What's On - March Break in the GTA

Medieval Times (Toronto castle)
Offering a buy one get one admission

The Kids’ CBC mall tour
Kids will also have the chance to meet some of their favourite stars from a variety of hit Kids’ CBC series including: KIDS’ CANADA host Sid, ARTZOOKA! host Jeremie, Huckle from BUSYTOWN MYSTERIES , SUPER WHY!, BO ON THE GO!, and Gi-Ant from WHAT’S YOUR NEWS?

Woodbine Shopping Centre
Tuesday, March 15 – 10:00am to 3:00pm
500 Rexdale Blvd., Etobicoke

Milton Mall
Wednesday, March 16 – 12:00pm to 4:00pm
55 Ontario St. South, Milton

Shoppers World Brampton
Friday, March 18 – 10:00am to 3:00pm
499 Main St. South, Brampton

Indigo and Chapters
From arts, crafts and scientific fun to family games and great books that inspire wonderful reading escapes, kids and parents will discover daily interactive FREE events at Indigo and Chapters stores nationally.

March Break Activities and Tips

Staycation? Vacation? Wherever your March Break plans take you we've got the tips you need!

Well, to start our #1 March break tip:

Remember to put a bit of "me time" in your March break. Go to yoga class, uncork a bottle after the kids go to bed, tweet, read...do whatever it is that relaxes you. Because if the parent-in-charge has March break burn out...everyone gets burnt (there is a trickle down effect there).

Family Travels

Tip: Plan for life's road blocks.

✈ Pack your usual children's medication in your carry on
✈ The best fast food is food you already have on hand (i.e. pack snacks!)
✈ Fill your ipod with free video podcasts (Nick & Disney)

✈ Music soothes the savage beast (audio books and kids' fav. music)
✈ Pack enough diapers to get you through the day (plus 2)

Free Family Field Trips
Tip: Check back on Parent Club for more field trip tips next week

✓Read my Yummy Mummy Club article 10 March Break (or Anytime) Activity Ideas.
✓ Library, swimming pool, indoor ice rink are all great activities
✓ Movies at home or in the theatre are a special treat
✓ Kid swap! You take the kids this morning and I'll take them this afternoon.

Errands
Tip: Mix fun stuff with boring stuff so the kids will want to go back to school

✯ Book dentist and doctor appointments for the family
✯ Get an eye check up
✯ Go grocery shopping

Check back here for specific things to do, family events and kid activities for March Break.

March Break Tip #6 - Boys and Girls

March Break tip for boys; xtreme race. That's it. That's all we've got for boys today. xtreme race. Get out the skateboards, the pilons, the bikes and hockey sticks. Set up teams (of whatever boys are in your house or 'hood) and make up an xtreme race. That's all we've got for boys today. Have a nice weekend and see you Monday.

March Break tip for girls: Spa! Recommend you take your little fingers (and those of your daughters) to a spa for a mini-polish. It's is so girly. So fun (even if you don't like getting your nails done). So HSM (if you don't know HSM - then you are probably the mother of a boy -- and you should have stopped reading at the "see you Monday" part).

We recommend Spa La Vida (407 Donlands Avenue, Toronto). Welcoming staff, great service. Thing 1 had aquamarine blue with butterfly stickers and Thing 2 had copper sparkles with butterflies. They ADORE it. Great Mother's Day idea!

March Break Tip #5: Canada Blooms

Canada Blooms is a great destination for families during March Break - for gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

It is very family-friendly as kids will love the Bienenstock Natrual Playground. Filled with sand for playing in, xylophones and whale drums to be played upon, slides in the garden, worms to find, clay creatures to make and bird seed balls to craft. It is a fun kid place in the middle of an adult show. Parental supervision is required and there is stroller parking.

If you go with your partner - and the kids get a little tired - he/she can volunteer to take them to the Family Rest Area while you surf the show just a little longer. The rest area is brought to your by Barbie Presents Thumbelina. The area is filled with comfy child-sized chairs (adult chairs along the wall). Kids can enjoy the movie and take a break from the adult world.

Parents can enjoy the gardens, the booths the speaker series and the smell of spring in the air. Best of all children under 12 are free - so it is a budget-friendly family field trip.

The show runs Mar. 18 - 22nd.
www.canadablooms.com

March Break Tip #4 - Arts & Extras

March Break is - at this point - feeling fun yet a little long. Seriously, are we really only mid-week?!

Time to get out the arts & crafts box. Thank blog for youtube: keyword search CRAYOLA.



As for the extras? Four words. Swim suits in the bathtub. It will change your afternoon!

March Break Tip #3 - Give unto others

This tip is "Give unto others" - meaning; give your kids unto others. We're talking a formal - somebody else is in charge of you for at least 2 hours - type of day.

• A.) It gives the kids a break from you (and vice versa). Fresh blood is a great thing for vampires and kids.
  
• B.) It allows you to work/go to the gym/have a coffee/do some laundry/whatever it is you need to do - without the kids at your elbows.

We've got a day of Karate camp booked. Thing 2 will probably be in tears at some point (first camp experience and the child is easily intimidated by large groups). But I'm ok with tears. It's another part of cutting the cord (and boy, am I ready to cut that cord).

I think kids need new experiences to grow a bit of personal courage (and Thing 2 has lots of pride but not much courage so that's something we need to gently work on). A day camp or program is good because it can let a child try something new - without the commitment of enrolling in the sport/activity.

So today, the kids go to Karate camp. I get that research project finished off. I'll pick up the kids and grab a movie from the library as a treat on the way home (LOVE the library - do you know you can search and order movies online and then they call you when they are ready to be picked up? Why would anyone go to a video store?)

March Break Tip #2 - Out To Lunch

Today's March Break activity tip is to go out to lunch. Well, not just lunch. It's a whole take the bus and subway downtown, visit my prince's place of work and go to lunch. It's a big deal in our house.

• Because going on public transit is - for some reason - fun for kids (they'll change that tune when they get their driver's license - ask for the keys to the car - but get a bus ticket instead).
  
• Because going to a place of work is - for some reason - fun for kids. At my prince's place of work - it's like trick or treating for my kids. Every desk has a candy dish and they come home with quite the sugar haul.
  
• Because - kids wonder what parents do all day when they are at school/daycare (a sort of philosophical quandary: Do parents exist when children are not around?)

In general (and if you do not work for the crown) parents enjoy showing off their children - for a few minutes - in the workplace. A quick visit is a good activity.

Take advantage; have the kids dress a little nicer and perhaps - get out of the yoga wear yourself.

Food Tip: stay away from McDonalds. It is proven anti-Newton theory: What goes down must always come back up

March Break Tip #1: Hunting & Sports

This is the first in a week long March Break activity series

Scavenger hunts are a great March Break activity (also a pretty cool birthday party activity). Time to break out those plastic Easter eggs (you'll be needing them in a couple of weeks anyway!).

Younger kids can't find mittens to save their lives -- but they will eagerly look for coloured plastic ovals (go figure). For older kids - put messages, riddles, problems inside the eggs to make it more of a challenge (there I go again...making something a "teachable moment" - forgive me).

Hint: if you need a few minutes to yourself to work, twitter, throw in a load of laundry -- have the kids hide the eggs for YOU to find.

Hunting is the sport of kings...(well, really falconry). Moving on...let us switch from a sport of kings to sports of the common kid. These are FREE activities and also tire the kiddies out - which - is loverly come bedtime.

Think:

• bike ride, tricycle ride, wagon ride, stroller walk (basically anything which is foot powered)
  
• skating* at a public ice rink [416-338-RINK (7465]
  
• enjoy a family swim
  
• kick a soccer ball in the backyard
  
• skate park (if your teen is so inclined)

*I'm taking my Thing 1 & 2 skating for the 1st time EVER today. Could be great or painful (mentally & physically). Crossing fingers...