Playing it Cool

Frozen Paint 

 

Painting with coloured shaving cream or cool whip is not new to Mom in the Know, but frozen paint brings a new twist to summer fun. 

What you need: 

• Shaving Cream or Frozen Dessert Topping like Cool Whip
• Food Colouring

Mix a little food colouring to the cream (shaving or whipped).  Once you have the right colour, put the mixture into the freezer for four hours.  Ready to play,  take the paint out and give each child a cup full and a paint brush.  Kids can paint on paper, Styrofoam plates, or any other smooth surface. 

Fun with Water Balloons

Filling up the Balloons is Fun

• Set a timer and see how many balloons each kid could fill up in a certain time frame
• See who can fill the largest balloon without popping it

Play Catch

• Play catch with a friend
• Toss the balloon into the air and have kids try to catch it themselves
• Play hot potato with a group
• Put soap or shaving cream on their hands and try to play catch

Hide Them

Hide water balloons like an Easter egg hunt. See how many each person can find and place in their buckets without breaking them

Balloon Drop 

Experiment with dropping balloons from different heights. See what kind of splatter patterns they make on the ground.

Play your Favourite Sports

Use water balloons instead of balls to play your favorite sports. Try water balloon basketball, volley ball, or baseball.

Water Balloon Fight

Of course!

Flashlight tag 

Dusk is the best time of day to play flashlight tag.  All you need is a few adventurous kids and a flashlight. 

The flashlight is given to one child who then becomes “it.”

All of the other children head off to hide while “it” counts to 25.

The person who is it, then begins to look for the others.
When “it” finds another child, he must shine the flashlight on the child and call out their name. 

The found child then becomes it and the game begins again. 

A Summer Picnic

Summer is in full swing and I am enjoying every minute of it.  Summer is the perfect time for a picnic.  Whether you are dining on the sidelines of an evening soccer game, feasting alfresco in your own back yard or lounging by a lake, I have some healthy go to recipes, games and packing tips to help you fill your basket. 

Fresh and in season strawberries are the taste of summer.  My kids love smoothies -- portable, fruity and fun.  I really enjoy this sweet recipe from Foodland Ontario.  It’s not too late to pick your own berries, a fun day out in itself.  Be creative and add new recipes when you have the time.  Teach your kids what foods are in season and promote them eating local.   This Wheat Berry Salad with Bacon and Peas can be made up the night before. 

MITK TIP  - freeze juice boxes or water bottles the night before to use as cold packs in your basket.  Use Thermos bottles to keep smoothie cold. 

Where to go, where to go?  Do you have a summer to do list of places you would like to see or things that you would like to do with your kids.  Why not set out on an adventure and pack up some healthy, locally sourced food for picnic fun. 

Still stuck for the perfect picnic spot?  Ottawa Magazine has compiled a list of the top 10 picnic spots in the city. 

Keeping the adventure alive is easy when you incorporate outdoor games and activities.  We often pack in Frisbee, hacky sacks, skipping ropes and bubbles.  We also play charades and compass games.  Scavenger hunts are fun too.

Wherever you land and whatever you pack, have a wonderful and fun-filled summer picnic. 

Sweet Strawberry Fun!

Strawberry Mice 

What you'll need

• Fresh strawberries
• Mini chocolate chips
• Black decorators' icing
• Almond slivers
• Toothpick
• Red lace licorice
• Wedge of Cheese (Your choice)

How to make it

1. For each mouse, slice a small section from the side of a strawberry so it sits flat.

2. Press a mini chocolate chip into the tip for a nose, using a small dab of icing to secure it in place, if needed.

3. Add icing eyes and stick 2 almond slivers into the top of the berry for ears.

For a tail, use a toothpick to carve a small hole in the back of the berry and push the end of a piece of licorice lace into the hole. Serve these berry cute treats with small triangles of cheese.

Strawberry Pops

What you'll need

1 cup milk chocolate chips
12 strawberries
1/3 cup each of various sprinkles and/or sanding sugar
12 lollipop sticks (optional)

How to make it

1. Melt the milk chocolate chips in a bowl set over a small pot of simmering water or melt in microwave (full power 30 seconds, stir, reheat for 10 second intervals and stir again if needed) . 
2. Poke a strawberry with a fork or lollpop stick and dip it into the melted chocolate. 
3. Immediately roll in your favorite sprinkles or sanding sugar. Lay on a baking sheet covered in waxed paper or a silpat to set or if on sticks place in mug or glass (strawberry up!) until set. 

  
So simple, so delicious. Enjoy!

Getting Fresh - Strawberry Season is upon us.

If you see a “Pick your own strawberries” sign, don’t hesitate, stop and indulge your taste buds. Typically, strawberry harvesting season starts in mid-June and continues until late July. For many preserve makers, picking strawberries marks the beginning of the summer.  It can be a wonderful family activity. The best time to go picking strawberries is in the morning when the air is still cool and there are plenty to pick. The strawberries will be firm to pick and no mess in your hands. You will be in an open field, so bring a hat and sunblock. Often these “Pick your own” farms offer containers for strawberries at a small cost. If you enjoy strawberries throughout the year, pick as many as you can. Strawberries, like many other berries, freeze well, so you can enjoy these succulent fruit all year around by making smoothies or pies.  My family loves to toss them into cereal or salads. Aside from their great sweet taste and versatility, these red berries are full of nutrients, especially Vitamin C and are among the top 20 antioxidant fruits.

Simple ways to enjoy strawberries

. Dip the strawberries in sugar, whipped cream  or melted chocolate

. Combine strawberries, bananas, and other fruit with either juice or milk in a blender and make a delicious smoothie.

. Toss strawberries, sliced lime and lemon in one litre of red wine and a ¼ litre of ginger ale and a ¼ litre of orange juice to make sangria.

. You can make an easy strawberry jam by adding crushed berries, sugar and freezer jam pectin (You can find the full recipe instruction in any freezer jam pectin).

Get out there! Get some sun and reap the fruits of your labours!

Summer Staycation in the City

Only a few short weeks left of school—can you believe it? Where did the school year go?  It seems like just yesterday we were buying new back packs and heading off to start the year.   

The planning has begun for most families.  Will you take a trip, visit Grandma, explore a new land?   Been there.  Done that.  This year, we are going to steer clear of the hustle bustle and fuss.  This year, we are taking it easy.  We are staying home. 

We will be tourists in our own backyard.  We will visit exotic lands from the comfort of our living rooms.  We will sample international cuisine.   We are having a staycation.

A staycation can be just as much fun as a regular vacation. Often it can be more rewarding than a vacation simply because there is no travel stress and it costs less money. You can take the time to relax and spend some quality time together.  Don't forget to send the postcards.

Make a Bucket List

Sit down with your family at the start of the summer and make a bucket list of things that you really want to do.  Put all of your ideas into a jar, on clothes pins or find another  creative system.  Choose one item to do  each week throughout the summer. 

Get Out 

Outside, that is. There are so many parks and green spaces around this city.   It is fun to spend a day hiking, swimming and picnicking.  Choose a place from this list of Ottawa parks and make a day of it. List of Ottawa parks.  

Stay In 

A rainy day during your staycation is a terrific opportunity to visit a local museum or two. Art museums, science museums and natural history museums can be great fun and interesting.  There are so many too choose from, you may have to dedicate more than one day to this activity.  Ottawa museums and galleries.  

Camp Out

Pitch a tent or two in the backyard, bring out the sleeping bags, and dream under the stars. If you have a firepit, use it for the hotdogs, marshmallows and s’mores, and gather around to share spooky stories

Get Active 

Take advantage of the local swimming pool, tennis courts, golf course or skating rink. Go for a bike ride, a walk, or try a new sport. Dust off the old baseball mitts, soccer balls and Frisbees and have fun. 

Get Festive 

Summertime is ripe with festivals in one form or another in Ottawa.  Take your pick. 

Party On

Hold a mini fête by setting up a table with cold drinks, piles of finger foods and home-baked treats and let the retro games begin. Try your hand at Pin the Tail on the Donkey, hula hooping, croquet, badminton and designate an ‘official’ photographer to take snaps.

Visit one of Ottawa’s  New Food Trucks

There has been a lot in the new about these amazing new food trucks.  From crepes to seafood there is something for everyone.  List of Ottawa food trucks. 

Learn Something New 

Have you always wanted to learn how to throw pottery or paint with watercolors? How about cook Mexican food or weave a basket? Look to community centres or day camps to get the real deal.  Don’t feel like making that much effort?  YouTube it and figure it out together.  You’ll be amazed at what you come up with.

Splurge 

With all of the money you are saving on the Staycation, you can afford a little indulgence.   Is there a fancy restaurant you've wanted to try? Have you wondered what it would be like to hire a personal chef for a delicious meal at home A staycation is a wonderful opportunity to splurge on something you wouldn't normally spend the money on, without feeling guilty.  

Beach in the Backyard

Create an urban beach - All you need are two kiddie pools. Fill one with a couple of sacks of natural sand (Home Depot or Rona) and the other with water. Add deck chairs, serve fish and chips and crank up the beach tunes.