Mont Cascades: The Perfect Water Park for the Under 6 Set

Have you heard of Mont Cascades Water Park? It is located only 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa in the Outaouais and it is only $19.00 per person and kids 3 and under are free! We were lucky enough to spend the whole day there on a recent family vacation to Ottawa.  My kids (4 1/2 years  and 2 years) were bursting with excitement. They had never been to an outdoor water park before.  The entire short but scenic drive they kept asking "Are we there? Are we there?" I was grateful for the quick trip! Once we arrived the very friendly staff helped us to quickly get into the park where we began our day of fun! We had a quick peek at the park map and we were on our way!

Mont Cascades really is for children of all ages but it is the best water park in the area for the under 6 crowd. We have discovered that most water parks (both indoor and outdoor) are definitely geared towards older children so we were beyond thrilled to discover that Mont Cascades offered tons of water fun for the toddler and preschool set. The new addition of Splash Forest to the park offers young kids the chance to experience smaller, safe versions of the park's most popular slides plus water cannons, water wheels, a climbing net and the biggest, tipping bucket of water you have ever seen! There are also 5 kiddie slides located right near the entrance of the park that are designed for kids 48 inches and smaller! There are 3 smaller ones and 2 larger ones.  Both of my kids rode all 5 of these and loved them all! Parents are able to ride with their kids or simply wait at the bottom of the slide for them. What I loved most about the kiddie area is that is away from the bigger slides and it is very easy for both little and big kids to climb, play and swim. 

There are also a couple of small pools that are very shallow to cool off in.  One is located right near the front gate while the other is more centrally located and offers lounge chairs for parents as well. My kids had a great time splashing in the pools. The water temperature is perfect! We went on a bright, sunny day where the temperature hovered around 26 degrees Celsius. We were never cold waiting in small lines for our turn on the slides or too warm. There are lots of lifeguards in every area of the water park and they were constantly reminding the excited children not to run! 

There are also a few larger slides that young kids can ride as well with an adult. Mammoth River was our family's favorite! We loved that we could all enjoy it together!  Up to 5 riders per raft ride down a twisting slide to a huge splash at the bottom! Both of  my kids loved this ride (granted my daughter is a bit of a daredevil at 2) but may be better suited to kids 4 and over.

My son and I experienced a few other large slides while my husband and daughter played in the kiddie area. My son at 4 was able to safely ride Black Magic ( a completely enclosed slide where riders are completely in the dark), the Rapids River (lets you experience the thrill of a bobsled on a 2 person inner tube) and the Proracer (a 4 lane family style racing slide that you ride down head first on a mat!). He loved them all but his favorite was the Proracer because he could beat me! I had a great time riding the slides with my son and he was thrilled that he could ride the big slides with his Mom. 

Both of my kids played for about 3 hours before needing a break and when we did stop they were starving!  Mont Cascades does allow you take your own lunch and snacks into the park however nothing in a glass container! With everyone is bare feet they don't want anyone to step on any broken glass!  Or if you don't want to bring a lunch they do offer food and beverage on site including a licensed bar. We brought some snack and drinks for the kids but we purchased our lunch of hot dogs and fries. The food was good and very well priced!

Parking is included in your visit and there is ample parking. Change rooms and washrooms are conveniently located in the main lodge. Mont Cascades is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm. Check out their website here and plan your family's visit! It is the perfect way to spend a hot summer summer day with your small kids! My children still talk about the fun we had at Mont Cascades and I've promised we will go back next year. I had as much fun as they did!

A World of Play: The Children's Discovery Centre

Have you discovered the Children's Discovery Centre yet?  We did on a recent family vacation to Toronto and it was simply amazing! Located at 45 Strachan Avenue, the Children's Discovery Centre is very easy to get to by car or on public transit.  It is a children's museum where your little ones 6 and under are encouraged to touch everything!  They play, dress up, create, get dirty and use their very vivid imaginations to discover the world around them.  Their mission "is to inspire kids through creative play" and that is definitely accomplished within this incredible centre.  It is a 20,000 square foot indoor play facility that houses 10 Discovery Zones- The Art Hive, Imagination Station, Mini City, Campground, Storyland, Boom Room, Pet Vet, Eat Street and First Discoveries.

We visited the Children's Discovery Centre on a sunny Tuesday afternoon.  There were a few other families and a small group from a day camp but it never felt crowded or busy.  It is designed to feel open and children can move freely from room to room.  It makes watching multiple little ones very easy.  I loved watching my kids play and explore.  They went from room to room with utter excitement.  Each Discovery Zone brought new squeals of delight.  My son quickly exclaimed that this was the best day ever!  My children each have their own unique personalities and thus have different styles of play.  My son loves to build and create while my daughter likes to pretend and imagine so each one had a favourite Discovery Zone!  Every day the Children's Discovery Centre offers daily programming and activities! We enjoyed an alphabet scavenger hunt the day we dropped in.  Letters were hidden within each of the Discovery Zones and my son had to find them! He loved it and enjoyed getting a sticker as a reward at the end for finding all the letters.  I loved that he was learning and didn't even know it!  We started our adventure at the Children's Discovery Centre in the Imagination Station.

The Imagination Station- is space themed and my son quickly began building and playing with Feltro, an interactive construction tile system made of magnetized felt and the kid-sized large foam blocks that lock together.  He built a space city and wore a rocket ship!

The Campground- includes a beaver dam, a canoe, a tent and a build your own tee pee. My kids loved pretending they were camping!  It really felt like you were in the middle of the Canadian Wilderness.  They discovered bugs using a magnifying glass and had a pretend camp fire.

The Art Hive- Can you say creative mess?  My kids loved this Discovery Zone! There is a squeegee wall, painting, crafts and clay!  They created, they got dirty and they loved it!  We were lucky enough to visit during the Pan Am games and the daily activities and crafts were centered around the games. My kids and I made a flag that my children declared represented our family!

The Mini City- This was a favourite of my daughter's.  This area consists of  roads and a gravel pit, safety gear and bikes and other vehicles for kids to ride through a mini version of downtown Toronto. We spent a lot of time here as it is adjacent to the Imagination Station (my son's favourite Discovery Zone) and my daughter who is 2 thoroughly enjoyed trying all the different bikes, scooters and ride on toys.

Storyland- This Discovery Zone was designed to create a warm and cozy area to cuddle and curl up with a book!  There are little nooks filled with lights and pillows for getting comfy or a large bright area to discover letters. This was by far my favourite Discovery Zone. As an avid reader I would love one of this little nooks at home.  There is a wonderful collection of books for a variety of ages.  So be sure to take a moment and read a story when you visit!

Make Believe- This area is filled with costumes, puppets, a stage, mirrors and props.  Your child can dress up and put on a show.  This Discovery Zone was a favourite of both my children. My kids loved dressing up and making up characters.  The selection of dress up items is fantastic and they each had a hard time choosing their outfits!  We loved sitting down to watch them perform.

Boom Room- This Discovery Zone is for making noise!  Touch, bang and shake a variety of household items.  This is every child's dream- make as much noise as you want while banging and clanging!  I loved that it was made up of items you would find in your kitchen.

Pet Vet- This is mini version of a veterinarian's office.  As a veterinary technologist myself I was very impressed.  My kids loved looking at x-rays of a variety of animals and seeing their bones. There are mini doctor coats and stethoscopes all intended to teach kids how to keep their family pet healthy.

Eat Street- My daughter could have spent hours in this Discovery Zone!  It is a mini-grocery store with shopping carts and produce PLUS mini-kitchens with stoves, pots, pans, utensils and chef hats and aprons.  It is also a great tool to teach our kids about healthy food choices and how to eat a rainbow.  So have a seat at one of the picnic tables and let your little chef whip you up something delicious!

First Discoveries- these areas are designed for the youngest visitors.  They are enclosed and shoe free so babies can safely discover the world around them.  Foam mats, bright colours and murals will help to encourage movement and exploration.

There is a quiet area to feed your baby, stroller parking and lovely areas to change your children. You are encouraged to bring your own healthy snacks & enjoy them in the Sago Mini Pet Cafe.  The Children's Discovery Centre is a very bright, clean space staffed by wonderful people who love to engage with your kids. It is very reasonably priced and there is lots of parking on the street.  They are open daily September 30th from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm including holidays. Check out the Children's Discovery Centre on Facebook and Twitter to check out the daily activities and to find out what's happening at the Kids Discovery Centre.