HRM Parent Blog

On June 6th of this year, a very rare event will occur in our skies at sunset: the planet Venus will meander through its orbit along a path that takes it between the Sun and the Earth, making it visible during the day as a dark spot on the bright disc of the Sun. This isn't an eclipse (scheduled by the way for May 20th); this is something very rare, and a bit different - a transit.

Planets all orbit around the Sun at different rates, so every now and then, they line up. When the Moon crosses between us and the Sun, it blocks it out briefly, but planets are farther away and much smaller, so they appear as little dark spots crossing the bright disk. From our perspective, Venus transits the Sun twice (in two events eight years apart) every hundred or so years. The last one was in 2004, and the next two will be in December of 2117 and 2125, respectively. Hopefully that gives you a sense of how rare this is!

We cannot, of course, look directly at the Sun. Building a Solar viewer is very easy though - you only need two pieces of stiff poster board (or similar), some aluminum foil and a pin. By covering one piece of board with aluminum foil and poking a pinhole in it, the image of the Sun can be shone on the second piece. Simply place your pinhole board between the plain board and the Sun, and you can focus an image by moving the pinhole board closer and farther from the projection surface (plain board).

It is also possible to use binoculars or a telescope to project an image onto a page or piece of board, but these need to be covered or aimed away from the Sun frequently (at least every minute or so) to avoid damaging their lenses (from overheating!). Never look directly at the Sun without specially-made Sun viewing filters, especially through binoculars, a telescope or a camera.

If you're looking for another rare opportunity you've got to check out the Discovery Centre's upcoming new exhibit - Be the Dinosaur. This exhibit, the first time in Canada, will give you the opportunity to become a T-Rex or Triceratops through a sophisticated but super-cool video simulation that puts you right in the middle of a dinosaur world. Rare indeed!

For more great things to discover - visit the Discovery Centre on Barrington Street in Halifax, check out their website  or join them on facebook. 

Easter is just a few short days away and for many of us look forward to this time of year to spend a bit more quality time with our families.

It's also a time for both children and adults alike to over-indulge in lots of chocolate and other treats.

As you plan your family's Easter weekend, make it a point to establish healthy traditions.  Easter provides a perfect opportunity to make healthful, outdoor family fun a bit part of what makes holidays "happy."  When your own children grow up they'll be likely to repeat traditions that bring back warm memories.

Here are a few ideas for how to work a bit of exercise into your Easter celebrations:

- Instead of chocolate eggs for your egg hunt, use hollow plastic eggs that you can open and fill with smaller treats like a handful of m&m, a few mini eggs or foil wrapped eggs or some jelly beans.  The kids will get a smaller amount of candy overall and you'll make a buck stretch a lot further.

- You can also turn your egg hunt into a treasure hunt by putting small clues in the hollow eggs, so your kids know where to look for the next one.  Bump up the activity level (and the fun quotient) by making them travel from clue to clue in a silly way, like hopping on one foot, doing the crab walk, bouncing like a bunny or crawling on their hands and knees. 

- Play Easter Egg Tag: Tie an empty Easter basket around each player's waist. Give each of the players some plastic eggs (you can reuse the ones you used for the egg hunt). Instruct the kids to try to get rid of their eggs by putting them in other player's baskets. The winner is the person with the least eggs in their basket or the first one to get rid of all of their eggs.

- Have an Easter bunny race: Substitute a potato sack for an old pillow cases for this one and get the kids to decorate them by drawing Easter eggs and bunnies on them with marker. Then get them to climb in so they have to hop like the Easter bunny and get them to race from one end of the yard or driveway to the other. If you're stuck inside on a rainy day, turn your living room or playroom into an Easter bunny obstacle course - get your little bunnies to hop around furniture and crawl under coffee tables to slow them down. Or get them to go one at a time and time them, to avoid them crashing in to each other if the space isn't big enough.

- Try your hand at Easter-egg bocce ball: An Italian-inspired Easter game, this one is played with each person receiving a colored hard-boiled egg. Take a white egg and gently toss it onto the lawn or carpet. Take turns rolling the colored eggs to see who can get the closest to the white one without touching it - or breaking their egg. For real fun, try it outside with raw eggs.

- Have an egg roll race: Maybe you can't be at the annual egg roll at the White House, but you can start your own Easter tradition at home. Each child is given a hard-boiled Easter egg. The object is to get it from the starting line to the finish line. There are several ways to roll the egg. The White House version allows the kids to push it with a spoon. An alternative is to push the egg with the feet without cracking the shell. Alternately, the kids can be instructed to get on their hands and knees and push their eggs with their noses. The egg roll can be held outside if the weather is nice, or inside if the weather doesn't co-operate.

- If you're lucky, you'll get a beautiful spring day so you can get some fresh air together. Go for a family bike ride or walk in the park. Make a hopscotch  with sidewalk chalk. Climb the jungle gym at the playground or skip rocks down by the lake.

Dalplex, Dalhousie University's main fitness and recreation facility, has been proudly serving the community for over 30 years, offering a wide variety of fitness, wellness and recreation programs and classes for adults, children, youth and seniors.  Visit their website or follow them on facebook.

It's that time of year again - Spring is in the air! This means melting snow, the school year's home stretch and the return of Nova Scotia's migrating birds. There is no better way to welcome back the birds than to put out birdfeeders.

There are hundreds of birdfeeder designs at local stores in your area, but birdfeeders can also be made at home from old yogurt and ice cream containers, empty pop bottles, mesh bags, tea cups, PVC pipe and pretty much anything else that you might have lying around! For this reason, we'll leave the design up to you and your family, and focus on what and when to feed the birds.

Now is the time to start. Birds decide where the best food spots are as soon as they arrive. Having food out early will increase your chances of being the favourite place to eat.

Birds have evolved to prefer different types of food. I suggest making two or three feeders of different types, and keeping a journal to see which types of birds like which kinds of foods! Stores sell huge bags of wild birdseed mix, which is a great start, particularly for birds like finches and grosbeaks. Suet (animal fat - often lard or kitchen leftovers), sometimes with seeds mixed or rolled into it, is perfect for birds that prefer insects - like woodpeckers and nuthatches . Chickadees like both! And for hummingbirds which usually eat nectar from flowers, we recommend a brightly-coloured red feeder that gives them sugary syrup (1 C of sugar in 4 C of boiling water) to start with in the spring and then during growing season, plant some red flowers like impatiens, salvia or bee balm to attract them.

Keep your feeders full, and make sure to clean a hummingbird feeder every couple of days with vinegar, otherwise it will grow mould.

When placing feeders, try to keep a metre of open space around them so birds can be wary of predators (neighbourhood cats), and consider whether you want to attract squirrels. If not, try to place a metal pie plate or plastic cone approximately one metre from the ground around your feeder support (or a bit closer above the feeder, if it hangs) as this will impede squirrels from climbing to the food. This is a good time of year to put out swept-up pet hair, old feathers and bits of scrap cloth. Birds will use these to make nests, and will be more likely to stay nearby.

And speaking of nesting- if you're looking for a summer camp home for your children - the Discovery Centre has the perfect solution for you! Our week-long summer camps run from July through the end of August, and are open to children from 6-12. We guarantee a scientific blast - but beware - they fill up early!

 For more great things to discover - visit the Discovery Centre on Barrington Street in Halifax, check out their website  or join them on facebook.     

It's almost the end of January - and I'm sure I could dig up some sort of statistic to share with you about how many New Year's Resolutions are broken by now...but really, who needs that extra stress?   I mean seriously, it's hard enough to keep up with the day-to-day of life as a parent, let alone trying to layer on the pressure of getting more sleep, saving money and working out. No wonder they get broken! 

Life is too short and family time is too precious.  So why not take advantage of the fact that it's still January to change your resolution and join us in the 12 month "Time Well Spent Family Challenge" challenge?  It's one activity per month that will hopefully be a little more manageable, less stressful and give you a great excuse to get the family together. 

Are you up for it?

January - Visit a library: In celebration of National Literacy Day on January 27th, how about planning a family trip to any one of the great public libraries in HRM?  While you're there be sure to browse their huge selection of books, stop for a play in the children's area, check out their events calendar and more.  Before you leave, don't forget to take a few minutes to get your kids their own library card! 

February - From the Heart: We could easily suggest that you just do a valentine's day craft and call it a month, but why not dial it up a little more.  This month, it's all about doing a simple act of kindness that come straight from the heart.  Get the family to help shovel an elder neighbour's driveway, volunteer to canvas for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, bake cookies for someone who may need a little lift or leave anonymous valentine's in mailboxes around your neighbourhood with a happy message inside.  Just be sure to spread some love this month.

March - Go Green: Here's a fun combo to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as well as National Nutrition Month.  At least once a week for the month of March, challenge your family to try a new green vegetable that you haven't tried before. It's not as boring as it sounds when you throw in a little fun.  Have everyone take their first bite together or have the kids do a blind taste test and and let them guess what green veggie it could be. Heck you can even make up a song about it to make it more exciting. Don't worry, if green peas are even a stretch for you, we'll enlist Wendy, our Bringing Balance blogger to help share some of her favourite green veggie recipes when the time comes.  Who knows, by the end of the month you may have some new green vegetables to love!

April - Earth Friendly:  This is a great one for you, your family and the environment.  April 22nd is Earth Day but we want you to do your part and be as nice to the earth as you can, all month long.  Don't worry, it's easier than you think! Plant a tree, walk or bike instead of drive, buy from our local markets and farmers, recycle and limit your use of plastics (especially bottled water),  buy personal care products without the harmful chemicals that can hurt you and the environment...the list goes on.  

May - Family Tree:  Don't stop with just celebrating mom this month, and take some time to create a simple family tree.  This is especially meaningful if you have family members that live far away. Our kids are always fascinated to hear stories about their great-grandparents and often get confused about relatives that they don't see often, so including pictures will make it even more special. Here's a great book that can help with the process.

June - Stay Safe: It's National Safety Month, so how about using it as a great time to cover some important safety awareness topics with the family.  Do your kids know their telephone number or about calling 911?  Can they recognize the symbols for poison or dangerous products? Have you ever planned a home fire drill?  We'll be sure to share lots of great resources when the time comes, but slot it in the calendar to get your family in the safety zone this month.

July - Picnic Time: Yup, simple as that.  Pack the picnic basket, throw some juice boxes in the cooler, grab a blanket and head to the nearest park for a good old fashioned family picnic.

August - Reach for the Stars:  We can't wait for this one...it's another easy one that you'll be glad you did. Pick a good clear night and head out to the backyard for an evening under the stars.  Forget the lawn chairs, cover an area with blankets and line the family up.  Then spend 30 minutes just watching the stars.   See who can find the big dipper first or maybe spot a shooting star.  While you're there, maybe spark up a chat about what each person would wish for or what he or she would do if they could go to the moon.    

September - Back to the Books: Ok, we know this is hands down one of the busiest months of the year for any families with school aged kids.  Getting back into the swing of things with routines, activities and homework doesn't leave much time for anything else.  So we'll keep it simple. Read.  Just read.  Even if it's just a few minutes before bedtime, try and share at least one book (or chapter) a night with your child.  Even older kids, who are reading chapter books, will still get so much from having you read to them for a change. Plus it's some guaranteed cuddle time, how could you not accept this challenge?

October - Give Thanks:  This should be fun.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving pick a day of the month where the family will be together for most of the day (if possible) and play the thank-you game.  It's pretty simple, anytime anyone says or does something nice for another person, they have to say "thank you".  If you remember to say thank you, you get a sticker.  If you forget and someone catches you, you lose a sticker. At the end of the day, whoever has the most stickers is crowned the most thankful!  A little friendly competition will be fun and the lesson in manners doesn't hurt either.

November - Remembering:  This month's challenge is all about honoring our soldiers, past and present, and taking the time to ensure your kids are aware of the sacrifices they have made.  Make plans to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony in your area or visit one of the many forts, museums or monuments around HRM.  Read "In Flander's Fields" poem to your kids or even have your older children write a note to a soldier serving overseas or a local veteran. It won't take much time, but is bound to have a lasting impression.

December - Movie Night:  It's the last month of the year and what a better way to celebrate completing our challenge than with a family movie night.  Plus it'll be a nice get-away from the rush of the holidays. All you need is a big bowl of popcorn, some blankets to keep you cozy on the couch and a great family movie to make your challenge complete.  Who knows, maybe having more "movie nights" will become your resolution for 2013!

It may not roar in with the fury that our New England neighbours are weathering, but our winter is just around the corner. Follow along, and you can catch and keep the first snowflakes of the year. It’s a great way for your family to explore science outdoors, and to see some beautiful natural shapes and patterns.

Here’s what you will need: something nice and dark to catch snowflakes on (black construction paper is great), a small, soft paintbrush to sort them, microscope slides and cover slips and some superglue. As a warning, superglue (cyanoacrylate) will adhere to skin very quickly – acetone (contained in many nail polish removers) on a cotton swab should dissolve it, but exercise great caution if letting children use it.

    

First, make sure your materials are cold or you’ll melt your snowflakes! Catch some flakes on your paper or cardboard (dark colours improve contrast). Choose your favourites, pick them up with a paint brush and place them on your slide. Now simply put a drop or two of superglue onto your individual flakes, put on your cover slip (press gently) and leave in the freezer to harden for a week or two. You can then examine them under a magnifying glass or a microscope and discover their beauty in detail. And the best part - they won’t melt!

Snowflakes are formed high in clouds as water freezes together into tiny, intricate crystals. Every snowflake is unique, but they always have six points unless broken (they are “hexagonal”), which is due to the chemistry of water.

As the temperature starts to drop, it’s a great time to come spend some quality indoor time at Discovery Centre. Bring the family to take in a weekend Great Balls of Fire show, or have your children spend a day with us during PD or Winter Break Camps – we’re always ready to warm your toes, and more importantly, your brain!

For more great things to discover - visit the Discovery Centre on Barrington Street in Halifax, check out their website  or join them on facebook.