HRM Parent Blog

Running seems to be the topic of conversation in our household these days.  Which is quite hilarious since neither my husband nor I are die-hard runners by any means.  Sure I’ll head out for an evening jog around the neighbourhood once in a while, and have entered a few 5k runs along the way, but nothing that would ever have my kids thinking “mommy is a runner”.  Or so I thought.

We were at our daycare’s summer party a few weeks ago and part of the events included a fun run for the kids. While both my girls (2 and 4) were really excited to be in it, my 4 year old seemed extra focused and determined.  My husband and I didn’t think much of it as we ran along side them, and assumed she was just being a little competitive with her classmates.  

It wasn't until after the race that it hit me. I was admiring her medal and congratulating her on a good run and she proudly took a sip of her water and said “now I’m a runner like you’”.  It was so cute but it also made me realize just how much our kids can absorb, even when we don’t intend for them to.  

Since then, I’ve suggested we find some more fun runs for us to go in, which she’s all for.  That’s when I found this run.  Even though it’s a bit of a drive outside the city, I couldn’t help but share it as it looks too good to be true.  It’s this Sunday, but we’re still hoping to squeeze it into our long weekend plans. 

NOT SINCE MOSES RUN

Older kids and adults can choose from a 5k or 10k route and The Basket Run for kids has courses along the shore that range from 100-500 meters and includes a medal.  Plus food, entertainment and a fair bit of mud!  What’s not to like about this week’s Get Active event? 

Bingo – plan ahead for this one.  Buy or download and print travel bingo cards for everyone then have fun trying to make a line, X or four corners with all the things you see while you’re on the road. 

Guess Who? – Someone thinks of a person, place or thing and everyone takes turns asking questions that can only be answered with yes or no.  20 questions max!

License to Fun - using the letters of another car’s license plate have the gang create phrases to match.  For example, WNU could be “wear new underwear” or “worms never understand”.  Keep going until you run out then move on to the next car’s plate.

I Spy – this classic game is always a hit with the younger ones.  Play it based on things you spy inside or outside the car and be sure to take a few guesses before spotting the real thing to make for more giggles.

Trivia Time – before you leave, grab the quiz cards from your Cranium, Trivial Pursuit or other board games and award a point for each correct answer. 15 points gets you a winner.

Tour Guides – once you know the cities and areas you’ll be passing through, assign one to each traveler (who’s old enough) and have them do some prep-work to find out cool facts and history about it.  As you're driving through each city, have the designated tour guides share what they learned.

Solo Activities – not every moment of your road trip has to be filled with fun and games so be sure to block off a little “quiet time” to relax and enjoy the view.  Books, iPods, DVD players, magazines, art supplies, comics and puzzles are all perfect ways to keep each child busy without too much noise.   

Pit Stops - do some pre-trip research to find skate parks, playgrounds and walking trails along your route.  Nothing breaks up a long trip more than having time to stretch the legs and grab some fresh air.  If it keeps everyone happy, it’ll be well worth the extra time it might add to your plans.

Snacks and a Cooler Bag – you can never have too many snacks, but be sure to pack lots of healthy ones too.  Sandwiches, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, snow peas, nuts, tiny tomatoes, carrot and celery sticks all travel well in storage containers or bags.  Reusable water bottles for everyone are a must and a few sweet or salty treats are always good for keeping the peace in a pinch.

We always love hearing from you so be sure to share your tried and true tactics for getting to your destination in one piece. 

Safe Travels!

We didn’t let the yucky weather stop us today and tucked inside the theatre to see HOP – the newly released family movie about the son of the Easter Bunny.  The girls totally enjoyed it and there were a few good laughs for the adults as well.  If you’re looking for something do this weekend – be sure to check it out.

For the hobby enthusiasts in your house, hop in the car and head to the Shearwater Aviation Museum for the 13th annual Spring Hobby Show.  With aircraft, armor, ship and railway models, a model contest and Lego display, it’s sure not to disappoint. 

As always, check our out ever growing events calendar for other great things to do.

Whatever you and the kids choose to do this weekend - we hope it’s safe and fun!

This weekend take advantage of all the season has to offer and head to one of our great farms for a sugar experience you’ll not soon forget. 

Sugar Moon Farm is one of Nova Scotia’s year round maple destinations.  They are open on weekends for brunch, tours of the sugar camp, tastings and awesome hiking trails.   It’s a busy time of year there so be sure to check out their site for some helpful tips on making your visit a great one. 

At Ross Farm Museum they don't actually tap a lot of trees but their Wonders of Maple Syrup event offers loads of fun with the sweet sticky goodness – including sampling maple candy – yum!

Not up for a Road Trip?  Our events calendar has other great ideas for things to do in HRM this weekend.

Whatever you and the kids choose to do this weekend, we hope it’s safe and fun!

This has been the most enjoyable winter I can remember since my son was born.

We fully embraced winter sports this year, he both learned to skate on the oval and learned to ski on our NS hills. I've always been a fan of skiing and think that it's a great winter family sport. Many a spring break in my family was spent on a mountain or hill and I learned first-hand this winter that the more activities you can do out in the snow the more you don't want it to ever go away! I also learned that a child that skis all day sleeps like a log all night.

 I had no idea how my son would like skiing and I didn't want to push the envelope if he wasn't interested. So we headed out to Martock one weekend to try it out. They have a great package for little beginners, $75.00 gets you a lift ticket for the day, a one-hour private lesson and full rental (helmet included). I highly recommend Jimmy as an instructor, he was phenomenal. The patience of a saint, great with kids, and he intuitively knew when to plop down in the snow for a bit of a break. After a one-hour lesson O was sold and we haven't looked back.

We've done a few more private lessons, the rest of the time we just wing it on our own. We've tried both Martock and Wentworth and I can honestly say that we are very lucky in HRM to have pretty easy access (by car) to both.

Martock is a good place to start, simply because it's the closest at about 50-60 minutes from downtown. There's a nice bunny hill with a rope tow, it's strong so beginners definitely need help with it. There are lots of great runs on the rest of the hill but the easiest skiing is from half way down the hill so you need to get off the t-bar half way up. The chairlift will only take you to the top where your only choices are intermediate runs. 

Wentworth is a great place, a much bigger hill overall with a vertical of 815! They have a brand new magic carpet on the bunny hill which is really easy for a 4-year-old to get on and off on their own. But it is a longer drive, about 1.5 hours from downtown. Their beginner package is $47.00 for a full lift ticket and rental (helmets also included here) and a one-hour private lesson is $55.00. If you choose to teach your children yourself it's just $15.00 each for a magic carpet pass for the day (same price for both adult & kids). One of the best things about Wentworth is that there are really easy runs right from the top of the chairlift. Chickadee is a gentle, fun ride for a new skier and will take you about a half hour to get down. And a word to the wise, once they try the chairlift they ALWAYS want to take the chairlift. Anyone at Wentworth hearing cries of "Wooowee look out below" from a small child on the chairlift, ummm, that wasn't us!

If skiing is something your family has been thinking of trying, this might be a good time to do so! The weather is warmer and there's still lots of snow on the hills. So head out and carve it up!