Ask Ian!

But it’s great to be back! Happy 2010 everyone!

AndyCamper headquarters has been busy for a few months now; planning new activities, sending fun newsletters to all of our friends, and spending some time with our friends at Rogers Daytime Ottawa.

Speaking of Daytime Ottawa, if you missed us, check it out! Andrew Milne spent some quality time with Derick and TL doing some cool activities like geocaching, building bird feeders, and making fun and easy animal print molds.

We’ll be spending a lot of time with the folks at Daytime in 2010. Look for us on the following dates for cool new activities and to revisit some old favourites:

January 13th

February 10th

March 10th

April 14th

and May 12th.

That’s right! We have a monthly segment!  We’ll be doing some of the activities from the website, but also some new ones!

If you have any ideas about what you would like to see on AndyCamper.com, on Rogers Daytime Ottawa, or on any of our newsletters, post a comment below, and we’ll try to make sure we do some of your favourite activities.

Thanks for all your support campers, and once again, Happy New Year!

Shannon

I just heard about the most amazing festival that is available live and is also available online for anyone to participate around the world.  It’s being run by the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo Region - a fascinating place filled with Physicists who are studying tons of amazing things about our world!

Did you ever wonder about Dark Matter?  Are you curious about the Mars Rover? (which by the way is named Curiosity!)  Do you have questions about the world around us?  This is the festival for you.

Visit http://www.q2cfestival.com/.  We can’t wait to learn what oragami has to do with satellites.  I also want to know what a doppler ball is - don’t you??

If you visit the festival live or virtually - let us know what you think. 

If you can’t get to see them live this summer - why don’t you check out this great website - www.whalewatchingtv.com.  The site let’s you watch whales and dolphins in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. 

Here is some info that I pulled off their homepage:

“The ONLY place in the world where you can, daily, watch HUGE DOLPHIN HERDS, and BLUE WHALES, the largest animal that ever lived, swimming, LIVE, out on the OPEN OCEAN, without ever leaving your home.  You can SEE and HEAR them UNDERWATER as well!!! SEVEN Cameras onboard, including an UNDERWATER CAM and a HYDROPHONE and a handheld camera with a zoom that is used for viewing the whales.”

What a great way to learn about whales! We are going to spend time viewing it on our next rainy day. 

We just got back from a trip to Quebec City.  AMAZING to see it through the eyes of a child.  There is SO much to do that it is fabulous.  I will just give you four highlights to consider.

1.  Montmorency Falls…… http://www.quebec-travelguide.com/Beauport/Montmorency-Falls-Park/  Take the gondola up to the top ( it is only a couple minutes but the view is awesome).  Then walk across the suspension bridge over the falls and take the stairs down. We counted 483 stairs going down but we may be wrong.  Try it and let us know what you counted.  
2.  We spoiled ourselves and went to the Siberia Spa.  On sunday mornings they let children attend.  You get to go from the hot tubs to the FREEZING cold waterfalls; try a steam room; and a steam hut or sauna.   http://siberiastationspa.com/accueil/?L=2
3. If it is a rainy day - there is still lots you can see indoors….. check out the Aquarium du Quebec.  You won’t believe the sea creatures you will be able to view and learn about. http://www.sepaq.com/paq/en/
4.  The history of the city is amazing.  Take time to walk over the Plains of Abraham.  You can learn about the war that took place, see the statue dedicated to Joan of Arc, and walk through Battlefield Park.  http://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/_en/index.php.  It is a great place to sit down and have a picnic…. bring along a frisbee or a kite - you will have TONS of room to run and play. 

If you visit, let us know what you liked best! 

Mark your calendars now.  This is a fun event mostly for young kids ( 10 and under seems to be the best age based on what we saw last year).  We have attended a few times and always had a great time.  http://kidspark.ca/index.html

It is held rain or shine.  Lots to do….. We are especially looking forward to the RIM Discovery Zone that is being run by Engineering Science. Quest.  You get the chance to make slime,magic, caterpillars, kaleidoscopes, rocking rockets and UV beads……

On July 22nd - you can see the longest solar eclipse of the century.  According to this link  http://mashable.com/2009/07/21/solar-eclipse-online/, it will last six and a half minutes.  

If you live in (or are visiting) parts of  India, Butan, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Japan, and the Marshall Islands you can see it live OR you can view it online!

To learn more about moons, stars, planets or comments - you can always visit the activity section of http://andycamper.com/page?s=183.

Let us know what you think of the eclipse!

I just found out. 

2009  is the International Year of Astronomy - a year-long, worldwide public celebration of astronomy, marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo pointing a telescope to the sky.  Check out this website to find national sites that include more details about events happening in your country to celebrate astronomy - http://www.astronomy2009.org/.

You can learn lots about stars and stargazing with Andy Camper activities….

• Discover it - Stargazing & Star Charts
• Collect it - Make Your Own Telescope
• Create it - Create a Mudpie Moon

• • Build it - Build a Tin Can Planetarium
    

If the answer is YES….. then check out this website http://www.ontarioparksinsider.com/3/ff#article54.  You can also subscribe to the Ontario Parks Insider newsletter and get the information sent to you directly so you can always have new ideas when you head out to camp.

Speaking of new ideas, If you haven’t tried geocaching with your kids yet - you have to try this summer! Andy Camper has tips on how you can get started http://andycamper.com/page?s=190…. and we have many Andy Camper items stashed that are on the move.  Once you start to geocache you will get hooked. 

Someone just forwarded me a link to this blog…. http://therecord.blogs.com/a_year_on_the_grand/.  It includes great photos taken by David Bebee and Mathew McCarthy, photojournalists for the Waterloo Region Record.  They also include interesting information about where the shots were taken along the grand river.  For example: the June blog post includes images of a monarch butterfly, heron, snail, dragonfly and crazy jumping water dog names Wyatt!  Makes me want to bring my camera next time I hike with the family.

Take photos the next time you are on a hike and email them to andy@andycamper.com and we may put them on our website. 

Well at least it is in our house - and maybe your’s too!  My daughter is currently studying rocks and minerals in school, so we went on the internet to get some information and also find some fun activities to do. 

There are lots, but I will just share with you three that were cool:

• Of course our first stop was http://andycamper.com/page?s=92.  That page leads you to a great section on rocks.  We are going to use the tips for setting up a rock collection to help with a school project.
• We also found the American Mineral Information Institute site at http://www.mii.org/mineralphotos.php.  You can see tons of photos of different minerals and also learn about what they are used for in every day life.
• Calling all rock collectors - we have found a site for you! http://www.rocksforkids.com/RFK/collecting.html.