Any of you who have a toddler at home know how difficult it is to keep them busy.   My  2 yr. old Liam and I were feeling a little lonely and uninspired at home.   I knew he needed more structure and exposure to new activities and children and I was looking to add more programs to his schedule.

As if she read my mind, Sharyn, of Toddler Adventure Group (TAG), sent me an email and invited us to experience one of her playgroups .    Sharyn is a toddler expert who runs structured playgroups for 18-36 month olds in the Thornhill Woods area.   A playgroup is 90 minutes long and includes skill development through play, songs, crafts, and much more.

As soon as Liam and I sat on a carpet covered in colourful little pompoms, I knew that this wasn’t just another playgroup.  Every minute at TAG is planned to help toddlers grow and hone skills that most of us take for granted.   Sharyn brings warmth, energy and new materials every week to engage and stimulate the little ones and she reminds us to do things at toddler speed, toddler height, toddler fun.  While Liam was enjoying every minute of his participation, I too was learning.  Being in the company of other adults while focusing on my child felt great.  Learning to teach my toddler important skills through play was inspiring and being reminded that toddlerhood is a magical time was simple here.

To learn more about Toddler Adventure Group visit the website or follow their Facebook Page.  If you are looking for a backyard camp, TAG’s Summer Sparks may be the perfect camp for your toddler.

The $1 promo is valid at participating stores until February 19th!  Who has time to take quizzes???  The perfect Latte is perfect because you can drink it while the kids are strapped into their car seats.  Flavour probably doesn’t matter

Great Wolf Lodge (Niagara Falls) makes for an incredible weekend getaway in the Winter months.  The ginormous indoor waterpark is so fun and there is also an arcade, spa, playroom, crafting station and everything kids and parents need to have a good time.  Mamapicks has a special rate for the upcoming weekend (Sat. Feb. 4th -Sun.Feb. 5th)!  $199 for the Family Suite instead of $379 (including waterpark passes which are good for both Saturday and Sunday).   The offer is good until Tuesday, Jan. 31st and only takes effect if 7 rooms are registered.   In order to book your room, go online at www.greatwolf.com

1)    Select the Niagara Falls Location

2)    At the top of the home page please enter in the arrival and departure date and click “check availability”.

3)    Under “Offer Code” enter in the group code 1202SOLO and click “check”

4)    Book your room

My daughter creates 100 pieces of art a day.  Sometimes she finds some of them in the recycling bin and I pretend they fell in there by accident.  Sort of like the Captain of the Costa Concordia.  It’s hard to find a way to keep, organize and display our kids’ artwork.  I was really excited to find simple white frames with a back slot to slip-in artwork easily.  That means that you can change the display often without too much fuss!  Only $7 each at Loblaws Superstore!  A great find.

You can order until Jan. 22nd and pick up must be no later than Jan. 25th.  Show your favourite teacher, doctor, secretary, swim/karate/dance instructor some LOVE out of the blue.

]]> http://www.mamapicks.com/2012/01/edible-arrangements-deal-2/feed/ 0 http://www.mamapicks.com/2012/01/home-depot-workshops-for-kids/ http://www.mamapicks.com/2012/01/home-depot-workshops-for-kids/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:20:39 +0000 mamapicks http://www.mamapicks.com/?p=5745

Mamapicks used to have a ” what to do this weekend” column and she sort of gave up because there is not enough high-quality stuff to do in the Winter with kids.  But now and then , she will let you know about great activities that she finds.  She will also let you know about places that are not great in the new “It sucks” column.

Home Depot has monthly workshops for kids which are FREE and amazing.  We went to our first one this past Saturday morning with my 5 yr.-old son and he was the happiest kid on earth.  The two-hour workshop involves a different building project every time which is suitable for ages 4-12.  It is held at most Home Dept locations one Saturday morning a month, 10am-12pm.  This past weekend, my son used a hammer and nails to carefully construct a savings shed.  He received a kit to complete with an accompanying adult and a really cute  Home Depot kid-sized apron.  He also received a tattoo sticker which was a really big deal for some reason.  You must pre-register as many locations fill up fast.  The next workshop takes place on Feb.11th. Register online.

Winter is in the air…but The Gap makes you feel like Spring is just days away.  Lots of yellow, pink and beautiful!  Click to print your copy.