February 26, 2010

March Break in Montreal: What to Do and Where to Go

School’s out – but, unfortunately, it’s not summer!

For many schools and some day cares, it’s March break from March 1 to 5. The good news is that there are special activities for kids being held all over Montreal. You may want to start by looking into events held by your own municipality – many have organized children’s shows at their community centres, special library activities or outdoor events. If you click on “events by area” below you’ll get a list of municipalities that have March break information on their websites.

Aside from neighbourhood activities, there are special events like the Semaine de la Musique, which features musical performances for kids in venues all over the city, the International Children’s Film Festival, the Reptile show, lots of great deals for family skiing, Butterflies Go Free and Disney on Ice: Princess Classics.

Events and Activities: Feb. 27 to March 7
Events Ongoing Through March Break
Events by Area
Camps

Events and Actvities: Feb. 27 to March 7

Feb. 27 and 28: Montreal High Lights Festival has lots of family activities in Old Montreal on weekend days from noon to 4 p.m. For more info on specific activities and the schedule, see this I Spy Montreal post.

Feb. 28, 3 p.m.: Les Voyages de Belva, a musical theatre show about the travels of Belva, who introduces several musical instruments and styles of music, at Maison de la Culture Côte des Neiges, 5290 Côte-des-Neiges Rd., call 514-872-6889.

Feb. 28, 11 a.m.: Fiestango, a musical show for children age 3 and up, about three cousins who receive a big trunk that sends them on a big adventure. Presented as part of Outremont’s Coussins et Croissants program, at Centre Communautaire Intergenerationnel, 999 McEachran Ave., Outremont. Cost, $7 per person.

Feb. 28 at 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.: Workshop on volcanoes, to learn about volcanoes and make your own volcanic eruption, at Redpath Museum, 859 Sherbrooke St., McGill University. Cost is $6 per child, free for adults (please bring correct change). Register by calling 514-398-4092.

May 1, 10:30 a.m.: Alice in Wonderland, a children’s production, in English, at Centaur Theatre. Read full description and buy tickets.

March 7 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.: Pierre par Pierre, a puppet theatre show for age 3 to 6, at Place des Arts. The show aims to pique children’s curiosity about inanimate objects, like stones. Presented by Spanish theatre company Home Dibuixa. Cost $12/person. Check schedule and buy tickets.

March 7 at 3 p.m.: Skarazula, a musical show for ages 6 and up at Stewart Hall in Pointe Claire. More information.

March 6 and 7: Le Salon des Reptiles: a showcase of all kinds of reptiles, with an educational purpose (this is not an event for buying or selling reptiles), at Collège de Maisonneuve, 2700 Bourbonnière St., between Pie-IX, Nicolet, Hochelaga and Sherbrooke. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., March 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 7. Salon des Reptiles website.

Events Ongoing Through March Break

Feb. 18 to April 24: Butterflies Go Free, butterflies fly free in a tropical enclosure at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. More information. Read I Spy Montreal review and see video here.

Feb. 27 to March 7: Festival International du Film pour Enfants à Montréal. Children’s films from around the world for a range of ages will be screened either in French or with French subtitles at Cinema Beaubien, 2396 Beaubien St. E. See the schedule of the film festival.

Feb. 27 to March 7: La Semaine de la Musique: A variety of children’s musical/theatre shows will be presented by Jeunesses Musicales du Canada, in venues throughout Montreal during March break week. Most shows are in French, some are in English. Click here for the schedule of shows.

Feb. 27 to March 7: TOHU and the St. Michel Environmental Complex are hosting outdoor and indoor activities during March break. Outside, there is sledding for young and older kids, kicksledding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Inside there are 30-minute circus workshops for all ages from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and guided tours of TOHU for age 8 and up. More information about TOHU’s March break activities.

Feb. 27 through March 7: Granby Zoo is open daily through March 7. Many of the animals are used to winter weather, and can be seen in the snow. Visitors can also see the indoor facilities for animals like elephants and giraffes, and see the regular indoor exhibits. Watch a video preview. More information on visitng Granby Zoo in the winter.

Feb. 27. through March 7: Ski Deals: Many Montreal-area ski hills will be offering special family pricing for lessons and passes during March break. This Montreal Gazette article offers a great breakdown of facilities and prices at five local ski hills (Mont. St. Bruno, Bromont, Mont Rigaud, Mont Tremblant and Vallée Bleu).

Feb. 27 to April 11 (weekends only): Sugaring off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including animation for kids, at Cap St. Jacques Nature Park ecological farm, 183 Cap St. Jacques Rd., Pierrefonds. Call 514-280-6743.

Feb. 28 to March 7: Montreal’s major parks will be offering special March break activities. More information.

Feb. 28 to March 5: Special workshops, shows and activities at La Grande Bibilothèque, 475 de Maisonneuve Blvd. E. More information.

March 1 to 5 at 2 p.m.: Free activities will be held at 2 p.m. at Chapters Pointe Claire, Indigo Brossard and Indigo Laval. Monday, March 1: Board games, for all ages; March 2: Make Your Own “Wimpy Kid” Journal and other fun crafts, for age 6 and up; March 3: Princesses and knights are invited to create their own accessories and dress up in costumes, age 6 and up; March 5: Storytime with Chester the cat, age 5 and up; March 5: Create a Mad Hat (inspired by Alice in Wonderland) and be part of a tea party.

March 1 to 5: Free activities at Smaland (the kids’ play area) of Ikea Cavendish; activities include picture frame decorating, movie day, soccer day, musical chairs, etc.. Go to the Ikea Cavendish website, look under Smaland, then click on “kids’ event calendar”.

March 1 to 5 at 2 p.m.: Koko Le Clown, silent movies accompanied by  music played by students from Université de Montréal., at Cinématheque Québécoise, 335 de Maisonneuve Blvd. E. More information.

March 3 to 7: Disney on Ice: Princess Classics at the Bell Centre, show times are 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m., depending on the day. Most performances are in French, some are in English. Check schedule and buy tickets.

March 1 to 5: Atrium Skating rink, 1000 de la Gauchetière St.,  has a special schedule, as well as magic and face painting from March 1 to 5 p.m. Check the activities page for more details.

Municipal Activities:
Many boroughs and towns have organized children’s activities during the March break period, and have posted the information on their websites. Click on the links below to find out what’s being offered in that area (not all boroughs/towns are listed below – only those whose websites link to March break information).

Camps

Check municipal and town websites for information on municipal March break day camps. The following places offer day camps or a program of activities during March break.

The Ecomuseum: Animal Apprentice day camp, ages 7 to 12.

Cosmodome, 2150 Laurentides Blvd., Laval.

Fête des Mitaines, Camp GUEPE, held at Bois de Liesse and Pointe aux Prairies Nature Parks, age 5 to 12.

Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art day camp, age 6 to 11.

Louise Lapierre Dance School, 1460 Mont Royal Ave. E., age 5 to 15.

Enfant et Compagnie, 4687 Lavoisier Blvd., St. Léonard.

Centre Notre Dame de Fatima, 2464 Perrot Blvd., Notre Dame de l’Ile Perrot, age 5 to 12.

Horizon Roc, indoor rock-climbing, 2350 Dickson St., Montreal.

Le Salamandre Art Centre, 1090 Pratt Ave., Outremont, age 6 to 12.

Lambda School of Music and Fine Arts, 4989 Sources Blvd., Pierrefonds.

Parc des Rapides outdoor nature camp, age 7 to 12.

Tennis13, 1013 Highway 13, Laval.

Sunny Acres Day Camp, John Abbot College, 21275 Lakeshore Rd., Ste. Anne de Bellevue.

YMCA day camps are offered at several locations.

Equitation Elysée, 1901 Fief St., St. Lazare, age 6 and up.

Patro le Prevost Community Centre, 7355 Christophe Colombe Ave., Montreal.

Visual Arts Centre, 350 Victoria Ave., Westmount.

Acrosport Barani, 1365 Dagenais Blvd., Laval.

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February 24, 2010

I Spy Parent Interview: Aimée Wimbush-Bourque, Food Writer and Editor

Aimée Wimbush-Bourque

Aimée Wimbush-Bourque

I read about Aimée Wimbush-Bourque in the Gazette’s Cause for Applause column, which highlights fundraising and volunteer efforts.

This local mother of two, who writes an active food blog and works as editor of simplebites.net, was part of a fundraiser that contributed more than $47,000 to relief efforts in Haiti. Just a few days after the earthquake hit, a number of food bloggers/writers got busy rounding up recipes for the Blog Aid cookbook, and more than 1,000 copies of the book were sold. Bravo!

Aimée is here to tell us more about herself, share some family-friendly recipes, mealtime survival strategies, as well as what she likes to do on weekends with the kids.

I Spy: Hi Aimée, tell us more about yourself.

Aimée: Hello Montreal! I’ve called you home for the last 10 years, but when I fly back to the Rockies, I call that home, too, because I grew up in beautiful British Columbia. I fell in love with an engineering student at McGill and moved here to pursue him. We eventually married and now have two children, Noah, age 4.5, and Mateo, age 2. I left the professional culinary world when I was pregnant with Noah and now work part-time from home as a food writer. I am editor of the newly launched simplebites.net, which dishes up real food for the family table, and also blog my personal kitchen adventures at www.underthehighchair.com.

I Spy: Since you’re a cook, I have to ask for a family-friendly recipe. Something that tired parents can whip up after work, and that has a fighting chance of getting the kids to sit at the table for at least 3 minutes.

Aimée: I’ll cross my fingers for you, but this recipe was a turning point for my boys in terms of eating fish. I threw it together one night and, bingo, they professed love, much to my shock. I only wish it were always that easy.

I Spy: I was happy to read this interview on your blog, where you talk about dinner as one of the most stressful times of day with young children. You say you try not to take the “easy way out” by serving a healthy meal for you and your husband, and then unhealthy favourites to the kids. What’s your strategy for getting kids to eat that one meal for everyone?

Aimée: For my toddler, I’ll still fix something I know he’ll eat. He’s still to young to understand threats, but for my four-year-old, I’m much firmer. It’s “Eat up, or no dessert,” and this child has a sweet tooth just like his mama, so he hustles.

There are a few foods that actually make him gag (like sweet potato and turnip) and I don’t put him (or myself) through that drama. He’ll eat these sweet potato pancakes, though. We take our pancakes pretty seriously around here.

I Spy: Do you have any tips for getting children to try new foods?

Aimée: I introduced both of my children to a very wide range of foods as soon as it was safe to do so. Of course preferences were formed, which I took into consideration when menu planning, however I occasionally (once a month) bring back those food items that were previously shunned, and offer them again. More often than not, they are rejected, but occasionally they are accepted.

Next month on Simple Bites, our theme is Nutrition & Kids, and the picky eater issue is addressed, with plenty of tips on how to cope – and even thrive.

I Spy: Lastly, can you share a favourite weekend activity?

Aimée: In the summer and fall, you can often find us on a farm. Whether it’s apple-picking, cheese-tasting, or pumpkin-hopping, we prefer to be out in nature and teaching our children where food comes from. Although the boys are usually more interested in the tractor ride and sandboxes than the varieties of Quebec apples, we’ve enjoyed Verger de la Savane for its family-friendly picnic area and proximity to Montreal.

A close second to the country outing is Jean Talon Market, where we get paczki from Wawel and cruise the aisles checking out produce. In winter, we escape the cold with a season’s pass to the Biodome, spending most of our time sitting cross-legged on the floor by the penguin tank.

I Spy: Thanks so much for the tips, Aimée! Bon appétit, everyone.

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Guided Tour: Butterflies Go Free at the Botanical Gardens

February 22, 2010

Butterflies Go Free
Schedule: Feb. 18 to April 25, 2010
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday.
Address: Montreal Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke St. E., (corner Pie-X).
Cost: Adults, $12; age 0-2, free; age 2 to 4, $1.75; age 5 to 17, $6.
Parking: Pay lot on site costs $5/first hour; $10/day.
Website: More information on Butterflies Go Free.
Video [...]

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Parent Interview: Professional organizer Edith Dandenault

February 17, 2010

As parents, it’s hard to feel that we are ever organized enough.
Every morning as the school bus pulls up, we play “What winter clothes are missing today?” (which may result in a bonus round of Family Feud). Whatever is missing usually shows up later, among the un-dealt-with pile of bills and parking tickets mail, or [...]

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This Just In: Montreal High Lights Festival Family Highlights

February 9, 2010

The Montreal High Lights Festival, which runs Feb. 18 to 28, seems to get most of its press for being a fine wine and food event. Sounds great! I’ll mark it on my calendar for 2033, when the kids are (god willing) out of the house.
But, in the 11 years since it started, organizers have [...]

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This Just In: Open House at The Insectarium

January 28, 2010

The Insectarium is opening its doors for free on Feb. 6 and 7, to celebrate its 20th birthday.
If you’ve never been to the Insectarium, which is located next to the Montreal Botanical Gardens, it’s a good indoor outing for children around age three and up.
There is an amazing variety of live insects, including some astoundingly [...]

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I Spy Parent Interview: BébéGoGo – Travelling Tots

January 25, 2010

Vacationing with kids is a whole new ball game. For parents, it’s not about relaxing. It’s about strategy and survival, backup plans and aching backs. But, when it’s all said and done, family vacations do make for lifelong memories. (Right?)
A pair of West Island parents is trying to make travel easier for visitors to Montreal [...]

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Guided Tour: Indigo Bookstore Laval

January 20, 2010

Indigo Laval
Address: 900 Le Corbusier Blvd., Laval
Telephone: 450-686-4801
Hours: Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Even though kids these days seem most attracted to books about their favourite TV characters, taking them to a book [...]

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This Just In: The Montreal Auto Show is Family Friendly

January 13, 2010

If someone handed me the keys to a navy blue Mini Cooper, I’d be pretty excited. Otherwise, cars don’t really do it for me. So, I’ve never had any urge to visit the annual Montreal International Auto Show, which runs Jan. 15 to 24 this year.
But, after looking into it, I now realize that it [...]

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Kicksledding Comes to Montreal

January 8, 2010

Have you ever tried a kicksled?
I hadn’t even heard of a kicksled – or “trottinette de neige” – until Christmas break, when we discovered these Scandinavian-style sleds at Le Village du Père Noël and on Mount Royal.
They’re kind of like a scooter for winter – or a chair on skis – and there [...]

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