Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo 2015
Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo 2015
Something for Everyone!
June 30- July 7, 2015
Scotiabank Centre, Halifax
**Disclosure: I received tickets to the show in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are my own**
Here‘s what my kids had to say about going to the Tattoo!
“I love it!”
“I loved the flying Grampas”
“Totally looking forward to going this year!”
“I love it so much. I love the funny bits.”
“It’s super funny!”
“You should go because lots of people are practicing for it and expecting lots of people to come, so you should go! Lots of countries are coming to join it.”
The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo is a week-long event held every year in Nova Scotia. The two-and-a-half hour family show is fast-paced – every scene only lasts about 3-6 minutes, so there is always something new to see and experience.
Looking for a taste of true Nova Scotia? There’s bagpipes, highland dancers and military traditions.
Hoping for something more modern? The Tattoo also features innovative acrobatic acts, modern music, contemporary dancing, trampoline routines and cutting-edge videos.
Here is the ever-expanding list of performers for the 2015 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo
As it is only an hour from the Valley, the Tattoo makes an easy family adventure!
I have such vivid memories of going as a child that I couldn’t wait to take my kids. They loved it even more than I thought was possible! My boys who never sit still for anything, hung off every moment!
They cannot wait to go back this year!
To make it even more accessible for families, this year there are more matinee performances.
Show times are here
When is it?
The first week of July every year! In 2015, the Tattoo will be held June 30-July 7.
Who will enjoy it?
Everybody! Young and old alike will enjoy this spectacular display. It is for tourists and locals, children and seniors, students and parents, couples and families. It is for you!
Where is it?
The Scotiabank Centre, a modern, air-conditioned arena located in the very heart of Downtown Halifax (formerly known as the Metro Centre).
Who is in it?
The cast of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo includes people of all ages and backgrounds. Featuring military, police and civilian performers, the show is a true partnership. You will see and hear pipes and drums, military and civilian bands, historic re-enactments, dancers, acrobats, choirs, military displays and competitions, drama, comedy and much more.
The participants are without a doubt, the best in the world at what they do and they come from all over the world to take part.
Want tickets?
Tickets are available online at www.ticketatlantic.com, by phone at 1-877-451-1221 or (902) 451-1221 and at designated ticket outlets.
Buy 3 Adult ‘A’ or ‘B’ Seats and Get 1 FREE!*
*Limited three orders per transaction (maximum 12 persons)
*Offer not available on Prestige or Gold seating
*Must be requested at the time of booking
*Offer only available at the Scotiabank Centre Box Office
Youth ticket prices are available starting at only $25!
Depending on where you sit, is the cost of the ticket
Want to add to your experience?
BOOK YOUR BACKSTAGE TOUR TODAY!
Your chance to go behind the scenes at the world’s largest annual indoor show.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like backstage at the Tattoo here’s your chance to see for yourself: you’ll get to walk out onto the stage, see where all of the props and costumes are stored, and you might even run into a performer or two, all while you learn about the history of the Tattoo and fun facts about the show.
Your tour guide will have years of experience with the Tattoo and can offer you insight you’d never hear otherwise.
Only $15/person + tax.
Children 12 and under, $7.50/child + tax.
Get in the mood with this video from a past performance
Treat you and your family to trip to the Royal International Tattoo! You won’t regret it!
Memory Lane Train Museum Middleton
Memory Lane Museum, Middleton
The Memory Lane Museum in Middleton has always been on my bucket list. Always with good intentions to go, we finally cracked down and made a morning of it!
Memory Lane Museum is located at 61 School St, Middleton in the old Middleton train station.
Here’s what the website says:
From the exhibits in our museum, you won’t find a more complete reference and experience of what the Dominion Atlantic Railway was, and the influence it still holds today for Nova Scotia.
Please, feel free to wander and experience the D.A.R. and bygone days of railroading through our site and museum. Plan a visit soon! We’ll be ready and waiting to serve you up some home-town hospitality as you browse through our extensive collection in the museum.
When you enter the museum, it is jam-packed with train artefacts. There are shelves full of old pictures, tools and train memorabilia.
The walls are covered in old uniforms and photographs. You are not sure where to look next!
But, you certainly can take a long time to look at everything.
There were also three volunteers on hand who were there to chat with us as we went through the museum.
The boys’ favourite part of the museum was that there is a model train that runs high up around the room, and another smaller model train set.
They also got a chance to try out some Morse code!
Daniel said he really liked the museum because it wasn’t very big, and there weren’t a lot of information signs to stand and read. You just looked.
Because it is a mostly look-only museum, and most of the displays are not behind glass, and there are many artefacts, the museum might not be appropriate for smaller children who like to touch everything. Be sure to ask first what can be touched!
Behind the museum there were trains for the kids to explore and bells to ring!
As with most museums, this one relies on donations to survive.
So, be sure to sign the guest book (for their statistics for funding) and leave a donation!
Plan for about 45minutes to an hour for your visit.
Perhaps combine this visit with a trip to the Annapolis Valley MacDonald Museum which is right down the road from Memory Lane Museum.
It is important to keep our local history alive and teach our children about life before them!
Crystal Falls Hike
Crystal Falls Hike
Crystal Falls is an incredibly beautiful place to visit.
It’s one of those local legendary places that people have been coming to forever, and as a result, everyone has his own advice and directions on how to get there.
Every website you consult will give you different directions, making it confusing!
After we got turned around trying to follow the countless websites, we stopped at the Kingston Visitor Information Centre for directions. The wonderful woman working there says that this happens quite a bit (people getting lost going to Crystal Falls, as it is not marked), so she had directions already written out and gave me a copy.
Only follow these directions! And, you will be sure to see some other interesting things along the way!
Directions to Crystal Falls
Go past the Greenwood Mall and across from Walmart, turn right at the Enviro Depot onto Rocknotch Road.
You will go across a one lane bridge and come to a T in the road.
Turn left.
Take an immediate right onto a dirt road. There is a red barn on the corner. This is also Rocknotch Road.
Continue on this road till you come to a T in the road.
Turn left on Harmony Road.
You will cross a one lane bridge.
Go to the top of the hill and park along the road.
The hike begins at the first dirt lane on your right.
(If you pass Greenwood Road and mailboxes, you have gone too far.
At Crystal Falls there is no picnic area.
I highly recommend stopping at the McMaster Mill (which you will pass following these instructions) for a picnic, or even a short visit.
This also has you avoid eating your picnic on the side of the road like we did!
McMaster Historic Mill
McMaster Historic Mill – 205 Rocknotch Rd, Rockville Notch
This park features trails leading down to the former sawmill site where there are interpretive panels outlining the mill history and the McMaster family history.
There is also a pedestrian walkway leading down into the gorge for views; as well as public seating areas to view the dam and the waterfalls.
It is a beautiful site with trails that can be walked in about 15-20 minutes. Well worth a stop!
Crystal Falls
Back to Crystal Falls…
To get to Crystal Falls, walk down the dirt road where it says Road Closed; No Maintenance.
Some people do drive down this road, but if you value your car, I would just walk it!
As you walk along the road, after about 15 minutes, you will come to an intersection. The main path veers to the right and over a metal suspension bridge.
Or, you can go straight ahead through the David Morse Trail.
If you go RIGHT….
Follow this road for another 10 minutes or so. The scenery is beautiful.
At the crest of the hill there is a path to your left that is marked by hunting tape and a survey marker.
This path will take you to the bottom of the ravine.
OR
continue a few more minutes further where you can see the power lines. To the left is a dirt path leading to the same point at the bottom.
This second trail is better maintained but is steeper than the first path.
At the bottom of the ravine, you need to play leap frog across the stones, logs and mud to get to the falls.
It takes about 30minutes to get to the falls.
And, it will be all worthwhile!
The falls are magnificent.
If you are brave enough, you can swim in the water, too! But, it’s pretty cold, especially on a May day!
When you are ready to go, just reverse your steps.
Or,
You can go “around the corner”. You will see boulders and logs going across the water.
Cross these with care, and take the path to your immediate left that will connect with the David Morse trail (as mentioned above).
Recommendations
If you are walking with children or people with some mobility issues, we recommend going straight at the David Morse Trail sign. (DO NOT go over the metal bridge). The path has a gentle grade and is not so steep. You will just have to cross over the logs to get to the main “beach” area.
When you head straight past the David Morse Trail sign, at the top of the hill, there is a pathway to your right and a directional sign pointing to Crystal Falls.
If you want to make it a full loop, try walking in one way and looping around and out the other way!
It is about 3km each way to the falls.
Crystal Falls is a beautiful hike, with the reward of a refreshing swim at the end. This certainly kept the complaining at bay!
The trail is stroller/bike friendly until you must descend to the falls themselves. It is also dog friendly!
Winter Tips
Thanks to a Valley Family Fun follower for these winter safety tips:
Several sections of the road to the falls were thick with ice. Usually we could walk around, or probably over them, but the stretch of path in the photo was a long slippery slope so we had to bush-wack our way through the woods parallel to the trail.
Crystal Falls is worth checking out!
Take a Peek with Peek-a-Bear
Take a Peek with Peek-A-Bear by Jill Mangel Weisfeld
**Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions are our own**
When I received a copy of Take a Peek with Peek-a-Bear by Jill Mangel Weisfeld to review, I knew just the person to ask for help.
My boys (7 and 8) were a bit too old for this book, but my sister has 2 children (2 and 14 months). Besides, my sister used to be an elementary school teacher, and now she works at the university managing the English language programs. She also has a Masters degree in language development.
In short, she knows about kids and how they learn.
First, here’s what the publisher says about Take a Peek With Peek-a-Bear!
Take a Peek With Peek- a- Bear is an interactive children’s book, that takes you on a great adventure with peek- a- bear.
The book is the recent recipient of the Moonbeam and Mother’s Choice Awards.
Now, here’s what this mom has to say:
I was given a copy of this book to review. I thought I would call in my experts, Evan (14 months) and Madeline (almost 3) to give me their opinions and reactions to the story.
Evan’s world revolves around cars, birds and books. He can often be found carrying books around the house, looking for someone who will read to him.
He loves the interactive nature of Take a Peek with Peek-A-Bear. He loves discovering the doors, flaps, curtains, things to pull, and things to turn.
A couple of the pages are a bit beyond his dexterity, but he will let Mommy or Daddy help out.
He loves finding the bear on every page and makes animal sounds for some of the other characters he encounters.
Pictures are bright and bold and really hold his attention over repeated readings.
Madeline is also a lover of books. She is becoming aware of print and recognizes that the words “Take a peek” are in bold at the beginning of every page.
She is so proud that she can read that on each page!
The rhyming text is also great for sound awareness: she is able to fill in the last word of every page when the book is being read aloud.
She thinks the story and pictures are pretty hilarious – especially the part with the octopus eating peanut butter toast!
Madeline and Evan’s cousins got in on the action, too. Their 6 year-old cousin loved the book because he could easily read it to the younger ones.
I really enjoy the playful nature of the text on the page.
The lines of words on the page mimic the motion of the vehicle it describes. For example, on the submarine page, as you follow the text your finger gradually floats to the bottom of the page. On the airplane page, the text gently rolls along as if it is bobbing in the clouds. The text on the train page whizzes by at the top of the page.
As a parent and educator, I recommend this book. It is great for the youngest to develop an interest in books and an appreciation of language.
For the pre-school crowd, there is lots to hold interest, and great opportunities to develop sound and print awareness.
For me, I find the font a little understated, so I have to make sure I am wearing my glasses to read it! Heavier cardboard for the pages might make it a little easier to manipulate for the tiniest hands.
All in all, a charming little book that is destined to be read and reread many times in our house!
Learn more about this book on FACEBOOK.
This book can also be found here on Amazon:
Saving the Pandas
Save the Pandas!
My oldest son came home from school a few weeks ago saying that he and his friends had talked at school and had collectively decided that they wanted to do a project to save the endangered pandas in Asia.
Pandas have become endangered is habitat destruction. As the population in China continues to grow, pandas’ habitat gets taken over by development, pushing them into smaller and less livable areas.
Daniel did some research and found that through the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) they could adopt a panda for $25.
This seemed like a realistic goal.
One day after school, the kids all gathered at our house for a meeting.
Out came the flip chart paper.
The kids recorded all their ideas of what they could do to raise money.
Votes were taken and a bar graph was made.
The final decision was a bake sale.
The kids talked about how they could take their money from their allowance, but they decided it would be better to raise the money rather than donate their own.
After the meeting, the kids made posters for the bake sale.
They ended the afternoon with some panda cupcakes I had made for them while they were at school.
The day of the bake sale finally arrived.
The kids arrived at our house with all of their baked goods in tow. Some had made up price tags, and others had dressed really nicely – people like to buy from cute kids!
They loaded the wagon, a basket and some trays and headed around our neighbourhood.
Previous to this, I had emailed our immediate neighbours to let them know that the kids would be coming around, so they wouldn’t be surprised and knew it was legitimate.
Most of the items the kids had made themselves. They priced everything at either 25cents or 50cents, making it easy to shop from their travelling bake sale!
I walked around with them, but hung at the back. At first they weren’t sure they wanted me to be there, but were glad in the end I was – if nothing else to pull the wagon when they were tired!
With a clipboard in hand of all the neighbours they wanted to hit, they made their rounds.
And, the neighbours seemed to love it.
What can I get for $5? An awful lot when things are priced at 25cents!
Where are you going to keep the panda when you adopt him?
Why don’t you adopt an alligator instead?
Why do you want to adopt a panda?
The kids could answer just as quickly as the questions came.
The kids did such a great job and surpassed their goal of $25, ending up with over $75 – enough to adopt 3 pandas!
They learned so much through the process: how to work on a project together, baking skills, event management, math skills (they added up all the price tags!), social skills, team building, social justice, and so much more!
As one of the moms said, they followed through from start to finish. They had a goal and were rewarded for their hard work by being able to adopt more than one panda.
We were so proud of these 7 to 10 year olds. They did the panda project all on their own!
Who knows what they will do next. Because they can!
Japanese Cultural Party
Japanese Cultural Night
As I have written many time, I used to live in Japan. When I returned back home, some of the first people I met were Masami and Hiro. Originally from Japan, they have lived in Canada for many years.
We developed a wonderful friendship, and we try to get together at least once a year to cook Japanese food together.
Masami and I have also run Japanese cultural afternoons for friends, teaching language, origami, calligraphy, and trying various snacks.
Masami and Hiro, through their music academy in Windsor, NS – Dorian Hall Academy of Performing Arts – run cultural camps for older youth in the summer.
Usually, when Masami and Hiro come over, it is an adults-only event, and I put the kids to bed or send them to bed. However, this year, I asked Masami and Hiro if they would mind if the kids stayed around.
And, on top of that, would it be ok if I invited my girlfriend with her 3 children who are total sushi fiends!
Masami and Hiro are always up for anything, and welcomed the idea!
Hiro, used to leading kids at the cultural camps, had a suitcase of activities ready for the children.
They started by writing their names in Japanese using calligraphy brushes.
They did really well!
Then a few Japanese words.
Next, they tried origami, using the biggest pieces of paper I had ever seen.
I was most impressed with my son Thomas, 7, who was the youngest in the bunch and immediately could figure out how to fold the paper without getting frustrated!
Together, the kids made this samurai helmet
and a balloon.
When they blew into the paper to expand it, one of the adults yelled,
“that didn’t just happen, did it?” It was amazing!
After the supper, the kids played with some of the Japanese toys I had brought back (which I keep under lock and key in the basement – so as not to get destroyed – and only come out on special occasions).
They also had a chance to try on some traditional Japanese clothes from both Masami and Hiro’s and my collections. They looked great!
While the kids were participating in activities, Masami was teaching the rest of us how to make Japanese food. The highlight was making our own sushi.
Our process was very similar to how I blogged about it before.
We sat around the table using my Japanese dishes.
We drank green tea, stuffed ourselves with sushi, karage (fried chicken), okonomiyaki (pancakes), and edamame (soy beans).
As one of the kids said, it was the bestest meal ever!
We had a lot of fun and learned a lot about Japanese culture along the way!
If you have a youth interested in Japanese culture and live near Windsor, NS, be sure to check out the summer camp that Masami and Hiro run through the Dorian Hall Academy of Performing Arts.
Japanese Cultural Camp, Windsor
Participants experience different culture through a wide variety of activities including Origami, Calligraphy, Abacus, Japanese Traditional Toys, Dance, Music and more…..
July 13th ~ 17th, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm
For ages 7 to 11 year old, at the Dorian Hall Academy of Performing Arts (Windsor Community Centre)
Fee : $130.00
dorianhapa@gmail.com
