An original summer project for rainy days

Out of the closet!
Have you checked your husband's closet lately? My friend recently counted no less than 70 T-shirts in her husband's overflowing closet! Mainly gifts from sponsors. 

Most had never been worn because they're the kind of T-shirts you don't want your husband to be seen with outside of the house.

Here's a fantastic project for rainy days, to make good use of them: a knotted rag rug. Perfect screenless option for bigger kids who don't want to do a puzzle. 

It comes from the blog chawedrosin.wordpress.com where they teach you:

1) How to cut an old t-shirt

2) How to tie knots and link sections together

What is it I'm seeing on the totem at McMichael?

Look closer!
Read about the outdoor Sculpture Garden walk I took a couple of weeks ago at McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg. Even if you don't plan to visit the exhibitions, you can have access to this garden and have a look at the totem in the lobby of the main building. 

If you want to visit the collections with your kids, check this page about their Family Sundays (offered on select Sundays). The next one is on September 8th.

A good tip when visiting a museum or an art gallery with kids is to turn it unto a treasure hunt, asking them to find animals, or kids in the artwork. 

Chances are, if they're under 8, their favourite part will be the ramps between the floors and the Discovery room.

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A few simple ideas for summer fun

It's all right to slow down
Last year, I wrote an article for kidsaroundcanada.com for parents who might be panicky because they had not fully planned the summer for their kids.

In the second part of the article I came up with a few last-minute suggestions to enjoy the summer.
Easy on the wallet, hardly any planning required. Intrigued? Check Kidding around summer fun.

Perfect timing for Franklin Children's Garden

Another gem on Toronto Islands

The young kids I've visited Toronto Islands with were always so content with Centreville Amusement Park that I never could drag them beyond. A few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to visit Franklin Children's Garden and I loved it!

As it turns out, Friday and Saturday August 16 & 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be a very good time to visit the place thanks to the first Teddy Bear Picnic to be held at Centreville Amusement Park. Following free activities at the amusement park (you still need to pay if you want to do the rides), Franklin and Beasley Bear will lead a parade over to the Children's Garden for storytelling and giveaways.

To Franklin Children's Garden
To get to the Garden, you have to walk past Centreville Amusement Park (near Centre Island ferry) and cross the bridge to go towards the fountains. To your right, you will eventually notice the cute splash pad (beyond the reflecting pool with fountains). 

I suggest you walk by it and reach the lovely entrance to the Children's Garden further west (promising the kids you'll return to enjoy the water fun once you've explored the Garden).

The site is peppered with bronze statues of characters from Franklin the Turtle (Kids Can Press beloved books for 6 to 7-year-old readers). They're part of the decor, enjoying the place as we do. Expect Franklin, Bear, Rabbit, a goose, a snail and a beaver.

 

 

I was impressed by the attention to landscaping and detail. The microcosm of Franklin Children's Garden encompasses a pine grove, a storytelling stage, a wetland with turtles, frogs and birds, a treehouse, a vine tunnel, the elevated Unilever Snail Trail and a cute hands-on gardening section (offering craft activities and watering opportunities daily from 1 to 5 p.m.). 

Kids 8 years and under were having a ball when I visited. The treehouse was very popular, and so was the elevated trail, from which we can see the beach. 

Water fun
Centre Beach, the beach just south of the Garden, is protected from the waves by a wall and perfect for young kids. Gibraltar Beach, less than 5 minutes west, on the right, is more secluded and, on a windy day, offers fun waves bigger kids will appreciate.

The pretty splash pad is located right by the playground structure just east of the Garden.

Facing Centre Beach

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Visit a pet shop on a rainy day

A great free outing to do with the kids (especially on a rainy day) is a visit to a big box pet store. 

Don't underestimate these! Some are amazing (PetSmart comes to mind) with rabbits, snakes, hamsters, fish, dogs, cats, ferrets, parrots and so on.

Small is also beautiful
Menagerie Pet Shop is a really cute one located at 549 Parliament (a five-minute walk from Riverdale Farm). NOTE: They will be closed on the Civic Holiday, Monday.

Since this pet shop is not bathed in neon light, it offers a more exotic experience. You can always count on reptiles, fish and large birds in the back. 

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TOP-3 day trips to the beach (during Civic Holiday long weekend or any other warm summer day)

Not too late to plan a day trip!

Cobourg Beach

Despite the fact that it is my job to do research on family outings, I never get to plan a big family holiday. This has never bothered me because I know from experience the wonderful effect of a simple day trip on my family (and not to forget how much easier it is on my wallet).

Here are three great options to enjoy the pleasure of old-fashioned beach fun (but there's more in the guide). Pack the beach toys (shovels, buckets, several sizes of containers), swimsuits and beach towels, water, sunscreen and a cooler packed with a picnic. Allow some ice-cream money and you're good to go.

Cobourg Beach 
(1hr from Toronto)
We've had great days at this beach. Wide and long, with great sand which is perfect for little engineers' projects and cool waves for active kids. (Super splash pad and great retro snack bar by the entrance as a bonus.)

Frenchman's Bay Park in Pickering 
(40-min. from Toronto)
Hidden gem in Pickering. It might change in the coming years. The municipality has big improvement projects for the place. Until then, you can enjoy the beautiful sand and the intimate feeling of this secluded beach.

Frenchman's Bay Park, looking west

Frenchman's Bay Park, looking east

Centennial Beach in Barrie 
(1hr from Toronto)
This is one long beach with plenty happening all around (playground, splash pad, snack bar, tall fountain by the water) with a long paved bike path to explore the horse-shoe shaped bay. 

Centennial Beach in Barrie

Beating the crowd at Centennial Beach

Great ideas from other moms:
10 tips for the perfect beach picnic
How to keep your cooler colder
10 beach games for your family

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Great summer family recipe

From left to right: Laurent (8), Roxane (4), Alex (7) and Cedrik (4)

Family-tested summer recipe:

• Take kids (preferably locally grown)
• Add nature (ravines give a special flavour)
• Throw in non-designer clothes (easy to wash)
• Mix well
• Allow to sit, stand, run or do play with sticks for a couple of hours
• Add snacks and water to taste

And voilà! A happy summer memory to share with your friends and family.

Preparation time: 
Depends on the location of the nature! Visit the Nature's Call section of torontofunplaces.com to find good suppliers.