(illuminated learning) Hands-on learning about how music works on our minds is at the heart of Musik: From Sound to Emotion, a cool new exhibition at The Montreal Science Centre. Every step of the exhibition’s journey is interactive – each visitor carries an MP3 player to listen to music of all kinds (including by pop-punk band Simple Plan, who collaborated on the exhibition), answer questions and create a personal composition. Less high-tech, but delightfully educational nonetheless is a visit to the Insectarium and The Botanical Gardens, where the main greenhouse is decked out for Christmas with lights, new plant life, choir performances on some afternoons, and even a craft fair December 7-9.

(glorious showtime) Lumberjack acrobats tumble among pine trees in Cirque Alphonse’s Timber!, a comedic, musical circus for the whole family, December 18-31 at Montreal’s one-and-only circus centre, Tohu. Geordie Productions specializes in creating shows for children that their parents can also truly enjoy – this year they’ve put a new twist on Robin Hood, the classic tale of do-good outlaws and their merry ways, playing December 7-16 at the Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal (453 St-Francois-Xavier). For more traditional holiday theatre fair, see Les Grands Ballets unveils its colourful annual performance of The Nutcracker, December 13-30 at Place des Arts, while Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol becomes a musical, complete with 14 songs, at Theatre Rialto on December 14.

(holiday history) A question possibly on many a kid’s mind this season: Who is the real Santa Claus? Pointe-a-Calliere Museum of Archaeology and History answers with an theatrical tour of international holiday traditions, from St. Nicholas, Melchior and Babushka to Santa Claus, throughout December – see the museum’s website for tour times. For toys and nothing but toys, visit The McCord Museum’s Toys 3 – The Voyage exhibition, where children aged 3 to 9 can travel through the adventureland of Abracadabra, where 200 historical toys are on display in wild jungles and next to crackling campfires.

(joy of art) The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts gives the gift of free tours and art activities this season: wander through an indoor forest of 35 Christmas trees, decorated in different styles, see museum’s permanent collections, kids and parents can make their own tree decorations and wrapping paper in a Holiday Decoration Workshop (Saturdays and Sundays, drop in), paint a pastel and ink landscape (Saturdays and Sundays, 1 and 2:30 p.m.) and listen to stories (in English Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m.). The Musee d’art contemporain also has art workshops for the family every Sunday afternoon, with a different theme each week. And traditional and contemporary art as well as plenty of craft – including all kinds of hand-made toys – that you can not only look at but buy is in abundance at Montreal’s artisanal and craft fairs.

The post FAMILY HOLIDAY GUIDE TO MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Granted, I don’t have a mini-me of my own – yes, Mom, I know my clock is ticking – but I do have enough nieces and nephews to start a peewee hockey team. And seriously, they’re not shy about telling me what they want.

My oldest niece, Mélodye, is 13 going on 30, or so the saying goes. She plays hockey (with yellow laces in her skates like Ovechkin) and likes the cutie wolf-guy with the nice abs on Twilight – so she’s not exactly the precious princess type. Her younger brother Félix, 12 years old, is a little more on the artsy side, but the two of them both love skateshop extraordinaire Arsenic at Complex Les Ailes- the look these days for young hipsters is (still) oversized and baggy skater or snowboarder gear; what looks huge to me is “just right” to them.

Even younger is Jade, who’s 10. She’s a girly girl who has dabbled in ice-skating and violin, and now does tap, jazz and hiphop dancing. Anyhow, for Christmas, I was informed that she wanted something from Joshua Perets (available at the Eaton Centre), a colourful sportswear line that comes in adult and young-adult (read: pre-teen). The turquoise top I got her with bright pink print and a tiny doggy silhouette (pictured above) definitely got me top marks.

My 8-year-old goddaughter is Marie-Pascale; she’s an artist. I got her a little art kit from Renaud Bray (a French language bookstore) that showed my budding Van Gogh how to draw ballerinas, another one of her obsessions. It came with a rainbow selection of pencils and fancy dancer templates. I think that one put me on the Coolest Auntie Ever category, for a good two hours at least.

Next time I’m around the Bell Centre, I’ll have to stop by their official gift shop, the Habs Zone, which is open all week. Mélo’s favourite player is Andrei Kostitsyn and I’m sure she’ll freak out over a Habs jersey with the number 46 on the back – mind you, she’ll freak in a very nonchalant, 13-year-old fashion. They’ve got authentic jerseys, posters, notebooks and more, as well as a ton of Canadiens gear you won’t find anywhere else.

Another kid shop that’s on my radar for future gifts is Oink Oink on Greene Avenue in Westmount. They have toys and clothes and everything else in-between for the littlest tots to coolest teenagers. The last time I was there I even picked up a silver headband and beaded earrings for myself. The costume baubles actually started out as gifts for my other niece, Kiara, but ended up in my jewellery box instead. So, please, if you see her, don’t mention it. You know how kids are.

A

THE DETAILS

Arsenic, 677 Sainte-Catherine Street West, (514) 499-0444

Joshua Perets, 705 Sainte-Catherine Street West, (514) 849-7201

Renaud Bray, 150 Sainte-Catherine Street West, (514) 288-4844 (other locations across Montreal)

Habs Zone, 1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal, (514) 989-2836

Oink Oink, 1343 Greene Avenue, (514) 939-2634

The post SHOPPING FOR KIDS AND TWEENS IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The Montreal Botanical Garden’s Butterflies Go Free show runs from February 17 to April 25 and features over 1,500 butterflies from around the world. It explores the complex behaviour they engage in when trying to attract a mate- from wing colours and markings to beautiful mid-air courtship ballets. The world of butterflies clearly becomes more fascinating the closer you look. But if you need a more kid-friendly description, how about: a room filled with tons of butterflies is really, really cool.

(TIP: Try to visit on the morning of a sunny day, when butterflies, like most Montrealers, are most active)

While you’re there, you can also check out Paper Work, an interactive exhibit and workshop that delves into all the amazing things one can do with paper. Or just visit their permanent collection of over 22,000 plant species, 10 exhibition greenhouses and dozens of thematic gardens.

Anyone with several children along for the ride (or maybe just one particularly difficult preteen) knows that an afternoon of butterflies might be a tough sell. Thankfully the Botanical Gardens are just one part of a Family-Friendly Complex packed to the rafters with easy-to-find and educational (you don’t have to tell them that part) activites. Bring everyone over to the always-popular (even with adults) Biodome, which is filled with all sorts of creatures- including their superstar penguins, who you can check right now via the Penguin webcam.

A

THE DETAILS

Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5pm

Montreal Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke East, (514) 872-1400

Biodome, 4777 Pierre-De-Coubertin Avenue, (514) 868-3000

A

Photo Credit: Darknturquoise

The post BUTTERFLIES AND FAMILY FUN IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.