Dinosaurs are strong, powerful and oh so popular. Dinosaurs captivate our imagination as we try to imagine just what these powerful creatures would have been like. What better way to capture these fantastic creatures then in an animated series by DreamWorks called DinoTrux?!
DreamWorks Animation brings to life the popular and award-winning children’s book series by Chris Gall. DinoTrux features imaginative characters that are hybrid dinosaurs and construction vehicles (awesome, right?!). The series follows the unlikely friendship between Ty Trux, a massive Tyrannosaurs Rux, and his tiny friend Revvit, a razor smart Reptool. Together the DinoTrux build a bigger and better world. All of this is threatened by D-Structs, the biggest and baddest DinoTrux, who is determined to ruin all that they make.
Netflix and DreamWorks have done it again with a fantastic new children’s series that not only your children will love but you as well! The DinoTrux are adorable, funny and unstoppable. I especially fell in love with Tiny Tool, he is just too cute! I would not mind having a little friend like him at all.
With the summer coming to an end (hard to believe but the weather is already cooling!) this new series will arrive in perfect time to keep your children entertained on those long rainy summer days as the series is set to launch this week on August the 14th. I can definitely see this new series becoming a quick family favourite loved by all.
Check out this fantastic trailer of this new hit series set to launch August 14th on Netflix:
Disclosure: I am a #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. I was granted early access to this series in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Family time is special time in our house. We always make sure we do one small activity a week together (usually hiking, biking or swimming) and once a month a larger bonding activity (which usually involves some travel). Finding the right venue is extremely important for family bonding – you can’t enjoy each others company if you are miserable waiting in lines or can barely hear each other over the crowds.
This past weekend, we spent the day at Centreville on Toronto Island. This was our first time experiencing the ferry and Centre Island (even for me who grew up just north of Toronto!) and we were all excited. We weren’t quite to sure what to expect but we were ready for our special adventure and our mission to get on as many rides as possible and capture a selfie doing it.
When you are looking for a family friendly venue or attraction to take the whole family to like Centreville Amusement Park, here are some helpful areas to look at before deciding where to go:
A family oriented environment like Centreville is important to encourage bonding, learning and fun. Not only are there opportunities for fun but with lots of benches, breaks and nature everywhere you go, you can really focus on family and enjoying each other’s company. There is no pressure and you can just take your time at each area and even step away from the amusement park to take in some pretty spectacular views of Toronto.
A relaxed pace. One of the very first comments I made to my husband was that I felt like we had stepped off the ferry into another time. People were riding bikes, roller blading, ducks were walking across the grass and above all there were no angry guests, no shouting and no loud noises. This is so different from what I am used to at any amusement park and I LOVED it. It truly made the difference to us as a family.
It is so important that there is something for every one of all ages. My kids are seven years apart so planning activities for them can be hard. We have been to several places where they can’t go on rides together (one is too small, one is too big or maybe they just aren’t interested). This never happened at Centreville. Our eldest took his little brother on the brand new Toronto Island Mine Coaster, they played mini putt, we went on The Centreville Train ride together and even went down the log flume ride (and I still deny that I screamed the whole way down). It was an incredible experience for us a family, we have not laughed like that in a long time. And with over thirty rides to choose from, we were never once bored and actually stayed four hours longer than we had originally planned to.
A variety of food choices located conveniently near the attractions. We like to pack light and always have since our eldest was a baby. I prefer to only bring refillable water bottles and some small snacks so that I can enjoy my day just as much as my kids. Centreville had a conveniently located centre space (which resembled a small town square) that sold a variety of refreshments, drinks and meals. Located just outside the attractions (and under a five-minute walk) was a delicious restaurant, Carousel Cafe, that accommodated my boys love of meat and my need for a vegetarian meal (their spicy black bean veggie burger is incredible!!). We were able to sit outside on the patio right by the water, watching canoes go by and ducks swimming while we ate and planned our afternoon.
Quiet spaces to rest, for when the little ones get tired after all the walking and rides. I’m lying a bit here because this was a must for my husband and I, especially after lunch! It was extremely hot on the day that we visited Centreville so it was nice to just sit down in the shade by the water edge or even by the splash pad area.
The cool factor is always a must. My son and I were on a mission to get a selfie on each and every ride we went on. We hit up each ride (except for the windmill as my stomach can’t quiet handle the circular motion) in the park and managed to snap a selfie on over half the rides. The log fume ride and the Toronto Island Mine Coaster were by far some of the wilder rides but the Centreville train was exciting as it passed by Far Enough Farm. Far Enough Farm definitely added a great late afternoon treat as we walked through and met the animals. It was awesome to see how much the animals loved their farm handlers, at one point we were calling to Darby (the Centreville horse) who ignored us but when Darby’s farm handler called, the horse came trotting over excited to see him.
Tips for Your Next Trip to Centreville:
Arrive early to take advantage of the small line ups for rides. While the boys never waited more than five minutes for a ride, when we first arrived they were able to go on the same ride over and over because not too many people had arrived yet.
Make a mission for the day! For my eldest son and I, this was to snap as many selfies as we could mid-ride. We had so much fun snapping these photos.
Pack light and enjoy the amenities. When you pack light you have less to worry about and can just relax and enjoy yourself.
Buy the all day ride pass – it is worth it. The rides are so much fun and I can still picture my kid’s faces as we went on the rides together. Since there is no admission fee to get into the area you are already saving a lot so take advantage of this.
Use the Far Enough Farm experience to educate your child about animals and the need to love and protect them.
We noticed some pretty awesome historical signs up in the park, like the one near the Carousel ride. Check them out with your older child and when you get home do some research about Centre Island and the ferry. You may learn some new and cool facts.
Have you been to Centreville and if so what is your favourite memory of Centreville?
This post is generously sponsored by Centreville, but the images and opinions are my own. For more information please visit www.centreisland.ca.
We are huge sports fans in our home. Most of our weeknights are spent at soccer games or swimming and when we are not there we are taking advantage of our local parks to play basketball, football or frisbee. Being active and outdoors is a way of life for our family, we like to joke that we are raising a young ‘Messi’ and ‘Rinaldo’.
When sporting events are broadcasted, it is quite the event in our household. The events are broadcasted non stop and we make friendly bets on who will in. Soccer is definitely number one in our home, followed closely by swimming (my kids love watching the swimming with me as I used to compete and teach swimming in my younger years and miss it so much!).
In 2016, the Olypmics are heading to Rio! Already our Canadian atheletes are hard at work training and preparing for this moment (can you even begin to imagine being in their shoes??). The summer Olympics have always held a special place in our heart because we participate in so many similar events at home.
You can encourage your children to prepare for the Olympics through:
pick a new Olympic sport to you and your family and play it!
create a goal and go for it, track your progress over the year.
work on a specific goal or move over the next year.
create a mini Olympics for your children in the backyard or at the park.
We are very excited to watch the BMX cycling next year. Our eldest just purchased his own BMX bike and it is always fun to copy the awesome moves we see on television. I found the above fact on their website pretty amazing -> from the age of five, BMX riders can compete in this sport! Pretty cool, right?
August 5th is the official one year countdown to Rio 2016. To help kick off this special date, Canadian Tire wants to celebrate with you at a Twitter Party!
We are halfway through the summer (hard to believe right?!) and our family has been taking full advantage of this warm weather from swimming, to movies, to the Pan Am Games – Ontario has so much to offer for family fun and Kinder treats have been with us each time.
But sometimes, we just need to unwind and have some downtime to help us focus as a family. There are so many fun (and free) things you can do in your own community. Here are my top places and activities to do in the summer for free:
Splash Pads: these provide hours of endless fun for children and help to cool them down on hot days.
Family Movie Nights: we like to set up blankets and pillows in front of the television (our ‘campout’) and put on an oldie but goodie movie to enjoy at night. Throw some popcorn and Kinder eggs and it is a win win!
Hiking: while the weather has been far too hot to actively be hiking the trails, find a hiking trail in your community and get out there. Supply your children with a mission to complete (finding a certain amount of birds,etc..) and have fun. You can combine exercise and education in this one.
Picnics at the park: I am a huge fan of picnics. You don’t even have to go far just pack up a small bag of food and get outdoors. You can even eat in the front yard and the kids will have so much fun with the change-up of routine.
The library: there are so many activities provided at the library over the summer from movie days, to bingo and animal days. Take advantage of these free activities as your children will learn, have fun and meet new friends.
Fishing: while I am not a huge fan of removing the fish or attaching a worm (seriously gross), my kids can spend hours at the lake fishing!
Where ever you go this summer, make sure to pack lots of water (a must) and a special little Kinder egg treat for your kids!
What are your favourite summer time activities to do with your kids?
Disclosure: I am a KinderMom and receive perks associated with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.
How many of you have developed a family budget? This should be a budget that is reflective of your current accounts, debts, payments, as well as your future needs (RRSPs, RESPs and emergency funds). Now here’s the tough question: how many of you have shared this with your children?
The reason I ask this question stems from a conversation I had with my tween this weekend. A conversation that made me feel as though I had failed in including him enough in our income and budget preparation, as well as what kind of income is needed to survive in our current economy. A group of kids in his grade could not wait until they graduated high school so they could live on their own (to be young again!). When I asked about the amount of income they thought they would be bringing in, I was shocked by their response: $800 a month! I asked them if they felt they could survive on $800 a month. The reply: but of course we can! I know some people have no options and do work with similar budgets to this number but I feel as though we are failing them, as this is not an income that allows an individual to move forward and support themselves comfortably (and yes, I’ve been there too!).
While we have always been open with our children about our family budget, we clearly weren’t doing a good enough job at teaching them about our income, where the money was going to and how we were putting it away for the future. We were not exposing them enough to payments such as rent, mortgages, taxes and how quickly money tends to fly out of our accounts.
I kept asking myself: how can we get our son more involved? How can I make it easy for him to understand that living on a budget is necessary, but at the same time needs to be realistic and most importantly, how can I make this into something he can understand?
Step One: Lay It All Out There: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
I took out all our current bills, city taxes, mortgage payments, our bill book, spreadsheets and laid them all out on the table for him. I also included my debt repayment schedule because I want him to know how easy it can be to rely on credit while at school and how this affects you as an adult once you graduate. We work through each bill and each payment, explaining the total amounts owing, basic interest principles and where our money is going to each month.
Step Two: Create a Brand New Budget
Using this new information, we drew up a brand new budget (not because we needed one but because I wanted him to learn about budgets and where our money was going to). Together, we listed all the required monthly payments we had to make (credit card, car loans, mortgage, day care, RRSPs, RESPs, etc.) as well as things such as entertainment and pizza fund money. These items are important too! Plug in those numbers and total them up. I bet your child will be quite surprised with that final number (I know I always am and maybe a tad nauseated too!).
Step Three: Incoming Money
Talking about your income with your child might be hard (I know it is for me), but it’s also important. They need to know that our funds are not endless, as much as they may wish it was so. We never had this conversation with our parents; I still would not be comfortable asking them how much money they make, as it just feels far too personal and invasive. Now you can total up all of your incoming income and payments.
Step Four: The Bottom Line Number
This part is simple: just subtract! Subtract your outgoing from your incoming to get your total remaining amount. I like to leave some in our accounts just in case something happens (the roof leaking, extra soccer payments and fundraising have been some of our last-minute emergencies). You can also chose something to do each month with your child with this amount, maybe a date night?
Your child may have plenty of questions after you finish creating this budget and this is healthy and normal. You want them to question finances with an open mind. This will be an important skill for them later on in life. You also want them to realistic; there’s nothing worse than the shock of financial reality once you move out on your own, especially when combining this with post-secondary education. Yes, they may be able to live on $800 a month, but how hard will it be? Letting our children become a part of the process of the family finances gives them confidence and allows them to understand their opinions matter. You may be surprised as to where they would like to see some of the money allocated to – more play time at our local gym was one that surprised me.
How do you let your child play a role in the family budget?
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