MACH BREAK FUN! A few of our favourites

Time in the kitchen with kids is well spent: Mom in the Know

Leanne CusackCTV News Ottawa Host, News at Noon

Published Tuesday, March 10, 2020 

OTTAWA -- Julie Findlay is an educator, and a busy mom, who encourages curiosity.

For Findlay, there are learning opportunities everywhere.

Twelve years ago, when her children were small, Findlay left full-time teaching. Her new classroom is a successful blog. She also shares her creative expertise and enthusiasm as a TV personality, under the name “Mom in the Know.”

Findlay is also a big fan of time in the kitchen together.

“Time in the kitchen can be the best time to learn,” said Findlay.

“That’s where we spend most of our time, getting meals together. This way you spend time together and your kids learn invaluable life skills.”

Findlay says by getting your kids into cooking and baking, they are also learning about science, math, chemistry, history and patience.

One of Findlay’s best suggestions for teaching moments, at this time of year, a little “outdoor education” at a sugar bush in Ontario or Quebec. When you return home, it’s family time to create and assemble recipes with the sweet maple tastes.

Findlay also promotes “egg-ucation” by suggesting countless creations with eggs, both decorative and delicious.

As we approach the start of March Break, CTV News at Noon asked Findlay to share some fun ideas that cost next to nothing.

And apologies in advance, we asked Julie for her favourite slime recipe.  

Yes, slime does stick to pretty well everything and can cause a mess. But the Mom in the Know says there is a key to cleaning it up.

“Vinegar is the solution,” said Findlay. A little bit of vinegar will remove sticky slime from surfaces..

And the Mom in the Know is big on games too.

“You don’t need to be too fancy.  One of my favourite things is a pack of cards, some dice and some paper. I could probably come up with 10 games based on that,” said Findlay.

“Don’t forget Hangman, Scrabble, Memory. Your kids will be learning without even realizing they’re learning! The absolute they will be learning without realizing they’re learning.”

If you would like a few fresh ideas for March Break with the kids, visit www.mitk.ca

And watch Mom in the Know Julie Findlay on CTV News at Noon.

RELATED IMAGES

• 

  March Break suggestions with Mom in the Know Julie Findlay -  Now playing

  
  

  The Sugarbush is a great way to get out for the day! A little bit of local Maple Syrup is a great addtion to one of our favourites, "Spiced French Toast" www.eggs.ca

  Look for a Sugarbush near you! https://ottawastart.com/a-list-of-maple-syrup-sugar-bushes-near-ottawa/

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PLAY ALL DAY! We have pikced some classics and some of our favourite games for when you are on the go this March Break!

PD DAY - STRIKE DAY - COLD WEATHER FUN DAY! Let's have some fun

Always so fun to share ideas on how to keep the kids busy whether it is a Strike Day- PD Day - Cold Weather Day. It takes a village!

 Click on video

NOTE: We picked six categories, some of the sports you will recognize as those that will be showcased in the upcoming summer Olympics in TOKYO, JAPAN.

Under each sport we have devised challenges to complete. Having been a Physed teacher for a few years and a coach throughout out my teaching career, I did have some resources stashed away. No worries once you see a few of the challenges your memory will come back!

What you will need:

• Waste Baskets
• Pots and Pans
• Balloons
• Racquets
• Skipping Rope
• Sock

1.  Volleyball

Towel Catch

Practices getting under the ball

Each player gets a towel. Hold the towel loosely between your hands at waist height. Ask your partner to place the rolled up sock in the middle of the towel. Pull your hand apart quickly and watch your sock ball shoot through the air to the other player. 

2. Tennis

Sock Toss

Practices the throw before the serve.

Roll your sock up and try the following challenges beginning with easy.

1. Toss to yourself

2. Toss and catch after 1 clap 2 (3,4) times 3. Toss and touch the floor

4. Toss to the left and then to the right, forcing you to move to catch.

Play the game

Get two racquets. We us badminton racquets. Use a balloon and start your own tennis game. Learning to score is half the challenge.  http://mitk.squarespace.com/storage/february-2012/Tennis%20Scoring%20Made%20Easy.docx

3. Track and Field

Long Jump

Using tape, measure each family member from head to toe. Challenge each other to jump as long as the smallest to the tallest person’s body. 

Skipping

Many challenges can be created here.

Jump only on your left foot, then only on your right, click your heels, Jump side to side. How many skips can you do in min/40sec/30 sec? Challenge yourself to more. Can you skip while walking?

4. Basketball

Hit the Target

Practices passing.

The target can be ‘X’’s on t-shirts or shapes made out of your skipping rope. Throw first from 10 giant steps away then from 20 giant steps away and so on. 

Sink it in the Basket

Get as many rolled up socks as you can find.  Set up your key.  Create a three point line with a rope and practice shooting  your socks from different points beyond the three point line.

Defense

Have a game of player in the middle using your sock ball or balloon.  Remember, when you receive the ball your feet can’t move.

5. Baseball

Practices all throws

Stair Toss

Start at the bottom of each stair and throw to each stair. Award points to certain stairs. Throw underhand or overhand.

S.P.U.D. 

Place a small bouncy ball in a sock.  Have each family member group closely tothere.  The person who is it, will throw the ball up in the air and shout the name of another player.  As the ball is tossed, each family member scatters to move away from the thrower.  After the catcher catches the ball, he is allowed to take five giant steps toward another player.  If they are able to touch that player that the other, the non-ball catcher player becomes it and gets the first letter of the word S.P.U.D.  If they are not, they take the first letter of the word S.P.U.D.  The loser of the game is the one who receives all of the letters of the word. 

6 Bowling

Set up recyclables in a pin configuration.  Plastic cups or 2 litre bottles make a good set of pins.

7. Golf

Use pots and pans to create an indoor course. Par three seems to work well.

You could also get outside for a game of frisbee golf.

Twist. The least scoring family or team members are in charge of the Heart Healthy Snack or Dinner. 

It’s amazing how easily you can add on to the challenge and create new challenges under each sport. For example;  you can manipulate sock golf into hit the target by collecting your mixing bowls from the kitchen and making them the basket. You can now go for the slam dunk or cross court dunk.

Endlesss opportunities for indoor fun!!!

STAY SAFE THIS WINTER

Brace yourselves, winter is here to stay! As you reach for your toques, scarves and mitts to protect you from the cold this winter, you should do the same for your vehicle, equipping it with the proper tires to get from point A to B safely. To help simplify things, I’ve partnered with Hankook Tire Canada to drive the message home about the importance of winter tires and how to prep your car for optimal performance and safety this winter. 

Different Season, Different Tire?

It’s important to understand that there are some pivotal differences between summer, all-season and winter tires – starting with the tread patterns and tire compounds. Winter tires are made with aggressive tread patterns to optimize grip, handling and breaking performance in those less-than-ideal weather conditions. The tires are also made with a compound that helps keep the rubber pliable in cold temperatures, lengthening the tires’ life. 

My Hankook Tires, the Winter i*cept evo2 (W320), are a premium class winter tire, designed for passenger cars, providing safe and comfortable handling in adverse conditions. Its wide shoulder provides the best handling performance and improves grip as its shoulder block is much wider than conventional tires. As well, its asymmetrical tread pattern ensures great performance, regardless of the weather condition and its numerous tread grooves evacuate snow and slush easily. 

How to Pick the Tire That is Right for You.

Hankook Tire Canada offers many different winter tires in various sizes and types, so you’ll find the perfect ones for your vehicle and specific driving needs. A little stumped on what tires are the ones for you and your vehicle? Talk to your local mechanic or head to https://www.hankooktire.com/ca-en/ for additional information – the website provide tons of great information to help the everyday driver get from point A to point B safely this winter!

Some Additional Fun Facts

Rolling Resistance: the force acting against a tire as it rolls down the road

Tire Tread: rubber surface of the tire that makes contact with the road

Tire Compound: the mixture of materials used to create the tread on a tire

Tread Depth: the depth between the top of the tread block and the bottom of the shallowest groove

The deeper the tread, the better the performance – it’s time to get a new set of tires when there is 2/32” tread depth remaining, meaning the depth of the grooves will have diminished

The Toonie Test – slip a toonie in between your tread block, if the tread reaches only as far as the letters (‘CANADA’ or ‘DOLLARS’), your tires are worn and need to be replaced

Aspect Ratio: ratio between the width and height of a tire

Teaching Your Child What Remembrance Day Means

Lynn Johnston’s comic strip pretty much sums it up for me.  I am so grateful to live in a time when my children don’t really know what war is.  At Remembrance Day, I think about the peaceful society that we live in here in Canada and I am thankful to the generations of Canadians who have served our country to make it that way.  

It is difficult to talk to our kids about war and death, yet I feel I really want them to understand why we enjoy our peace and freedom.  I want them to wear a poppy with pride and understand what it means. 

Childrens’ books on Remembrance Day

There are  a whole bunch of books on Remembrance Day.   I like Proud as a Peacock, Brave as a Lion by Jane Barclay or A Poppy Is to Remember by Heather Patterson.  Books like these and the pictures and illustrations often get kids asking questions and starting conversations.   

Make it Musical

Remembrance Day music or wartime music can get kids thinking about war and the soldiers who served.  Play the "Last Post" bugle call or "Kiss me Goodnight, Sergeant Major" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Of Company B”.  If you can find an accompanying video on Youtube even better.  Kids will get a sense of the times and appreciate the visuals. 

Relate to a Real Person

Think of someone you know who has serve in the armed forces or who is currently serving.  Show your kids pictures of these people and explain the sacrifices they make for our country.  Help them to understand that serving our country is a full time job and that sometimes these people need to be away from their families for long periods of time.  Sharing these experiences with kids can help them relate to the true sacrifices others have made for our country. 

Make a Craft

Make a craft and spend some time talking about what poppies and remembrance mean.  I like this poppy made from a coffee filter and bingo dabber.  A simple idea, but a lot of fun. Full instructions here.  

 Attend a Ceremony

One of the best ways to show children the importance of remembrance day is to take them to a ceremony.  Have them dress up and put on a poppy.  The image of the soldiers themselves, the somber music and the sense of occasion will make an impact.  There are a few ceremonies taking place around the city.  Ottawa Tourism has a complete list on their site at http://www.ottawatourism.ca/en/features/remembrance-day

Whichever way your choose to observe Remembrance Day with your kids, I hope you make it meaningful for you and for them.  Keep in mind that this is an annual observance and that you can start your own traditions as years go by. 

Host a Howling Good Halloween Party 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 11:29AM

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Ideas for decorations, crafts, games, recipes and more 

 

Get your kids involved in the decorating for the party with a few of these easy tips and crafts 

1. Use a  big roll of caution tape  to criss- cross across doors that are off limits. 
2. Make signs that warn  Beware or Haunted
3. Cut monster footprints from cardboard and have them lead from party room to party room.  You can even make a path to the bathroom.
4. Make ghoulish centerpieces and ornaments from salt dough
5.   Salt Dough: Easy to roll out dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Salt dough crafts will   air dry in a day or two. If you need immediate results, bake them in the oven at 200    degrees Fahrenheit until they harden. Easy recipe : 2 cups all purpose flour/ 2 cups of salt/   1 cup of water. Mix with your hands until moist and smooth.
6. Go through your recycling bin and pull out different shaped bottles.  Fill them with water and food colouring to create apothecaries of poison mixtures.
7. Wrap recycled containers with Halloween themed paper or use felt to create some monster faces. Use them as a treat buckets for your popcorn and pretzel-type snacks. 
8. Make haunting luminaries.  Wrap clear glasses or vases in orange tissue paper.  Cut out shapes or find other décor items to make a jack-o-lantern faces.  These can be used indoors or out.  Another great idea for luminaries is to drarw or colour shapes and faces on brown  paper bags .  Older kids can cut designs into the bags. Fill the bags a third full with sand. Add a tea light and line your walkway or porch. 
9. Use leaves.  Take old clothes and stuff them with leaves. Scatter them on the lawn with heads or leave them headless.
10. Eyes are on you.  Use plastic foam balls.  Cut them in half and paint black pupils.
11. Make a craft box available to your little party goers.  You never know what spooky creativity will arise. Your box could include:  plastic spiders, stickers, stamps, googly eyes, pom poms, ribbon, pipe cleaners, cookie cutters to trace, different coloured felt and construction paper, scissors, markers, glitter glue or feathers.  Be sure to keep a glue gun near by.  

Play Goulish Games 

If you are giving prizes for the winners of the games, there are a lot of theme related treats out there.  A flashlight or reflective wear make good prizes for trick or treaters.   

Find the eyeballs in the brains

Add marbles to  cooked spaghetti to create this ghoulish game.  Whoever collects the most eyeballs in two minutes wins.  Hint: Add one tablespoon of cooking oil per box to keep noodles from sticking.  Cook at least 3 boxes. 

Broom ball 

They are easy to pick up at the grocery store, but if you have too many guests, you can add to the invite. Bring a broom for some bewitching games.

Scavenger hunt 

Have a scavenger hunt to find treats or for ingredients for a witches brew. Some creative ingredients I came across are:

• Eye of a newt – dried bean
• Bat hair – dryer lint
• Snake teeth – grains of white rice
• Mouse kidney –kidney bean
• Owl feather- colourful craft feather
• Dusty corpse – baking soda in a small plastic bag

Grab the Ghost 

Supplies 

Paper towels 

Small balls

Yarn 

Markers 

Pennies

Large paper cirlce 

Funnel 

Die 

Instructions 

• Before the party, make ghosts by draping a piece of paper towel around a small ball, such as a Superball (or in a pinch, a wadded-up paper towel). Cinch the towel around the ball and secure with one end of a 2-foot length of yarn.
• Have guests draw a face on their ghosts with markers. 
• At the start of the game, each player is given ten pennies. Choose one person to be the goblin. The other players lay their ghosts on the large paper circle and hold on to the yarn leash. The goblin holds the funnel, upside down, at least 2 feet above the circle.
• The goblin chooses two numbers on a die, announces them to the group, then rolls. If either of the chosen numbers appears, the players try to pull their ghosts out of the circle before the goblin can slam the funnel down over them. If a player is caught, he must give the goblin a penny. If the chosen numbers do not appear, but the players panic and yank their ghosts out of the circle anyway, it's another penny to the goblin. The goblin, for his part, is allowed to fake a funnel slam, but if he touches any ghost, he must shell out a penny to each player. After three rolls of the die, the next player takes over as goblin. Play is over when one player runs out of pennies. The player with the most coins wins.

Witches Brew 

To make a witches brew add 2 cups of vinegar to a large pot.  Add all of the children’s ingredients from the scavenger hunt, especially the dusty corpse. Have extra dusty corpse to add to the cauldron. It will bubble and froth before their eyes.

Build a Skeleton 

Be sure to wash your hands before this game, because all of the skeletons will be thrown into the pot to make a gruesome gruel. 

With an illustration as a guide use assorted dried pasta to create a scary skeleton. Make sure to have alphabet letters to label and name the skeleton.

Guess the Ghost

Supplies:

Large sheet

Works best with a large group 10 and up. Have one child leave the room. Then take a large sheet and have a different child stand and hide under the sheet. 

Mix up the remaining children in the room and then allow the child who left the room the “GhostBuster” to come back inside. That child then, by process of elimination, guesses who the ghost is under the sheet. 

Then that "Ghost" goes out of the room and a different child becomes the new ghost, mix up the remaining children and repeat until all of the children have had a turn being the ghost.

Harder Version    

Poor Joe 

Supplies:

Cold stuffed rubber glove, (latex glove filled with Jello) 

10 small pieces of carrot

Wig, (dolls wig works well)

cold cooked spaghetti 

Dried apricot

2 peeled green grapes

Piece of liver

Flashlight

Preparation: 

Guests sit in a circle on floor; lights out except for flashlight narrator reads by. Have each item to be passed in separate bowl. Guests will pick up the item, put it back in bowl, pass it to the next person. While guests pass an item, narrator holds the flashlight underneath his chin to give his face a scary look. 

Action Narrator reads from script. 

Here are some other hauntingly fun games

• Monster freeze dance
• Guess how many worms or candies are in the jar. 
• Pumpkin pass along (use little gourds)
• Pin the witch on the broom  (pin up broom,  cut out witch, tape or thumb tacks)
• Cotton ball relay- (cotton balls - use orange or black, large spoons and two plastic pumpkins)
• Doughnuts on a string or bobbing for apples  (apples or doughnuts with sprinkles tied to the end of a string and hung from the ceiling)  
• The Dead Man’s Brains  (instructions and supplies here) 
• ‘Boo am I’  (spooky characters for charades writing on small slips of paper,  blown up balloons to put the pieces of paper in)
• How many words can you get out of   F R A N K E N S T E I N  or H A L L O W E E N  
• Musical Pumpkins

Make some Treat Bags

Use a recyclable grocery bag or pillow cases

Let kids come up with their  own Halloween pattern or picture of a pumpkin, bats, globlins, monsters or ghosts.  You could also use cookies cutters to trace the shapes.  Use paint to colour in the shapes.  Older kids may want to paint free hand.

 

Serve up Some Spooky Stuff

Serve up some fun using  different sized clear containers.  Fill them freaky fun candies such as gummy worms and chocolate eyeballs. You can also add googly eyes to some of the containers so they keep on ‘eye’ on the kids.  Pumpkins make great serving bowls too (especially with a wiggin’ worm salad). 

No-bones-about-it vegetable skeleton

Veggies come in so many shapes and sizes, they make perfect building blocks.  

Jack-'o-lantern dip

Carve out a small pumpkin (or a few) to use as dip containers (healthier dip choices include salsa, hummus, and yogurt-based recipes). Paint a face on the pumpkin instead of cutting holes, or cut only partway through. Or if you're feeling extra-spooky, carve a large mouth and make the dip spill out through it for a "puking pumpkin" effect. 

Black-and-orange dip

Buy or prepare black-bean dip, and serve with sweet potato chips and orange bell pepper strips.

Get seedy

Don't forget to save your seeds when you carve pumpkins. Roast them in a hot oven with a little salt and olive oil.

Braaaaiiiins! 

Score major cool points with party guests by serving a watermelon carved to look like a brain.

Choose a small, seedless melon and peel off the green skin. Score the white pith with a knife

to resemble the brain's squiggly folds. Then carve to expose the watermelon's red flesh.

Boo-nanas

Dip peeled bananas in orange juice, then roll in shredded coconut to make white ghosts. Add

small raisins or chocolate chips for eyes, then insert wooden craft stick for a handle (so the

ghosts can flit about hauntingly). Serve as-is or frozen.

Witches' teeth

Core and quarter an apple. Remove wedge from skin side of each quarter to form a mouth.

Insert variously shaped and sized slivered almonds for teeth.

Orange-'o-lantern

Use a toothpick to carve features into the skin of a whole orange. Insert a piece of pretzel for

a stem. Or remove the fruit's pulp and use to serve yogurt, low-fat pudding, apricot

applesauce, etc.

Black Bean Cat Crudite 

Looking for a Halloween snack that’s both healthy and festive?  This skeletal array fit’s the bill.  No bones about it.  Just assorted fresh vegetables and a bowl of dip arranged in the shape of a spooky cat. 

Black bean dip 

Assorted veggies of your choice  (celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli)  

 

Mummies 

Disguises  aren’t just of Halloween. Surprise your family with these dressed-up, spooky-looking snacks any time of year.  Kids can help my spooning the pizza sauce on the English muffin and making the mummy face with the cheese and vegetables.  

 

Spooky Punch 

For the punch, you need a glass punch bowl with a hollowed-out raised base. Take the base of the punch bowl and put underneath either a small flashing electric light or just a regular one. They are small, about tea-light size, and you get them at dollar stores. Putting the punch bowl on top with liquid is a great effect, especially when you lower the lights. Kids and adults will love it! Get the recipe. 

Some other great recipes: 

Trick or treat nachos  

Gummy worm punch  

Oozy green eyeballs  

Jack o lantern sloppy Joe Pie 

Monster cheese ball

With thanks to Taste of Home for these wonderful recipies and ideas.  

Happy Haunting 

1. Use a  big roll of caution tape  to criss- cross across doors that are off limits. 
2. Make signs that warn  Beware or Haunted
3. Cut monster footprints from cardboard and have them lead from party room to party room.  You can even make a path to the bathroom.
4. Make ghoulish centerpieces and ornaments from salt dough
5.   Salt Dough: Easy to roll out dough and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Salt dough crafts will   air dry in a day or two. If you need immediate results, bake them in the oven at 200    degrees Fahrenheit until they harden. Easy recipe : 2 cups all purpose flour/ 2 cups of salt/   1 cup of water. Mix with your hands until moist and smooth.
6. Go through your recycling bin and pull out different shaped bottles.  Fill them with water and food colouring to create apothecaries of poison mixtures.
7. Wrap recycled containers with Halloween themed paper or use felt to create some monster faces. Use them as a treat buckets for your popcorn and pretzel-type snacks. 
8. Make haunting luminaries.  Wrap clear glasses or vases in orange tissue paper.  Cut out shapes or find other décor items to make a jack-o-lantern faces.  These can be used indoors or out.  Another great idea for luminaries is to drarw or colour shapes and faces on brown  paper bags .  Older kids can cut designs into the bags. Fill the bags a third full with sand. Add a tea light and line your walkway or porch. 
9. Use leaves.  Take old clothes and stuff them with leaves. Scatter them on the lawn with heads or leave them headless.
10. Eyes are on you.  Use plastic foam balls.  Cut them in half and paint black pupils.
11. Make a craft box available to your little party goers.  You never know what spooky creativity will arise. Your box could include:  plastic spiders, stickers, stamps, googly eyes, pom poms, ribbon, pipe cleaners, cookie cutters to trace, different coloured felt and construction paper, scissors, markers, glitter glue or feathers.  Be sure to keep a glue gun near by.  

If you are giving prizes for the winners of the games, there are a lot of theme related treats out there.  A flashlight or reflective wear make good prizes for trick or treaters.   Add marbles to  cooked spaghetti to create this ghoulish game.  Whoever collects the most eyeballs in two minutes wins.  Hint: Add one tablespoon of cooking oil per box to keep noodles from sticking.  Cook at least 3 boxes. They are easy to pick up at the grocery store, but if you have too many guests, you can add to the invite. Bring a broom for some bewitching games.Have a scavenger hunt to find treats or for ingredients for a witches brew. Some creative ingredients I came across are:

• Eye of a newt – dried bean
• Bat hair – dryer lint
• Snake teeth – grains of white rice
• Mouse kidney –kidney bean
• Owl feather- colourful craft feather
• Dusty corpse – baking soda in a small plastic bag

To make a witches brew add 2 cups of vinegar to a large pot.  Add all of the children’s ingredients from the scavenger hunt, especially the dusty corpse. Have extra dusty corpse to add to the cauldron. It will bubble and froth before their eyes.Be sure to wash your hands before this game, because all of the skeletons will be thrown into the pot to make a gruesome gruel. With an illustration as a guide use assorted dried pasta to create a scary skeleton. Make sure to have alphabet letters to label and name the skeleton.
Use a recyclable grocery bag or pillow casesLet kids come up with their  own Halloween pattern or picture of a pumpkin, bats, globlins, monsters or ghosts.  You could also use cookies cutters to trace the shapes.  Use paint to colour in the shapes.  Older kids may want to paint free hand.Serve up some fun using  different sized clear containers.  Fill them freaky fun candies such as gummy worms and chocolate eyeballs. You can also add googly eyes to some of the containers so they keep on ‘eye’ on the kids.  Pumpkins make great serving bowls too (especially with a wiggin’ worm salad). Some other great recipes: Trick or treat nachos  Gummy worm punch  Oozy green eyeballs  Jack o lantern sloppy Joe Pie Monster cheese ballWith thanks to Taste of Home for these wonderful recipies and ideas.