20 things to do for the holidays in Ottawa: pandemic style

Some of you may recall a post we wrote many years ago, called “The Holidays in Ottawa: 25 things to do under $25.” It’s still one of our most popular holiday posts, and we update it every year with new dates and costs. But the pandemic put a halt to almost all of the activities we had suggested and we had to let the post go. This year, I was sure that I would be able to freshen it up and send it out once again, but alas, it’s proving more difficult than I thought!

Some of the decisions being made about certain activities are very last minute, and we STILL don’t have a date for the Santa Claus Parade. So I thought it was time to work with what we’ve got, and share 20 things that are “for sure” things (although you’ll have to wait for details on a couple of these activities!) While some suggestions are not under $25, I hope that there’s enough variety to get you planning a super awesome holiday season with your family.

The Log Farm

We’ve really enjoyed having the Log Farm as our Fall sponsor, and we’re excited to see the change in seasons and a shift to Christmas down on the farm! Visit to feed the animals, see Santa’s workshop, wagon rides, Christmas music and pick up your pre-cut Christmas tree. You need to pre-book your tickets using this link! When: November 28th through December 23rd. Cost: $11.97 per person.

Photo credit: elizabeth fulton photography

Christmas Markets

There are a couple of options for Christmas markets this year, including the Ottawa Farmers’ Market (November 27th to December 19th), and the Ottawa Christmas Market (4 weekends: November 26th to December 22nd - also at Lansdowne!). The Log Farm also hosts an the Barrhaven Farmer’s Market outdoor market that you can visit on Saturday November 27th. There is currently no Christmas market planned for North Gower or Cumberland. Cost: whatever you want to spend! If you want to travel a bit, head to Aylmer for their Christmas market November 26th, 27th and 28th and December 3th, 4th and 5th.

Visit Almonte or Kemptville and step into a Hallmark Christmas Movie

Hallmark Christmas movie makers love Almonte and Kemptville, and stay tuned to some upcoming scenes from movies being aired starting November 12th! These small towns just outside of Ottawa light up in a wintry wonderland during the holiday season, and there is plenty of shopping and snacking to be done! Cost: some gas, and the goodies you’ll be purchasing!

Sledding

The holidays wouldn’t be complete without an epic sledding adventure, followed by hot chocolate and Timbits. There are hills all over the region, and here's a handy map on the City of Ottawa's website. I've heard Walter Baker Park has some great sledding!

Credit: City of Ottawa/City of Ottawa Museums

Snowshoe or hike in Gatineau Park

Gatineau has one of the largest trail networks in North America with 60km of snowshoe trails! Cost: this will vary depending on whether you own snowshoes or not. Day passes to Gatineau Park cost $10 for adults, and are free for children under 12 (or $24 for a family) If you have young kids, a short winter hike might be a better option.

Free time at Ottawa's museums

National Gallery - Thursdays 5-8pm
Canadian Museum of Nature - Thursdays 5-8pm
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum - wed - sun, 4-5pm
Canada Aviation and Space Museum - every day, 4-5pm
Canadian Museum of History and War Museum - Thursdays 5-8pm
Canadian Science and Technology Museum - every day, 4-5pm

A drive to Taffy Lane

There's no website for this, but here is Taffy Lane on Google Maps. This is a street in Orleans that goes light-crazy every year, and people drive from all over to catch a glimpse. It's bright and fun, and the kids love it! (Expert tip: park your car at the Orleans United Church and walk the block…much more fun than sitting in a car!!) Cost: FREE!

Take a trip to the North Pole

The North Pole Express at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario returns on Nov. 20th, 27th and Dec. 4th, from 12 noon to 6pm. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Cost: Kids 4 and up cost $5.89 plus tax. HURRY because tickets are selling out fast!!

Cut down a Christmas tree

We try to do this every year - there's something so special about a real Christmas tree (although yes, yes I know some of you love your plastic!) It's the experience that counts, and there's nothing better than a cold walk through the woods and hot chocolate after carrying your tree back to the car. There are places all around Ottawa, but our favourite is Briggs Trees out in the East end. Cost: Depends! Do you want a Charlie Brown tree or something more majestic?

Go see a movie!

I have so many wonderful memories seeing movies with my parents over the holidays. Cine Starz ($5 per ticket) offers an affordable option, especially for larger families!

Christmas plays and concerts

Our 25 things post was always limited in terms of cost, so we never included some of the wonderful plays and concerts being hosted around Ottawa. But if you have a bit extra $$ to play with this holiday season, there’s nothing better than a night at the theatre! It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play looks like a fun all-ages production. The NAC also has a few things on the bill, including the Winnipeg Ballet and Holiday Cirque.

Santa Claus Parade

There is likely only going to be one day of parades this year, with a Kanata, downtown and Orleans version running on the same day. Rumour has it the date is December 4th, but stay tuned for an update!

Christmas Lights Across Canada

Every year the downtown core is magically lit up with thousands of twinkling lights. It makes for a perfect evening outing (paired with hot chocolate of course!) I’m waiting for word back on whether there will be an in-person launch date this year, which normally happens on Parliament Hill, complete with Beaver Tails and a winterscapes light show that is projected onto the Parliament buildings.

Alight at Night

The outdoor light festival at Upper Canada Village is always a treat, and while it’s definitely not under $25 for the whole family, it’s worth the drive and the cost of tickets! Stay tuned for dates and ticket purchases - these sell out quickly!

Stanley’s Farm Christmas Village

Christmas elves, Santa, sleigh rides and yummy treats make this a wonderful way to pass an hour. Tickets are on sale starting November 17th!

Wesley Clover Park’s Magic of Lights

Take a drive through a light tunnel that is sure to silence your bickering children for at least 5 minutes. Tickets are $20 per vehicle, so it’s an affordable activity for a family. A little tip: try to go during off times (weekdays or at dinnertime) because it can get BUSY!

Volunteer at Toy Mountain

I've been volunteering with this great cause for three years now, and I would highly recommend you check it out as a family. Email kristine_farnel@ottawaboothcentre.org for more information. Cost: your time.

Image Credit: City of Ottawa/City of Ottawa Museums

Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

Last year’s drive-through experience was incredible, and we’re so excited to hear that the Cumberland museum is planning their regular in-person Vintage Village of Lights this year! Check out their website for details on registration. Cost: $20 for a family pass (2 adults and all of your children!) When: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from December 3 through December 19.

Do an online Christmas cooking class

Julianna Banana is one of our favourites, and we’ve adored her culinary boxes! You can also sign up directly for cooking classes without purchasing a culinary box. December 5th is Christmas Cookies ($65) and December 12th is Merry Macarons ($40). December 22nd is the Yule Log class ($40). Sign up on her website: https://juliannabanana.ca/

Go our for a special holiday feast

Now that our kids are older, dinners out at a restaurant are getting a lot easier. They can sit for longer, and we can actually enjoy our food and a drink. If your kids are very young, you could supplement this activity with a shorter trip to a local café for a drink and treat. Restaurants have been hit HARD over the pandemic, and we’d love to put some $$ back into their registers. My favourites for the East end are OCCO Kitchen, Maker Feed Co. and the Bad Alibi. Share your favourite locally-owned restaurant in the comments!

Virtual Phone Calls with Santa

*SOLD OUT* This is a FREE program offered by the City of Ottawa. Your little one(s) can log into a special Zoom call with Santa, in French or English. A festive photo of your call will be captured and emailed to you. This must be booked by someone 18+ for their family and requires a personal electronic device with internet connection. To register visit their website.

Visit the Christmas Tree at the National Gallery of Canada

Every year, the National Gallery lights up their gorgeous Christmas tree with a special ceremony. While the lighting ceremony won’t be taking place this year, you can still go visit the tree from December 3 until January 9, 2022. A trip to the gallery is also fun for the whole family.

Santa Claus Parades

The word is out!! In-person parades will be going ahead this year in Kanata, downtown and Orleans. Richmond and Carp will be once again hosting drive-by parades on December 4th as well, and one of our readers had these tips: “Get there early. Line ups were long. Bring food for the food bank to get in.”

Ian’s Christmas Tree Adventure Park

Located in Beckwith, Ontario. about 20 minutes from Richmond, you can visit this lovely tree farm and buy a tree to enjoy any number of fantastic activities: Sledding, skating, movie nights, bonfire, feeding animals. Or pay $10 just to enjoy the activities! Check it out here: https://www.ianschristmaspark.ca/faq

A country Christmas at Saunders Farm

Join Saunders Farm for a Christmas in the country. Daytime features snowy daytime fun for everyone, farm fresh food, holiday sweets & treats and visits with Santa. Night time features a sound & light show drive through with thousands of lights, following a heart-warming story line. From December 4 until December 30, 2021. Cost: tickets range from $23 to $35 depending on when you go.

Tips for Adjusting to Middle School

Today on the blog we’re welcoming Misty’s daughter Aylen, who is 12 years old and just started attending middle school. Aylen loves theatre and music, reading and playing Minecraft.

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It can be quite difficult starting at a new school, so I'm here to give you a couple tips and tricks that have helped me. And remember: it takes time to adjust to a new school!

Number 1

Set a routine for yourself. Make it so that when you wake up you're not pressing the snooze button. I find that going to bed early (even if you don’t want to) definitely helps. My parents have also made me realize that having electronics in your room at night does not help because you will often be tempted to watch videos or play games.

Number 2

Take time everyday after school or in the evening to decompress after a long day at school. What helps me is getting a snack, meditating, listening to music, reading and drawing. All those things help to get rid of stress and to relax. Make sure that during this time you are not looking at screens.

Number 3

Don’t delay your homework. You need to get it done on time, which is crucial for giving a good first impression. You can start by using your time in class to start your homework and if you don’t finish it there you can do the rest as soon as you get home. Setting screen time for after homework is definitely going to help. So if you are a person that likes to watch screens 24/7 then maybe you should cut back on screen time.

Number 4

BE YOURSELF! This applies a little more to girls, because for so long there has been this thought that girls need to be pretty for other people - but don’t listen to this! It’s your choice to wear what you want. If you just prefer fancy go for it, but if you’re the type to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt just wear what you want to wear. Don’t try to put on fancy clothes or makeup that you wouldn't normally wear just to impress everyone. You are beautiful just the way you are.

With all these tips and tricks you should now be a little more prepared for starting at high school/middle school!

Spooky fiction books for tweens

The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some great ghostly books with us, just in time for Halloween! This month’s post is by Rebecca Molina Sendybyl, Children's Programs and Public Service Assistant at the Beaverbrook Branch of the Ottawa Public Library

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Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Serafina lives in the Biltmore estate. It is a beautiful place with a huge mansion with beautiful people coming and going. She has one rule to follow while living in there: she must never be seen. Nobody knows that she and her father, a caretaker on the estate, live in a damp corner in the lowest part of the cellar.

Serafina is lonely but she tries to be helpful like other servants she sees. She comes out only at night creeping through the passageways, catching rats with her bare hands.

Until one day, she discovers that children who had visited the estate with their families have gone missing. It is a mystery to everyone except for Serafina. She knows it’s the man in the black cloak. She saw him do it. She teams up with the nephew and heir to the estate, Braeden. Together they mean to discover the identity of the man in the black cloak before any more children disappear.

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

Justin’s best friend Zee had been missing for a year. His family, friends and the police had been searching for him. Then one day, he was seen just walking down his street on the way to his house. Except for some scratches on his body, he seemed fine, but he could not explain where he had been.

At his welcome home party, Justin and their neighbourhood friends were waiting in the backyard for Zee to come out, when a girl from down the street whom they did not know well, suggested they all play hide and go seek. As they started the game, Zee came flying out of the house and attacked her. And that’s when it all went terribly wrong. One by one they start to disappear, now knowing where Zee had been all this time. They must work together quickly to escape the Seeker or be trapped in the game forever.

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

For the past 50 years the city of London has been plagued by ghosts, spirits and specters that are wreaking havoc on the city. The people know very little about the reason for the epidemic or how to deal with them. They only know that it’s the youth of London that can somehow sense these beings. Psychic Agencies are now a business on demand that hires youths to trap them using different methods based on the spirits.

Lucy Carlyle is a very talented young agent who arrives to London for a promising career. She is enlisted in the only agency in town run without any adult supervision. Lockwood & Co is run by the charming and talented Jonathan Lockwood. Together with their highly very clever friend George, they stalk and trap specters while solving the mysteries of the undead.

The Screaming Staircase in the first thriller in the epic series Lockwood & Co. The author gives us rich characters and that are, funny, sarcastic, intelligent, and brave. With a story that keeps us on the edge of our seat. This book is perfect for the middle school reader who loves a great mystery with spooky twists and turns that have you craving more.

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

It’s safe to say that Cassidy Blake’s parents are ghost obsessed. They have successfully managed a career in the study of spirits. They are well respected in the field, including having several books published. They have just been hired to host their own ghost hunting television show. Their first location is Edinburgh in Scotland. They are bringing their teenage daughter Cassidy along, much to Cassidy’s dismay as she was hoping for a relaxing summer on the beach.

Cassidy is a smart, funny, Harry Potter loving teenager and unlike her parents, she can see ghosts. It all started when Cassidy almost drowned in a lake. She was recued by a kind and sarcastic teenage ghost and now her best friend, named Jacob. Cassidy’s parents were right about one thing, Edinburgh is very haunted. While staying in an old castle, Cassidy learns that she is not the only person that can see ghosts and that not all ghosts are harmless.

City of Ghosts is the first book in this gripping page turning series.

Visiting the Log Farm in the Fall

Looking for the perfect outdoor fall activity for you and the kids? We've discovered The Log Farm!

I’ve driven up the 416 and passed Hunt Club Rd. many times without ever knowing that tucked away just minutes off the highway is a beautiful family-run farm open to the public. The Log Farm was originally settled in 1854 and visitors can still walk through the old homestead of the Bradley family.

It was a gorgeous day when we pulled into the gravel parking lot. The entrance is a short walk from where we parked, and Larry, one of the family members who currently runs the farm, was there to greet us. They host a Farmer’s Market every Saturday, and some local goodies are also sold in the elegantly rustic Market Shop. The kids talked me into buying hand-made masks, scrunchies and an adorable pair of pug hair clips (because when you own a pug, you must buy everything pug!)

We then made our way towards the back of the property where we found a corn maze, a sweet toddler play area, plenty of pumpkins and hay bales. My kids ran their way through the corn maze while I tried to snap a few photos of them.

Wagon rides have returned this fall, and we rode out towards the sugarbush, which I’m excited to visit in the spring. There is also a scarecrow walk through a forested area, and my girls had fun finding all the scarecrow characters tucked away in the trees.

We headed over to the Bradley house, and found each room set up just as it would have been back in the late 1800s. There was also the summer kitchen pictured below, and to my kids’ horror, the outhouse that would have been used even in the dead of winter!

Of course, the highlight of the trip was the animals - you are able to hand feed the goats, sheep and alpacas, and there are also cows, horses, geese, chickens, pigs and bunnies to see. This is a real working farm, so the animals aren’t just for show! Check out the video we made which highlights all of these activities!

Although the activities are designed for children under 10, my girls (almost 9 and 12) had no problem finding fun. For those of you with toddlers, Wednesday and Thursday mornings are open from 9am - 12pm, and there is SO much to do for the little ones.

If you go

Tickets are $11.97 (taxes included) and you must book online. The farm is open Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and Sundays there are two time slots to visit: 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 4pm.

Washroom are open, with flush toilets available at the Market Shop and Portable Toilets at the back of the farm. Masks are to be worn in indoor spaces and on the wagon rides.

You can also bring your own snacks to enjoy at one of the picnic tables, or you can grab coffee, juice and lots of treats while you’re there!

Don’t forget that the farm is open year-round, and it’s a great destination for a Christmas activity, sugarbush and sunny summer fun!

We’re excited to welcome The Log Farm as a Kids in the Capital sponsor for the months of September and October. All opinions are my own!

Graphic Novels 2021 from the Ottawa Public Library

The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some great graphic novels with us. This month’s post is by Lise Dumas, Supervising Librarian, Children's and Teen Services at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.

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I remember when I was young, visiting the Ottawa Public Library’s Alta Vista branch and going straight to their graphic novel section. My favourite graphic novels at that time were Astérix and Tintin.  I still love children’s graphic novels today. They are fun, thought provoking and often beautifully rendered. For those of you who love graphic novels, the Ottawa Public Library has a wonderful collection for all ages.  Here are some of my favourite children’s selections this year:

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

Ages 8—12

This story is about a young 11-year-old girl named Effie, who having become orphaned, goes to live in Brooklyn with her eccentric aunt Selimene and her partner Carlotta. Effie discovers that her aunts, officially acupuncturists and herbalists, have magical powers when a pop diva, Tily Shoo, comes seeking a magical skincare remedy. Effie also finds out that she has inherited the family powers and that her skills are required in effecting Tily Shoo’s cure. This book nicely sets up the cast of characters for a series. In fact, the OPL has the second book on order! I love the characters drawings in this book, they are very expressive and distinctive.  

Class Act by Jerry Craft

For ages 8-12.

This sequel to Jerry Craft’s Newberry and Coretta Scott King Book Award winner New Kid does not disappoint. It is brilliantly crafted to reflect Jordan’s second year at the upper class, mostly white middle school, Riverdale Academy Day School, with his friends, Drew and Liam. Each boy faces challenges related to race, socioeconomic status, friendship, puberty, and individuality. Although the subject matter is weighty at times, the book is also funny and clever and the story honest and believable. Kids will recognize chapter title pages comically parodying popular graphic novel covers.

 The Inkberg Enigma by Jonathan King

Ages 8-12

Miro is happy to spend his summer staying at home and reading rare books until he meets Zia, a girl who loves mysteries and adventure. The two accidentally witness a multi tentacled sea creature attacking a sailor in the port of their sleepy town of Aurora. Zia convinces Miro to help uncover the town’s mysterious history and its unusual prosperity in hard times. For mystery fans, this is a fun tale of sea farers and marine mutants. The drawing style is reminiscent of Hergé’s Tintin.

The Good Fight by Ted Staunton

Ages 9-12

This book is based in Toronto in the 1930s. Sid and his pop live in Toronto’s immigrant slum and rent a room from the Vendetellis. Both families face hard lives facing bigotry, poverty and trying to find honest work during the great depression. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Sid and his friend Plug get coerced into some shady activity which land them into some trouble with the police, who in turn ask for their help. The story climaxes with the real-life story of the Christie Pits Riot, in 1933, one of the worst outbreaks of ethnic violence in Canadian history. This book addresses many issues such as prejudice, the immigrant experience and taking a stand against injustice. The images are coloured in sepia tones which reflect the urban location.

When Stars are Scattered By Victoria Jamieson

Ages 9-12

Based on coauthor, Omar Mohammed’s life growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp, this book tells the story of his struggle to keep himself and his younger, non-verbal brother safe in the harsh conditions of the camp. When Omar has a chance to attend school, he is torn between wanting to go and leaving his brother alone all day with his foster mother Fatuma. The refugee’s life in the camp is divided between endless waiting in lines and the painfully slim and seemingly arbitrary chance of resettlement by the UN to the US or Canada.  This is a lovingly rendered and touching story of the resilience of these boys in the face of hardship. The back of the book includes photographs of Omar and his brother as well as author’s notes. The images of the characters are sweet and brightly coloured; the starry night sky is beautifully rendered.