HRM Parent Blog

Happy long weekend! The weather report is looking promising so enjoy and have fun! 1. There's no better way to get the family moving on Victoria Day weekend in Halifax than to participate in the 9th annual Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon. There are events and races all weekend including the Doctors NS youth run on Saturday! This is the largest children's race in Canada. If you don't have any little runners participating, find a spot along the route and help cheer these kids on. It's a long route and your encouragement will mean a lot! 2. The Museum of Natural History is hosting Out of this World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television which features more than 40 costumes and related objects from science fiction films and television programs such as; Star Wars, Blade Runner, Terminator, Star Trek, Batman and more. The grand opening is this weekend! 3. Could it be? Merlin Macaw is turning 10? Head to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and help say Happy Birthday to our fine, feathered friend! Families can make Paper Bag Parrots, Paper Roll Parrots and create their own Merlin Macaw colouring sheets from 1:00 to 3:00 in the Small Craft Gallery. At 3:00, Merlin will have his afternoon bath before he gets his presents and there will also be cake! 4. This beautiful weather is perfect for a road trip! Spring is here and the sheep at Ross Farm Museum have had their lambs and are ready for their annual shearing. At Woolly Weekend there will be demonstrations in sheep shearing, washing & spinning wool. 5. For the first time in its 24 year history, the Canadian Chess Challenge is coming to Nova Scotia. This prestigious national chess competition brings together the Twelve Grade Champions from each of Canada’s ten provinces to compete in matches that will be held at St. Mary's University!

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all the HRM moms out there! We hope you have a super-fantastic day, doing whatever it is you need to do to feel loved and recharged. 1. On May 12 & 13, Halifax will be Open!! Kitchen doors at restaurants will be open, galleries will be open, museums will be open, stores will be open and showing you their wares and parking will be free! We want you to get out of your comfort zone, to try something new and to learn more about this great city of ours! There are a huge number of businesses participating, check this great map to find out who! 2.  On Sunday, the Canadian Liver Foundation will host its first Hats on for Moms! - Bedford's British Mother's Day Tea Party & Luncheon in celebration of Moms of all ages. Lots of fun you can even wear your favourite hat or buy/create a fascinator onsite! 3. Isn’t it time you busted out your inner Picasso and got your Van Gogh going? Come attend NSCAD University’s Artist for a Day event. It’s fun, free and promises to be fabulous. Dozens of neat activities are planned, from steam roller printing to fabric dyeing to mural painting. Visitors can take home a souvenir by posing for a photograph with NSCAD founder Anna Leonowens or find a treasure at one of the craft booths that will be on site. 4. Join the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for Family Sunday, Signals @ Sea! This fun and hands-on program is for all members and ages of the crew. Try your hand at signal flags, semaphore and even send a message on an Aldis lamp! 5. Have you been to Family Sunday at the Art Gallery? Join them this Sunday in the studio for art-making activities inspired by the upcoming Carnivale event taking place this June. This Family Sunday will be all about the circus!

Lots on the go in Halifax this weekend! 1. Supermoon Saturday!! A supermoon occurs when a full moon is also at its perigee, its closest point to Earth on its elliptical path. This Saturday is it, so grab some blankets and make a night of it with the kids. 2. Free Comic Book Day started in 2002 and has become a very popular event all over the world! each year, more than two million comic books are given away at comic stores worldwide. Go to Strange Adventures to get yours! 3. Calling all young writers! The Six-Hour Short Story Challenge is a free writing event open to all. It will be held in the Meinertzhagen Theatre at the Halifax Grammar School on Sunday! 4. Make sure you head down to OnTree Sunday for the special Grand Opening Ceremony of the newest Zipline & High Ropes Challenge Park in Nova Scotia, OnTree!! 5. Spring Up! A Halifax Crafters market! Loads of beautiful on-of-a-kind handmade items for kids and adults. 6. The Princess Tea Party is an afternoon of everything princess! It includes: a tea party, stage show, princess parlour, entertainment, silent auction, lots of princesses and fun, fun, fun. Not to leave the boys out there is also a pirate portion of the event as well! Arrgh matey!
 7. There are 3 walk/runs happening this weekend on Sunday, and all for great causes! Walk With a Purpose , The Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia is celebrating their 20th anniversary of Walk for Memories, and they invite you to join them at their new location at Pier 21. On Sunday, May 6, 2012, be a part of Canada's largest walk to support child and youth mental health, Walk so Kids Can Talk . It is to help raise funds for the Kids Help Phone. The Annual Hike for Hospice is a fundraisers, when they take to the streets, along with the hospice and palliative care groups across Canada, to raise awareness and funds to support the cause. The hike starts at DeWolf Park in Bedford this year!

1. LEGO has Landed at the Discovery Centre! Join them for the Grand Opening of the Lindsay Building Centre – it’s their new LEGO building and creativity centre!It's the first LEGO space of its kind in Atlantic Canada. To celebrate, they will officially unveil this space with a weekend LEGO launch. Children can register to take part in helping us build a LEGO replica of the Town Clock! 2. The 7th Annual Family Literacy Fair is pleased to welcome well-known children’s author, Sheree Fitch, who will open the fair at Oyster Pond Academy on Apr 28th, with a story reading. There will be fun workshops for families to enjoy with games, crafts, puppets, science and much more. Tattletales Book Sale during the fair. 3. Atlantic Canada's Ultimate Buy Local Show! Saltscapes East Coast Expo is hosting its 8th annual show at Exhibition Park in Halifax. Enjoy 400 exhibitors, over 100 presentations throughout the weekend and browse through five distinct categories of the show: Unique Retail, Culture/Music/Travel, Savour The Flavour, Home/Cottage/Garden and Living Healthy in Atlantic Canada. 4. It’s raining, it’s pouring! Celebrate spring at the Keshen Goodman Library with stories, songs and rhymes. Then, make a craft to take home!

It's another weekend jam-packed with fun activities for HRM families! Go here for a complete list of everything that's going on, we can only highlight a few things in the wrap-up! 1. The Great Cloth Diaper Change is back! Help beat a Guinness World Record by joining the HRM cloth diapering community on Saturday in the Shambhala School Gymnasium at noon to see how many babies can have their cloth diaper changed at once! You need to register for this event so they have accurate numbers. 2. The first running event of the Youth Running Series is on Saturday, Storm the Park. There are races for kids of all ages. 3. Viewfinders wraps up this weekend. There are some workshops in stop motion animation and screenings of the semi-finalist and finalist films. 4. There will be an Art Show and Sale Saturday and Sunday. A variety of art work by local artists (Nora Gross, Renee Forestall, Anna Syperek, Susan Paterson, Tom Forestall, Ron Hazell and Golumba Kim) at affordable prices will be available for purchase at St. Agnes Church Auditorium. 5. Celebrate Earth Day by celebrating our clean water and air with the Earth Day Picnic on the Commons . Snacks, games, and good conversation! Bring your family and friends, picnic blanket, frisbees, kites, and other toys. Snacks to share are welcome, but not necessary. This is a free event welcoming anyone who wants to enjoy some fresh air and fun together, and will include: picnic spaces, family friendly games, snacks, music and more.