Body Positive Bollywood dance for kids

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GUEST BLOG

By Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre | orig: January 16, 2023

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Bollywood dance champion Karima Essa teaches kids to love themselves, inside and out.

“As a performer, Karima is the best combination: highly skilled and not-intimidating. Watching her perform inspires people from toddler to senior to join in, and Karima's praise, levity and pure love keeps people dancing - and coming back for more.” -  Kitsilano Community Centre

Photo: Karima Essa family workshop

Forget the diets and the fitness binge! Come laugh, dance, and love yourself at a celebration of bodies of all shapes and sizes! The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre proudly presents Karima Essa’s Body Positive Bollywood Dance Show on Sunday, January 29 at 11:00AM as the third performance in the 2022-23 SPOTLIGHT Season’s Kids Series.  Due to the recent flood at the theatre, this performance will take place at the Priest Valley Gym at the Greater Vernon Recreation Centre. 

Since age 4, Karima Essa has been gracing the stage in dance competitions, events and most recently on OMNI TV’s Bollywood Star reality show. When she hit puberty at 11, her body unwittingly became a blank canvas in which people could “paint” their admiration and adoration or their judgement and criticism. She grew up thinking she needed to be a “size zero,” fueled by the vanity of the Bollywood industry. However, she has finally grown to love her new, beautiful body. 

Karima’s Body Positive Bollywood Dance Show is an interactive performance that infuses music, breathing and ideologies from ancient scholars from the Middle East and South Asia.  Students of all shapes and sizes will leave inspired to accept and love themselves inside and out, on and off the dance floor! 

Karima first delighted audiences at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre last March during the inaugural North Okanagan Children’s Festival. 

“She had the whole audience on their feet and beaming with joy, kids and parents alike,” said VDPAC Artistic Director Erin Kennedy. “We are thrilled to have Karima back for another accessible and inclusive workshop-style show.”

A three-time Canadian National Dance champion, Karima Essa is Vancouver’s very own Bollywood star. An incredibly charismatic and passionate performer, choreographer and instructor, she has used her one-of-a-kind Bollywood talent to entertain diverse audiences at festivals, theatres and in schools across Canada.  In 2014, her love for Bollywood took her to the screens in Mumbai, India, as a two-time finalist on Omni TV’s reality show, Bollywood Star. With style, grace and a flair for the dramatic, she has been captivating adult and young audiences for decades.

Since first showcasing her Bollywood Star School show in 2018, she has performed this show in 150+ schools across BC. Karima’s new focus is on celebrating that all bodies can dance by sharing the body positivity movement through Bollywood Dance. Karima is also completing her Education Assistance certification and is interested in exploring how dance can help improve socio-emotional skills in children who have autism.

The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre presents Karima Essa’s Body Positive Bollywood Dance Show

on Sunday, January 29 at 11:00AM

at the Priest Valley Gym at the Greater Vernon Recreation Centre.

The show runs 45 minutes with no intermission and is suitable for all ages.

Tickets are $12.

About Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre  

The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Society is a non-profit, charitable organization devoted to fostering artists, their work, and live performance in all genres and for all ages. The Society operates the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre (VDPAC) on behalf of the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) and with the support of over 30 staff and 200 volunteers. Each year, we present our SPOTLIGHT Season of over 30 diverse performances, complemented by over 125 concerts, festivals, and special events. We select professional touring productions to entertain, enlighten, move and amuse our audiences. Altogether, they offer patrons of all ages a world of unforgettable live theatre experiences. Please visit: https://vdpac.ca/ & https://ticketseller.ca/

Things you can do with kids (and be happy ever) at home.

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GUEST BLOG

By Yana Crane | orig: March 16, 2020

👉🏻 From the blog Yana Crane Photography

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With spring break, school closures and C-virus self-quarantine I see so many parents struggling to keep their kids entertained. Nowadays it's almost a basic need - to keep kids busy. Firstly, I want to reassure you that it is ok for children to be bored sometimes: it's actually a good thing because it can spark creativity, build self-confidence ("Look what I can do mom!") and inner motivation (they do things because they are bored not because they will get a candy or 1 hour of screen time). 

Of course it could be hard at first - they will come to you with "I don't know what to do. I'm bored. Mom..mooooom..mom-mom-mom-mom.." Sounds familiar? :) 

As a homeschooling mom I spend 90% of my time with kids and we never have enough time to do all things we want or started to do. There are so many opportunities to learn and play! Most of the public school-parents don't know about them and I would like to share some ideas. 

Apart from regular reading and colouring, hiking and playing in the park here is what you can do.

1. Cook and bake with kids.

They love it! (most of them for sure). What can they learn: adding and subtracting carrots, potatoes, buns. Fractions while baking - 1/4 of the cup, 1/2 of the tea spoon. Or they can make veggies-fruit and meals out of play dough which develops fine motor skills!

If your kids are passionate about cooking and are old enough you can enroll them in online cooking academy like this one: www.kidscookrealfood.com

We also love Preppy Kitchen on YouTube. He is fun to bake with!

2. Science experiments!

You can do loads of them just with household items. 

We really love Mystery Doug videos and different activities-lessons (lots are free), www.superchargedschool.com  (free science classes and now they have a new content daily)! For Pre-K and elementary school we love TheDadLab on Instagram - so easy fun!

3. Crafts.

So many choices here! And it doesn't matter if you have boys or girls, some boys really love to learn how to finger knit or sew a button! You can level up that regular play dough mess creating arts, learning an alphabet or planets (we made cell-parts, planets, Earth structure, parts of the plants and more).

Sewing, making dolls out of fabric, wood, beads etc - so many ideas on Pinterest. You can make simple yarn dolls or Slavic Spring fabric dolls (you can ask me how, most of the instructions are in Russian).

Simple felting (we have a great yarn store in Vernon with wool supplies and I'm sure every city has one too).

Origami! My youngest found a great youTube channel with easy to follow instructions. She is 6 years old and sometimes needs me to show her the details but mostly she would just pause and fold. And you don't need special paper, use old magazines, wrapping paper or old drawings you wanted to recycle!

Hello Origami

Toilet paper rolls! I'm sure you will have tons of them left *wink wink*! 

Endless opportunities. I didn't even want to dig into my photos for that. Just save it, give it to your kids and let their imagination flow! 

Random crafts like building structures and bridges, DNA cells or space ships. Making kid's favourite book heroes out of paper and playing with it while reading another story or creating your own - a new turn, a new ending or beginning and the character gets another life while your kids develop creativity and language skills. 

 4. If your flights were cancelled or vacations postponed go on an adventure from you home!

Learn about new countries and cities, cultures and traditions, cook Indian food or sushi, listen to Italian music and The Beatles! If you have Wi-Fi and a computer it is so easy to do. If you also have books - even better! (Or use your local library, you can also place books on hold from your home and just quickly go and pick it up when you get e-mail notification).

You can make your own lap-books with kids and if you own a printer you have lots of free resources out there:

Canada Lapbook 

Flags - print them, glue to a toothpick and play with a map using little piece of play dough to attach flag to the country!

Travel with two little dogs - Bella and Harry adventures. They have free colouring sheets and lesson plans of this website. We love the books as well (you can buy them on Amazon).

Treasures of the World museums. As a photographer I love to learn about artists and masterpieces. We have lots of books to go through but unfortunately no access to the real museums with art here. So we use online resources to look at the paintings and sculptures all around the world. 

Youtube channel we love to watch: Geography Now. 

5. Play board games!

If you don't have many - print your own games! (Or draw them if you don't have a printer). And I don't even know where to start - there are lots of websites with printable educational and fun games (please don't hesitate to PM if you are stuck with it, I will send you some games on e-mail or show the links). Many amazing moms and dads made them for us to use! Some are free, some cost just a little but so worth the $. 

6. Play!

Do a treasure hunt (or a scavenger hut) in your backyard. Invite toy-guests for Sloth's Bday party! Do a Fashion Week show (boys love dressing up too!). Play a cave-man (stick-stone tools, cave art, dances, mamoth-papa hunt). Cardboard boxes are amazing toys - make a ship, a car, a plane and learn about Marco Polo, Amelia Earhart, Michael Schumacher, Columbus or other great explorers!  

There are so many more things you can learn and do with kids! They are naturally curious and daring, creative and can absorb information better than we think. Take this opportunity to really know them, bond with them and explore together - it is so rewarding in a long term. Just follow their interest, then you'll get the best results and the most fun!

And if you happened to be a photographer pick up your camera to document this days! 

If you are not a photographer but want to have this memories to cherish, I would love to help - I do in-home sessions and this is my jam! 

Some other helpful links see below.

• Free Subscriptions  during the school closings  

• Free live Opera streams - Metropolitan Opera 

•  Free Lapbooks and units for different subjects 

•  Award winning Apps 

•  Art lessons for kids  (different grades) 

•  Outschool lessons - online lessons, lots of subjects. Some are live, some recorded, many options just search with key word or browse. 

•  About Gameschooling 

•  Open Culture - free online classes, audiobook, lectures etc. 

•  Composers study - fun way to learn classical music and composers for kids 

•  Easy Science for kids 

•  Experiments with Steve Spangler 

•  Khan Academy - free online classes and tests (math, science, social studies)

•  Free Language printable games 

Head over to my website (click-able link below) and add your favourite ideas or resources in comments. There are many many more of them and I actually sometimes think how great it would be to have 48 hours a day :) 

I hope that helps and you can use some ideas at your home! I would love to share my experience and help to anyone who needs it! 

yanacranephotography.com Blog  

To book your session call (250) 938-2734

Or Pm on a Facebook

Fresh To You fundraiser - Vernon Montessori Society

The Vernon Montessori Society is making a healthy choice in fundraising by selling top quality fruits and Vegetables from BC. In partnership with the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program, 40% of the proceeds go directly to the Silver Star Elementary Montessori program!

Do The Okanagan is supporting this fundraiser by collecting orders and offering free delivery within 25km of Downtown Vernon.

Please help us meet our program’s fundraising goals by purchasing a bundle.

To Order:

1. fill out the form below and

2. send an etransfer to dotheokanagan@gmail.com

By October 21, 2022.

Deliveries will be out between November 7 - 26, 2022.

Your information is safe with us. We never sell or share your contact information with another party unless we have specific permission to do so.

100 epic adventures to do with your kids this Summer!

This list is organized from North to South and…

⭐ There are coupons! Please show this list (screen grab works) to your host at the business to redeem.

⬜ Shuswap River Float -ENDERBY Make sure water levels are safe!

⬜ Memorial Park Outdoor Pool and Splashpad -ARMSTRONG

⬜ SplashDown Waterslides -VERNON

⬜ Kalamalka Beach -VERNON

⬜ Got Wake Chartered Wakesurfing -VERNON

⬜ Holy Doodle Sailing Charters -KELOWNA

⬜ Hydrofly Rocket Boots -KELOWNA Fun for bigger kids

⬜ Wibit -KELOWNA, PEACHLAND, PENTICTON & OSOYOOS

⬜ Pention Channel Float -PENTICTON

⬜ Skaha Lake Park -PENTICTON

Beyond the Okanagan boundary:

⬜ Crazy Creek Hot Pools -REVELSTOKE

👉🏻 For local beaches, head -HERE-

👉🏻 More splash pads and outdoor pools -HERE-

⬜ Enderby Cliffs -ENDERBY This is a great hike with older children.

⬜ Miska Haven Glamping B&B -ENDERBY

⬜ Mount Rose Swanson -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Get Lost Glamping Adventure -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Silver Star Mountain Resort -SILVER STAR

⬜ Echo Lake Fishing Resort -LUMBY

⬜ Rail Trail -VERNON to KELOWNA

⬜ Beaver Lake Fishing Resort -LAKE COUNTRY

⬜ Fintry Waterfalls -WEST SIDE

⬜ Christie Falls -WEST SIDE

⬜ Myra Canyon Trestles -KELOWNA

⬜ Crawford Waterfalls -KELOWNA

⬜ Chute Lake Lodge -NARAMATA

⬜ Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory -OKANAGAN FALLS

Beyond the Okanagan boundary:

⬜ SkyTrek Adventure Park -REVELSTOKE

⬜ The Enchanted Forrest -REVELSTOKE

⬜ The Small Axe Roadhouse -ENDERBY

⭐ Free kids slushie with the purchase of a menu item!

⬜ Pink Rock Ice Cream Shoppe -ARMSTRONG

⭐ Buy one get one 50% off!

⬜ Smoke’s Poutinerie -KELOWNA

⬜ Okanagan Beach Club Tacos and Margaritas/Slushies -WEST SIDE

⬜ Tickleberry’s Ice Cream -OK FALLS

⬜ Osoyoos Candy Store -OSOYOOS

Beyond the Okanagan Boundary:

⬜ D Duchmen Dairy -SICAMOUS

👉🏻 Check out more Ice Cream Shops -HERE-

⬜ Starlight Drive-In Movie Theatre -ENDERBY

⬜ Little Om Yoga in the Orchard -LAKE COUNTRY

⬜ Lunch or Dinner Lake Cruise -KELOWNA

⬜ Bbq Boat -KELOWNA

⬜ IPE Aug 31- Sept 4 -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Sunflower Festival Aug 18- Sept 5 -ARMSTRONG

⬜ Davison Orchards -VERNON Take quarters for the animal-feed machine.

⬜ O’Keefe Ranch -VERNON

⬜ Yoga with Goats -VERNON

⬜ Cowboy Poetry Music Festival July 29-31 -VERNON

⬜ Kangaroo Creek Farm -KELOWNA

⬜ Covert Farms Kid’s Tour & Tasting -OLIVER

Beyond the Okanagan Boundary:

⬜ BC Wildlife Park -KAMLOOPS

👉🏻 For our big list of farms, click -HERE-!

⬜ Canadian Wildlife Museum -VERNON

⭐Free kids popsicle with the purchase of entry!

⬜ Okanagan Science Centre -VERNON

⬜ Colour Drop Design Silk Scarf Making -VERNON to KELOWNA

⬜ Oyama Zipline Adventure Park -LAKE COUNTRY

⬜ Myra Canyon Adventure Park - KELOWNA

⬜ Falcons Baseball Home Games -KELOWNA

⬜ Okanagan Adventure Park -JOE RICH

⬜ Safari Ridge Paint Ball -WEST KELOWNA

⬜ Zipzone -PEACHLAND

⬜ Kartplex -OLIVER

⬜ Scandia - KELOWNA

⬜ Loco Landing -PENTICTON

⬜ Rattlesnake Canyon -OSOYOOS

… 🛠 More is coming! We’re working on it riiiight now!

75+ Kid-Friendly things to do this Winter

FROM NORTH TO SOUTH!

🔴 Vaccine Cards for ages 12+ required only where noted. For more information click here. Many activities are running at limited capacity, you may need to reserve a spot before you go.

- ENDERBY -

• Visit the Courtyard Art Gallery.

• Check out Soapolallie Soapworks.

• Grab pancakes or quesadillas at Hungry Jack’s.

• Stay at Miska Haven’s woodsy cabin or yurt.

- ARMSTRONG -

• Shop new and used at Sea Star Kids Boutique.

• Toboggan at Armstrong Elementary School’s famous hill.

• Have a sundae at Pink Rock Ice Cream Shoppe. HOT TIP: Sundaes on Sundays are only $5.

• Grab soup and a giant cookie from The Wild Oak Cafe.

• 🔴Roller skate at Hassen Arena every Friday night. Vaccine Card Required

- VERNON -

• Taste honey and visit the bees at Planet Bee.

• Buy some new-to-you books at the Alpine Centre Book Warehouse for only $1.

• Pick from over 200 board games to play at The Boarding House Cafe.

• Shop for new-to-you clothing and toys at Little Plum Children’s Boutique.

• Grab traditional pizza and gelato at La Carraia.

• Learn something new at the Okanagan Science Centre. HOT TIP: Yearly family passes are only $75 and includes FREE admission to 28 other Science Centres and Museums in Canada.

• 🔴Paint something pretty at Colour Time Ceramics. Vaccine Card Required.

• Have stuffed french toast at EATology.

• Bring your remote control truck to Make My Fun and drive their indoor crawler track.

• Visit the critters at AJ’s Pets & Things.

• 🔴Drop in to do some rock climbing at The Rock Garden. Vaccine Card Required

• Spend the night at the Vernon Lodge. They have a live indoor jungle complete with river and swimming pool. *Vaccine card required for the restaurant.

• Head to Vernon Teach and Learn & Lollipop Lane for take-home activities, fresh made waffle cones and a wall of Jelly Belly flavours.

- SILVERSTAR -

• Whip down the mountain at Tube Town.

• Ride the Gondola and take in breath taking views.

• Skate 2.5 acres of Brewer’s Pond. Skate rentals available for $12.

• Turn the kids loose on mini snowmobiles.

• Go for a ski. Kids 5 and under are free!

• Have hot coco and snacks at Town Hall or Tube Town Cafe & Bar.

- LAKE COUNTRY -

• Drop-in at the Lake Country Play Cafe on Tuesdays.

• Grab snacks and hot drinks at Lake Country Coffee House.

• Bundle up and play at Beasley Park.

• Wander the Rail Trail and Pelmewash Parkway. With enough energy, you can do a full loop around the lake.

• Visit some exotic critters at Lake Country Pet.

- KELOWNA -

• Jump on giant inflatable bouncers and climb around on the play structure at Jump 2 It. Plus a toddler area for little ones!

• Enjoy a Moolix ice cream cone at their McCurdy location.

• Go indoor jungle themed mini golfing or play the arcade at Scandia.

• Experience virtual reality at the Arcadia Virtual Reality Lounge.

• Your kids are going to love EnergyPlex - there’s a 4 level indoor playground, rock climbing, laser tag, an aerial park and arcade.

• Play some extreme glow-in-the-dark laser tag at Planet Lazer.

• Jump that energy out at Airhouse where there’s enough trampolines to tire out any active kid (and their parents too!).

• Skate downtown at Stuart Park.

• Pick out some brand new books to read at Once Upon a Bookstore.

• 🔴Go climbing at Gneiss Climbing Gym. Ages 3+. Vaccine Card Required

• 🔴Hop in the pool at H2O Adventure & Fitness Centre. There’s a wave pool, water slides, spray area and a surf wave simulator. Vaccine Card Required

• Paint pottery at Work of Art Pottery Studio.

• Have a Breakfast Bento Box from J’s Cafe.

• Visit the Okanagan Heritage Museum and learn a little history about the area.

• Work together as a family and escape at Exit Kelowna.

• Loadza Toys is Kelowna’s best toys and games store! Pick out some new stuff to keep them occupied at home.

• Shop East Kelowna Market.

• Visit Farming Karma for fruit sodas and porch swings.

- BIG WHITE -

• Hit up the Tube Park and slide like a maniac.

• Skate the giant outdoor rink.

• Ski the slopes. Kids 5 and under are free!

- WEST KELOWNA -

• Snow shoe and toboggan at Telemark Nordic Club.

• Play indoors at Just 4 Fun PlayCentre. There’s a bouncy castle, soft play merry go round and a 20 ft inflatable slide.

• Try bannock at Kekuli Cafe Indigenous Cuisine.

• Go for a treat at Bliss Bakery.

- SUMMERLAND -

• Taste authentic Canadian maple syrups at Maple Roch and grab an ice cream.

• Grab a smoothie, lunch and baked goods from The Beanery Cafe.

• Go birding in the Ornamental Gardens.

- PENTICTON -

• Enjoy a coffee while the kids play at Busy Beans Play Cafe. Great for ages 0 - 7.

• Drop in for gymnastics at Springers Gymnastics Adventures. These guys prefer cash :)

• Head down to the Penticton Virtual Reality Studio to play games and experience new things in VR.

• Have ice cream and cake at Ogos. Everything’s bright and colourful, the kids will love it.

• Drop in and try parkour at Ethos Parkour & Movement.

• 🔴Choose from over 500 board games to play at Meeples and Milkshakes Board Game Cafe and make sure to have a milkshake too. Vaccine Card Required

• 🔴Climb the walls at Hoodoo Adventures’ climbing gym. Vaccine Card Required

- APEX -

• Skate through the forest on a 1km loop.

• Blast down the hill in the tube park.

• Grab some crinkle fries at the Cafeteria.

- NARAMATA -

• Rent a cabin at Chute Lake Lodge.

• Hike Naramata Waterfalls.

- KEREMEOS -

• 🔴Hit up the Similkameen Recreation Centre and enjoy 5 pin bowling and an indoor climbing wall. Vaccine Card Required

• Grab some comfort food and pie at The Ranch.

Did we miss anything good? Comment below!

Stay tuned… we have more coming!

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Need more stuff to do? 👇

80 Things To Do With Kids In The Okanagan To Get Out Of The Smoke

- ENDERBY -

1.Have lunch at The Small Axe Roadhouse. The vibe is super fun and funky and kids will get a kick out of the decor. Plus they have a great kids menu!

- ARMSTRONG -

2. Head to Hassen Arena for family floor time. The arena is open for use every Tuesday and Thursday in August from 10am - 12pm. Bring some equipment from home and play a game indoors!

3. Start your back to school shopping early at Sea Star Kids Boutique. New and pre-loved items available up to size 8/10 for boys and 14/16 for girls.

4. Have a sundae at Pink Rock Ice Cream Shoppe and enjoy it in their indoor seating. HOT TIP: Sundaes on Sundays are only $5 and made the way you like it!

5. Relive history at the Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum & Art Gallery. They have so much explore, including replicas of a railway station, schoolroom, general store and blacksmith shop.

6. Grab a kids hot chocolate from The Wild Oak Cafe. Make sure you treat the kiddos to a giant cookie from the pastry case too!

- VERNON -

7. Go for a public swim at the Vernon Recreation Centre. There’s a slide, whirlpool, shallow pool for little ones, hot tub and lane pool.

8. Taste honey at Planet Bee and visit the bees! They also offer educational presentations for all ages.

9. Drop in to do some rock climbing at The Rock Garden. Tot prices (ages 5 and under) available!

10. Go bowling at Lincoln Lanes. HOT TIP: Kids bowl FREE (2 games per day) all summer long!

11. Check out some books at the Vernon branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. They have a great kids and young adult section and lots of seating to sit and read together.

12. Pick from over 200 board games and play for only $5 per person at The Boarding House Cafe. Bonus: enjoy coffee, tea, hot chocolate and a whole bunch of snacks and baked goods.

13. Head to Teeter Totter Toys to find some new toys and games to keep the littles busy when it’s too smoky to go outside.

14. Hang out in the Habitat Room and the Discovery Room at the Allan Brooks Interpretive Centre. Admission is by donation!

15. Shop for new-to-you clothing and toys at Little Plum Children’s Boutique. They have weekly activities and a parenting room for your littles to play in or for nursing mamas to use.

16. Grab gelato at Vernon’s newest spot La Carraia Gelato. They also have baked goods and snacks and a lot of air-conditioned indoor seating available.

17. Learn something new at the Okanagan Science Centre. HOT TIP: Yearly family passes are only $75 and includes FREE admission to 28 other Science Centres and Museums in Canada.

18. Paint something pretty at Colour Time Ceramics. This is great for kids ages 5+ and should buy you at least an hour of inside time.

19. Find a new creative project at the Vernon Teach & Learn. They have tons of “build your own” style kits that will keep the kiddos busy at home.

20. Snack on a stack of pancakes at Diner on Six. Ordering at the counter makes it quick (and painless with small kids) and they provide colouring sheets to keep ‘em occupied until the food arrives.

21. R/C Cars and Trucks? R/C Planes? R/C Boats? Make My Fun has it all! Plus they have an indoor crawler track you can use.

22. Get above the smoke and see what’s going on up at Silver Star. Bike or hike the trails or if that’s not your jam and/or your kiddos are too small, there are lots of things to see in the Village. Check out their list of summer activities.

- LAKE COUNTRY -

23. Eat at Norman’s Diner. They have a kids menu and super fast service so no one gets hangry.

24. Sign up for parent + tot Summer Gym Mini Sessions at Lake Country Gymnastics.

25. Shop for used books and treasures at the Lake Country Museum & Archives Saturday afternoon vintage item and book sale. It runs every Saturday from 1-4pm until the September long weekend.

- KELOWNA -

26. Cruise around Orchard Park Mall and then hit up Fortuna Gelato for a treat.

27. Check out the book selection at the downtown Kelowna branch of the ORL and read something new together.

28. Go climbing with your kids at Gneiss Climbing Gym. Ages 3+.

29. Hop in the pool at H2O Adventure & Fitness Centre. There’s tons to do for kids including a wave pool, water slides, spray area and a surf wave simulator.

30. Find something cool to wear at Once Upon a Child.

31. Pick a game (or two or three!) from a selection of over 800 games and play the day away at Twice the Dice. HOT TIP: “Wee Wednesdays” are when everyone pays the $3 child rate to stay and play.

32. Jump on giant inflatable bouncers and climb around on the play structure at Jump 2 It. Plus a toddler area for little ones!

33. Knock down some pins at McCurdy Bowling Centre.

34. Sit in and enjoy a Moolix ice cream cone at their McCurdy location.

35. Go indoor jungle themed mini golfing at Scandia. Also play at the arcade - Dance Dance Revolution anyone?

36. Go bowling at BNA Brewing. They’re family friendly until 10PM and there are also vintage arcade games and pinball. Plus food and beer for the grown-ups and a kids’ menu for the kiddos!

37. Drop in at the Kelowna YMCA and use the pool, gymnasium, climbing wall, youth zone and child and family centre.

38. Experience virtual reality at the Arcadia Virtual Reality Lounge. This is great for older kids!

39. Your kids are going to love EnergyPlex - there’s a 4 level indoor playground, rock climbing, laser tag, an aerial park and arcade. Tire. Them. Out.

40. Play some extreme glow-in-the-dark laser tag at Planet Lazer. After you’re done, tack a trip to their arcade where you can save up your tickets to win prizes.

41. Jump, jump, jump that energy out at Airhouse where there’s enough trampolines to tire out any active kid (and their parents too!).

42. Pick out some brand new books to read at Once Upon a Bookstore.

43. Drop-in to paint some pottery at Work of Art Pottery Studio. No appointment necessary!

44. Get climbing at Beyond the Cruz Climbing Gym.

45. Pick something fun off the kids menu at EK’s Grill. Kid’s menu items start at only $5.50 and come with a drink, choice of fries or veggies and a dessert!

46. Visit the Okanagan Heritage Museum and learn a little history about the area.

47. If you have older kids, they’re going to love the escape rooms at Exit Kelowna. Work together as a family!

48. Play some board games and snack on some gelato at Flip Flops and Hops. Plus there’s beer (bonus!) and delicious locally sourced food.

49. Loadza Toys is Kelowna’s best toys and games store! Pick out some new stuff to keep them occupied at home.

50. Go laser bowling at Capri Bowling Lanes.

51. Play some virtual reality games at Xperience Kelowna.

52. Swim in the pool at Parkinson Recreation Centre. They have a 25 metre pool, kids play pool, hot tub and steam room.

53. Find out what’s happening at Big White. They have mountain biking, hiking and other fun summer activities! It’s not indoors but you might be able to get above the smoke…even just for a little while.

- WEST KELOWNA -

54. Play indoors at Just 4 Fun PlayCentre. There’s a bouncy castle, soft play merry go round, a 20 ft inflatable slide, a 4 level play structure and a toddler play area for ages 3 and under.

55. Try bannock at Kekuli Cafe Indigenous Cuisine. Even if your kids are picky, they’ll love bannock. Yum!

56. Swim at the Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre.

- PEACHLAND -

57. Grab giant house made cookies from Bliss Bakery.

58. Visit the Peachland Museum and learn something new.

- SUMMERLAND -

59. Taste authentic Canadian maple syrups at Maple Roch. Plus grab a delicious ice cream while you’re there.

60. Enjoy a delicious smoothie and baked goods from The Beanery Cafe.

61. Swim in the pool at the Summerland Aquatic Centre. HOT TIP: Ages 3-5 are only $1 for drop in, ages 6-12 are $2.50 and ages 13-18 are $3.25.

- PENTICTON -

62. Stop in for story time at the Penticton Public Library and pick out some books to read while you’re there.

63. Choose from over 500 board games to play and enjoy a milkshake (and more) at Meeples and Milkshakes Board Game Cafe.

64. Climb the walls at Hoodoo Adventures’ climbing gym.

65. Enjoy a coffee while the kids play at Busy Beans Play Cafe. Great for ages 0 - 7.

66. Play all sorts of games at Roll N’ Stones Fun Centre. They have bowling, an arcade, pool tables, mini golf and darts!

67. Create your own Big Kahuna at Lickity Splitz Ice Cream Shop. You pick two fresh baked cookies, choose your ice cream from 48 flavours, choose the topping your ice cream sandwich gets rolled in (cookies, peanuts, candies, sprinkles and more!) and enjoy!

68. Drop in for gymnastics time at Springers Gymnastics Adventures.

69. Head down to the Penticton Virtual Reality Studio to play games and experience new things in VR.

70. Grab lunch and ice cream at Ogos. Everything’s bright and colourful, the kids will love it.

71. Drop in and try parkour at Ethos Parkour & Movement.

72. Get out of the heat and enjoy the Penticton Community Centre pool. Features include a 10 lane lap pool, leisure pool with a lazy river and spray park section, waterslide, whirlpool, sauna and steam room.

- KEREMEOS -

73. Hit up the Similkameen Recreation Centre and enjoy 5 pin bowling and an indoor climbing wall.

- OK FALLS -

74. Pop in to the famous Tickleberries and try one of their 72 flavours of ice cream! While you’re there (and the kids are distracted) check out all the cool goods they sell in shop.

- OLIVER -

75. If it’s too hot and smoky to be outside, check out the Oliver Theatre and see the newest flick on the big screen.

76. Wander around the Oliver & District Museum and learn a little history about the area.

- OSOYOOS -

77. Choo-choo-choose the Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad Museum. Kids will love this world of model trains and tiny figurines.

78. Stop for a scoop of gelato at Roberto’s Gelato Shop.

79. Go cosmic bowling at Kobau Lanes Bowling Centre.

80. Learn something new at the Interpretive Building of the Osoyoos Desert Centre.

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Need more stuff to do? 👇

Backyard Water Games

You guys. It’s happening.

You know what we’re talking about. We made it…

Okanagan SUMMER is on the horizon!

We have officially entered that sweet spot where things are beautiful and green, warm enough to be playing outside in the sun but not so hot you burst into flames if you stay out too long.

And honestly this year, it could not have come soon enough. Our kids are D-O-N-E with inside games. Sure, finger painting and fort building was amazing! It was even still pretty fun the 12th time.

But the 57th time? Yeah, they’re over it.

The kids are finally EXCITED about being outside, instead of crying that they might freeze to death (they’re pretty dramatic). And you’re psyched because the house might stay clean for longer than 1.2734 seconds. HURRAY!

And the longer they play outside, the longer you can sip cider in your lounge chair. So lather everyone up in some SPF 200 and enjoy these 7 great water-themed ways to keep the kids occupied in the backyard (for a while).

1. Sprinkler Freeze Game

You Will Need: a sprinkler and hose, music, bathing suits (or not).

Have the music ON and the sprinkler OFF. The kids can dance around to the music until it stops and the sprinkler turns on - they must freeze in place and get wet (muwa ha ha ha). Anyone who moves is out! Turn the music back on and the sprinkler off to keep the game going.

It’s Great For: super hot afternoons when the kids really need to cool down

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2. Sponge Races

You Will Need: 2 - 4 buckets (depending on how many play), sponges (any size works but bigger is more fun).

Place one bucket of water at one end of the yard and an empty bucket at the other end. How fast can the kids fill the empty bucket with water using only the sponges? If you have two or more kids, or feel like playing yourself (it’s actually pretty fun and totally qualifies as fitness), set up two sets of buckets and make it a competition!

It’s Great For: getting their energy out - all that running makes them tired!

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3. Paint With Water

You Will Need: paintbrushes, a container of water.

We all love our kids but…sometimes painting with paint can be PAINTful (see what I did there, that’s a total Dad joke). Painting is super fun for kids but usually means super messy clean-up for parents (you know… paint on the table, the walls, the kids, in your hair somehow). Outside water painting is easy to set up and relatively mess free - paint the fence, paint the driveway, paint the house. The best part is their paint evaporates and they can start all over (also a bonus science lesson!)

It’s Great For: keeping the kids busy without the hassle of clean-up

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4. Frozen Dino Excavation

You Will Need: plastic dinosaurs or other figurines, freezable containers, ‘tools’ for excavation.

Plan ahead for this one! The night before freeze a container of water with figurines submerged. Once frozen you can warm the outside of the containers slightly and ‘plop’ them out onto the pavement or the grass. Let them chip away to free their friends in their very own ice covered dino fossil field.

It’s Great For: kids who love science and the odd ‘concentration’ based game.

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5. Homemade Water Table

You Will Need: a big bin, random assortment of cups, spoons, measuring cups, sponges, empty yogurt containers, etc.

You know the situation where sometimes kids prefer the box over the toy. Well, sometime random water vessels are more fun than an actual water table… especially if they have non-toys to play with. Fill the bin with water (it helps if you add some warm water), throw in the ‘vessels’ and let them play away! They will have tons of fun scooping water, splashing, making things sink, racing anything that floats. Play the “sink or float” game where you guess if something will sink or float - this qualifies as a science lesson!

Safety note: depending on how big your bin is, they may try and climb in. In our experience toddlers love to do things as dangerously as possible, for no reason, without warning, when you’re not looking, probably with something sharp in their mouths… like olympic diving headfirst into a moderately filled bin of water. Just watch them.

It’s Great For: keeping young kids occupied (for hours sometimes!)

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6. Ice Cube Towers

You Will Need: ice cub trays and other sized containers, water, time, food colouring (optional).

Freeze ice in various sizes of cubes and blocks - use some ice cubes trays and some small square containers, even big containers if you have the freezer space. Add food colouring if that’s your jam. Once frozen, spill them all out in the yard and let them build and play - race ice cubes down the slide or see who can build the tallest ice tower. The possibilities are endless… until the ice melts.

It’s Great For: being inventive and creative!

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7. Child Labour

You Will Need: buckets, sponges, soap, a hose, humans under the age of 12, megaphone (optional).

Who doesn’t have some fond childhood memories of helping Mom or Dad wash the car? Kid’s are especially great for washing the tires or the bumper or anything else under the 4 foot mark - which means less bending down for you! If your kids are old enough, you can sit back and ‘manage’ the car wash whilst shouting instructions. If the kids are younger, you may have to help but it’s still mostly free labour, so win right?

It’s Great For: feeling like you’re getting something done while also keeping the kids busy.

Plant Some Jellybeans this Easter!

This is Santa-level magic!

On the eve of Easter, head outside with your kiddos and plant some jellybeans. Don’t forget to water them. Also, glitter makes awesome magic dust.

Sometime during sleeping-child-o’clock whip out there and make them “grow”. When your kids wake up Easter morning they will have an enchanting jelly bean garden!

FREE Spring Break Birding Kits

Need something super cool to keep the kiddos occupied this Spring Break? The Regional Parks team is ready to help you get geared up and outside exploring this spring.

Stop into the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan (-map-) to pick up a birding kit. The kit includes foldable binoculars and a birding checklist.

Then choose a Regional Park (or two, or three…) to check off the birds you see! Check out the list of Regional Parks -here-

How many birds can your family find?

Environmental Education Centre Hours:

Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 3pm

**Please remember to keep everyone safe inside the Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan. Masks and physical distancing are required. Please keep it to 5 customers a time inside their space.

Make sure you pick up your birding kit before March 28 when Spring Break ends!

FREE Children's Activity Bags

It’s getting a little hard to keep the kiddos busy at home, am I right? Winter is always hard when you have kids under 10. This winter has been especially difficult with limited access to play centres, swimming pools, outdoor activities and play dates!

Luckily the good people at Childhood Connections: Okanagan Family and Childcare Society have come up with a solution! Take-home activity bags for kids ages 3 - 8 years. And the best part? The activity bags are totally FREE!

Anyone in the central Okanagan can come pick one up (Lake Country to Peachland). And if you take care of several littles, you are welcome to pick up as many bags as you need.

Each bag contains the stuff you need to do a specific craft with your children or the children you care for. And you can pick up a new activity bag each month!

DETAILS:

• Pick-up Location: 4-1890 Ambrosi Rd. Kelowna -MAP-

• Pre-Register: No pre-registration is necessary but you can call ahead to make sure they have enough bags left (recommended if you need 10 bags or more) - 250-762-3536

• Pick-Up Times: Monday-Friday, 9:30am - 4:30pm and Tuesdays 9:30am - 6:00pm

• How often can I pick-up? There is a new activity bag each month!

Need more?

Check out the Early Learning Library, where parents and caregivers have access to a variety of books, resources and materials related to early years education and care. For FREE. Simply sign up, browse what you’d like to borrow and pick-up, contactless and curbside.

Your kids will never be bored again!

More stuff for kids:

Download Your FREE Nature Break Bingo Card

Alright, who's running out of ideas to keep the kiddos entertained?

Need something fun to do? That gets everyone outside of the house? Maybe your children will even get along for an hour or two?

We mean, no guarantees on that last one, it’s not a MAGIC card.

Luckily our friends at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society: British Columbia Chapter have our children’s interest (and our sanity) in mind because they’ve created a FREE downloadable Nature Break Bingo Card that’s going to help you and your family get outside this weekend.

From their site:

“Did you know that time spent in awe of nature can help boost positive feelings and well-being? Spending time in nature improves mental and physical health. Playing in nature is critical for child development.”

Download your Bingo Card HERE

Share a photo or video while completing the Bingo Card for a chance to win a $50 Mountain Equipment Co-op gift card.

Tag @CPAWSBC on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, with the hashtag #NatureBreak2020, or email us your photo or video at info@cpawsbc.org.

Please share this post on your social media so that all the exhausted parents can take advantage of this super fun outdoor activity (designed to tire your kids out). And please tag @dotheokanagan in your #NatureBreak2020 entries so we can see what you’re up to!

10 Things to do on a Rainy Day

Spring in the Okanagan means some unpredictable weather. You think it’s summer and then BAM, 3 wet cold days. But don’t get grumpy! We have 10 great ways to keep you and the kids entertained inside on rainy days - and bonus, they are all super Okanagan-y!

1. Bake Some Recipe-less Cookies.

Open your pantry and grab… whatever you’ve got. DTO’s Katie Lindskoog of Lifestyle Revolution plus her two sidekicks Cole and Nora created a recipe-less cookie video. You’ll be in good company as you “measure” ingredients and bake to “precision”. Here’s a great Mom-hack for you - start out the day by baking with your kids, so you can use the product as bribery All. Day. Long. Toss in some extra chocolate chips or smarties just for this purpose ;)

2. Make Some Fluffy Slime.

If you tell your kids they get to make their own slime - well… prepared for some ‘World’s Best Parent’ hugs because they’re coming (probably with happy screaming, so maybe be prepared for that too). Join DTO’s Kristen Thompson with kiddos Polly and Isla for this recipe that is easy, quick and not (too) messy. And if slime just isn’t your bag, check out our other indoor craft and activity ideas to get the kids through at least until mid-morning.

3. Do Some Yoga.

You don’t need kids for this one! But if you did just bake cookies and make slime, you may have actually bought yourself enough time to do something quiet… but let’s be honest though, it’s probably not much time. Luckily, Hannah Day from Happy Day Yoga created this 5 minute Standing Yoga video that you can do before your kids notice you’re gone -or- do together with them.

4. Princess Storytime Video.

Let the kids check out some super cool story time videos made by Kelowna company Dream Party Productions. The Snow Sister Storytime video above was created just for Do The Okanagan - and they have a whole bunch more on their Facebook page. Kids LOVE them and you will definitely have enough time to find that cold cup of coffee you started 2 hours ago and give it a reheat.

You’re welcome.

5. Shop for Some New Clothes.

Rainy days are meant for online shopping. Nothing -NOTHING- is more fun on a -blah- day than scrolling through clothes you want to buy while laying on the couch and watching re-runs of Friends. And online shopping USED to mean Amazon until we made shopping local brands and boutiques online super accessible.

Okazon has all your local faves so supporting them (while never leaving your home) is easier than it’s ever been. Shop for clothes, gifts and local treats (and have them delivered!) What could be better?

6. Try a New Pizza Recipe.

A rainy day is the perfect day to try a new recipe for dinner. Our favourite part about making pizza is that once the dough is made, the toppings are so customizable! Let the kids make their own so there’s NO COMPLAINING (they may still complain). Turn on some music, pour yourself a glass of wine and make it a pizza party.

Be creative. Here are some of our faves:

• BBQ sauce as the base with leftover chicken, bacon, mushrooms and/or green peppers.

• Alfredo sauce with mushrooms, shrimp, scallops, salmon, and/or mock crab meat.

• Pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, canned artichokes, shrimp and/or pine nuts.

Our friends at Olive Us have an amazing pizza crust recipe you can try. It’s super simple and super delish - your family will be impressed. Feel free to tell them it’s an old family recipe (even if you’re not Italian, they might believe it, who knows?)

7. Wind Down with a Board Game.

Okay, this one is sort of a no brainer because board games are synonymous with rainy days and being, well, bored. But did you know that there is a huge selection of board games out there - way beyond the classic Monopoly and Scrabble?

The Boarding House Cafe, Vernon Teach and Learn and Loadza Toys all have amazing selections of board games for sale for a variety of age ranges (and some puzzles too). Stock up on a few new fun games for your next rainy day, support local and spend a couple hours having quality family time (at least until someone gets mad and flips the board, that’s definitely a possibility, there’s one in every family).

8. Do Your Own Wine Tasting.

A nice glass (or 5) of wine after a day of keeping the kids entertained inside sounds just about right. DTO even has a local wine recommendation list to make navigating a sometimes overwhelming section of the liquor store wayyyy easier.

If you’re feeling fancy, grab a couple bottles and have a mini at home tasting by lining up 1 oz of 2-5 different wines. Maybe plan ahead and order yourself an amazing charcuterie board from The Fig because wine and charcuterie really just go hand and hand.

9. Make a Fancy Cocktail.

Do The Okanagan recently hosted The Cider Games by BX Press Cider and the winner was Jazz, Bambi’s Drunk Cousin, with her decadent Cherry Cider Coconut Float! This drink is perfect for a rainy day - it has chocolate, cider, Malibu and ice cream! It’s the ultimate comfort food/drink/dessert combo.

WARNING This drink looks so amazing that if your kids are still awake at this point they are going to want their own version of this, so be prepared (or just wait until they pass out).

We also hosted the first annual Clash of the Cocktails in 2020. Check it out and find more amazing drink recipes using Okanagan booze and ingredients.

10. Watch an OKV Movie.

Did you know that there are a ton of movies and tv shows that were filmed in the Okanagan Valley? How fun is it to see our own little part of the world up on the screen!

Check out our OKV Cinema and make your selection. It’s much more fun than scrolling through Netflix for the next two hours and arguing over romantic comedies -verses- alien blood baths. Trust us.