Kid Fun Archives - Fit Natural Family

Did you know there is a magical home hidden in Inglewood that invites families to come and visit to spend some time reading?

The Children’s reading place is run by Calgary Reads. The Children’s Reading place is open to all and free to visit, but appointments must be booked in advance. Appointment booking is so that they can ensure everyone can find a quiet space and it won’t ever be too busy. They are open Thursday through Saturday weekly. Appointments can be booked online and you will receive an email confirmation. School groups are also welcome to schedule a time to visit.

The day of your visit you arrive at the home at your scheduled time, when you will be invited in. The Reader in residence will explain the home to you, and then leave you to explore and find a cozy spot to curl up with a book.

Lots of places to snuggle up with a book

Every inch of the home is decorated and there are so many neat things for children to discover. This includes the washrooms as well which my children thought was really neat. Upstairs there is a room with some activities for children such as Lego, drawing, colouring. One favourite spot was the closet in the hallway that has been converted into a doll house.

At the end of your visit, each child is invited to select a book to take home. There are some books on site that must remain at the home for all to be able to read, but these are clearly marked. Any other books throughout the home are for children to select from.

Lots of nooks and crannies for kids to explore

When you go, be sure to take any children’s books you are finished with to donate to help ensure there are always books for children to pick from. This is an excellent family activity and is easily accessible via public transit.

Our children love this place. We spent a couple of hours on our visit here and could easily have spent more.

Have you visited the Children’s Reading Place? What did you think?

Storybook Theatre is Great for Kids

By coachkatye

On February 19, 2020

In Alberta, Calgary

Our favourite local theatre is Storybook Theatre . One thing my kids and I love to do is to go to the theatre. My children have developed a real love for musical theatre and look forward to going throughout the year.

Storybook Theatre is a semi-professional musical theatre that has been around for over 40 years. Many of their performances are family friendly and they tend to span a wide range. They do post recommended ages for each performance which can be helpful when trying to determine which plays to attend.

Storybook theatre provides summer camps for children and they are also now offering adult musical theatre classes. They are often looking for volunteers to help with set creation and in return you would get a free pass to one of the performances.

We have been surprised at the high level of talent that is present in this community and the quality of the productions.

Ticket prices range from $22-$27 for children and $26-31 for adults depending on the length of the performance. The theatres they perform in are fairly small, so there are no bad seats in the house. We are season ticket subscribers and the added benefit is that we have access to tickets before they go on sale to the public and our tickets are slightly lower in price. I did notice they do also offer a payment plan for those interested in seasons tickets, but can’t afford it all at once.

Some of our past favourite shows have been Matilda the Musical based on the Roald Dahl book, Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, Junior Claus, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

To be honest we have enjoyed all of the performances so it was hard to narrow down our list to just a few. This year they will be performing The Never-ending Story, Frog and Toad and Big Fish to name a few.

If you want to expose your children to theatre, but weren’t sure where to go, this is the place to try it out. They generally have a relaxed performance for each play. This is a great option if you aren’t sure how your child will react, or if they will be able to sit still for the performance.

After each performance the actors return to the stage for the audience to be able to get autographs and photos with them. My kids love getting a chance to chat with the actors after the show. They have a collection of all of the programs they have collected over the years with signatures.

Have you attended any plays at Storybook theatre? What are your favourites? If you aren’t in Calgary, do you have a great local theatre where you live?

Friday Family Fun Night At Telus Spark

By coachkatye

On January 22, 2020

In Alberta, Calgary

TELUS Spark is a place our family really enjoys spending time at. There are so many hands on activities to keep the kids busy for hours.

Did you know that now on Friday nights kids can get in for $5 after 4pm? The chef also prepares a special family style dinner at a great price. Check online for the menu as it changes weekly. The dinner special is $15 for adults and $10 for kids which includes a main and two sides along with a dessert. The night we went dinner was Beef short ribs, Mac ‘n Cheese, roasted vegetables and caramel bread pudding.

Your entry includes access to any movies being shown in the IMAX theatre as well.

We took advantage of this deal over the Christmas break as only myself and my youngest have a membership. This is a great way to spend time together as a family. TELUS Spark is pretty quiet on Friday evenings which means no line ups or waiting to try different activities for the kids.

TELUS Spark has started to update some of their exhibits, including repairing ones that seemed to always be broken and adding in new things to see and do. Now is a great time to return to see what is new.

For more information you can check out https://www.sparkscience.ca/experience-telus-spark/family-fridays/

What are your favourite things to see and do at TELUS Spark?

Tag: Kid Fun

The Children’s Reading Place – You need to visit

Storybook Theatre is Great for Kids

Friday Family Fun Night At Telus Spark