September is  quickly approaching. Browse exciting shopping, restaurant and program ideas and savings, to ensure that your family is prepared for back-to-school time.  

Lovable Labels

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Durable, Canadian-made labels, perfect for children’s belongings going to camp, school, and daycare.  Use our colorful and fun labels to ensure their items come home.  Labels for clothes, shoes, bags, and everything else!  Medical wristbands available for allergies/medical conditions. Shop online 24/7.
 
Contact: www.greatlabels.ca, LittleLadybug@sasktel.net, or 306-547-2260


A Perfect Party

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We carry a wide assortment of themed party supplies for birthdays and other occassions, as well as treat bag items, pre-packaged treat bags and pinatas!  Order online anytime from the convenience of home - save time and money.  Use coupon code 9192 at checkout for 10% off your purchase!
 
Contact: www.littleladybug.ca, LittleLadybug@sasktel.net or 306-547-2260

Go Back to School Waste-Free with Litterless Lunch Gear from Lavish & Lime

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Choose from a great selection of Goodbyn all-in-one lunch boxes (available in 8 colours), insulated lunch bags, portable cutlery sets, reusable sandwich wraps, snack pouches, fruit guards plus all kinds of stainless steel food containers, straws and water bottles. Take 10% OFF any purchase, any size with code KIDSCANADA through August 31st.

Contact: www.lavishandlime.com,
customerservice@lavishandlime.com or 1-877-216-5463
 

Bugalug Stay Put Accessories for the Urban Child

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Bugalug offers simplistic trendy accessories for both girls and boys, from our first product the ‘Silicone non slip clips’ to our newest ‘Embellished barrettes and Cinch Belts’ we know we can provide you a great accessory for your little one. Join our Clip of the Month club to receive exclusive membership pricing and a new clip for 12 consecutive months, use the code KIDS to save 15% off.

Contact: www.bugalugbaby.com, erica@bugalugbaby.com or 403-289-6344
  

Raspberry Kids
 
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Raspberry Kids is an online lifestyle store that features fresh, healthy & fun products for the little ones in your life.  We have a wide selection of Back to School brands and products including litterless lunch options from Goodbyn, Lunchbots, Lunchskins, backpacks and lunchboxes from Beatrix NY and Skip Hop and many more items to choose from. Save 15% by using the code: KAC15 until September 30, 2010. 

Contact: www.raspberrykids.com, info@raspberrykids.com or 1-888-950-KIDS (5427)

 
Thumbprint Adventures

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Thumbprint Adventures is an award winning learning through play and imagination program for children ages 18 months to 9 years. Each week our staff journey on a new themed adventure, embracing fine motor, gross motor and oral language skills into our playful program. Visit our Thornhill studio to register a class, book a Birthday Party, or shop our one-of-a-kind product. Click here for your $10 coupon.

Contact: www.tpadventures.com,
vaughan@thumbprintadventures.com or 905.597-TPA1 (8721)
 

Commensal - The Healthy Choice for your Family

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Enjoy the great tastes of a wide array of delicious vegetarian dishes at Commensal Restaurant with your family, friends or colleagues. Fast, fresh and delicious buffet options feature natural foods, organic ingredients and gourmet cooking. 655 Bay Street, Toronto, entrance on Elm. Free parking after 6pm. Click here for your 30% off coupon.

Contact: www.commensal.ca or 416-596-9364

 
Reptilia - Canada’s Largest Reptile Zoo

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Visit Canada’s largest Reptile Zoo and/or celebrate your next birthday party with Reptilia.  Get up close and personal with our reptiles and pet some of them.  Ask your teachers to have Reptilia visit your class with their animals to teach curriculum based science lessons.

Contact: www.reptilia.org or 905-761-6223

 
Kids Cultural Travel!

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Kids Cultural Travel! That’s what we’re all about. Broadening the horizons of our youth. We take kids to various cities and countries around the world to in efforts to strengthen the global community. Our packages are all-inclusive. Kids ages 8-18. Join the herd!

Contact: www.30-Elephants.com, Info@30-Elephants.com or 416-907-9734

 
Creating a Dramatic Difference

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Get 10% Off… Right Now, for a limited time on fall 2010 bookings of our exciting musical plays on Bullying Awareness and Character Ed. Call/Email us now and mention ad to get discount. We have the BEST customers. We’d LOVE to count you among them!

Contact: www.Kid-SafeProductions.com,
info@kid-safeproductions.com or 416-809-KIDS (5437)
 

Steeles West Gymnastics

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Steeles West Gymnastics offers skill-based recreational gymnastics and trampoline classes for children 6 and up.  We have been in business for over 23 years!  Our facility is newly renovated and geared toward fitness and skill enhancement.  We have highly experienced, certified and friendly coaches.  Located in North York. Major intersection: Dufferin and Steeles.

Contact: Ruthy Dunec or Larry Bialogrecki at 416-736-8759, ruthy@fitforlifegroup.com or www.fitforlifegroup.com

WRITTEN BY
Nathalie Prézeau, author of Toronto Fun Places

After all this playing in the snow, maybe it’s time for a warm indoor activities with the kids. You might want to check out Reptilia, where you’ll find more than scary crocodiles. They got me from the start with the washrooms’ water streams from which to wash our hands and the large waterfall by the entrance.

Some of the animals in the reptile habitats along the wide and sinuous corridor are simply beautiful. We mothers were enthralled by the Green Iguana. Not that the kids would notice, they were way too excited to see the small “crocodiles� (actually, they’re caimans). I found the large snakes quite lively, the Burmese Pythons raising vertically four feet off the ground, as if under the influence of a flute charmer. Even the turtles moved a lot!

In the next two hours, we attended an interactive reptile show in the dark amphitheatre (to be followed later by an equally interactive snake show, your chance to sit with a python on your lap, ladies). Both were hosted by a handler with an appropriate Australian accent. Everyone got to pet an animal.

The crocodile feeding (with raw chicken) took place near the theatre. Remember last year’s Newsweek magazine featuring the best shots of the year? Remember the picture of a zoo handler’s arm coming out of the mouth of a crocodile? It was hard for me not to think about it when we watched Reptilia’s staff poke at their biggest crocodile so it would come out of its inertia to eat its bi-monthly feed.

We later saw the Viper in another habitat, swallowing a whole (dead) mouse. Kids just could not take their eyes off its fangs which it used to take in the prey.

As a bonus, we even saw the handler walking with the biggest snake wrapped around his body. What a sight!

TIPS
• Reptilia is located at 2501 Rutheford Road in Vaughan, 35 minutes from downtown Toronto, less than 10 minutes from Vaughan Mills shopping mall (lots of traffic lights). Check their website for some video clips at www.reptilia.org.
• It is open every day of the year except Christmas Day: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The crocodile feeding now takes place every second Sunday at 3:45 p.m.
(Coming dates: January 4 and 18, February 1 and 15)
• Reptilia’s gift shop is huge. They sell small reptiles along with everything to take care of them, as well as toys, posters, gadgets and great t-shirts for reptile fan.
• There’s a snack bar on the premises but you could combine your visit with a stop at the Chuck E. Cheese a few minutes west of Reptilia, on the south side (3255 Rutheford, www.chuckecheese.com).

In her personal yet practical 480-page guidebook, author Nathalie Prezeau describes hundreds of outings in and around the GTA she tested with her family and friends over the past twelve years. The 4th edition is out! It includes a new chapter on things to do with the kids around the 69 subway stations in Toronto, as well as exciting city walks to play the tourist in Toronto. Available in the Travel Section of GTA bookstores as well as Mastermind Educational Toys stores. Visit www.torontofunplaces.com to learn more. 

© Nathalie Prézeau 2009