Social Painting for KIDS!

I have a creative disposition, I'm drawn to anything colourful, quirky or artsy. So when I heard about the paintlounge, a new social painting café in Markham I was naturally interested. Art class and café wrapped into one - how could that not be fun?

You’ve taken the kids bowling, tobogganing, to the movies, indoor playgrounds, glow in the dark golf, laser shoot-outs - hey I know – we’re all running out of ideas once our kids hit six or seven! So the paintlounge not only sounded like a really neat concept, it had the makings a new, original, and creative outing for the kids, and to top it off it’s right here in Markham. So over the winter break I gathered together a gang of four creative kids and took them with me to check it out.

I like that you don’t need to have any artistic skills to participate, it’s not about that, it’s more the act of painting with friends that’s the fun bit. It couldn't be easier, just book an easel, show up, and the young ladies will set you up. They’ll even start you out with some creative direction and visual reference if you look like you need it… like us! It must have been obvious that we were a feeling a little overwhelmed with the magnitude of artistic possibilities ahead of us – we welcomed the tips and suggestions!

Our group consisted of myself, my two sons and two girls – ages ranging between 6 and 12 years. Everyone was given an apron to wear - essential attire for all of us! The paint 'buffet' was pointed out to us - acrylic paints are set out in pump bottles, pots are filled with an assortment of brushes, along with other materials you might want to experiment with - there was lots of freedom to use whatever we wanted.

Each of us had our own, very different ideas of what we wanted to paint – half the fun was observing and commenting on each others pieces as they came to life. I think the kids would have been happy to spend another 2 or 3 hours just painting endlessly. As it happened we had decided to do one 18" x18" canvas each, which took about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. While our canvases dried the kids enjoyed a fresh lemonade from the cafe and doodled at the tables while discussing the art on the walls and in the cool art books on the tables.

It was a really positive experience for all of us, my kids are asking if we can go back again. They have their artwork proudly displayed in their bedrooms, but have already started planning their next masterpieces.

The café serves loose-leaf teas, french-pressed coffees, and fresh baked treats. They often host events and feature special discounts, along with mom & tot sessions and family days. If your interested in checking it out, I recommend getting signed up to their enews to get the latest on what they are up to.

Visit them online at: www.paintlounge.ca

Great fun at Mickey and Minnies Magical Journey

We caught Disney on Ice presents Mickey and Minnies Magical Journey at the Rogers Centre during the winter break. I thought it might be too young for my two boys - but they really enjoyed it. The mix of stories was just perfect - plenty of stuff for both boys and girls.

My personal fav was the Peter Pan sequence where they flew in and landed on the ice, and included a pirate ship and huge alligator. My seven year old really liked Stitchand the Lion King which was very colourful. The Littlest Mermaid performance had lot's of appeal for the girls in the audience, but also included an enormous inflatable Ursula that my boys thought was pretty cool. The sets and costumes were the best I have seen yet for one of the Disney on Ice shows, a trend I hope continues for the upcoming shows. We'll be checking out Toy Story 3 over the March Break - so I'll keep you posted on that.

The Disney on Ice shows are always entertaining though, very creative use of the ice and show area. I'm amazed at quickly they switch between costumes and fly around the ice. It's great fun... and really appeals to a large age group.

Special $5 Savings for Moms!

Save $5 per ticket when you purchase tickets for Disney on Ice Mickey and Minnie's Magical Journey at the Rogers Centre. Just enter the code 'BLOG' at the checkout. Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster.

Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto

Dates: December 25 to January 2, 2011
Ticket Prices: $90 (Rinkside), $65 (VIP), $39, $26, and $15. Additional fees may apply.
Tickets on Sale Now! For the fastest and easiest way to buy tickets, log onto www.ticketmaster.ca or www.disneyonice.com or visit the Rogers Centre Gate 7 Box Office or call 416-870-8000