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10 Free or Frugal Activities to Get You Through the Winter in Edmonton
The Holidays have come and gone and our wallets are a little lighter. But with a new term about the start up you might be wondering how to keep kids busy without breaking the bank. I have rounded up 10 free or low cost activities that will keep the learning going and the kids active till the snow melts. Festivals There are lots of great winter festivals in Edmonton. They allow you to try out different winter sports, take in beautifully designed ice sculptors and listen and watch music and dance from different cultures. Deep Freeze (January 11-12, 2020), Flying Canoe Volant (January 30 – February 1, 2020), and the…
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Celebrate National Winnie-the-Pooh Day on January 18th
Winnie-the-Pooh is a well known and beloved character created by A. A. Milne in the 1920’s. The bear of very little brain, his sidekick Christopher Robin, and his animal friends live in the Hundred Acre Wood and go on all sorts of silly adventures. The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh are heartwarming tales of friendship for the young and the young at heart. January 18 was the birthday of A. A. Milne, so it has been dubbed National Winnie-the-Pooh Day. But did you know, there is a Canadian connection to Winnie-the-Pooh? If you grew up in Canada, you may be familiar with the Heritage Minute of Winnie, the black bear cub that…
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Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out
Body Worlds is a hugely popular traveling science exhibit. It was in Edmonton just over 10 years ago at Telus World of Science. It was something I had wanted to see but I was pregnant at the time and I heard there was a section showing a fetus at various stages, so I wasn’t sure if I could handle that. I went anyway and I’m so glad I did! It was amazing to see inside a human body and also see what the baby inside me looked like at that stage. Body Worlds is back at Telus World of Science from November 30 till the end of March 2019, but…
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Terry Fox – Canadian Hero
Terry Fox is a Canadian icon. Diagnosed with bone cancer at age 18, he had to have his right leg amputated above the knee in 1977. While receiving treatment and recovering in the hospital, he witnessed cancer patients, including many children, not survive their diagnosis and treatments. He was determined to help and so the Marathon of Hope was born. His goal was to run across Canada, as a cancer survivor and amputee, and raise money for cancer research. He started training and on April 12, 1980, set off from St. John’s, Newfoundland. He ran over 40 km a day, through varying weather conditions. Unfortunately, by the time he reached Northern Ontario,…
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Celebrate Canada 150 With My Favorite Canadian Playlist
Summer’s here and it’s Canada’s 150th Anniversary! It’s the perfect time to celebrate great Canadian music and also share it with the kids. I have spent hours at a time pouring over different genres and decades of music with the girls. Watching videos on You Tube and discussing the lyrics, we have had great talks about life in a different time. In honour of Canada’s 150th in 2017, below are 17 of my favorite Canadian songs, songs that I have enjoyed throughout my life and evoke great memories. 1. Tragically Hip – Nautical Disaster It’s almost impossible to choose your favorite Hip song. But after a friend posed that question…
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Children’s Educational Classes, Drop-in Programs, Events & Festivals – June 2017 + Canada Day
Edmonton does not have a shortage of fun family activities. But sometimes it’s nice to pass on the bouncy house and food truck events for something a bit more educational. As homeschoolerss / unschoolers, we use many of the great attractions, events and festivals in Edmonton and beyond as our classroom. Here’s a list of some of the great learning opportunities going on in and around Edmonton for June. Some of the activities require pre-registration and / or are additional costs, so check the event link or attraction website for full information (links provided). Alberta Aviation Museum Weekly drop-in programs, Wednesdays 10:30-11:30, Ages 2-6 June 24 – Blatchford Field 90th Anniversary…
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Fort Edmonton Park 150 Summer Pass + Special International Children’s Festival of the Arts Offer
I have lived in Edmonton just over 12 years, and last summer was the first time I experienced Fort Edmonton Park. The girls and I enjoyed a full day there, learning about the first settlers to Edmonton, the growth of the city and way of life in a different time. We explored the old fort, town buildings, learned about different modes of transportation, and had fun at the carnival. It was an excellent learning experience for them and myself and I can wait to go back this summer! Fort Edmonton Park is opening for the year this weekend, starting May 20. Many families opt for the membership that gives you…
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25 Activities For Screen-Free Week
May 1-7 is Screen-Free Week, and as we finally emerge from a long winter and the gloominess of a mixed up spring, I have to admit the kid’s tablet time has been on the rise lately. With extended screen time comes moody kids and sleep issues. It’s time to detox for a week and get things back on track. Working from home and being with the girls all day everyday means I tend to use screen time as crutch to get caught up on work or a bit of quiet time to recharge and get through the day. So I have to be prepared this week with activities to do…
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Five Reasons to see the Movie Ballerina (Especially if you Homeschool)
Beauty and the Beast has been taking over the box office since it opened. While it does look amazing, and my girls want to see it, I think we might wait till it is available to rent so we can watch it with the lights on and fast forward any frightening scenes. But there is another movie currently in theatres that hasn’t received a lot of promotion but it is totally worth watching, especially if you have young ones that might not be ready for Beauty and the Beast just yet. My youngest stumbled upon the trailer for Ballerina back in December and had been anxiously awaiting it’s release. Initially,…
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Free & Frugal Learning Resources
Homeschooling families are experts at frugal learning experiences. In this list, I have included some of our favorites, plus I enlisted the help of one of our fabulous local homeschooling support groups for added resources. The links are for children of various ages and grades. MULTIPLE SUBJECTS: Ace Online Schools – List of 25 virtual field trips Crayola – Free printables, coloring and worksheets Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool – Free Educents – Free to join, free (enter free in the search field for complete list) and paid resources DK Find Out – Free Homeschool Share – Free Ninja Plans – Free to join and free downloads, user contributed Alberta curriculum…
