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May 18, 2012
Are your kids asking "Who was Queen Victoria"? Ok, maybe not, just bring on the fireworks and the long weekend, right?!
Regardless, this is a chance to teach them a history lesson. If you're going on a road trip, this could make for some fun in the car learning about Queen Victoria. Parents might learn a few things too!
WHO WAS QUEEN VICTORIA?
A: Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901) and empress of India (1876-1901). Her reign was the longest of any monarch in British history and came to be known as the Victorian era.
WHERE WAS QUEEN VICTORIA BORN?
A: Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, London.
WHEN DID VICTORIA BECOME QUEEN?
A: Queen Victoria came to the throne when she was only 18 years of age on June 20, 1837. Her coronation was a year later on 28 June 1838.
HOW LONG DID QUEEN VICTORIA REIGN?
A: Queen Victoria reigned for exactly sixty-three years, seven months, and two days (June 20, 1837 - January 22, 1901). Queen Victoria is our longest ever serving monarch.
HOW OLD WAS VICTORIA WHEN SHE INHERITED THE THRONE?
A: She inherited the throne at the age of eighteen, upon the death of her uncle William IV who had no legitimate children (children born to married parents).
WHY DID VICTORIA WEAR BLACK?
A: Her husband Albert died in 1861 at the young age of 42. She mourned his death for almost 10 years. For the rest of her reign she wore black.
WHERE DID VICTORIA LIVE?
A: Queen Victoria had many homes. She lived in Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Osborne House (Isle of Wight) and Balmoral Castle.
Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace.
WHAT HOBBIES DID VICTORIA HAVE?
A: Queen Victoria loved singing and she enjoyed painting and drawing. She loved going to the opera.
HOW DID BRITAIN CHANGE WHILE VICTORIA WAS QUEEN?
A: While Victoria was Queen there was a tremendous change in the lives of British people:
Britain became the most powerful country in the world, with the largest empire that had ever existed, ruling a quarter of the world's population.
The number of people living in Britain more than doubled, causing a huge demand for food, clothes and housing.
Factories and machines were built to meet this demand and new towns grew up, changing the landscape and the ways people lived and worked.
Railways, originally built to transport goods, meant people could travel easily around the country for the first time.
411ontariokids.com wishes everyone a safe and fun Victoria Day! Enjoy the long weekend everybody!
April 21, 2012
In honour of my family trek to today's Maple Syrup Festival in Elmvale and all maple festivals of 2012, I post a recipe for blueberry buttermilk pancakes. We hope everyone got out to a festival this season. We hope you said 'hello' to the syrup producers and supported their efforts and hard work. There is nothing that compares to the real thing, to real Canadian Ontario maple syrup. We also hope you had a lot of fun!
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
(or banana or apple* or chocolate chip or...you get the picture!)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Preparation time:
Cooking time:
Yield: 8
Ingredients
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- 2 cups flour (500 mL)
- 1/4 cup sugar (60 mL)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder (12 mL)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2 mL)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2 mL)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk (500 mL)
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus some for frying (60 mL)
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (250 mL)
Directions
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter.
- Combine the dry and the wet ingredients into a lumpy batter, being careful not to overmix.
- Heat some butter in a skillet.
- Spoon 1/3 cup (75 mL) of batter into the skillet and sprinkle the top with some of the blueberries.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Serve with maple syrup.
Pancakes can be cut into fun shapes to make your kids smile.
*if you're mixing in apples, it is recommended to cook them abit first so they are soft.
ENJOY!
April 2, 2012
All-Natural Easter Egg Dyeing Methods
After researching this for my own family I thought it would be good share. Many parents are looking for natural methods to dye easter eggs. Synthetic fake colours and dyes can be harmful and are easily avoidable. Mother nature has been kind in giving us many items with rich vibrant colour that can be used and can be just as effective and beautiful as the immitation stuff.
This is a family activity for young and old. Kids of any age can participate and get creative!
Tip: Use eggs that are not fresh. The fresher the eggs, the harder they will to peel when it comes time to eating them. To start this activity, simple hard boil the amount of eggs you wish to colour. To achieve a hard boiled egg, it should be boiled anywhere from 17-20 minutes in water with a splash of white vinegar. Allow the eggs to cool in the fridge before dyeing.
The longer you soak an egg in the dye, the more instense the colour will become.
Feeling creative and crafty? Before dyeing the eggs, draw shapes, pictures or inspiring words on them with crayons or a piece of wax. The wax won't absorb the color so the designs will show through. Using a crayon, simply draw a design onto your eggs and then dye as you would any other Easter egg. Your crayon design will be accentuated by your choice of dye.
Tie-dye is not just for t-shirts and hippies! Rubber bands are all you need to make tie-dyed eggs. Use a collection of different sized rubber bands. Wrap the rubber bands, one at a time, around the eggs. Make sure to leave some of the egg shell exposed so it can be dyed. Once the eggs are dyed to the color you like, remove them from the water and let them dry. Once dried completely, pull the rubber bands off to reveal your banded design.
How to make natural egg dyes:
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THE WEEK AHEAD
May 14 - 21, 2012
Finally, the May long weekend is before us. 3 full days of family time! Monday May 21 is Victoria Day in Ontario. Many great family day activities and overnight getaways are going on north of the gta. All weekend long is the 28th Annual Portarama in Port McNicoll. The family can find a full schedule of weekend activities and spend the Long Weekend at Blue in Blue Mountain Village near Collingwood. For something different head inside the Haliburton forest and participate in an annual Birdathon. For creative families, this week begins Family Sunday every Sunday at the MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie. Many farmer's markets start this weekend, including Midland on Sunday. If you're looking to getaway for the whole weekend or a big part of it, many accomodations are offering Spring and long weekend promotions. Take advantage of them and enjoy some springtime family fun!
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