I SPY Montreal » LaSalle

La Pluie de Bleuets

Jessica Howard — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:50:08 +0000

Juggling, acrobatics, slapstick and clowning around are all part of a show called La Pluie de Bleuets, on this weekend at Centre Henri Lemieux in LaSalle.

The show, for age 4 to 8, is about a 9-year-old girl named Gabrielle, who lives in a quiet village. Not much goes on there, except for the annual Blueberry Festival.

Gabrielle wants to prove to her parents that she’s old enough to compete in the Blueberry Olympics, but they don’t seem to be listening to her. It’s hard for her to talk to her mother – who is on stilts.

A visit from Gabrielle’s grandmother helps renew her belief in her own talents. This video offers clips from the show:

La pluie de bleuets (extraits) from Créations In Vivo on Vimeo.

La Pluie de Bleuets
When: Sunday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m.
Where: Centre Henri Lemieux, 7655 Edouard St., LaSalle
Cost: $5 children, $7 adults. Get tickets.

Photo courtesy of Créations In Vivo.

Weekend Activities for Kids and Families in Montreal – September 22, 2011

Le Marché des tout petits Sept. 25

Jessica Howard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 02:01:24 +0000

Once, I was in Toys R Us, about to buy a backyard sandbox for my son’s birthday. I happened to bump into a friend in the store who was happy to give us their old one! To our son, it was a brand-new toy.

Before rushing out to buy new baby or children’s gear, it’s a great idea to shop secondhand. Since babies and toddlers outgrow toys, clothes and equipment so quickly, fellow parents are often trying to unload the very items that you’re looking for.

Local mother Mireille Dauphinais organizes Le Marché des tout petits baby markets in order to cater to parents looking for high-quality, low-cost secondhand items.

She has run several successful markets in and around Montreal, drawing hundreds of visitors.
Le Marché des tout petits is also a great opportunity for families with outgrown gear and furniture to sell – all the information for vendors is here.

The next Le Marché des tout petits will be held in LaSalle on Sunday, Sept. 25, offering toys, clothes, books and other children’s items. While many vendors are selling secondhand items, others will be selling new children’s products.

Le Marché des tout petits
Schedule: Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Address: 7771 Bouvier St., LaSalle (View map)

Guided Tour: Parc des Rapides in LaSalle

Jessica Howard — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:03:55 +0000

LaSalle’s Parc des Rapides is a quiet oasis for parents strolling babies or families with young children who are interested in exploring nature. Located along the bike path, the park juts out into the water, attracting many different birds and herons in particular.

The park has a 5-kilometre walking trail, which leads right to the water’s edge for great views of the Lachine Rapids rushing by. There are also calm inlets and ponds where people fish. Along the walking trail are picturesque bridges, stepping stones, picnic tables and lots of birdwatchers with giant cameras.

There is no playground equipment here, so for young children it’s a good idea to plan a visit around a picnic or educational activity.

At the park entrance, there’s an information desk set up on weekends where you can find out about park activities, like nature walks or fishing demonstrations. On Saturday, July 16 at 2 p.m., for example, a naturalist will lead families around the park, showing some of the creatures hidden there. For fishing, you can buy worms at the desk; for hungry kids, you can buy snacks and bottled water.

Tips:

Bring a picnic and time your visit to coincide with one of the scheduled activities
Bring binoculars for looking at birds, or a magnifying glass for bugs
Get there by bike

Parc des Rapides
Address: On LaSalle Blvd. at 7th Ave., on the bike path
Parking: Free parking lot
Activities: 2011 activity schedule

Amusements Spectaculaires Tours Montreal

Jessica Howard — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:59:21 +0000

Amusements Spectaculaires, which sets up temporary fairgrounds in and around Montreal, has started its 2011 tour.

The fairs are typically great for children age 2 to 6, with many small-scale rides, mazes, ferris wheels, carrousels and small roller coasters.

The downside is that there are tons of games where you pay to win stuffed animals. Although the game operators typically make sure that young players “win” at least one of the smaller stuffed animals, expect that kids will want to keep playing (and paying!) for the giant stuffed gorillas.

Though there typically are food kiosks, it’s usually casse-croûte style, so if you want healthy food, bring your own or plan to eat elsewhere.

Amusements Spectaculaires
See the full summer 2011 Amusements Spectaculaires tour schedule.

Guided Tour: Bowling at Quilles G Plus

Jessica Howard — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:45:06 +0000

When was the last time you went bowling? Yeah, me neither. There’s just something about that stuck-in-a-time-warp bowling alley feeling and those fugly, borrowed shoes. But what did I say to my kids when we recently set out to give this rainy-day activity a try? “… And guys, they let us BORROW super cool bowling shoes!”

In fact, we were very pleasantly surprised by the shoes and the whole experience. After a morning of bowling at Quilles G Plus in LaSalle, son #1 was categorical: “It’s my second-favourite activity – after watching cartoons.” That, my friends, is a hit.

Though there is that ’70/’80s feel to the decor, the kids were just excited to be in a spacious environment where the whole point is to throw things and knock things over. And there’s no need to worry about them trying to manage a 10-pound ball. Quilles G Plus is the largest chain of bowling alleys in Quebec, and most of their lanes are for duckpin bowling, which is done with a 2- to 4-pound ball that doesn’t have finger holes. So it’s great for kids about age 3 and up.

For younger ones, the alley also offers a few special ramps – toddlers and little kids who don’t have the strength or aim to get the ball down that long alley can let it roll down the ramp for greater momentum. It was great for keeping our 3-year-old engaged, because his throws often went directly into the gutter. For him, it worked best to sit down and roll the ball down the alley, rather than throw it.

The 6-year-old was old enough to play properly, and was proud to topple 9 out of 10 pins with one of his throws. The kids were cheering each other (and me) on, and there were few allegations of sibling misconduct. Not only is it fun for kids to play, but also to see the mechanics at work: how the pins get re-set after each game, and how the balls come automatically zooming back down the side of the alley for the next player.

Their attention started to flag after about half an hour, so we got a snack at the on-site restaurant. Though it’s a casse-croute-style joint, there are sandwiches and breakfast dishes like bagels and eggs. Then it was back to bowling for another hour or so. A computer at each lane keeps score, but the kids had more fun just pressing the buttons.

When our games were up, son #1 asked if we could buy a bowling ball “to remember this place.” We’ll definitely be back, and probably invite friends. It’s a great activity to do as a group (special prices and birthday parties are offered), but also good for one parent on their own with two kids. Something to keep in mind for the next ped day.

Quilles G Plus
Quilles G Plus has several Montreal locations, including LaSalle, Verdun, Ville Emard and Côte St. Luc. Some of the locations offer “cosmic bowling” at night, when they darken the alleys for a glow-in-the-dark effect and have special music.
Cost: It cost us $36 for 3 games for 3 people, including the shoes. Each game lasted around 20 minutes.
Parking: LaSalle location has free onsite parking lot.
Hours: Hours vary depending on the location; the LaSalle and Ville Emard locations open early on weekend mornings.

Tips: If you’re taking older kids with a sibling who is too young for bowling, you could keep them entertained for a while with another activity like crayons or colouring. There are lots of tables and chairs, and quite a bit of space for toddlers to run around. Bring your own snacks if you want something other than cookies or chips. The LaSalle location is right next to a huge produce store.

For older children who can manage more weight, there is Laurentian Lanes and the Bowl-o-drome, where the balls start at 6 pounds.

Have you tried bowling with your kids? Was it a hit or did you strike out?