Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in vancouver, CN

Reifel Bird Sanctuary

July 23, 2009

One of the places we love to go with our sons is a park on Westham Island in North Delta,. the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. This is a great place to bring visitors and children because it not only has thousands of birds, it also has beautiful scenery, stroller friendly paths and tons of ducks to feed.

Once in the park you can get some bird seed and feed the many ducks. These ducks are used to being fed and see the short ones as their main target. They will eat from the ground or your hand quite readily and all you feel is a bit of tickling in your palm. Watch out for the Canada geese though, they are pretty aggressive. Make sure you leave enough bird seed for other places in the park. The ducks and geese at the beginning are very well fed. You will have plenty of opportunity to feed more throughout the park.

Be sure to bring your camera and if you have them, binoculars or monocular. Besides the obvious ducks and geese there are tons of other birds around. A lot of the time there will be volunteers and other bird enthusiasts walking around the park and they will point out rarer sightings. When we were at the park last someone had set up a high-powered monocular watching an owl. They were very generous in letting people take a look through.

The next time we go, maybe this weekend, we also plan to bring our bird books. M son has a nice small one and we will try to find some of the species pictured there. It is a lot of fun, gives the preschooler room to run, nice paths to run the stroller for the baby, and us a chance to take in the breathtaking scenery that is the west coast. Hope to see you there.

Some Easy Earth Day Crafts and Activities

April 21, 2009

I thought for this Earth Day I would do something crafty with my son that will help the earth. A lot of crafts already reuse things you may not realize can be reused. Some crafts make life easier for your urban wildlife, and some make life easier for you with nature walks.

First up we will be taking our NatureBag for a walk. With its binoculars, magnifying glass and other materials, it makes for an interesting nature walk even in you backyard. For more information on the NatureBag check out the review I did last summer.

You can make an easy and earth friendly bird feeder with a large opened pine cone. With some vegetable shortening or lard or suet with some oats and birdseed you can make some birds very happy. It is especially nice to make these in winter. Just make sure to wrap a longish string around the pine cone first. Mix the fat with some oats and spread in the cone. When this is done roll the cones in birdseed. Hang and watch the birds flock to eat.

When starting seeds for herbs, vegetables or flowers you can reuse your containers from your recycling box before sending them off to the recycling depot. Use some soil and seeds in your small yogurt containers for a small windowsill herb garden. For something a little prettier is can use cans. Just make sure to wash thoroughly and sand away the rough edges. You can get your child to paint them before you start planting.

Take some time and take a picture walk on Earth Day. Give you and you child a chance to stop and look around you. I would also suggest bringing a pair of tongs and a garbage bag. Clean up as you go.

How will you be celebrating the earth tomorrow?

Easter Weekend in Vancouver

April 09, 2009

There are lots of Easter weekend activities happening at parks and community centres all over Vancouver. Some I mentioned in last weekends post, like the skating at Kits on Saturday, but there are a lot more activities everywhere.

Stanley Park has lots going on at the Miniature Train and Farmyard. Meet the new baby lambs and alpacas, take a ride on the train and join in the easter egg hunt. The egg hunts are daily all weekend long. Open Friday through Monday over Easter, 11am-4pm, rain or shine. Call 604-257-8531 for information. Also at Stanley Park the Discovery Walk: Egg Hunt! April 12, 1-3pm, Stanley Park. Celebrate the day by "hunting" for eggs of all kinds, from insects to geese, to see how they fit into the life cycles of Stanley Park's animals. Meet at the Lost Lagoon Nature House. Adults $10, Members & Children $5. www.stanleyparkecology.ca

Friday, April 10, 9:30am-12:45pm, Killarney Community Centre. The Egg Hunt will take place outdoors (weather permitting). Please pre-register. Call 604-718-8200 to register. 1-3 yrs 9:30am-10:15am (parent participation required for 1-3 yrs); 4-6 yrs 10:45am-11:30am; 7-12 yrs 12:00-12:45pm. Members $2.50/child; non-members $3.50/child.

Saturday, April 11, 12:30-3pm, Renfrew Park Community Centre. Entertainment, face painting, crafts and our famous Egg Hunt. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Limited space, $4/child, call 604-257-8388.

If you have an event for preschoolers in the lower mainland that you would like featured in our Thursday posts please email Beingsavvyvancouver@gmail.com.

Best Places to Take in the Spring Blossoms

April 07, 2009

While almost every street in Vancouver if finally starting to bloom and green up there are a few places that are exceptional in the spring. With the daffodils and tulips just starting to bloom and the cherry trees and rhododendrons starting to bloom spring is finally starting to feel like, well, spring. So where do you go to take in lots of spring beauty? I am so glad you asked.

For beautiful well kept gardens in Vancouver proper you can't beat either Queen Elizabeth Park or VanDusen Gardens. Both have exceptional gardens full of flowering trees and spring bulbs. If you take in QE Park you can also take in some Par 3 golf as well. If VanDusen is where you decide, take your kids for a spin through the hedge maze.

If you want to make a weekend of it heading across the water to Victoria is a safe bet. Butchart Gardens is beautiful and is like a combination of both Queen Elizabeth Park and VanDusen Gardens. Then head into the capital itself for a walk around the Provincial Legislature and the Empress Hotel. The gardens at Royal Rhodes University are also well worth a look. Just don't get frightened if you hear shrieking from the trees, that is just the peacocks.

Bald Eagles Everywhere!

by Gwendolyn Floyd

January 09, 2009

Would you like to be guaranteed to actually see not just one or two but a bunch of bald eagles? If this sounds like the ticket for you and your family it is time for a day trip to Squamish BC. The wintering place for North American Bald Eagles, Brackendale is just north of Squamish on the Sea to Sky Highway. (Squamish is about and hour or so out of West Vancouver.) Peak eagle  Read more...

Inspiring Imagination

by Gwendolyn Floyd

October 14, 2008

With a child's imagination almost anywhere is a good place to foster their imaginations. However giving a child building blocks to help with this imagination is especially essential so that when they are a little older they don't forget how to play. Imagination and and imaginary friends  Read more...

What is up this weekend? Rain

by Gwendolyn Floyd

October 03, 2008

Since it will be raining all weekend and conceivably for the rest of the winter it is time to bring some of the weekend activities inside. Good thing planners know the weather patterns in Vancouver. There are lots of things going on at the main branch of the Vancouver Public  Read more...

Signs Of Fall

by Gwendolyn Floyd

October 02, 2008

My husband and my son are taking some time together on Saturday mornings in Science World's Preschool Curiosity Club. Last week was the first week and as well as carving a pumpkin (so cute) and planting some pumpkin seeds they were asked to look for some signs of fall. This homework  Read more...

Get Out and Enjoy the Sun!

by Gwendolyn Floyd

September 29, 2008

As September runs into October and we are getting ready for the cooler wetter weather, we are experiencing a run of hot (well comparatively) weather. This weekend has been beautiful and sunny and dry. By Tuesday we are supposed to be having record hot temperatures with the sun to match. My  Read more...

Best Places to See the "Fish"

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 19, 2008

I like fish and I have a small aquarium, thought right now it is not a good place to actually see the fish because of an insane algae bloom I can't seem to get rid of. So if my son wants to see some fish we need to go a little further afield to actually get a good look at some. My first suggestion for some fish watching is a Petcetra . They have a huge wall of different fish  Read more...

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo, How About You?

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 13, 2008

Unless you live in Langley or Abbotsford, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is a little bit of a trip to get to, but I think that for a great day trip it is worth it. There is a lot to see, a few great places to eat lunch, and a miniature train to boot. Make sure to pack a picnic lunch and some drinks and snacks because like all zoos I have been to the concessions are very expensive.  Read more...

Naturebag Contest Winner

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 11, 2008

Thank you to everyone who entered the Naturebag contest. It is great to know that so many people want their children to become more engaged with Nature. Congratulations to Rachel C. In Maryland. I will be sending the Naturebag this week via Canada Post. As long as things go well  Read more...

Packing for the Beach

by Gwendolyn Floyd

August 04, 2008

August's theme at the Savvy Source is Down By the Shore and will take us to beaches, swimming pools and other sources of water throughout the month. Luckily Vancouver has no end of places to get wet and the first thing you need to know is what to pack for the beach. We are almost  Read more...

Container Gardening for the Preschool Set

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 21, 2008

How can you make container gardening easy and fun for kids? I guess the first thing is not to care how dirty your child gets, or whether or not the plants actually live. I would also start with some really easy plants that are edible like chives or some other herbs. Photo by:  Read more...

Small Steps to a Greener World: the Naturebag

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 16, 2008

When I started looking for new Canadian products for the 2-6 set I came across the Naturebag . This is a new product put together by two Vancouver mums with an education background and a love of nature. They decided that especially in a city like Vancouver there was a need to bring kids back to nature. I was able to get a bag to try with my three year old and I must say I am impressed.  Read more...

Small Steps to a Greener World

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 14, 2008

As the summer heats up and more concerns about Global Warming surface you may be wondering how to help your preschooler and yourself become greener. I know that in Vancouver it is hard to be as green as you should be with the lack of recycling and composting that many other cities and  Read more...

Exploring the Urban Jungle: Richmond Nature Park

by Gwendolyn Floyd

July 03, 2008

Another of the great things about living in the lower mainland is that there are so many trails and parks to enjoy. As a teacher the Richmond Nature Park was a great field trip for both the littlest ones and the older children for a number of reasons. The Richmond Nature Park opens daily from  Read more...

Budding Art Critic: Vancouver Art Gallery

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 16, 2008

The Vancouver art Gallery located right in the midst of downtown Vancouver is a beautiful spot. A lot of parents may be a little apprehensive about taking their children to a place where it is not encouraged to touch things. This is why Super Sunday may be the answer for you. Every third Sunday of the month the art gallery has a family program that runs hands on events for children under  Read more...

Best Day Trips Around Greater Vancouver

by Gwendolyn Floyd

June 03, 2008

Whether you live in Vancouver proper or in the Greater Vancouver Area there are lots of day trips within an hour. I am going to highlight five that we have done with our son and will do again. 1: Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC. Located on Westham Island the sanctuary is exactly that, a safe haven for both the birds and people. With lots of duck that will eat from your preschoolers  Read more...

Best Ways to enjoy Stanley Park in the Summer

by Gwendolyn Floyd

May 27, 2008

Stanley Park is huge and this post will hardly scratch the surface of all that you can do in the park. However, during the summer there are a number of things that would be great fun to do with your preschooler. 1: The Stanley Park Seawall. I would suggest that the best way to see the seawall is to bike around it. Setup to go around counterclockwise, most people obey this. As  Read more...