People who know me, know that I get stir-crazy and I’m always on the lookout for great ideas for kids activities in Montreal.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I enjoy a full day in my p.j’s doing nothing particularly productive… if I’m ALONE.  But with kids in the mix, the screaming, fighting, whining, and overall excessive energy in the house is enough to make me scream: “Get me outta here!” by noon guaranteed.  I’m therefore a self-proclaimed Outings Queen, and I take painstaking efforts to plan ahead if I can, or to have options at the least, for days when the kids will be home.

Recently, my kindergarten-aged daughter had a Ped Day in Montreal on a day when my son was scheduled for preschool.  I immediately thought: “Ooh, gotta plan an outing!”  So, I bought a couple of packs of note-cards at the dollar store with a cute café design on the cover.  Then, I printed and inserted an invitation in each card, and asked my daughter’s kindergarten teacher to kindly distribute them in each of the students’ backpacks.  You see, I was dying to meet some of the other parents (as well as the kids), and luckily there were others who also agreed that an outing with other parents and kids would be a blast!

We started our Ped Day adventure by meeting up at 4Cats Studio d’Arts, where the staff greeted us warmly.  The studio had opened up a workshop time just for us (upon request and some consultation), and we filled it with 13 children aged 4 to 7, to create a clay snowman.  What I first noticed when we entered the premises was that the walls were covered from floor to ceiling in vibrant colours, with huge canvases of artwork!  Art supplies stocked the shelves, and while everything was kept tidy and clean, the space was just oozing with creative inspiration!  I wanted to stay to watch the kids through this creative workshop, but remembered that we had another goal in mind here as well…

A few steps away, we mums and dads found a lovely little café.  I enjoyed a latte and a bagel amongst adult company (imagine that!).  The time flew by as we mingled, got to know each other, and catch up with old friends.  And 90 minutes later, we were out the door and going to pick up our kids.

When we returned, our children were beaming with pride and happiness.  Each child had created a unique and beautiful snowman!  However, we couldn’t take them home yet.  They had to be air-dried over time, and fired to bring out the glossy glazes that our children had painted onto their clay creations.

We bundled up our children and walked to EM Café, where we had made a reservation.  On the way, I found and peeked into La Tasse Gamine.  Had my preschool son accompanied me (and well he might soon, if I plan an outing with just myself and my kids…) I would have spent some time there.  The brightly coloured space includes a café offering healthy, homemade food; a boutique; classes & workshops for babies and toddlers.

We had made reservations at EM Café on this day though, and it was a nice walk where we practiced walking across crosswalks (“Don’t cross until you see the little man light up!”) and peeking into store windows. EM Café is a trendy, feel-good resto with a very down-to-earth atmosphere.  And what we mums were most impressed with, was that the menu (mostly organic ingredients, all homemade meals) was so healthy and delicious (and vegetarian-friendly, bonus yay for me)!  They offered a kids’ menu that had no trace of chicken nuggets in it!  Their juices were freshly squeezed.  The service was friendly and our kids were well-behaved.  What a delight!

This full-day outing in Montreal with our kids was a refreshing change for all of us – children and parents!  And the cherry on top of it all was that 2 weeks later, we were reminded of the wonderful day we had spent together, when our little darlings’ snowmen masterpieces came home.

Make your next PED Day in Montreal fun for your kids…check out these kids activities 4Cats Studio Art and La Tasse Gamine!