The Heaven Shop
(Theatre Direct/Tarragon) — Canadian author Deborah Ellis never holds back when it comes to telling stories of children living in difficult times in turbulent places. Her stories are hard to hear, but they should be told. This t
Keeping Kids on the Court and off the Couch
What would you say if you heard that 30 per cent of youth, aged 12 to 21, say they rarely or never participate in organized sport during the school year? This is according to an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted in 2003,
Get it right the first time
For all of us who need a break, we’re finally getting one in the form of a day off on Monday, February 18. Family Day is our brand new statutory holiday granted by the Government of Ontario. Our wish for
A&E Orchestra Toronto
Magic of Madrid (Orchestra Toronto) — If you feel you’re not exposing the family enough to dance, Orchestra Toronto’s February presentation of the music and movement of Madrid may be the answer. Featuring da
Building a culture of teamwork
The buzzword for success in today’s secondary schools, colleges, universities, and the workplace is teamwork. The idea is if a group collectively tackles a problem the results will outstrip what could be achieved by an individual alone.
Savings on the slopes
Canadian ski resorts are making their own New Year's resolutions by lowering prices to encourage people to improve their health by participating in skiing and snowboarding. Ski areas are resolving to help more people achieve their 200
Dinosaurs resurrected at ROM
Age of Dinosaurs and Age of Mammals (Royal Ontario Museum) — It’s been a long time in coming, but the new dinosaur exhibit at the ROM is finally up. And it’s a whole new approach to showing bones.
The 12 Green Days of Christmas
Not only do I find the song – The Twelve Days of Christmas — incredibly annoying, it’s also highly impractical. Woe to the gift-giver who offers me a partridge in a pear tree or anyone drumming, piping, leaping or dancing.
Birth order, wish lists and tarty attire
Question: I’ve heard, in the past, a little information on birth order. Can you share with me the common points?
For The Birds
If you have a backyard birdfeeder, you could turn it into a science project for your family. Volunteers involved in Project Feederwatch collect bird data to help scientist detect and understand
Dear Santa
There’s something special about the hand-written wish list and its accompanying envelope addressed to Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO that
Bring peace to the season
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, the holidays are supposed to be a time of peace, joy and happiness. Yet for many families, the overriding feeling is stress.
Just ask Christine Campion. The 38-year-
How to write a family newsletter
We’ve all received them — those dreaded holiday newsletters that either drone on about Aunt Sue and Uncle George’s summer vacation in Tucson or brag about how Shane (the preschooler) is reading at the second-grade level and Billy got
Sweet support
To help serve breakfast to needy kids across Canada the National Bank of Canada is spreading Gouash around this holiday season. Proceeds from the exclusive sales of Gouash fruit spreads at the bank will go to Breakfast Clubs of Canada,
How to pick a skating program
You decide to put your child in ice skating lessons, but aren’t sure how to begin or where to look.
Arts and Entertainment
Soli & Rob in Concert…with Alistair Ant & Friends (Berkeley Heritage Event Venue) –- If you have a child under the age of 6 and you don’t know Soli and Rob, or their purple friend Alistair, then you a
Put on a painted face
It’s that time of year when ordinary children want to transform into extraordinary characters. Face painting is the safest way to create a new visage. Masks are cumbersome and limit vision. Face painting can be a family art project
Theatre for young people
Me, me, me… and Raven Stole the Sun (Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People) – Another season of the highest quality theatre for children and youth gets underway this month at the Lor
Toronto ghoul guide
Halloween is approaching and as parents stock up on mini chocolate bars and rifle through racks of costumes looking for the perfect getup for their children, they often forget that the Toronto area is a goldmine of spooky activities for
HarbourKIDS presents Luminarium
There’s a philosophical shift underway at one of the city’s key arts venues: Harbourfront has decided to ratchet kids up on its priority list. "We really wanted to make children an important part of the organization. This is the be
