I’ve heard so many people are on the ball this year, and have already finished all their Christmas shopping in anticipation of the difficulties we may face with the pandemic. If you’re like me and have done NOTHING, then welcome to the club!! This little gift guide I put together is for anyone needing ideas or looking for something special to bring some cheer to a loved one. If there’s ever a year to splurge on special things (if you’re financially able to), I feel like 2020 is that year! I still strongly support buying experiences instead of more “stuff” but we all know how difficult getting out to do activities has been lately - for that reason we’ve included some online activities for the whole family!

For the kids

Handmade curvy board

A curvy board is fun for the whole family (seriously, they can hold a lot of weight!) and kids love being able to rock, slide and play make-believe with them. Misty’s husband Tom has been making these for years and always does a batch for the holidays. Handmade to order by contacting Tom of All Trades ($140 including tax)

A Culinary Box

Culinary boxes combine the fun of a cooking class with a collection of kid friendly recipe cards, kitchen tools, science activities and more. Check out Julianna Banana for a bundle of 3 Culinary Boxes to get your kids excited to be in the kitchen!

Hot Chocolate Bombs

Becky from A Little Bit of Momsense posted about these hot chocolate bombs and I knew I needed to get my hands on some - they are sold through Occo Market or Aux Delices Bakery.

Online Arts Classes

Do you have a child that loves drawing and painting? Since so many in-person classes are out of the question right now, we went searching for a great online class. Rae Wright is from Guelph Ontario (so now quite local to Ottawa, but this is the beauty of online!) and offers both kid and adult classes - we’ve tried them and my daughter LOVED her experience!

Holiday Ornaments

Want something to commemorate the kind of year its been for the tree? Kids in the Capital founder Lara Wellman is helping to sell ornaments handmade by her mother, including Santa and Mrs. Claus sporting their 2020 facemasks and Coronavirus themselves (also wearing a mask.) They cost $25 and ALL the money goes to support a local school - Charles H Hulse Public School. You can check out the designs through Lara’s Facebook account and place an order in the comments.

National Gallery Membership

If you are comfortable indoors for short periods of time, the National Gallery of Canada is still facilitating great family-based programming every weekend.

World Changing Kids Workshops

World Changing Kids is a local social enterprise dedicated to social justice. Workshops empower children to feel like they can make the world a better place and give them the tools to help do this! Check out their products and workshops available.

The Season’s Best Toys

Want to support local AND find some super fun games or toys for the kids? Check out Tag Along Toys - they carry an amazing line of games, toys and puzzles for kids of all ages. A few featured toys/games include:

Know Nine
Outfoxed
The Clay Date Kit

For the parents and grandparents

Locally made pottery

Monkey Mud Pottery creates local and unique pottery that make the perfect gift for a loved one. I’m obsessed with pottery, so this is definitely on my list!!

Home decor baskets

Pillows and Paintings is a local home-staging business, and they are now selling these GORGEOUS home decor baskets through their new boutique - perfect for any parent, grandparent or friend. There are many different themed baskets for all kinds of tastes. “Tin Man” has a rustic vibe (with local beer!) while “Tranquility” is cool and beautiful.

Local beer or takeout

Nothing says “I love you” like good food and drink! And with a lack of options for dining out these days, the new date night has become an at-home experience. Serve the kids some grilled cheese, get them to bed, and then enjoy local brews and food. Our favourites include:

Bicycle Brewery
Broadhead Brewery
OCCO Kitchen (and OCCO Market!)