Victoria: The Savvy Guide to May

There’s so much to love about May. The warmer days bring the kids outside to play, there’s a long weekend to look forward to and, most importantly, it’s Mother’s Day. Here are our picks for a fabulous month.

DO
Make Mother’s Day reservations ahead of time
Why? It’s the busiest day of the year for restaurants, so if you’d like to celebrate with a family brunch or dinner, it’s best to plan ahead. Though it would be nice if our loved ones took care of this for us, you might want to send a calendar reminder or make the call yourself to ensure you get that coveted time away from the kitchen.

GO
To Gold Rush with the Maritime Museum at the Royal BC Museum, Wednesdays and Thursdays in May
Why? Kids will travel to new worlds as they learn about life on a ship, the high seas and the gold rush. Adventure awaits!

GET
A personalized leather cuff from Citrus Silver
Why? There’s a chance you’ll spend Mother’s Day celebrating your own mom and mother-in-law. Since you’re the one in the parenting trenches these days, treat yourself to a gift that’s not made of macaroni. With its cool mix of leather and silver, this gorgeous bracelet is sure to become your new go-to.

PLAY
Mobi
Why? Because this simple game created by an entrepreneurial mom and dad brings numbers to life. It works a little like Scrabble, only with simple math equations. Plus, it comes in an adorable whale-shaped cloth bag that’s easy to stuff in your tote for a trip to the cottage or grandma’s house.

SURF
Map of Play
Why? All you have to do is enter your location and this handy site will tell you where to find a playground nearby. Try it on your next family vacation, or when you’ve crossed the city for an errand with kids who are getting squirrely in the car.

READ
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
Why? Because this little book by a Japanese ‘cleaning consultant’ has become a global lifestyle phenomenon, and it’s bound to change the way you approach your spring decluttering efforts. Author Marie Kondo insists we must keep only the possessions that truly ‘spark joy’ and discard the rest, an almost spiritual approach that focuses on paring down instead of finding clever storage solutions.

APP
The Human Body
Why? This animated and interactive model of the human body offers a super fun way to teach kids ages 4+ how the heart beats, how food is digested, how the lungs breathe and more. Kids can drag different foods into the model’s mouth and see how those choices affect the body, complete with the kind of body-humour sound effects kids love.

GREEN IT
By growing a little of your own food at home
Why? Because whether you’ve got a patio or a big backyard, you can help the earth by cutting down on the resources it takes to ship those salad fixings to your local grocery store. Start small with some cherry tomatoes and lettuces that are satisfying and simple to grow in almost any space. Add some fragrant basil to the mix and you’ll have almost everything you need for a homemade pasta sauce. Bonus: Kids love to get their hands dirty and the pride of growing something may just encourage them to eat their veggies.

MAKE
Easy Cork Boats
Why? Because these adorable little boats made of wine corks will delight in the bathtub or at your nearest pond this spring. Plus, they make us feel awfully good about enjoying that Pinot Grigio during the season’s first cookouts.

HELP
By making sure your child’s school or daycare has an up-to-date anaphylaxis policy in place
Why? Because May is National Food Allergy Awareness Month, which makes it a good time to advocate for the 300,000 Canadian children—one in every classroom—who live with the threat of deadly allergic reaction. Or if you’d like to support research into an oral treatment that could turn anaphylaxis into a non-fatal reaction, plus other promising treatments such as desensitization, you can donate to the Sick Kids Allergy Program.