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?

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...

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...

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...

Lions, Tigers and Bears: Exploring the Urban Jungle, Bloedel Floral Conservatory

by Gwendolyn Floyd

May 30, 2008

For a piece of Urban Jungle right in our own backyard one need look no further than the Bloedel Floral Conservatory . Full of lush plants, under a dome out of the rain and filled with over a hundred free flying birds of various species it is a beautiful place to take your preschooler. After looking out my window at the cold rainy day, even peeking at the lush scenery in their 360  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...