Dora is coming to Canada! She will help find the Missing Teddy Bear!

It’s Dora the Explorer! We are so very excited to welcome the adventurous little heroine starring in Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys! to Canada.

Visit www.DoraLiveCanada.com for a list of tour dates and ticket information.

The folks at Koba Entertainment want to do something special for you, our momstown readers. Use the exclusive code below to buy tickets in advance for a show nearest you! This code will be active between June 4 at 11AM EST and June 6 at 11PM EST. General on sale begins June 7 at 11AM EST.

Presale Code: EXPLORES

Day 1: Help Find Koba's Missing Teddy Bear

Welcome to momstown Victoria and congratulations- you have found 2 of five letter tiles today!

If you haven’t collected today’s five letter tiles, please return to the Koba Entertainment’s Facebook page to continue your search through the blogs.

Western Canada is very excited about welcoming Koba Entertainment’s mysterious guest to our region and we think you will be just as excited as us.

Make sure to visit Koba Entertainment’s Facebook page for instructions on tomorrow’s clue.

momstown Little Scientists Take Flight with Aaron Bannister

Victoria moms, toddlers and kids explored the topic of flight with our guest science instructor, Aaron Bannister, at our momstown Victoria Little Scientists program in March! 

The kids lined up to take turns using a water bottle rocket launcher! Aaron added some water to a 2-litre plastic bottle and attached it to the rocket launcher. Then he used an air pump to fill the bottle with air, pressurizing both the air and water inside the plastic bottle.  

After about six pumps, he hit the release button...Whoosh! The bottle flew about 20 feet with a splashing trail of water! Why did we add water to the bottle rocket? According to NASA's website, since water is about 100 times heavier than air, the expelled water produces more thrust than air alone.

All the kids took turns using the water bottle rocket launcher, as well as other fun toys that launched objects into flight!

  

Aaron also showed us how to "magically" float ping pong balls in the air using a hairdryer. This is called Bernoulli's Principle. As long as the hairdryer is pointing straight up, the ping pong balls will hover in the air stream without falling to the side. This is because the fast moving air creates lower air pressure pushing on the surface of the ball. The higher air pressure from the still air surrounding the air stream is what keeps the ball in place. You can read more about this principle here! 

 

Thank you to Aaron Bannister for joining us and sharing your love of science with our kids! Our Little Scientists is a monthly drop-in program by donation at Saanich Neighbourhood Place for moms with kids ages 0 to 6. 

momstown Victoria coordinates over 20 events and programs every month to connect and support moms in Greater Victoria, and our membership is only $45 per family per year! Register for your FREE 4-week trial and see what else momstown moms and kids are up to! Or contact info.victoria@momstown.ca for more info!

Wet, Wet, Wet! Making Glitter Bottles and Reading "Split! Splat!" at Scholastic Tales for Tots

In celebration of our "Wet, wet, wet!" theme this month, momstown Victoria shared the book "Split! Splat!" by Amy Gibson at Tales for Tots sponsored by Scholastic Canada! Put the umbrella away and take off your galoshes; it's time to sing, dance and squish in the mud with a little girl and her dog! Amy Gibson's fun poem is brought to life by New York Times bestselling illustrator Steve Bjorkman.

Glitter bottles are a wonderful sensory craft for kids and toddlers! All you need is a small plastic water bottle, water, glitter, and sensory objects of different weight and texture. We used glitter, sparkly pompoms, sequins and foam stickers, and you can add heavier objects like dice and beads to make a rattle sound. 

Make your own Glitter Bottle!

1. Fill the bottle only half full of water. 
2. Add the glitter (recommended that the adult does this part.) 
3. Add sparkly pompoms, sequins, stickers and other items to the bottle. 
4. Top off with water.
5. Seal with hot glue or duct tape. 

Ta da! Simply swirl and shake it to experience the magic of a glitter bottle!

Our Tales for Tots program event is open to the public and hosted downtown at Chapters Victoria from 10-11 am on the 3rd Wednesday of every month! Bring your coffee and meet us downstairs in the children's area for a craft, storytime and a chance to WIN our Scholastic book of the month! 

Game On! Mattel Games Night with Moms in Victoria

momstown Victoria moms had a fun night IN playing board games, thanks to a complete party-in-a-box from Mattel Game On! We had 8 great games to choose from, including Apples to Apples, Blokus, Mad Gab, Uno, Uno Power Grab, Angry Birds and Skip Bo! Which game would you choose? Check out Mattel's new Gameology App to discover your unique game personality!

After pouring some wine and grazing on munchies, we decided to play Apples to Apples. This game was hilarious, especially with a group that is clever, persuasive, and funny! The winner got to pick one of the board games as a prize, and she chose Apples to Apples! Congratulations, Chelsea!

The second game we played was Mad Gab, and once we got the hang of it, this game was also a lot of fun! How can you not crack up while solving a puzzle like "Weight Her Skit Count List Hips"?!? It was great to laugh so much, and we will definitely plan another games night, just so that we can play this one again!

Thanks to Sarah for hosting our games night at her home, and thank you to all the momstown Victoria moms who came out to play! If you weren't able to join us this time, you still have a chance to win a fabulous Mattel Game On prize pack to host your own fun games night - click here! 

momstown Baby Bucket Brunch at Spoon's Diner

A warm and fuzzy thank you to Spoon's Diner for the super kid & mom-friendly service, bodacious brunch and exclusive 25% discount for our momstown Victoria mamas at the event! We loved the casual and festive atmosphere, the enclosed seating area (which made it easy to catch our toddlers,) and the ultra creative yet crowd-pleasing menu. Best of all, our Victoria moms & kids felt relaxed enough to enjoy the food and each other's company. We look forward to going again soon!

Spoon's Diner is located at 2915 Douglas St. in the Super 8 Hotel, with plenty of parking.

Join them in real life and on facebook! 

Our momstown Baby Bucket Brunch is just one of over 20 events that we coordinate to connect and support local moms in Victoria. Our membership is only $45/year and includes a BONUS 1-year subscription to Today's Parent magazine! Sign up now for your FREE 4-week trial or contact info.victoria@momstown.ca for more info!

Top 5 Brunch Spots in Victoria for Mother's Day (or any day!)

momstown Victoria has five great spots to recommend that will suit different tastes and budgets - and treat mom with a brunch that she won't have to cook herself!

Cabin 12 serves big, beautiful breakfasts with a wonderful staff and family-friendly style. 

Cora makes every morning sunny with a tried and true brunch menu to please everyone, at great prices too! 

Nourish is a "hidden gem" with a seasonal breakfast menu made that is high quality and nutrient dense food disguised as comfort food. 

Spoons Diner is the perfect family brunch spot for babies and toddlers, and they offer a huge menu with something for everyone! 

White Spot is dependable for BC legendary taste and hearty breakfasts! 





Do you have a favourite brunch place in Victoria? Let our readers know!

momstown Victoria visits BC Family Child Care Association 2013 Conference & AGM

momstown Victoria was at this year's BCFCCA AGM and Conference Mini Market as a proud supporter and vendor. The conference agenda included exciting presentations and workshops intended to educate and inspire child care workers to provide the highest quality of child care and early learning opportunities for children and families in BC. Please visit www.bcfcca.ca for more information and to view the conference brochure. 

In between sessions, the conference attendees also had the opportunity to explore exciting products from local vendors and vendors from around BC.

It was a great opportunity for momstown Victoria to meet child care providers from all over BC, and also to give away three amazing prizes from Fisher-Price!

Congratulations to all the lucky winners of our Fisher-Price draw prizes, and see you next year!

momstown Victoria is the first and only momstown chapter operating in BC! Each chapter is 100% locally owned by a mom entrepreneur who partners with individuals, businesses and community organizations to host over 20 events monthly to connect and support local moms. Interested in opening a momstown chapter in your community? Click here for more info!