Interactive Picture Books for Kids - Ottawa Public Library

Want some new and interactive picture book ideas for your kids - here is a list of favourites from the Ottawa Public Library. Let us know if you’ve read any before and which are YOUR favourites.

When I was child, I used to love interactive picture books. Where’s Waldo, The Jolly Postman, The Hungry Caterpillar and Ted and Dolly’s Submarine Surprise. I enjoyed those books so much because I was able to participate in Storytime, I could flip flaps, find Waldo or move the submarine from page to page. As I got older my love for being a part of the story did not waver, I moved onto choose your own adventure books and would read them and re-read them till I got the ending I wanted.

I am all grown up and now get to introduce children to these books each week during Family Storytime. These books will engage the audience, make them laugh and hopefully inspire an excitement for literacy. I have put together a list of my favorite interactive picture books, which are available to borrow at the Ottawa Public Library.

This Book Can Read Your Mind

This hilarious interactive book plays on the idea that when you're told NOT to think of something, somehow it is all you can think about. The book begins with a scientist switching on an incredible new invention: a mind-reading machine!

Press Here

This book instructs the reader on how to interact with the illustrations to create imaginative images.

Tap the Magic Tree

Invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.

Bunny Slopes
In this interactive picture book, the reader must help Bunny stay on course as he skies down the slope.

Mix It Up!

Using no special effects other than the reader's imagination, simple directions lead the reader to experiment with mixing and changing colors on the printed page.

Don't Push The Button!

The only rule in Larry's book is that the reader not push the button, but when no one is looking, it may be irresistible.

Count The Monkeys

The reader is invited to count the animals that have frightened the monkeys off the pages.

Crunch, The Shy Dinosaur

Crunch The Shy Dinosaur advises the reader on how to interact with a very shy dinosaur.

Touch The Brightest Star

An interactive picture book showcasing the beauty of nighttime.

Bad Axe Throwing - Ottawa activities for teens and tweens

As axe-throwing newbies, my daughters (10, 12 and 14) and I didn’t know what to expect when we walked into Bad Axe Throwing. We’d heard that there was a lot of lunging, a variety of techniques and some competitive spirit - our outing showed all above to be true.

Walking into the open-air studio on Liverpool Ave, we immediately noticed the giant pile of wood planks to the left of the entrance. It soon became clear what those were for! We were welcomed by Coach Darcy who stepped away to finish teaching another group. This left us a few minutes to check things out. There are four throwing “cages” that run along one side of the studio and opposite those are couches and tables. Two of the cages are doubles and two are singles. Each cage has rubber flooring, metal fencing to separate the playing area from the next and there is a large target made of 5 rings on the wall built with the planks we saw earlier. Each cage has a cement block with a wooden box on top that holds 3 different axes (one set per target). The axes are slightly different in both size and weight.

Coach Darcy came over and went over the safety rules and showed us how to hold the axe properly. She showed us a few different ways to throw (one-handed and two-handed) and explained which axes were best for each type of throw. My youngest daughter preferred the smallest axe while the other two chose the medium one. Coach Darcy made it look so easy, I was convinced I’d be able to stick the axe right away (I was mistaken). It took us several throws to figure out what we were doing but Coach Darcy was there to provide pointers and show us how to correct our throws. My 10 year old is very petite and discovered that she needed to take a bit of a running start when throwing in order to get enough momentum for a solid throw. Once she got this sorted she did great! My older two figured out what throws worked for them and did very well; they each hit the bullseye a few times. Seeing their confidence was fantastic! We didn’t keep track of points but if you’re competitive, you can check out the point values that are posted on the wall.

What we loved:
The coaching! It’s easy to get frustrated if you don’t get the hang of something immediately but with a Coach there to help, it changes everything. Coach Darcy also cheered when we had a good throw which upped the morale.

What we loved less:
We enjoyed everything but the only thing that really surprised us was how loud it can get when axes don’t stick and they hit the wall. We got used to it after a bit but it could definitely get much louder if all cages are in use.

Bad Axe Throwing offers a unique experience that combines skill, competition, and camaraderie. This is a fun activity that can be enjoyed with a group of friends.

A couple of things to note:

As this is not an activity designed for kids and teens there are sometimes groups with louder “adult” language, so keep that in mind if you would find that problematic.

There’s no ‘minimum' age’ but you want to keep in mind that your child needs to be responsible enough given that axes are weapons, and strong enough to throw the axe hard enough to have it stick in the targets. 10+ is probably a good guideline but they leave it to your own discretion.

Bad Axe Throwing
Address: 1580 Liverpool Ct #8, Ottawa ON
Booking Hours: Monday-Sunday 8am-11pm
Walk-in Hours (schedule subject to change - call before heading over): Friday 6pm-9pm, Saturday (2pm-7:30pm), Tuesday (3pm-4:30pm)

Cost:
Walk-ins - $26.98pp (45 minutes)

Bad Axe Booking - $41.99pp with a minimum of 6 people (1.5 hours)

Candace is a mom of 4 who loves exploring the city and trying out new activities with her adventurous kiddos.

Great Canadian Bungee - Ziplining in the Ottawa Area for Teens and Tweens

We welcome back our fifteen-year-old guest blogger David, who recently went and ziplined at the Great Canadian Bungee!

*****

Tourist attractions that break national records are typically household names. Niagara Falls as the largest waterfall and the CN tower as the tallest building are good examples of this. As it turns out, there is a record breaking attraction in Gatineau- but its record tends to scare away half the crowd and pull in the other half even harder. I recently visited Great Canadian Bungee up in Chelsea Gatineau and saw what they have to offer. 

As soon as we drove into the quarry hills, I pointed out what I thought to be a crane or a radio tower. It turns out that it was the tallest bungee jump in the country, with a height of 200 feet! From a platform at the top of a cliff overlooking the lagoon and quarry, people plummeted and bounced around one at a time while attached to the bungee cord. We watched in awe as they went into a freefall only to rebound 160 feet again, repeating the process until they were dangling. 

The thrillseekers were then detached from the bungee by a staff member in a raft. We watched the whole process from the railings on the shoreline. Unfortunately, I was unable to do the bungee as a result of a recent neck strain, but it is definitely still on my bucket list. I was, however, able to enjoy the other attraction at Great Canadian Bungee- the RipRide.

The RipRide is a zip line that goes from one of the wooded cliffs next to the bungee jump, across the lagoon, and into a floating platform in the water 1050 feet from the start. After watching the bungee jumpers, I went with my group up a hillside trail to the zipline. After the safety instructions, our guide offered for us to put on a regular harness or a flying harness. Naturally, I chose the flying harness, though I didn’t quite know what it would lead to. I put on a suit that made me look like a flying squirrel and went up the stairs to get strapped in.

As I stood on the platform, I saw the daunting view of the lagoon 200 feet below me. Nevertheless, I patiently waited for the door to lower. Finally, I was released and flew with my belly facing the ground above the water and next to the quarry. As the wind rushed into me, I was able to get a spectacular view of the site. The ride lasted for longer than I expected while maintaining an overwhelming speed. Eventually, I braked and was lowered to the floating platform where a staff member unbuckled me. It was a thrill of a lifetime.

If you want to also experience the RipRide or the record breaking bungee jump, see pricing for the two activities here. Your first bungee jump will be $156.56 and RipRide will be $34.79; combos for lower prices or large groups are available. For Bungee Jumping, the minimum weight is 80 lbs and maximum is 300 lbs.

For the RipRide, the minimum weight is 70 lbs and maximum is 250 lbs. Parents must sign a waiver for the Ripride and Bungee for children under 18. For general information about Great Canadian Bungee and the options offered, see https://bungee.ca/. 

David is a fifteen-year-old aspiring adventure and travel writer living in Ottawa.  Skydiving is on his bucket list.

Archery Games - Archery Activity in Ottawa

My family loves trying new activities, and Archery Games has been on our radar for a little while. I have friends who have tried it and had a blast (my sister even had her birthday party there!) but I was curious as to whether it would be a good fit for my family (kids are 8, 10, 12 and 14). My children enjoy sports (soccer, curling, speed skating) but archery is a first!

My youngest (a redhead) declared that she was going to be just like Merida.

How it works

There is a caged target practice area off to the immediate right which is also where you’ll find the shelves that hold the safety equipment (helmets and arm guards). The red and blue helmets are smaller and the black ones are larger. If you wear glasses, don’t worry, they have helmets that accommodate glasses. Two of my children wore glasses to our session and they had no issues with their helmets fitting properly.

When we entered the building, we were impressed with the size of the arena. The fenced playing field is lined with astroturf, sprinkled with a few large inflatable shapes that you can hide behind and is brightly lit making it easy to see the boundary lines. 

Upon arrival, we headed to the counter to sign in and we were directed to use the ipads to fill out waiver forms. Tip: If you have more than one child with you, you can click the button to add an additional child and your info will carry over to the next waiver.

We then had a few minutes to wait while the other participants who had booked the same time slot arrived. We were a larger group with 20 in total (my children were the only children). We were then greeted by the person who was the referee for our session. She gave a quick equipment rundown and then quickly demonstrated how to use the bow and arrow. Who knew there was a right-side up on the bow? The arrows have a large white foam cylinder on the end that looks like a giant marshmallow - it definitely softens the blow of a hit. Each participant had the chance to shoot one arrow in the practice cage and then we moved over to the arena.

The Games:

We were asked to choose a bow that was lined up against the fence (black bows are for adults and the white ones are for smaller kids) and then gather to hear the instructions. We had the opportunity to play 7 different games each lasting a few minutes. The group gathered between each game to hear the rules for the modified game. For all of the games but the last, we were split into two teams, each on its own side of the arena. The players began every game lined up along the back wall of their size and when the whistle was blown, players collected an arrow (or more!) from the centre safe-zone and then found a position to play from on their terrain.

It took a game or two to iron out how to load the bow quickly and efficiently; once that was sorted the game went much quicker. The games were a lot of fun, each a slight variation from the last. Some of the games were scored with points, some involved a fireball (think dodgeball!) and another allowed for your inner engineer to escape and strategize for the perfect arrangement on the playing field.

It was very easy to become absorbed in the game and adrenaline was definitely pumping! Hearts were racing as we ducked to avoid arrows and at the same time tried to find the perfect shot and quickly. Despite not knowing more than half of the participants, it was easy to work as a team and communicate strategy. My kids weren’t shy to play with other adults either which was fantastic. 

I wasn’t sure how well my petite 8-year-old would do but she was very focused on collecting arrows and loading her bow. Her shot wasn’t as strong as her older siblings’ but she chose to take her shots closer to the centre of the arena so she was able to tag players and hit targets with few problems. My 10-year-old was definitely stronger with her shots and my 12 and 14-year-olds shot just as well as the adults (or maybe even better!) I’d say the kids had an advantage of being smaller, they tucked in behind the inflatables quite easily!

What we loved:

My daughters who wear glasses were very happy to have masks that fit well. Their glasses were fogging up towards the end but that was corrected when we reminded them to remove their mask during the mini-break when listening to instructions.

We played 7 different games which was the perfect number to fill our time slot in the arena. It wasn’t rushed and the variety was welcomed. It also allowed for everyone to take a bit of a breather and grab a sip of water while listening to the instructions of the next game.

What we liked less:

For those who have never shot a bow and arrow before, one practice shot wasn’t a lot before heading into the arena. It took a game or two to get into the groove of loading the bow without the arrow sliding off (tip: if you put the arrow between your body and bow and then tilt your bow away from you, it won’t slide off as easily).

The whole family had a fantastic time and my children were asking to return even before we stepped off the turf!

Archery Games Ottawa
Where: 1860 Bank St, #3B
Cost: $29/person
Hours: Monday/Tuesday - closed, Wednesday/Thursday - 5-10pm, Friday - 5-9pm, Saturday/Sunday - 11am-9pm  *Bookings outside of these hours are available by appointment only and require a minimum of 10 players.

Thank you to Candace and her family who checked out Archery Games on behalf of Kids in the Capital. Archery Games provided tickets but all thoughts are our own.

Room Escape - Ottawa Escape Room

We’re exploring the city and finding great activities for teens and tweens this summer, and this week we were invited to try out Room Escape.

My family loves escape rooms! Puzzling things out is fun and exciting for them - and Room Escape was no exception. The whole family was impressed with the quality of the room, and the elaborate mechanisms, and loved the detailed story of the room. And we escaped the 4.5/5 difficulty room with 20 minutes to spare (but that’s because we have so many great puzzlers in the family!)

The room we did was called Undermined and we delved deep into a mine to find out what happened to geological genius Dr Jackson.

How it works:

When you arrive, you are first asked to wait in a holding area until your room is ready. You are then brought into a small room and the rules of the escape room are explained to you. You are then introduced to the story you are going to be solving.

Once you are in the room, you have one hour to solve the room - there is a tv screen in the room that keeps time for you. You have a walkie-talkie to ask for unlimited clues, and you are also given the option of a clue hint sheet (my family was NOT interested in that, but had I been with a different group I imagine we happily would have taken the sheet and been glad that there aren’t official penalties for asking for hints.)

What you actually do:

No spoilers are included here - these are random numbers before we solved it :)

Once you’re in the room there are clues that will allow you to open up ways to find more clues. There are lots of padlocks - some that require keys, some that need number codes and some that require letter codes. There are many different kinds of puzzles, that include figuring out patterns, putting things together in the right order, and noticing clues around the room.

The rooms can feel quite small if you’re a larger group, but the more you solve, the more rooms open up and the more you can spread out.

What we really like:

Having done a bunch of escape rooms before what we really liked about Room Escape are the elaborate setups. The rooms at Room Escape seem more permanent than at some of the other escape room places where they change them out more often and it felt like that meant the components were more elaborate.

There were a lot of really great effects that made you feel like things were moving or like you were actually in a mine. There were also moving parts and one of us got to ride in a mine cart!

All the kids commented about the elaborate mechanisms and that the puzzles were challenging but fun.

What we liked a bit less:

If there are more than 3-4 of you, those that are less competitive may be left behind as there isn’t a lot of room to get involved. This is partially just the nature of escape rooms though, and not so much about Room Escape specifically.

Overall it was a great outing and all the teens would happily return to puzzle through more rooms!

Where: 1860 Bank Street, #3B

Cost: $29/person

Hours: Monday/Tuesday - 5pm - 10pm
Wednesday/Sunday - 10am - 10pm

Check out their website for more information and to book in a time to escape yourself!

Note: we were gifted passes to experience the escape room but all thoughts are our own.