If white paper doilies and red construction paper is what you think of when you hear Valentine’s Day craft for kids, you have come to the right place for some new and inspiring ideas.  Here is a simple, yet lovely kid-friendly craft that can be easily completed in time for Valentine’s Day.

A Valentine’s Day sun-catcher is a great gift idea for grandparents, aunts, teachers or any other special person in your child’s life.  To make this Valentine’s Day craft you [...]]]>

If white paper doilies and red construction paper is what you think of when you hear Valentine’s Day craft for kids, you have come to the right place for some new and inspiring ideas.  Here is a simple, yet lovely kid-friendly craft that can be easily completed in time for Valentine’s Day.

A Valentine’s Day sun-catcher is a great gift idea for grandparents, aunts, teachers or any other special person in your child’s life.  To make this Valentine’s Day craft you will need:

• Clear Contact paper (can be purchased at any hardware store)
• Tissue paper (in approximately 4 different colours)
• Exacto knife or scissors
• String or thin ribbon

1)  Prepare heart shape cut-outs from the tissue paper before beginning the craft.  To do this fold the tissue paper a few times and cut out half a heart along the fold.  Unfold each heart and place them in a small bowl or container.  Do this with different coloured tissue paper, cutting hearts of varying sizes and shapes (fat, skinny, small, large).  Older children can help with this part of the Valentine’s Day craft.

2)  Cut out 2 large rectangular shapes of the same size from the contact paper.

3)  Peel the paper off one piece of the contact paper (save the other rectangle for later) and tape the four corners of the contact paper to a window at your child’s height – make sure the sticky side is facing the inside of the house.

4)  Paste the Valentine’s tissue hearts anywhere along the contact paper. Handing your toddler the hearts one-by-one will keep them focussed and interested, while your preschooler and elementary-aged child can work more independently, picking out and sticking on the hearts on their own.

5)  Remove from the window and place on a flat surface.

6)  Place the second rectangular piece of contact paper on top of the original one so the two sticky sides are stuck together (this part is best done by an adult).  Be careful to press down with the side of your hand on the top sheet and press out any bubbles as you lay the contact paper down.

7)  Using an Exacto knife or scissors, cut your sun-catcher into smaller rectangles of approximately 11cm x 15cm.

8 )  Poke a hole with a small needle at the top of the rectangle and thread a string or ribbon through to hang the Valentine’s Day sun-catcher with.

This is a wonderful kid-friendly craft that will now brighten any window on a cold February day!

Hi Ho Hi Ho…it’s off to camp they go!

As the snow begins to melt, kids in Montreal start to get excited because Spring Break is just around the corner! Some lucky kids will be hopping on planes to hit a warm, sandy beach! Others will be hitting the slopes at a snazzy ski resort.  Most kids though, will be staying closer to home. Thankfully, there are so many great Spring Break Camps for kids in Montreal; offered, adventure [...]]]>

Hi Ho Hi Ho…it’s off to camp they go!

As the snow begins to melt, kids in Montreal start to get excited because Spring Break is just around the corner! Some lucky kids will be hopping on planes to hit a warm, sandy beach! Others will be hitting the slopes at a snazzy ski resort.  Most kids though, will be staying closer to home. Thankfully, there are so many great Spring Break Camps for kids in Montreal; offered, adventure and excitement are available right at our doorstep!

Kids camps are offered in a variety of activities, and are often focussed on a specific area. Horseback riding, soccer, outdoor adventure, martial arts, dance…these are just a few examples of Spring Break Camps available to our kids! Camp is an excellent way for children to expand their experience beyond their regular routine. According to camp.ca, “March Break Camps afford children the opportunity to keep minds sharp during “spring break,” of course, but they are also a great chance to explore areas of interest or fascination that are under-served during the school year.’’

When selecting a camp, involve your child in the process.  Ask your child to list what they are interested in, and what they are looking for in a camp. My son Noah and I are looking at different camp options for his first Spring Break!  It is incredible all the options that are available!  When I was his age, the only camp that was offered was Vacation Bible School, or as we alumni call it, VBS! We would colour religious themed drawings, sing hymns ( I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart! Yeah!), and enjoy a snack of kool-aid and cookies. Although I have really great memories from VBS, I am so excited that my kids have a vast repertoire of experiences available to them!

Right now, the short list consists of Loyola Center Spring Break Camp and the Club CDL Progressive Tennis Camp.  Both have really fun and age appropriate programming!!!  I’m also loving the McCord Museum: Spring break: Journey to the Land of the Midnight Sun and Ecomuseum Zoo: Spring Break Animal Care Apprentice! I am excited to see what Noah chooses!

Endnotes:
1. Camps.ca: http://camps.ca/march_break_camps.php
2. Our Kids: http://www.ourkids.net/camp/how-to-choose-a-camp.php

Now that the kids have come down from their holiday highs and the over-stimulation created by too much sugar and too much fun, it’s on to the next parental challenge. The kids are already thinking about their next break in mid-March from the routine of school, homework and extra-curricular activities. And all I’m thinking about is how my husband and I can’t prevail on the generosity of our employers – again – to take off time to entertain our threesome [...]]]>

Now that the kids have come down from their holiday highs and the over-stimulation created by too much sugar and too much fun, it’s on to the next parental challenge. The kids are already thinking about their next break in mid-March from the routine of school, homework and extra-curricular activities. And all I’m thinking about is how my husband and I can’t prevail on the generosity of our employers – again – to take off time to entertain our threesome during their spring breaks.

Let’s consider the alternatives, but let’s leave out family trips to Disney or an exotic island. Perhaps a visit to their grandparents for a week? But that would involve putting my gang on a train and that is far too nerve-wracking, although all three would clearly enjoy the freedom (file that thought away for when they are older). Also, one set of grandparents already made it clear during the holidays that her “togetherness” levels were saturated.

Then I thought about how my friends and I enjoy sharing children and entertainment responsibilities with our usual play dates. Maybe I could entice five friends to each take a child…well, the mathematical calculations and the logistics generated by that option faded rapidly as I quickly ran through a mental checklist of my friends.

Putting aside parental guilt for the moment, I turned to my personal assistant ( thekidscoop.com of course)! A search for March or Spring Break turned up suggestions for assorted activities where the kids will be supervised, stimulated (just enough) and securely attended to. My pre-schooler already attends a daycare when not in school, so a telephone call to secure his attendance for full days sealed that deal. Sporty son was a cinch to place in a weeklong program because I found a wide selection of camps offering multi-sports. My ‘tween even proved to be an easy sell when I informed her that she could pick and choose between cooking classes, art lessons or teambuilding activities. Yay me!

Day 1 of spring break arrived and I was lightheaded (with relief?) as I merrily dropped off my children at their appointed locations. The lightheadness was strangely replaced by sluggishness as the day progressed. By the time I picked up the kids, I was definitely feeling less than euphoric and alternately shivering and sweating (anxiety over the camp selections?). Later that evening, my hubbie pegged my temperature at 102 F, my throat was swollen shut and I ached all over. Apparently my “break” would be spent in bed while I nursed the flu, too dizzy to watch daytime TV and quarantined from the kids for fear of spreading my germs. After all, I didn’t want to spoil their spring break too.

Chocolate and Love! No need to say more! What better way to say “I Love You” or even “I Love Me” than with Chocolate Brownies. Plus make them extra special and shape them into hearts. Your kids will love you and them!I’m doing some backing with my kids!

It’s not too soon to start thinking about Valentine’s Day and how you and your children are going to share the love – for one day at least!

On February 14 we celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. Brush up on your Valentine’s Day history with a trip to the library or bookstore to learn more about St. Valentine and why Cupid is a symbol of the day. Kids especially love making handmade Valentine’s cards. Pick a few simple [...]]]>

It’s not too soon to start thinking about Valentine’s Day and how you and your children are going to share the love – for one day at least!

On February 14 we celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. Brush up on your Valentine’s Day history with a trip to the library or bookstore to learn more about St. Valentine and why Cupid is a symbol of the day. Kids especially love making handmade Valentine’s cards. Pick a few simple designs and you will be amazed how many hearts of varying sizes in red, pink and white construction paper your kids can turn out in an hour.

Making up short verses or amusing rhymes can be a fun-filled time. Glitter and glue will keep everyone occupied for hours!

Heart-shaped cookies – keep the recipes simple –  can be made in advance and then decorated with appropriate Valentine’s Day colours and shapes.  Even chocolates are easy to make with heart-shaped molds. Melt pieces of chocolate in an open Ziploc-type bag in the microwave and snip off a corner to gently squeeze the chocolate into a heart-shaped mold (hint: many discount stores carry inexpensive molds). Refrigerate to set. Your child’s teacher will appreciate a tin filled with your child’s creations!

A nutritious and fun Valentine’s Day breakfast that even kids can help make? Cut out a large heart from a buttered piece of bread using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Then brown the bread on one side in a skillet. Flip over the bread and break an egg into the hole. Cover the skillet to let the egg and bread cook together. The heart-shaped bread cutout can be toasted too.

There are hundreds of activities throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for Valentine’s Day. Want to join a skating party? The Scarboro Figure Skating Club, one of the oldest in Canada, invites everyone to a family skating day on February 10, 2012 at the Ice Galaxy, a boardless Olympic-sized ice surface, featuring a mirrored wall and heated viewing lounge.

Valentine’s Day is all about finding ways to tell your loved ones that they are special. Sanctuary Song, a live presentation by Theatre Direct Canada, tells the story of an elderly elephant’s journey to freedom in the Tennessee Sanctuary guided by her friend and keeper of 22 years. The story will inspire and touch both adults and children as it uses words and
music to celebrate the power of compassion, empathy and the unique communication between elephants and humans). Performances run from Feb. 16 to 19, 2012 at 601 Christie Street in the Artscape Wychwood Barns.

Mention the word “lingerie” to most women and their eyes get a faraway look as they try to remember the last time they paid attention to their underwear. Lingerie may epitomize femininity and sensuality, but for most busy moms, what they are wearing under their clothes is the last thing on their mind.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s a good time to take another look at your neglected self and review the contents of your lingerie drawer. It [...]]]>

Mention the word “lingerie” to most women and their eyes get a faraway look as they try to remember the last time they paid attention to their underwear. Lingerie may epitomize femininity and sensuality, but for most busy moms, what they are wearing under their clothes is the last thing on their mind.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s a good time to take another look at your neglected self and review the contents of your lingerie drawer. It may be that you need to improve the comfort and fit of your underwear. Or you may want to ratchet up your lingerie selection with a few items that make you feel more like your pre-mommy self.  If your partner has noticed that your underwear needs updating, then maybe a few well-planted hints about a Valentine’s Day gift would help heat up your love life.

The Kid Scoop.com is helping busy moms change their underwear – literally. Tell them why you and a friend need a little lift in the bra department and you can win a $200 gift certificate from Change Lingerie, an international lingerie retailer with locations in the Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver areas.

A visit to Change Lingerie will change your outlook on underwear. Change respects a woman’s natural beauty and knows that underwear choice is as individual as a woman herself. Their trained staff will ensure that you are fitted in a style right for you, one that accentuates your best attributes.  Over time, with childbirth, weight gain and loss, nursing and ageing, a woman’s shape changes. That means that underwear sizes change too. The professionals at Change Lingerie will provide free measuring to ensure that a bra not only feels comfortable, but it supports the demands of your lifestyle.

The experts will also provide a little guidance when your mate decides to delight you (and him) with a delicate undergarment for Valentine’s Day. Make sure he knows what designs or styles you prefer. Change’s “special occasion” lingerie with lace, silk and other delicate fabrics are bound to bring out your sexy side.

Change offers eight different models of bras in sizes up to cup J with a variety of fabrics, designs and price points, ranging from basics to luxurious choices. Change stores also carry shapewear, sleepwear, swimwear, homewear, hosiery and more.

The toughest choice will be what color and how many of each you want. Many women confess that putting on good fitting lingerie makes them feel good about their ‘under self’, which is then reflected in their ‘outer self.’ Bring a little Change into your life.

Minus 30 windchills aside, who doesn’t love a little breeze in the air and experiencing winter activities with your kids, hands-on outside? And while some kids activities might carry a high ticket price on them, there are so many FREE and FUN kids activities in Montreal you can do as a family…festivals, skiing, snow/inner tubing, sleigh rides just to name a few! Keep these in mind for after school pick-up time (while you’re preparing supper), weekends, or even [...]]]>

Minus 30 windchills aside, who doesn’t love a little breeze in the air and experiencing winter activities with your kids, hands-on outside? And while some kids activities might carry a high ticket price on them, there are so many FREE and FUN kids activities in Montreal you can do as a family…festivals, skiing, snow/inner tubing, sleigh rides just to name a few! Keep these in mind for after school pick-up time (while you’re preparing supper), weekends, or even date nights when the kids are down and you want to have some grown-up “be-a-kid-again” fun!

Building igloos and snow forts brings back great memories of my childhood. We would build one or two of these every winter, although I must admit most of the work went in by my brother and dad, while I just got to enjoy the finished product. Last week, my preschool-aged son and I got into our snowpants and started up our own igloo. I can’t wait to see how it’ll turn out (and whether or not we’ll turn this into our own winter tradition)! Now with the internet as our no. 1 resource, it’s easy to pop “build your own igloo” into a search engine and find step-by-step instructions and even videos, just a click away. If you aren’t so much into putting the work into building your own igloo (or don’t have the space for it), consider going to the Snow Village at Parc Jean-Drapeau!  And while you’re there, there are so many other great winter activities to be found which are free or very modestly priced.

Who doesn’t love a great slide down the hill on a toboggan? Remember losing control and crashing into trees? Now our own kids can share in that excitement! Accidents and frozen toes aside, our winters wouldn’t be complete without at least one great slide down a snow hill!

Whether it’s pick-up hockey or a practice skate session you’re looking for, nothing beats an outdoor skate at a local park. There are so many to be found, and many are quite well maintained, with changing shacks, beautiful lighting at night, and smooth ice!

Here is a new activity provided by the Biosphère Environment Museum, and available to download and use right across Canada! Ever heard of the BioKit?  It’s an interactive outdoor adventure where you can learn about biodiversity. Simply print out the downloadable kit, and go on an adventure in your own surroundings. Free, fun, and everyone (even mom and dad) learns something new in the process!

After all that outdoor fun and energy well spent, warm up to the fireplace and a mug of hot chocolate. You deserve it!

Everyone knows that Canadian winters can be long, cold and icy, but during mid-winter, we put aside our negative feelings and celebrate the beauty of the season. In the Greater Toronto area, there are dozens of winter carnivals to warm your spirits and inject a little fun into the long days of winter.

Many of the cities in and around the GTA have winter carnival weekends in late January or early February. These events are a wonderful mixture of snow and ice sculptures, dog sledding, parades, skating, [...]]]>

Everyone knows that Canadian winters can be long, cold and icy, but during mid-winter, we put aside our negative feelings and celebrate the beauty of the season. In the Greater Toronto area, there are dozens of winter carnivals to warm your spirits and inject a little fun into the long days of winter.

Many of the cities in and around the GTA have winter carnival weekends in late January or early February. These events are a wonderful mixture of snow and ice sculptures, dog sledding, parades, skating, hockey and special events. It’s sure that copious amounts of hot chocolate will be consumed! Many of the festivals are free or have nominal fees for certain activities.

There are a few of the carnivals in and around the GTA:

• The City of Toronto’s award-winning WinterCity Festival returns for the 7^th year, offering a city-wide celebration of culture, creativity and cuisine. Ignore the cold and snow and celebrate all that Toronto has to offer. From January 28 to February 10, 2012, there will be culinary experiences, free entertainment at Nathan Phillips Square (check out the gravity-defying aerial dance performances) and a showcase of Toronto’s vibrant arts scene.

•  The Hangar at Downsview Park – Winterfest is a free, family-oriented fun day (February 2, 2012). Located in the 45,000-square meter indoor sports facility in Etobicoke, there will be special events, food and entertainment.

•  Natrel Skating Rink at Harbourfront presents HarbourKIDS SK8 – a special family skating festival on February 19 and 20, 2012. The Toronto harbourfront transforms into a popular outdoor skating rink where you can take in the beautiful surroundings of Lake Ontario and the Toronto Islands. There are on-site skate rentals, helmet rentals, change rooms, rental lockers and skate sharpening. Throughout the winter, the Natrel Skating Rink has a variety of skate-related events for children and teens, including skating lessons.

• The Richmond Hill Winter Carnival takes place at the Mill Pond Park from February 3 to 5, 2012. It is a weekend of affordable fun and entertainment organized by volunteers to celebrate the community of Richmond Hill in a welcoming atmosphere. The Richmond Hill Winter Carnival is a community effort, designed to appeal to residents of all ages from tots to grandparents.

Low self-esteem and an unhealthy body image are becoming more prevalent in young girls, and at a younger age, due to unrealistic expectations in the media. Up to 6th grade, it is said that families and siblings have the most influence over a child’s self-concept whereas once high school begins, their friends and peers take over. Make the most of this time by doing simple things that form the foundation of a healthy body image such as choosing the right [...]]]>

Low self-esteem and an unhealthy body image are becoming more prevalent in young girls, and at a younger age, due to unrealistic expectations in the media. Up to 6th grade, it is said that families and siblings have the most influence over a child’s self-concept whereas once high school begins, their friends and peers take over. Make the most of this time by doing simple things that form the foundation of a healthy body image such as choosing the right foods and prioritizing physical activity.

The game is on the line and your child can either be the first star or the scapegoat. You want to help your child perform their best and you’ve done everything in your power to provide the best possible chances of success. One area you may have not put much thought in is investing is the area of mental skills training for your kids. You’ve heard of the notion that playing sports is 90% or more mental but what is [...]]]>

The game is on the line and your child can either be the first star or the scapegoat. You want to help your child perform their best and you’ve done everything in your power to provide the best possible chances of success. One area you may have not put much thought in is investing is the area of mental skills training for your kids. You’ve heard of the notion that playing sports is 90% or more mental but what is sports psychology anyway?