All Posts By:

Christine Bruckmann

13+ kid-approved activities to do when visiting Banff

Cascades of Time garden, Banff

Updated Juky 2, 2023

Going to Banff is a fun experience for the whole family but sometimes it can be hard occupying the kids all of the time. This is especially true if you’re not familiar with what there is to see and do.  We’ve got 10 kid-approved ideas on how to keep busy with the kids while visiting Banff!

visiting banff

Kid-approved activities to do with kids when visiting Banff

This mix of cheap and free things to do in Banff should give you a wide range of activities in the National Park that your kids will love and talk about for years to come!

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Safely Enjoy Your Favourite Winter Activities

Living in North Edmonton for the majority of my life, the biggest stormwater facility that I knew of was Beaumaris Lake. I grew up walking around the paths, lived in the townhouses across the street from it, and genuinely love it.

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Tips For Celebrating Halloween Safely This Year

Celebrating Halloween Safely This Year

Even though we’re eight months into dealing with a global pandemic, we’re still navigating many firsts and that includes Halloween. A few weeks ago, Dr. Hinshaw announced that Halloween is not cancelled but we still have to do our part to ensure a safe experience for all.

First things first, regardless of your current Halloween plans if you are isolating or feeling sick stay home, and do not hand out candy!

Celebrating Halloween Safely This Year

Masks & Costumes

 The great thing about face masks is that there are many different styles available that can complement or even be the focus of your Halloween costume. From plain colours, fun prints,  skeletons to animals, monsters to unicorns and more, the options are endless.

Regardless of if your costume incorporates a mask or not when social distancing is not possible your costume should allow for a mask to be worn safely and comfortably if needed.

Trick or Treating

This year we’ll be packing some quick snacks and of course hand sanitizer!

Generally, when we’re out trick or treating I’ll sneak myself and the kids a mini chocolate bar or two… but this year will look a lot different. To avoid the inevitable hangry, pack a granola bar or something equally easily accessible.

While it’s suggested that you avoid ringing doorbells and touching hard surfaces if it does happen the hand sanitizer will come in clutch.

And of course, once you get home before you dig into your candy, you’ll either need to disinfect it right away or leave it sitting for a few days…Who am I kidding? Go buy some Clorox wipes now.

Halloween at Home

If you’re skipping the trick or treating this year but still want to celebrate at home, there are still some great ways to celebrate Halloween which include:

  • Dress up in your Halloween best and host a cohort Halloween party!
  • Hide candy in your backyard and have a Halloween scavenger hunt.
  • Host a Zoom pumpkin carving night
  • Enjoy a Halloween movie marathon with your favourite movies!

Worried about having too much but still want your favourites? Visit the bulk areas of your local grocery or bulk barn to grab smaller amounts. This way you can still enjoy your favourites but won’t overindulge.

Handing Out Candy

It’s suggested that anyone handing out candy should do so while maintaining social distancing. If this is not an option, wearing a mask is a must!

This is also the year to get extra creative! Pre-packaging your candy a few days ahead of time, placing the candy on an outdoor table or another area that they can easily be grabbed from, using long salad tongs, and even the growing popular Candy Chute DIY are all great options.

Whatever you decide, the guidelines from the Alberta Government strongly discourages leaving out bulk bowls of candy for anyone to grab from.

Do you have other tips for celebrating Halloween safely this year? Leave a comment below so we can add it to our blog post!

Calgary Families Can Register for the FREE BMO Kids’ Day Pancake Drive-thru

BMO Kids' Day Pancake Drive-thru

Pancake breakfasts are one of the staples when it comes to Stampede, and this year while things may look a lot different the pancakes will still be served at the BMO Kids’ Day Pancake Drive-thru event.

 BMO Kids' Day Pancake Drive-thru

BMO Kids’ Day Pancake Drive-thru 

On July 8th you and your family are invited to enjoy a pancake drive-thru at Stampede Park. Taking place from 9 am-4 pm, attending the BMO Kids’ Day Pancake Drive-thru is FREE for everyone, however advanced registration is required.  (Register here)

The pancake breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, syrup, and juice and will be served in a clamshell container.  For the health and safety of everyone any other forms of transportation such as bikes, walk-up, scooters etc. will not be permitted and once you receive your breakfast, you will need to vacate Stampede Park and enjoy your pancakes either at home or an alternate location.

Stampede Park is located at 1410 Olympic Way Southeast. For more details visit calgarystampede.com

 

Shocking & Comical – Submit Your Stories To Our AM Secret Series

AM Secrets

With everything in the news these days being about COVID-19 we wanted to start something at Alberta Mamas that’s a little different called AM Secrets.

Sometimes being able to read a story about someone else who’s experienced something funny or weird can help to take your mind off what’s going on around you, if even just for a few minutes. Our hope is that you find some comic relief in the stories that you read.

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