Best Apps for Kids - Toddlers

By Kari If you’ve been overwhelmed Apple Store’s Apps for Moms & Dads offerings, you are most likely not alone.  There are literally thousands of iPhone and iPad applications for children available, why would you want to purchase them?  And which ones are the best…or atleast recommended by one Kids In the Capital Mom?

The iPhone or iPad can save your sanity; it is the ice cream bribe without the mess.  It can make long haul flights or car trips a piece of cake, our daughter was a dream during 30 hours of transit to South Africa and I give credit to the iPad. When your favorite restaurant has dropped the ball, and your dinner out is approaching two hours, the iPhone will save you.  And when waiting at emergency at CHEO, it can be the distraction your child needs.  I’m not advocating the purchase of an iPhone or iPad for your children, merely encouraging you to leverage your iPhone or iPad in your bag of tricks with the download or purchase of a few apps. Best Apps for Toddlers (1 & Up)

• Wheels on the Bus is an interactive representation of the classic song; With the flick, slide, or tap of a finger, you can open the doors, swish the wipers, or cause a bit of mischief on the bus.  Price:  $.99 and worth every penny.
• Old MacDonald is another interactive representation of a classic song by developers Duck Duck Moose.  Cows are abducted, pigs can paint, and the ducks have gone wild.  Price:  $1.99, but sadly not as good as its predecessor.
• Little Bella’s – I Close My Eyes is a whimsical interactive book about Bella & her imagination.  It also comes in a Lite version so you can try a scaled-down version prior to purchasing the full version.  Extremely cute and engaging graphics are used to convey Little Bella’s thoughts; my personal favourite is the very hungry monster.  He empties the fridge, and then swallows it.  Oh yes, my toddler likes it too.  Price:  $.99 and worth every penny.
• Giraffe’s PreSchool Playground falls in the realm of educational games; it encourages toddlers and preschoolers to identify their numbers, letters, and of course, Giraffe’s Safari Animal friends.  Price:  $.99 and worth every penny.
• Talking Tom Cat (and other offerings by its developers Outfit7) is the Angry Birds of the toddler world; Tom is your pet cat, he repeats what you say in a silly voice, he purrs when rubbed, and – much to your toddler’s delight – can be knocked out by your repeated taps.  Price:  Free, I love free.   And who couldn’t love this kitty?

What apps does your toddler love?  Share with us below.

Kari is the mom of two girls, a 5 year old and a 1 year old.  She can be found frequenting free activities throughout the city in hopes it’ll tire them out enough to sleep through the night.

Rideau Canal Festival

 by Zach The Rideau Canal is 202 kilometers long, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and now it has its own party. Well, to be accurate, it’s had its own party for four years now. This year the Rideau Canal Festival is on from July 28 to August 2, and it’s in full swing.

I stopped by with my two kids, the girl (4) and the boy (2) on a really, really hot Saturday afternoon, July 30. We visited the Confederation Park site at about 1:30pm, right in the middle of the children’s activities held that day from 12:00 to 3:00. We were practically on time, by our standards.

The festival isn’t just at Confederation Park, though. There are activities at the Bytown Museum / Ottawa Locks site, and the Dows Lake Pavilion, so there’s plenty to do. Check their website at www.rideaucanalfestival.ca for detailed scheduling information.

The fee for entry into the Confederation park for adults is $5, but kids under 12 are free, so it was still a pretty cheap deal for us. The pathways around the main green are lined with a variety of booths, there’s a main stage, and, when we were there, a number of entertainers were making their rounds on foot.

The crowd was pretty thin at first, maybe because of the high temperatures in the middle of the day, but there were still kids clustered around the Scottish-accented stilt walker / juggler / comedian. The girl watched for a bit while the boy napped in the stroller, and then we moved on – I don’t think she quite knew what to make of a ten-foot high man in tartan tossing juggling clubs in the air.

We bumped right into a balloon animal artist, who whipped up a dog on a leash for the girl and a monkey in a tree for the boy. A face painter was also on hand, and the girl got a sparkly butterfly on her arm and the boy got a rocket ship on his face (at least until they went swimming later that afternoon…).

We were right in time for Irish dancing, performed by students of Trillium Academy of Irish Dance. The girl loves watching dancing, so she sat on the green in the sun for a while and watched, while I stood behind her and tried to use my shadow to try to keep her cool(er).

The Ottawa Art Gallery has a small tent set up with loads of markers, paper, paint, and stencils for on-the-spot masterpieces. The boy and girl had never used stencils before, and they started producing pictures like an assembly line.

We checked out a few of the exhibitors at the Energy Ottawa Ecosphere Environmental Fair, though I think the boy was more excited to be in a really big tent than to learn about recycling electronics in an environmentally responsible way. We got going just as a band started to get going, though we were able to listen to the music for a long time as we walked back home.

Zach is a dad to a four year old girl and two year old boy. He sometimes blogs. He is often blogged about by his wife over at Capital Mom.

Flashback: Storyland

There are so many great posts that still apply. Here is one I wrote last year. My mother in law took her four eldest grandsons (ranging 4-7) there this week again and they had a blast! ~ Lara by Lara

A few years ago there was a big radio campaign on the radio advertising the last summer of Storyland before they closed down. I immediately knew I wanted to bring Kiernan and put it on our to do list. But it was a crazy summer and we didn’t make it – I was sad.

But here’s the thing – someone bought it, and it never actually closed! (although I’m pretty sure many people think it did)

Last summer, while we were staying at my in-law’s cottage in the Renfrew area, we actually made it over and the kids had a BLAST! (even though I was there with 8 week old twins – that part was more than a little crazy

Storyland has been around for a long time, and so have some of their displays.  But the new owners have been working hard to update the place.

The park is located in a mainly wooded area just past Renfrew (tip: a regular stroller would have troubles here so either bring baby carriers or a jogging stroller. I did see some strollers that you could borrow, but a small baby couldn’t be put into them) and you walk through the trails and see a variety of different story displays, petting farm animals, rides, and there is also a theatre area where they put on shows.

There is also a splash pad, a pond, paddle boats, mini golf and inflatable slides and bouncers.  There is enough to keep you busy for a full day!

The cost is $13.50 for everyone over 3 (free for under 3) so it is a lot more affordable than a lot of other amusement parks. It may not have a lot of bells and whistles, but I find most kids don’t need those.  I recommend checking it out and plan to make a day of it some time in August!  Maybe I’ll see you there?

Lara is the mom to 4.5 year old Kiernan and 2 year old twins Quinn and Juliette. You can find her at her blog Gliding Through Motherhood.

Dancing in the Streets. The Ottawa version.

by Brie On a hot Friday afternoon we headed to the National Gallery of Canada with friends. But instead of going into the Gallery we sat outside under some trees and watched some free modern dancing. It was a pretty perfect way to pass the time.

Dancing in the Street is a project from The School of Dance that has performers and musicians dancing in streets across Ottawa. In their bright yellow t-shirts, the dancers preform contemporary dances playing off of each other and the space that they are in.

My four year old loved watching the dancers. In fact she loved it so much she asked me if she could get up and dance.

I was thrilled to see her exposed to some contemporary dancing. I have always loved modern dance because of its freedom of movement. Watching the Dancing in the Street dancers and then watching my daughter I realized that she has been doing modern dance all along!

We saw Dancing in the Street in front of the National Art Gallery, but you can check out their schedule and find them at different locations throughout the summer.  

Have you watched a Dancing in the Streets performance?

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.

Entering the world of Chapter books

by Donna My eldest daughter is almost five. For a few months, I have been asking her if she'd like to start reading a chapter book. She has picked it up, flipped through it a few times, and put it back on the shelf. "No pictures, mama!" has been her standard response.

This week she changed her mind, and we started reading "Charle and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. I have emphasized what a big girl she is, and she has wanted to read "just one more chapter" every time I try to close the book. Each night, we have been plowing through several chapters and she's totally getting into it. She's asking lots of questions about words she doesn't understand, and I have been working on showing more patience when she asks questions. With no pictures to help guide her, I want to be sure she understands the story.

We've talked about it a bit when we're not reading, and this morning, she asked me what the factory owner's name was again. "Willy Wonka," I told her. "Why?" She explained that she wanted to draw a picture of the book. She sat down and drew this:

What amazes me most is the details she remembered from the book. That the candy boat that floated in the chocolate river, near the chocolate waterfall, was made of PINK candy. That Mr. Wonka had a top hat and a walking stick. She's paying attention, and she's able to imagine the story in her head. I can't help but feel that this is a turning point.

As a reader, and as someone who spent HOURS and HOURS reading as a kid, I am thrilled that she's getting into chapter books as early as she is. She wants to read another one, and I'm open to suggestions.

What is the first chapter book you read with your child?

Donna is a mama to 2 lovely girls, big M, almost 5, and little m, almost 3. She writes about crafting over at http://www.kindredcrafters1.blogspot.com