Tales from the Hammer
Robyn Knickle shares stories from Hamilton, Ont.
There are a lot of really great things about Hamilton. A great arts community, beautifully architectured buildings, and a ton of green space and hiking trails; the list could go on forever. Some of my favourite things here, however, are the parks. They are big, historic and so much fun for everyone, especially kids.
We’re within a 10 minute walk from Gage Park, which has two play areas, a splash pad, a band-shell, a baseball diamond, a squash court, a greenhouse and plenty of space for a picnic. You can normally find us there, but this weekend we wanted to shake things up, so we headed to our amazing waterfront for some some fun at Pier 4 Park. Read more...
Get Outside
Jane Jacobs would want your kids to explore their city
Jane’s Walks are free walking tours of your community and they take place all over the world. They are named for Jane Jacobs, was an urbanist and activist who “saw cities as ecosystems that had their own logic and dynamism which would change over time according to how they were used.”
Organized Jane’s Walks are happening this weekend! And one of the Toronto walks is specifically designed with kids in mind. It’s the first Jr. Jane’s Walk! Bunch spoke with architect and dad
David Butterworth, who is helping lead the first Jr. Jane’s walk in Toronto.
What can you tell us about Jane’s Walk?
Jane Jacob’s philosophy was all about the connectivity between people and spaces and how people interact with the public realm.
How do we introduce space and architecture to kids? Read more...
March Break
Get out and explore your own city this March Break
Attention kids and parents! We have an assignment for you this March Break. Ever wonder what is truly the best coffeeshop in your particular city? This is your chance to find out! We want you and your kids to try out the beverage selections at five different coffeeshops in order to find your new favourite.
You can do this by:
- Referring to your city’s alt-weeklies and blogs where they typically create best-of lists
- Asking your social networks for recommendations
- Taking transit to a new neighbourhood and wander around until you find the first interesting-looking coffeeshop
Next, you and your kid have to commit to one item you’re going to order at each coffeeshop. It could be a plain cup of drip coffee, chai latte, hot chocolate, smoothie, or maybe even a cookie. (We’d be checking out the latte situation while the kid would investigate the hot chocolate) Read more...
