Genuine Jenn

FIVE WAYS TO HAVE FUN IN THE SUN WITH BABY

With the exception of this rainy cold week, we've had a wonderful summer in terms of weather! This month Disney Baby is talking about ideas on what we can do with our little one's this summer.

Since my son Caleb is well on the move and doing his very best to keep up with his big sister we've really been enjoying the city splash pads, we've been able to check out four this year, and every one has been as fun and exciting as the last!

My three year old loves her picnics. During the weekend we pack a lunch basket and pack the kids up in the bike trailer, and my husband and i have been enjoying finding new parks on our bikes. We've had a lot of fun this year discovering the many bike trails our community has to offer.

In the summertime when the weather is fine, the best place to be is always outside! As long as you’re careful to protect your baby from the sun, there are plenty of fun outdoor activities that you can enjoy together. Here are some ideas from Disney Baby on how to make the most of your summer with baby.

1) Throw a picnic

Picnics are an easy and inexpensive way to fill a summer day with fun. Pack some snacks in reusable snack bags, and put together a picnic kit, including a comfy blanket, some toys and a disposable diaper bag. Then head to your favourite park and relax! Your baby can nap, play or just cuddle for hours!

2) Hit the beach

Introduce your baby to the surf and sand! A trip to the beach offers endless entertainment: take baby for a careful splash in the warm water or let him/her play with the cool, wet sand. But remember to plan ahead – bring a Waterproof Bag for bathing suits, some waterproof beach toys, and a towel for baby to sit on or snuggle up in.

3) Purchase a paddling pool

If you can’t make it to the beach, why not create one at home? Set up a paddling pool in your garden and have fun bathing baby outside! Play with toys and have a little splash – just don’t stay in too long or your baby may get cold.

4) Go for a walk

A walk is a great way for you and baby to get some fresh air together. In a hooded stroller, like this great Minnie Mouse one, your baby can take in the sights while remaining protected from the sun. Try attaching some stroller toys to keep baby entertained while you’re on the move.

5) Play in the park

Parks offer you and baby plenty of free fun. Take your little one to a local sandbox or paddling pool, where she can meet and play with other babies. If your baby can sit and has stable head control, you can try swinging her gently in a baby swing too!

This month Disney Baby is giving away a clothing set. Please take note they're ONLY available in size 0-3months. Since my son has long outgrown the size i will be offering the Mickey set in addition the the Minnie set. Please comment on the blog post about which set you would like, and enter the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Cheryl. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

If you are newer to reading my blog you may not know that every evening Monday to Friday I support individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. I am a primary counselor to 4 out of the 8. We are two staff, one works days and I work evenings. We support these individuals with living everyday life in their own apartment. Each summer we brainstorm and decide on a 3 day 2 night vacation. This summer we decided to do this a little differently and do 3 days of day trips. This was to help with everyone getting to do something they could afford and that they had interest in. Here is what everyone decided on.

Papanack Zoo, Monte Cascade and Upper Canada Village. I will tell you right away we had a full crowd on the last day for Upper Canada Village.

Monday August 8th, both myself and the other staff (R) headed into work for 8am, packed a cooler, made sure we had sunscreen, money, map, and anything else we may need. Next we hurried around the apartment building to each person's apartment to make sure they were good to go or if they needed help with anything. (This is a normal thing we did for all three days).

8:45am - Let's head out and pick up one more guy that is coming with us and hit the road to Wendover, Ontario.

10:00am - Arrive at Papanack Zoo, everyone is very excited to see the animals. We saw lots of neat critters, Lemurs, Peacocks, Coyotes, Tigers, and even a black Jaguar. A few pictures and then I have a funny story about the Jaguar. hehe

If you have never been to a Zoo or to Papanack there is a lot of walking from one animal to another and we had a pretty hot day. When we approached the Jaguar he was in the back of his housing area. He came up to the front and laid down. A few minutes after he got up and paced back and forth turned around so his behind was facing all of us at the fence and lifted his tail! AHHH quick everyone move. Well three of our guys moved very fast but the other person, who is afraid of uneven ground - L (but he did a great job walking everywhere that day!) shuffled over. We thought everyone got out of the way until I turned and looked at L, I saw he got hit ALL down one leg!

I said - "oh no, you should have moved faster." trying not to laugh

He said - "I didn't get peed on!" he started laughing.

I replied - "look again!"

He looked down and looked back at me and we burst out laughing. L then replied "I did get PEED on!!"

The rest of the day and still now that has been a big conversation with everyone! I believe he may even be proud :)

Day 2 - Monte Cascade, We ended up with only 3 people going and it was a cloudy day. Of course the day we wouldn't have minded it being Super hot, it was overcast and also a cool breeze. Monte Cascade turned out to be a lot of fun and only cost each person $12.99! How can you go wrong as most water parks are over $25 a person.

Day 3 - Upper Canada Village, this was a FULL group for us and we ended up with a big van and our car to take everyone to Morrisburg, Ontario. If you haven't been here before but love to learn history this is a great place to learn what it would have been like to live in the 1860's, the daily life, the challenges etc. Tour the almost 60 acres of "village" and learn how they made wool, bread, logs, cheese curd (my fave - I learned a lot there) and much more. See demonstrations and talk with the village folks. We took a ride in a horse carriage around the village to see all the homes and farms. Also if you plan to go here check out my Attractions Ontario post for a coupon, Buy one Adult and get one Child free. The price is not cheap but everyone should experience Upper Canada Village at least once in their lifetime! This year marks 50 years they have been open!