As the school year concludes, and the kids are rejoicing, parents may find themselves with mixed emotions about the upcoming days of park visits, balancing schedules and dealing with late bedtimes. However, this time of year marks the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one, no matter how old our school-aged kids are.
The summer is worth celebrating for many, so if you are trying to find a way to do something fun, put aside the school bags and jump into summer with one of these year-end celebration ideas. It’s never too late to start a new tradition. And while we aren’t advocating for it, if you wanted to incorporate any of these ideas into a ditch day before school is out, most can be done during the weekday as well as the weekends! Shhh, you didn’t hear that from us!
Grab a bite to eat
There’s something about being gathered around the table that encourages lively conversations with the kids which is why we think that grabbing a bite to eat at your favourite restaurant is a fun way to says cheers to the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. Not sure where to eat?
The Grand Pizzeria in the Byward Market has a menu to please everyone. Their tasty pizza options, plus the opportunity to sit on the patio in the heart of the Byward Market make it the perfect year-end location in Ottawa.
Or maybe the kids want to dig into a burger at Zak’s Diner, famous for their milkshakes and welcoming family-friendly atmosphere.
Of course, if you don’t want to sit down for a whole meal, we know the kids would love a scoop of ice cream from locally owned The Merry Dairy, or an indulgent dipped cone at Chocolat Favoris in Orleans.
We have a list of great places where the kids eat free too!
Go play
Photo credit: Ottawa Tourism
If there’s a museum in the city (we have many) that your family has been itching to visit, the end of the school year is the time to check it off of your list. There are even days during the week when you can attend various museums for free.
If it’s energy you want to burn off together instead, head to a play gym like Funhaven and enjoy the indoor roller coaster, arcade and laser tag.
We also love the idea of spending time in nature together so planning a nature walk may be just the way to relax and reflect on the year. During your walk, maybe the kids will be chatty and offer some insight into what they are thinking about when it comes to their upcoming school year and how they may be feeling about it.
For a really exciting mini day trip, pack the kids up in their bathing suits and drive to Calypso Water Park for the day. The kids will enter summer mode quickly and forget about the stress of school tests easily when they are jumping in the wave pool or gliding down a water slide!
Celebrate at home
You don’t have to spend a fortune or plan an elaborate celebration to mark the end of the school year. Instead, you may decide to spend some extra time together reminiscing about all of the events, accomplishments, and milestones the kids and your family had this year. Many families may use this time to celebrate the start of the summer by creating a summer bucket list. We recommend you use a bristol board and create your own family vision board for the summer, with all the activities and special events you want to do and attend.
Your best way to celebrate this year is just by being together and we hope you are able to find a new favourite way to do so.
Feature image photo credit: Ottawa Tourism
Tagged under: kids,school,end of school,ottawa,students
Category: events
