Attention Ottawa Parents: We want to hear your stories!

For nearly two and a half years, contributors to Kids in the Capital have been sharing their stories about what's going on in their families and around Canada's capital. We're proud of the community we've built here. We have our Facebook Page where we share information about local businesses, events and occasional parenting commiserations. ;) Twitter is our playdate planning and discussion spot, along with the Kids in the Capital Facebook Group where we can ask things in a more private, safe environment.

As great as each of those places are, the core of the Kids in the Capital community is the flow of blog posts that never fail to give ideas to so many families in Ottawa. This is a place where you can read new ideas and family-oriented information about about photography, arts and crafts, safety, cooking, technology and most importantly - everything there is to do around Ottawa.

We want to continue growing this community  and keep it thriving. Now that we're back into the swing of things with school, we want to provide the opportunity for each of you to join in our KIC community in a more active role.

The KIC blog runs content Monday through Friday and we need regular contributors. We show our appreciation for contributors every chance we get and each month, all contributors who submit two posts or more will be entered into a draw to receive a gift. Our October giveaway will be a set of tickets to see Beauty and the Beast!

If you're interested in contributing, please email us at kidsinthecapital@gmail.com. We look forward to reading your stories!

Hotel Home

by Alanna My children are very creative.  It is easy to do imaginative things with them.  They wanted to go on a vacation far away like their friends, and stay in a hotel.  This was not feasable for us so I suggested we turn our house into a hotel.  At first they were shocked and maybe a little bit confused, but then they thought it was a great idea.

First off, I had them go and pack their bags.  While they were doing that, I printed out some signs that I found online here.  I put them up all over the house and got to work on a room service menu.

Once the kids bags were packed we put all our bags in the car and went for a little drive (I actually had errands to do).  When we returned home, I got into character.  I jumped out of the car and helped them with their bags.  I had a book ready inside and asked them if they had reservations, handed them their keys and escorted them to their rooms.  They really got a kick out of it.

The activity was seriously successful.  They really want to do it again this year.  I am not sure.  Since then we have actually been to a hotel.  They might be more demanding this time. LOL.

I'd love to hear if it worked for you.

Alanna is a mother of two beauties, Nora age 3 (aka coconut) and Avery 5 (aka polka dot). Former ECE turned mother, party planner and blogger.  Never a dull moment around this house.

I'm Bored

by Alanna In our house "I'm Bored" is more than a four letter word.  It's a FIVE letter word that is banned.  No one is allowed to use it!! Period!!!  The result of using the word is choosing either to lose points on My JobChart or picking from the dreaded jar of chores!!!  Apparently the jar of chores is the lesser of two evils.

In order to encourage self stimulation and motivation to find activities that do not include computer and TV, I have come up with a list of activities to pick from BEFORE we decide there is nothing to do.  I went through the children's toys and books, found the least used items and put them on the list.  I also added a list of activities to learn ie:skipping with a rope and hoola hooping.  There are scavenger hunts for missing puzzle pieces, things found to make a craft with and letter hunts.  All of these things can be altered based on you child's age and skill ability.

This is the checklist I made

So far it has worked wonderful.  It has turned out to be a great clutter buster since I decided that if those rarely used items get put in the giveaway pile if they are not something they ready don't want to do.

Alanna is a mother of two beauties, Nora age 3 (aka coconut) and Avery 5 (aka polka dot). Former ECE turned mother, party planner and blogger.  Never a dull moment around this house.

Kids in the Capital: Call for Contributors

Not long ago, we published a call for pictures and you all made my day (several days in a row) with lots of beautiful pictures that will soon grace the top of the Kids in the Capital Web page. We're hoping you'll want to join us more regularly to share your stories of being a family in the Ottawa area.

In just a few months we'll be celebrating our 2nd Anniversary. We've covered many great activities in and around Ottawa, but we're nowhere near done! There are many more stories to tell and a never-ending list of activities to do around homes and communities all over the city.

If you're interested in writing for Kids in the Capital, please email us at kidsinthecapital@gmail.com! We'll be updating our regular contributors page over the next few weeks and we'd love to see your name added to the list!

Kids Create! November Craft Carnival {Family}

It’s time to get crafty with the KITC Kids Create! Monthly Craft Carnival. Thank you to those who participated in last month's craft carnival! October's theme was Leaves and we had a lot of fun celebrating fall and it's beautiful colours.  Here are the submissions (you can click on the description below each picture to learn more about the craft): 

Fall Alphabet Tree by Rebecca at A Little Bit of Momsense



Leafy Sun Catchers by Lara at Gliding Through Motherhood

Leaf Garland by Alicia at I Found My Feet

Interested in getting involved this month? Read last month's post for more details on what a craft carnival is, who can participate, and where and how you can showcase your crafts!

November 2011 Theme - Family

Will you create a family painting or family tree? Maybe a craft that represents your family's bond? Whatever the craft - have fun making this craft WITH your family.

Deadline to submit: Wednesday, November 30th

What will your family create?