Carp Splash Pad

by Anne

On a record breaking June day,(and yes even though june is not over it had to be record breaking 30+degrees!) I packed up the children in the car complete with an assortment of pails,diggers and dumptrucks. My children were excited to go to the rainbow park as they have named it. The drive there includes a game of what can you see-a mooing cow, smiling cat on sign, sheds, train tracks and more. Carp splash pad is located 14km from Stittsville, just behind Carp's farmers market(carp road- then turn onto Juanita rd). I usually park behind the baseball diamond as it is the middle of both parks.

The sand playground is comprised of swings, a seated digger, small structure of younger ones with a table for snacks, as well as a larger structure for older children with curvy slide, and straight slides. The entire area is fenced in which is a huge bonus for those parents who have runners. There is also mature trees that line the playground giving lots of shade and plenty of benches and picnic tables for nursing and providing snacks.

When the children are hot and have tired of the playground it is onto the short walk to the amazing splash pad. Equipped with pouring buckets,rainbow sprinklers, squirt guns, and a flower that sprays you it has variety for everyone. Did I also mention the other reasons I love this park? Again fenced in, shaded picnic area, and a CLEAN jonny on the spot.

Anne is the proud mom of two children, 2.5 and 4.

Walter Baker Park

by Tracy  The first time I brought my two-year old daughter to Walter Baker Park in Kanata was last fall and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been there before then. I had always known Walter Baker Park for their awesome sledding hill, but somehow never noticed the beautiful gazebo sitting next to a small pond, the two play structures – one for toddlers and one for older children, the splash pad and of course, the fact that the once snow-filled sledding hill had transformed itself into a large grassy hill that attracts children big and small to repeatedly run up and down it (a great nap inducer for the younger athletes).

My daughter, who loves to explore new parks and try every piece of equipment on for size, found the toddler play structure too easy and quickly ventured over to the larger play structure to climb the rope “spider web” as well as the rope ladder and tackle the big slide before I could utter the words, “be careful!” One of my daughter’s favourite park activities is the seesaw and luckily for her Walter Baker Park has one as well as swings – which I pushed her on for at least half an hour.

The thing I like about Walter Baker park is that there are plenty of benches for caregivers to sit nearby and supervise, lots of grass for the kids to run around on and some mature shade trees creating perfect snack time spots. And if that isn’t enough, there is ample free parking and a nearby bathroom in the Kanata Recreation Complex. Of course the one reason I know I will be returning to Walter Baker Park more than once this summer is because my daughter loves cooling off in the splash pad.

Hope to see you there!

Tracy Noble is a freelance writer who can be found outside, whatever the weather, with her (almost) three year old daughter.

Nature within City Bounds: Andrew Haydon Park

by Natasha Spending a day at the park with my family seems like the best use of a nice and sunny summer day. My favourite park has always been the Andrew Haydon Park, located in Ottawa’s west end. It sits along the river and is neighboured by a marina, so you see ducks coming in from one end, and sail boats moving in the back.

For the avid park-goer, this park has all the amenities you need to take advantage of fantastic scenery, walking trails and bike paths right inside the city itself. The park, with its mini islands and bridges, is large enough to house the ever increasing crowds that dwell in the city.

If you’re after a small picnic, the tables scattered all along the park give you ample room to lay out a spread and enjoy a bite outside. The park also has barbecue pits if you prefer to cook your meal on site. If you do bring your own BBQ pits though, make sure you obtain a permit from the City of Ottawa, otherwise there’s a hefty fine for those that don’t obtain the necessary approvals.

Andrew Haydon park has several play structures that have sand brought in straight from the beach. My son absolutely loves spending time in the sand boxes with his toys and horsing around on the swinging structures designed for child use. A large and intricate play structure is also located on site to keep children a little older busy and active.

The park, due to its proximity to the beach, also has room to accommodate the sun worshipers that lay by the trees for a tan with a book in their hand. And don’t worry if you need to change your clothes or clean up your little ruffians, there are washroom facilities with changing stations open to the public at any time.

If you can’t walk or bike to the park, drive down and enjoy the spacious parking over several lots provided across the length of the park. A word of caution though: the best spots and picnic tables tend to get occupied rather quickly on nice days, plan an early trip to the park to enjoy most of its amenities.

If this beautiful weather holds throughout the summer, you can be sure to find me and the family picnicking at this park.

Andrew Haydon Park 3169 Carling Ave Ottawa, Ontario

Natasha is a new mommy to her first born, Baby H. She runs ShopHaven, a blog that reviews products and profiles local businesses and individuals from the Ottawa area. Natasha is also the creative force behind ShopHaven Baskets; a highly customized gift baskets service.

Art in the Park / the New Art Festival

by Shawna This coming weekend is one of my favourite events of the year: Art in the Park / the New Art Festival in the Glebe.  This year, for the first time, I’m going to be one of the artists, but in years past I’ve brought my kids down to visit friends who were participating.  In fact, the very first weekend of Harris’s life, two days after coming home from the hospital, I gingerly made my way across the grass to settle into a lawn chair for a chat at Marida’s booth to show off my new baby. 

There are always things for kids of all ages at this show: in addition to the art to look at, which is colourful and diverse, we have watched puppet theatre shows, nibbled on locally-produced food, and fed the fish in Patterson’s Creek.  That being said, you’ll have to keep a few things in mind if you’re bringing small kids:

• Kids have shorter attention spans so, unless you’re very lucky, you won’t be able to just linger where and when you’d like to and absorb the art or engage the artists in a lot of conversation.  It’s not unusual for me to go twice – once with my kids and once without them.
• You’ll have to be vigilant about enforcing the “look with your eyes, not with your hands” rule unless it’s hands-on art.  In the past there have been fabulous musical metal sculptures that kids are encouraged to interact with, but those booths are the exception rather than the rule.
• It can get hot and crowded so bringing hats and sunblock is a must; snacks and drinks can be bought there but it would be more frugal to bring your own.  If you have a stroller negotiating the crowds might get tricky, but may have that extra toting power to even bring a blanket to spread under a tree in an out-of-the-way spot for a picnic.

I love exposing my kids to art, and this is a very family-friendly, low-key way to do it.  There’s no admission and you don’t have to worry about them making noise like you would at the National Art Gallery.  And now that my daughter Sage is five and a big fan of making art of her own, I think she’ll get even more out of it when her father brings her down to visit my booth.  Feel free to stop on by yourself – the festival is bounded by Bank, Patterson, O’Connor and Glebe, and I’ll be at 23 North Pathway all weekend!

Shawna is mom to 5-year-old Sage and 3-years-old-this-Friday Harris. She has been writing online since 2003, and her latest project is her photography business. Her son hasn't missed a Glebe Art In The Park in his entire life.

Walking in the Capital

by Sasha As I write this, it is a beautiful sunny day in Ottawa. Spring has finally, truly arrived! And so baby and I were out enjoying one of our favourite pastimes: walking the bike paths.

CNN bills Ottawa as one of the world's most bike friendly cities. But the 170km of bike paths are not just a boon for cyclists: they are also great for the strollering set. And as an added bonus: it takes a stroller a lot longer to burn through all that pavement.

My favourite stretch of paths runs along the river, from Andrew Haydon Park up to Parliament Hill, partly because of where we live but the views are also lovely.

Although there are some sections that are designated pedestrian-only, it is important to remember that the path is shared between pedestrians and cyclists. Some rules of safety and etiquette for pedestrians to keep in mind:

1. walk on the right, and leave room to pass on the left
2. if you are using headphones, make sure you can still hear someone coming behind you
3. cyclists should ring their bell before passing - if they do, it's nice to give them a little wave so they know you heard them

But the number one rule: the nice weather is here, so get out and enjoy it!

Where do you like to go walking in the capital?

Sasha is mom to 2-year-old Miss Bea, and 4 month old Baby Em.  Her ramblings can also be found on her blog, The Rambling Stroller.