VR Adventure - video game fun for teens and tweens in Ottawa

When my family found out about VRAdventures.ZONE there was no hesitation that everyone was interested in checking it out. Our household has a lot of video game experience and a fair amount of VR experience but we’ve never had a chance to all play together in a VR space and we really wanted to give it a try.

VRAdventures.ZONE is located in the Merivale Mall (park at the back of the building) and was even more impressive than we expected. We first walked in and saw a few small areas designed for people to play solo games, but once we went around the corner we realized just how big the space was and how many group games they could accommodate at once!

We decided to take on a virtual escape room. My family are becoming quite the pros at figuring these out, and we loved the idea of trying one in a VR space.

The VR escape room was more about finding things and moving them (even a spaceship!), unlike traditional escape rooms which tends to me more about solving puzzles to unlock padlocks.

What we loved

We really loved getting to this together. At home we only have one VR headset. Getting to all be in the same space and interacting with each other to solve the puzzles was a LOT of fun!

We really loved having lots of space. Having a big enough room for 5-6 people to all be walking around without bumping into walls and furniture is a struggle in most homes, even if you had that many VR headsets. We were able to move freely and it really felt like we were in the room!

As a parent I like that VR gets my kids moving while they’re playing video games. It’s a nice mix of what they love and not sitting and vegging too much.

They broadcast the gameplay on screens outside the room so even if you aren’t personally participating you can see what players are doing.

What we loved a bit less

Watching the group’s gameplay from the outside

You can get pretty hot in the headsets, so make sure the not dress too warmly and hydrate a lot.

There are a lot of flashing lights and VR can sometimes make you a bit dizzy. One of my kids needed to take a break and sit for a bit.

Overall it was a great experience and all of my family members would be happy to visit again!

What else do they offer?

VR Adventure Zone has a variety of kinds of experiences for every level and interest type, including arcade games and experiences (imagine trying out scuba diving or fly in space!)

They also offer birthday parties and even host corporate events!

VRAdventures.ZONE

Location: 1642 Merivale Rd Unit 300 (Merivale Mall)

Cost:

Pricing differs based on which experience you choose and how long you play, but expect about $25-40/person.

Hours:

They are open daily from 11am-10pm and on weekends they stay open until 11pm.

Important to know:

Kids must be at least 7 years old to play and anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a parent to participate.

Archery Games - Archery Activity in Ottawa

My family loves trying new activities, and Archery Games has been on our radar for a little while. I have friends who have tried it and had a blast (my sister even had her birthday party there!) but I was curious as to whether it would be a good fit for my family (kids are 8, 10, 12 and 14). My children enjoy sports (soccer, curling, speed skating) but archery is a first!

My youngest (a redhead) declared that she was going to be just like Merida.

How it works

There is a caged target practice area off to the immediate right which is also where you’ll find the shelves that hold the safety equipment (helmets and arm guards). The red and blue helmets are smaller and the black ones are larger. If you wear glasses, don’t worry, they have helmets that accommodate glasses. Two of my children wore glasses to our session and they had no issues with their helmets fitting properly.

When we entered the building, we were impressed with the size of the arena. The fenced playing field is lined with astroturf, sprinkled with a few large inflatable shapes that you can hide behind and is brightly lit making it easy to see the boundary lines. 

Upon arrival, we headed to the counter to sign in and we were directed to use the ipads to fill out waiver forms. Tip: If you have more than one child with you, you can click the button to add an additional child and your info will carry over to the next waiver.

We then had a few minutes to wait while the other participants who had booked the same time slot arrived. We were a larger group with 20 in total (my children were the only children). We were then greeted by the person who was the referee for our session. She gave a quick equipment rundown and then quickly demonstrated how to use the bow and arrow. Who knew there was a right-side up on the bow? The arrows have a large white foam cylinder on the end that looks like a giant marshmallow - it definitely softens the blow of a hit. Each participant had the chance to shoot one arrow in the practice cage and then we moved over to the arena.

The Games:

We were asked to choose a bow that was lined up against the fence (black bows are for adults and the white ones are for smaller kids) and then gather to hear the instructions. We had the opportunity to play 7 different games each lasting a few minutes. The group gathered between each game to hear the rules for the modified game. For all of the games but the last, we were split into two teams, each on its own side of the arena. The players began every game lined up along the back wall of their size and when the whistle was blown, players collected an arrow (or more!) from the centre safe-zone and then found a position to play from on their terrain.

It took a game or two to iron out how to load the bow quickly and efficiently; once that was sorted the game went much quicker. The games were a lot of fun, each a slight variation from the last. Some of the games were scored with points, some involved a fireball (think dodgeball!) and another allowed for your inner engineer to escape and strategize for the perfect arrangement on the playing field.

It was very easy to become absorbed in the game and adrenaline was definitely pumping! Hearts were racing as we ducked to avoid arrows and at the same time tried to find the perfect shot and quickly. Despite not knowing more than half of the participants, it was easy to work as a team and communicate strategy. My kids weren’t shy to play with other adults either which was fantastic. 

I wasn’t sure how well my petite 8-year-old would do but she was very focused on collecting arrows and loading her bow. Her shot wasn’t as strong as her older siblings’ but she chose to take her shots closer to the centre of the arena so she was able to tag players and hit targets with few problems. My 10-year-old was definitely stronger with her shots and my 12 and 14-year-olds shot just as well as the adults (or maybe even better!) I’d say the kids had an advantage of being smaller, they tucked in behind the inflatables quite easily!

What we loved:

My daughters who wear glasses were very happy to have masks that fit well. Their glasses were fogging up towards the end but that was corrected when we reminded them to remove their mask during the mini-break when listening to instructions.

We played 7 different games which was the perfect number to fill our time slot in the arena. It wasn’t rushed and the variety was welcomed. It also allowed for everyone to take a bit of a breather and grab a sip of water while listening to the instructions of the next game.

What we liked less:

For those who have never shot a bow and arrow before, one practice shot wasn’t a lot before heading into the arena. It took a game or two to get into the groove of loading the bow without the arrow sliding off (tip: if you put the arrow between your body and bow and then tilt your bow away from you, it won’t slide off as easily).

The whole family had a fantastic time and my children were asking to return even before we stepped off the turf!

Archery Games Ottawa
Where: 1860 Bank St, #3B
Cost: $29/person
Hours: Monday/Tuesday - closed, Wednesday/Thursday - 5-10pm, Friday - 5-9pm, Saturday/Sunday - 11am-9pm  *Bookings outside of these hours are available by appointment only and require a minimum of 10 players.

Thank you to Candace and her family who checked out Archery Games on behalf of Kids in the Capital. Archery Games provided tickets but all thoughts are our own.

Room Escape - Ottawa Escape Room

We’re exploring the city and finding great activities for teens and tweens this summer, and this week we were invited to try out Room Escape.

My family loves escape rooms! Puzzling things out is fun and exciting for them - and Room Escape was no exception. The whole family was impressed with the quality of the room, and the elaborate mechanisms, and loved the detailed story of the room. And we escaped the 4.5/5 difficulty room with 20 minutes to spare (but that’s because we have so many great puzzlers in the family!)

The room we did was called Undermined and we delved deep into a mine to find out what happened to geological genius Dr Jackson.

How it works:

When you arrive, you are first asked to wait in a holding area until your room is ready. You are then brought into a small room and the rules of the escape room are explained to you. You are then introduced to the story you are going to be solving.

Once you are in the room, you have one hour to solve the room - there is a tv screen in the room that keeps time for you. You have a walkie-talkie to ask for unlimited clues, and you are also given the option of a clue hint sheet (my family was NOT interested in that, but had I been with a different group I imagine we happily would have taken the sheet and been glad that there aren’t official penalties for asking for hints.)

What you actually do:

No spoilers are included here - these are random numbers before we solved it :)

Once you’re in the room there are clues that will allow you to open up ways to find more clues. There are lots of padlocks - some that require keys, some that need number codes and some that require letter codes. There are many different kinds of puzzles, that include figuring out patterns, putting things together in the right order, and noticing clues around the room.

The rooms can feel quite small if you’re a larger group, but the more you solve, the more rooms open up and the more you can spread out.

What we really like:

Having done a bunch of escape rooms before what we really liked about Room Escape are the elaborate setups. The rooms at Room Escape seem more permanent than at some of the other escape room places where they change them out more often and it felt like that meant the components were more elaborate.

There were a lot of really great effects that made you feel like things were moving or like you were actually in a mine. There were also moving parts and one of us got to ride in a mine cart!

All the kids commented about the elaborate mechanisms and that the puzzles were challenging but fun.

What we liked a bit less:

If there are more than 3-4 of you, those that are less competitive may be left behind as there isn’t a lot of room to get involved. This is partially just the nature of escape rooms though, and not so much about Room Escape specifically.

Overall it was a great outing and all the teens would happily return to puzzle through more rooms!

Where: 1860 Bank Street, #3B

Cost: $29/person

Hours: Monday/Tuesday - 5pm - 10pm
Wednesday/Sunday - 10am - 10pm

Check out their website for more information and to book in a time to escape yourself!

Note: we were gifted passes to experience the escape room but all thoughts are our own.

Win a family pass to Songs My Mother Taught Me with the NAC Orchestra

We’ve got two family passes to give away to a Family Adventures Show with the NAC Orchestra called Songs My Mother Taught me!

Read a bit about the show and then check out the contest details at the bottom of this post!

Details

Songs My Mother Taught Me with the NAC Orchestra
Saturday May 7th at 1:30 pm

Southam Hall - 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa
For children 5+ and the whole family
For your comfort, the venue capacity for this show is set to 50%

A Musical Tribute for Mother’s Day

Mom, your special day is almost here, and we’ve got the perfect way to introduce your little ones to the music you love!

This year, before breakfast in bed and the beautiful presentation of those glorious handmade gifts, treat yourself to this bilingual musical offering with the whole family.

This Mothers’ Day, join the NAC Orchestra and guest conductor Naomi Woo for 50 magical minutes of music that celebrate and honour mothers of every generation. Your kids will beam as they escort you into Southam Hall, and you can watch their imaginations grow with this beautiful introduction to the captivating world of orchestral music.

For the kids, we’ve got selections going from Disney (including music from Encanto) to songs about Mother Earth and Mama Africa!
For you we’ll have enchanting favourites like Debussy’s Clair de Lune, and songs by African American composer and mother of three Florence Price—all performed by mums like singer-songwriter Kelly Bado (Francophone Artist of the Year, 2021 Western Canadian Music Awards) and the NAC Orchestra’s own Jessica Linnebach.

Enjoy an afternoon exploring the wonders of music with fun and engaging musical experiences.

Contest details

We have two family passes to give away! Simply comment below and tell us if you’ve ever brought your kids to a show like this before (don’t forget to leave your contact info in the comment form - this is only used to notify you if you win, and is not visible to the public). Deadline to enter is end of the day Sunday, May 1.

Winter Fat Biking at Hylands Golf Course

KITC would like to welcome back guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel.  During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival. During a non-pandemic winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.  

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The first time I saw a person cycling on a trail while I was cross-country skiing, I thought I was imagining things. I am used to seeing winter cyclists but not in the forest. Doing further research, I discovered they were participating in the new sport of fat biking.

I hunted around the city and found much of Ottawa also wanted to try out fat biking. Several bike rental places were almost always booked for the weekend and good luck buying one.  

With winter almost over, I found out the Hylands Golf Course, rents out fat bikes at a very reasonable price and also has fifteen kilometres of trail to enjoy the sport.

My wife, Sandy and I arrived at the winter activities centre on a brisk but not too windy Monday morning. Immediately, I liked the place with old-style cross-country ski and snow boots decorating the exterior.

We were warmly greeted by the operations manager, Marc-Andre. We told Marc that we had never gone fat biking before. He quickly set us up with helmets and properly-sized fat bikes. He also gave us directions for the various loops and we were ready to go.

From the moment, I hopped on the bike, I loved it. The crunch of snow under the balloon-sized tires was incredible. To start, we did the one-kilometre practice loop. If you can ride a bike, you are able to ride a fat bike. The gears shifted perfectly and the brakes worked well.

After finishing our practice loop, we were ready for a bigger challenge. Marc recommended we try the five-kilometre loop. He said it normally takes about forty-five minutes to complete.

We set out and quickly discovered how well-groomed the trails were.  The fat bike course also doubles as a cross-country trail. There was ample space to fat bike and not impinge on the cross-country ski track. We had a couple of skiers gracefully glide by while we were cycling.  

The trail wound its way around the golf course. Sandy and I stopped frequently to enjoy the scenery and take photos. I imagine the trail serves for golf carts in the summer. It was fun seeing the signage for the various golf holes. Perhaps winter golf will become a thing.

The trail had enough small hills and curves to keep it fun. As mentioned, it was impeccably groomed so ice was never an issue. We also enjoyed the varied scenery ranging from pockets of trees where it felt like forest to more open areas.

Sandy and I do not profess ourselves to be Olympic athletes, so with the photo stops and water breaks we were probably on the trail for about an hour and fifteen minutes. There are further loops of nine and fifteen kilometres.

We arrived back at the centre and were sad to give up our fat bikes. Fat biking is definitely an activity that will become part of our winter fitness routine.

I think fat biking is accessible to all families if the kids are somewhat older. If you have a sporty eight-year-old it would most likely work. The bike does take more effort than a road bike but a person of average physical condition will be fine. The bikes were surprisingly light. My son’s mountain bike is heavier.

Hylands golf course has other winter activities than just fat-biking. As mentioned, they have fourteen kilometres of classic and skate cross country ski trails. They also have hundreds of acres that can be explored by snowshoes. They even have an outdoor rink that is serviced by a Zamboni!

From start to finish we felt very safe as all staff were wearing masks while inside or assisting us outside. The trails also allow for easy social distancing.  

The rental of equipment is very reasonable. It should be noted that Hylands is geared towards active/former military and their families. However, civilians are welcome to use their facilities as well. I found their price point to be much lower than anywhere else I checked in the city. The rental of a fat bike and helmet was 25 dollars for unlimited day use plus a five-dollar trail fee.  

Winter may almost be over but it is well worth to check out Hylands if the snow remains or put it on your bucket list next season. We know in Ottawa, winter is always just around the corner!

For more information, visit www.hylandsgc.com and click on winter activities. Under current Covid measures reservations for times and equipment must be made by email via their website or phone.