I SPY Montreal » LaSalle

Guided Tour: Parc du Soleil

Jessica Howard — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:51:51 +0000

Parc du Soleil is one of the newer play centres on the Montreal circuit, and makes a great pitstop for parents of children age 1 to 6.

Located in a LaSalle strip mall – which also hosts Toys R Us and is across the street from Carrefour Angrignon shopping centre – Parc du Soleil is good to keep in mind for a rainy/chilly morning. Or a morning where one parent needs to do errands at the mall, while the other needs to occupy the kids.

It’s a long, narrow space containing a cute toddler carrousel, a large play structure with three big slides that dip into a ball pit, and a smaller climbing/soft play area that’s for age 3 and under. Here, the big attraction is the “palm tree” rope swings. In terms of space, it’s somewhere between La Tasse Gamine café and ZigZagZoo play centre, which makes it fairly easy to keep track of where the kids are.

There is some seating around the edges of the play areas for parents, or for kids to have a snack. Our 7- and 4-year-old were happy playing for about an hour, and worked up a sweat running and sliding over and over. After, they enjoyed a slice of pizza from the on-site café, which also sells simple sandwiches, snacks and drinks. There is also a couch in the back where nursing moms could breastfeed.

Tips:
Kids need socks for the play areas
Parc du Soleil hosts classes and birthday parties

Parc du Soleil
Where: 7177 Newman Blvd., LaSalle
Hours: Opens daily at 10 a.m., closes at 5 p.m. weekdays, 6 p.m. weekends.

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.