-friendly area that was fenced off and easily accessible to families. 

Although the 2010 Dragon Boat Festival is over, there are other events in the Ottawa region this summer.  The Rideau Canoe Club hosts a Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday August 21st and there is another festival on September 11th in Carleton Place

And don't forget, the next big event at Mooney's beach is coming up on July 11, 2010: The Hope Volleyball Summerfest!

Sara is mom to a 4-year-old firefighter and 2-year-old monkey.  You can find her at her blog, My Points of View

Ottawa Lumière Festival

By Deanna On Saturday, September 4th, New Edinburgh’s Stanley Park will be transformed into an enchanted evening of light and art. Lit up with the magic of colourful lantern sculptures, professional artists and performers will come together to create a magical atmosphere known as the Ottawa Lumière Festival.

Our family has been going to the festival since 2004 and has witnessed how it has evolved over the years. Each year, we put on our very best fairy costume and join the wizards, angels, knights and medieval princesses that make up the festive crowd. It is wonderful to see both children and adults dressed in enchanted attire, further adding to the whimsical feel of the festival. Artistically crafted paper lanterns line the path along the Rideau River and dangle from tree branches, lighting up the park. Musical, theatrical, dance performers and storytellers entertain throughout the evening, making this a fun-filled event for all ages. The festival usually gets underway around 4:30, but I recommend you get afternoon naps in early and stay past dusk to witness the park illuminated in its magical splendor.

A Company of Fools’ Scott Florence was brought on board as artistic director of this year’s festival, taking over from founding coordinator Joanne Hughes who has moved on to other adventures. I asked Scott what sprit the festival will take this year. “The theme this year will be ‘rebirth’. I think the whole event will have a really transformative and peaceful feel to it. I say that, and at that same time, one doesn't think of birth as quiet and easy, does one?” The Crichton Cultural Community Centre is also undergoing a renewal in summer programming, so for Scott, the rebirth theme seemed very appropriate. Scott adds, “…in planning this festival, just like in birth, you can never truly be prepared for the immensity and intensity of it.” He is just beginning to take a look at different artistic possibilities now, but promises lots of fun with light and fire, and as always, a blend of music, dance and theatre.

The night of art is the grand finale, like fireworks leading up to the big bang at the end. The real magic is happening the month before. Leading up to the event, Scott’s performance group will be providing workshops as part of the festival, offered throughout the month of August at the Crichton Cultural Community Centre, (200 Crichton Street). Classes are super-affordable and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon with kids and share the excitement in anticipation of the big event. We make it a ritual to attend a workshop, making a lantern that my little one proudly carries to the festival each year. Traditional lantern making workshops are planned, but what is new this year is mask making and mask performance workshops. Out of the mask workshops, Scott plans to create a small group of community members and emerging artists and create an original mask performance for the event.

If you’re like me and make it an annual tradition, you’ll know the Ottawa Lumière Festival is a spectacular family event and as I have experienced for many years, exceeds my expectations year over year. If you have never been, be sure to mark it on your calendar... this is one event you will not want to miss!

Further information about the festival can be found at http://www.lumiereottawa.com or by contacting the main office of the Crichton Cultural Community Centre (613) 745-2742.

Deanna is Chief Storyteller for StorylinePR and inspired by the creativity of her 6 year old, Madeline.  She blogs about PR tips and media trends at http://storylinepr.wordpress.com/