Rey Doll Family Day Hackathon
Girls around the world have started hacking other dolls to look like Rey. The Rey Doll Hackathon isn’t just about making a Rey toy to fill the void in the market, it’s about awakening the Maker within.
Continue Reading
Tag: Toronto
Foo Fighters' Guitar Throne Rocks Toronto
Last night the Foo Fighters expanded their North American Tour kingdom to Canada. In the first of two shows in Toronto, Ontario, Dave Grohl sat upon a guitar- and spotlight-laden throne as he reasserted himself as a modern monarch of Rock and Roll.
Continue Reading
STEAMLabs Crowdfunding a Workshop for Maker Kids
Teaching kids a new way of learning is not an easy task. It gets even more complex when trying to integrate it with traditional school curriculums. Andy Forest and Mariane Mader created the non-profit STEAMLabs to connect kids with a method of learning that encourages creativity and imagination when learning about Math, Science, and Technology. Their Kickstarter aims to put the right tools in the hands of kids so that only their imagination is the limit. There are also some pretty good rewards for donors both near and far.
Continue Reading
Spin Master Toys: 20 Years of Spinnovation
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a media event for Spin Master, the Canadian success story and one of the global leaders in the toy industry. That’s a long way to have come in just 20 years and Spin Master’s rise from a start-up selling the grass hair-sprouting Earth Buddy to a multinational children’s entertainment company with products ranging from the robotic Zoomer line to Air Hogs RC vehicles and the hit PAW Patrol animated TV series shows how quickly things can change in the industry. With its three co-founders still in leadership roles, an emphasis on innovation and a laser focus on entertaining kids, Spin Master is well positioned for further growth.
Continue Reading
RIP Nash the Slash
Sad news out of the Great White North, where one of my all-time favorite musicians and a 1980s-era Toronto icon has passed away. Nash the Slash (Jeff Plewman) gained fame for appearing onstage exclusively in a bandaged mummy get-up while playing an electric mandolin. He was 66 years old and had recently retired from performing after 35 years or so of being onstage in bandages and sunglasses — and that’s after his earlier career as part of Canadian prog-rock band FM. RIP Nash the Slash.
Continue Reading
Royal Canadian Mint Releases Superman 75th Anniversary Coin Sets
The Royal Canadian Mint has been knocking out the collectible goodies. The Mint has released glow-in-the-dark dinosaur coins, Bald Eagles (stepping on someone else’s turf there), hologram coins, full color depictions of the Northern Lights and even a snowflake embedded with a crystal. In perhaps its greatest pop culture effort to date, the Mint recently released a set of seven Superman coins, in celebration of the Man of Steel’s 75th Anniversary.
Continue ReadingLego Master Builder as a Career? Odds Are Favorable in Toronto
Lego is opening a Legoland Discovery Center (or Centre as we spell it here in Canada) in Toronto in the spring. It’s located in Vaughan Mills, not far from Canada’s Wonderland. Naturally, the facility is searching for a Master Model …
Continue ReadingCamping Geeks Play Spot the Cell Tower
As we head into the final stretch of summer, my family is getting into the camping groove pretty well. We spent a week at Killbear provincial park, I just motored up to Muskoka (a resort area a few hours north …
Continue ReadingUltimate Dinosaurs: Giants From Gondwana at the ROM
My family and I visited Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (the ROM) over the weekend to take in the museum’s latest exhibit. Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants From Gondwana opened a few weeks ago and is available as an add-on to the standard …
Continue ReadingCanada’s Wonderland Plays Host to Dinosaurs Alive! Exhibit
I’m a sucker for dinosaurs and so are my kids. So when we were at Canada’s Wonderland on the weekend, I was more than happy to fork over the extra five bucks a head to see the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit.
Continue ReadingLegoland Discovery Center Announced for Canada, Brick Fever Builds in the Great White North
Lego geeks in Canada have been abuzz with the news last week that a Legoland Discovery Center (or Centre, since this is Canada) is being built in Vaughan, just north of Toronto. According to the press release from Merlin Entertainments …
Continue ReadingToronto Comic Book Shop Claims to Be World’s First for Kids
Like many GeekDads and our readers, I frequently take my kids to the local comic book shops. Despite the fact that digital media is increasingly invading our household (including a growing appreciation for the iPad as a comic book reading …
Continue ReadingOntario Provincial Parks Prep For Family Day
For residents of the province of Ontario (Canada), February doesn’t just mean brutal cold and snow. Statistically speaking, yes those two factors will likely be in play, but February also means Family Day, the holiday created by the provincial government …
Continue ReadingToronto Zoo’s Tundra Trek
As we do every year, this weekend my family celebrated (Canadian) Thanksgiving, along with the shared birthdays of my boys, Jon and Aidan, and their grandfather. It always makes for a busy weekend and every year -except for last- we’ve …
Continue ReadingU2 May Have Cancelled in Toronto, but the Hippo Tour Went Where the Streets Have No Name
Toronto has seen its fair share of GeekDad activity in recent months. Doug Cornelius and his family visited back in May, my daughter went to a sleepover at the zoo in June and my wife and I spent the weekend …
Continue ReadingINplay 2010 Conference: GeekDad Sits on a Panel
As mentioned last Monday, I spent a few days at the INplay 2010 conference in Toronto, including representing GeekDad on a panel that spoke about the role of parent bloggers as gatekeepers. It was a great experience. I had the …
Continue ReadingGeekDad at INplay 2010
INplay 2010 is a two day conference starting tomorrow in Toronto, Ontario that’s focused on the art and business of kids interactivity. Among the keynotes and speakers are the Executive Produce and Co-Creator of Yo Gabba Gabba! and representatives from …
Continue ReadingHappy Family Day, Ontario (And Everyone Else)
Happy Family Day to all my peeps in Ontario (Canada)! First celebrated in 2008, Family Day takes place on the third Monday of every February and is intended to give working parents a day dedicated to spending quality time with …
Continue ReadingToronto’s Historic Sites Free For Kids This Saturday
Just a quick note to let readers in the Toronto, Ontario area know that the city is offering free admission for kids 12 and under to the city’s numerous historic sites. This includes Fort York, Gibson House, Spadina Museum and …
Continue ReadingGiant Light Brite and More at Nuit Blanche 2009
Saturday night was Toronto’s fourth annual Nuit Blanche, described by sponsor Scotiabank as a “massive participatory celebration of contemporary art.” Unfortunately, I’ve never had the opportunity to attend Nuit Blanche in person. Last weekend was the closest I’ve come, driving …
Continue ReadingGeekDad UnWired: Camping In Killbear
We just arrived home after spending a long weekend camping at Killbear provincial park. With this being Geekdad’s UnWired week, once the last of my work assignments were out of the way, I made an effort to keep my hands …
Continue ReadingA Night At The Science Center
It may not have been a Night At The Museum, but my daughter, Natasha, and her Brownie troop experienced the next best thing when they had a sleepover at the Ontario Science Centre. Besides having a day to explore the …
Continue Reading