Kidding Around Vancouver Island

Sometimes the kids just need to get away from it all.  You know, from the daily grind of eating, playing, more eating, more playing, but mostly they need a break from their parents.  So sitting around a room with your parents, or going swimming with your parents, no matter how nice the resort,  just doesn’t [...]

The kids have at least half a dozen hula hoops hanging in the carport, but none of us has been able get the hula part of it.  The only use the hoops get is a rare game of daddy toss – 10 points if you get it over his head and 5 points if it [...]

Opening night isn’t far away and Grace remains as cool as a cucumber.  We’re as nervous as… as radishes.  All we can think about is her getting up on stage and trying to remember songs, dances, where she’s supposed to be on stage, and whether her hat’s on straight.  It’s so confusing.  Thankfully, the kids [...]

Students from Winchelsea Elementary and North Oyster Elementary schools are taking the stage this Thursday evening at 7pm at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo.  They’re part of the Voices of Nature concert for the Brant Wildlife Festival, featuring Holly Arntzen and the Dream Band.  Last year’s concert was amazing – you’ll have a great time [...]

When I was little we had a canary that loved to escape and fly around the house.  I couldn’t imagine over 700 birds having the run of the place, but that’s what you’ll find at the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs.  Two giant wings of the building – if you’ll pardon the expression – allow [...]

We gave Grace and Ella a choice this past weekend – watch paint dry or watch cheese being made. They opted for the cheese, but, as the folks at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks are fonding of joking, there’s not a lot of difference. However, seeing all the animals at the cheeseworks and hearing about how the [...]

That week is coming. You know what I’m talking about, parents, “the week the kids went” and leave school, only to ask the eternal question “what is there to do?”. The better question is, how do we fit it all into one week? If you’re looking for pre-planned days for the kids, I really like [...]

Readers of this column know our family loves going to live theatre – pantomimes in particular. Well, all of that has given Grace the acting bug, for which we’ve found an excellent cure. It’s called Red Room Studio in Nanaimo and they offer year-round acting programs for kids 7 – 15. What we love in [...]

On our way back from Fanny Bay recently, we stopped in at Qualicum Beach to try the food at a new place called Rawthentic. Our daughters have some “food issues,” as people say these days, and we thought it would be good to try some dishes that didn’t use things like wheat or milk. The [...]

Need a relaxing spa getaway for an afternoon, where kids have plenty to do, but still taking it easy on your pocket book?  Look no further than the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.  Ok, maybe “spa-like” would be a better term or “sort of spa-ish” – the point is, a few hours swimming with the kids can [...]