Browsing “The Playground”

Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.Every week I post a roundup of upcoming family-friendly events and activities.I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

This past weekend, the folks at Alouette Tree Farm invited us to come visit for their holiday season kick-off Pancake Breakfast with Santa.   Sadie, her dad and I joined Bob, Katie, VIA’s youngest blogger Arlo along with little Cadence and her parents Mike and Leanna for a morning filled with pancake eating, ornament making, santa fearing and tree cutting!

We toured the farm on the train. Multiple trips were made.

Starting December 1st, Alouette Tree Farm will pack every weekend with festive fun including train rides, gingerbread house contests, crafts, photos with Santa and more.

Upon on our arrival, the first order of business was going on a train ride followed by some Christmas crafts and running away from Santa.

Cadence is not too sure what to make of Santa.

Sadie is making a list for Santa but refused to give it to him.  No breaks for Santa.

With our bellies full of pancakes and hands covered in marker, we braved the rain to cut down our trees.  Alouette provided us city dwellers with a saw and some twine (and pre cut trees if you are so inclined).  All we had to do was find our perfect trees.

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Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.Every week I post a roundup of upcoming family-friendly events and activities. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Craft a really special Christmas with your child at Collage Collage.  Channel your child’s Christmas excitement towards making their own gifts, ornaments and decorations.  Between November 30th – December 17th,  Collage Collage is offering a number of workshops for you and your child to make ornaments, advent calendars, gift tags, sock monkeys, stockings and more.

With the exception of the Open House on December 3rd, all workshops require pre-registration.  Call 604.569.1929 or email info@collagecollage.ca to reserve your spot!

Wednesday November 30th
4:30-6pm
Family Night Craft-In: 5 ornaments + gift cards
$25 per parent+child duo. Registration Required.

Saturday December 3rd
2 – 4pm
Holiday Open House with Banquet – colouring + creating with the folks at Banquet. Gift with the purchase of a Banquet Print.
FREE!

Wednesday December 7th
4:30-6pm
Family Night Craft-In:  5 ornaments + gift cards
$25 per parent+child duo. Registration Required.

Saturday December 10th
3-5pm
Sock Monkey Making (best for 6 and up with a parent)
$30 per parent+child duo. Registration Required.

Wednesday December 14th
4:30-6pm
Parent + child work together to paint a watercolour + pastel portrait of themselves + their family. A perfect gift for parents, grandparents, and everyone else on your list!
$20 per parent+child duo. Registration Required.

Thursday December 15th
7 -9pm
Make A Stocking (for teens and adults, hand sewing required)
$30 Registration Required.

Saturday December 17th
3-5pm
Sock Monkey Making (best for 6 and up with a parent)
$30 per parent+child duo. Registration Required.

Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.Every week I post a roundup of upcoming family-friendly events and activities. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

This weekend is Family FUSE at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  On November 19th & 20th, the VAG will be hosting a number of events around the theme Explore the Love of Collecting.   There will be a variety of opportunities for families to gather mementos and share curiosities together in a creative atmosphere. There will be artists, dancers and musicians on hand for fun workshops, tours and activities.

Special performances at Family FUSE include contemporary ballet company Plastic Orchid Factory and the drumming of Jodaiko (see picture above).

Other activities include:

• Dig It:  Uncover interesting objects or buried treasure at the dig site.
• Identification Station:  Make a badge to show whether you’re an “Art Hunter” or a “Picture Detective”
• Taiko Drumming Workshop: learn Taiko drumming by collecting rhythms from the world around you
• Collecting Tales:  Listen to readings from books selected by the VPL
• Tiny Galleries:  Create miniature 3D galleries of your very own
• The Making Place
• Family Film Lounge

On Family FUSE weekend, kids under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.  Regular admission rates apply for adults.  This is a free event for Gallery Members.

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Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.Every week I post a roundup of upcoming family-friendly events and activities. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

The 38th Annual Circle Craft Christmas Market is taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre from now until November 13th.  With the Christmas season quickly approaching, it’s a great opportunity to get a head start on your holiday shopping list with over 280 Canadian artisans selling their work.

From jewelery to chocolate, there is lots to see (and sample!) especially for locally made kids clothes, toys and accessories.  Here is a quick round up of some of the kid friendly crafts that are available this year:

Beautiful bonnets and capes from Toronto’s Patouche:

Stacking balsa wood rainbows from Jalu Wood Creations.

Hand screened onesies from Toronto’s Bookhou:
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Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

It will never cease to amaze me how easy (and inexpensive)  it can be to entertain a small child.  Sadie and spent a morning taking three types of transit to North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay Market where she got to enjoy the free (!) ball room, check out the food market and ride in a glass elevator.

For  $7.50 (2 zone adult fare round trip) we had a great time riding a bus, taking the skytrain and going on a boat.  No one enjoys transit as much as a toddler sitting at a window seat.

Before we make our way upstairs to Kid Alley, Sadie likes to check out all the fresh food at the market.  We walk around labeling all the fruits, veggies and meat but her favourite is the fish stall.  On this visit they had a giant frozen octopus!

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Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.From fields to haunted houses, all month long I will be featuring some of my favourite places to visit to get you and your family to get the most out of autumn.I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Halloween festivities around the city this weekend will likely mean big crowds and long lines.  For those looking to do something quiet but with a more “natural” twist on Halloween, I would like to suggest visiting the Richmond Nature Park this weekend.

Sadie and VIA’s youngest blogger, Arlo, spent a damp autumn morning exploring the park’s trails and Nature House.  The park is over 200 acres of bog habitat with four walking trails.  Most are soft surfaced but the shortest trail, around the Pond, is on a raised boardwalk. There are plenty of opportunities for young ones to encounter plants and birds.  One of the paths we walked was lined with vines that had entrances carved into them. Sadie and Arlo really enjoyed exploring these secret passages.

For the month of October, the Nature House has incorporated the story of Halloween and its roots in nature into it’s permanent exhibits.  Sadie and Arlo couldn’t get enough of the all the puzzles, stamps, displays, snakes, bees and microscopes.  Lots there was a lot to see and such a fun way for your child (and you) to learn about the bog and the creatures that live there.

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