Great Holiday Fun for the Whole Family

Holidays are some of the occasions to which people most look forward. They are about having fun, being with family and loved ones and often include parties. However, we are often so busy preparing for the parties that we sometimes miss out on the holiday spirit. We tend to get occupied by so many things, like decorating our homes or arranging meals that we forget that our families are waiting for us to join in the fun and frolics. So, relax, unwind, and participate in the festivities your family is already into.

Here are a few tips on how to have great holiday fun with your family.

1. Go on holiday to a destination

  1. Many families love to spend their holidays in a location away from their homes. For example, Disneyland, which is a great place for kids and adults alike, is very popular. There are so many activities you can do there that you would probably need more than three or four days to enjoy it all. When planning a holiday at Disneyland, you must arrange your stay in a nearby hotel or other place that caters for holidaymakers so that you can just walk to Disneyland instead of using transportation. Some hotels offer discounted rates during the holiday season. However, you have to book well in advance because it may seem that everyone is going there and that the hotels are fully booked very quickly.
  2.  How about going on a cruise? You can have a great time on a cruise. Since it is winter in the northern hemisphere at this time of the year, choose a cruise that will take you south or to the Mediterranean region. Imagine cruising on the Mediterranean Sea and at the same time exploring Rome, Sicily, Nice and Florence. You and your family will discover the delights of the Mediterranean area while holidaying together.

2. Watch movies!

 Holidays are the best time to watch your favorite movies. Buy a bunch of them from Amazon and get together to watch them. You can prepare your favorite dishes, gather around and watch the movies. Get some popcorn, fizzy drinks, and darken the room to watch the movie which will emulate the movie hall atmosphere.

3. Family tree trimming

 If you are celebrating Christmas, you will most likely put up a tree. Make this activity a family affair right from start to the finish. This activity will keep your entire family involved. A Christmas tree can provide loads of holiday fun, as you have to decide on decorations, shop for them and if you want to be creative, make them. You can set different days for all these activities. Shopping can take the entire day, while creating decorations can take forever! Set aside a day or two for the whole family to make ornaments.

4. Enjoy winter during the holidays

 Can you resist the urge to hide inside your home when cold, icy weather knocks on your door? Winter offers so many activities and complete holiday fun. You can go for skiing, skating and even dog sledding. If you don’t want to leave home, go sledding or play in the snow in your backyard. Your kids will enjoy this so much that you will have a tough time getting them to come inside for dinner!

10 Christmas Gift Ideas Your Kid Will Love

Christmas gift ideas for kids

Christmas is a month away and you must be thinking that “why should I start planning so early. I have the entire month with me.” If you are one of those who do their Christmas shopping at the last moment, then you must also be knowing that there is a lot of stress with the last minute shopping – you have to wait in long queues, there is a shortage of desired items and in the end you actually end up paying more than what your budget allowed. For all these reasons you must start planning now and start shopping. Kids are most excited about Christmas gifts. They love to receive presents from you. But you must choose the right kind of gifts for them. So are you running out of Christmas gift ideas for your kids?

Here’s a list of 10 Christmas gift ideas your kids will love…

  1. Gift basket with chocolates, cakes and other goodies: This kind of gift basket has been one of the most popular choices. All kids love chocolates and cakes, and would instantly radiate after seeing it.
  2. Soft toys: Soft toys are perfect for small children and girls. If your little one loves to cuddle a teddy or any other soft toy while he is he is sleeping, you can always increase their collection.
  3. Is your kid outdoorsy? If your child loves to go for camping or hiking, you can buy them a backpack. There are several backpacks available on the market right for preschool-age children to adults.
  4. Winter wear: You can always buy Sherpa Coats or weather boots for your kids. They can wear it and stand under the tree.
  5. Is your child into reading books? If your kid loves to read books, you can buy him or her books like Little Humbugs, Harry Potter series or Lord of the Flies. You simply can’t go wrong with this Christmas gift idea.
  6. Something to do: Here’s your chance to take your kids for an outdoor activitythey’ve been looking forward to. You can take them for ice-skating at your local ice-skating rink. This is surely going to be one of the most memorable Christmas gifts.
  7. Gadgets make into this list: If your child is a gadget freak, why not present him or her with an interesting techy stuff this Christmas? iPad, iPhone are a passé. You can give them something more stylish like iPod Nano, PS3 or Kindle.
  8. Christmas gift ideas for cycling kids: This is the time to spoil the kids with all things you never got as a child. If your junior is hoping to find a bike under the tree, get one for him. These are available for modest budgets.
  9. Food gifts: This is a gift that every child in your family would love. It is inexpensive and yummy. You can make special homemade breads that are sweet. Add a little bit of honey butter and you are good to go!
  10.  Stationary: if you have a printer in your house, you can do a lot with that. One of the most popular Christmas gift ideas is a personalized gift. A set of note cards with stamps is very useful.

 

Planet Bowl Named Bowling Venue for TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games

Planet Bowl is extremely honoured and privileged to be hosts to the best strokers, crankers and tweeners in the Americas and Caribbean for the summer of 2015.

John Chapman; our General Manager and a senior member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), mirrors the city’s excitement, “We’re incredibly excited to host the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am bowling tournament. This is a wonderful opportunity for our facility to host an international competition and to join together in the community celebration when the Games come to Toronto and Canada in the summer of 2015!”

For more information about the Games, please visit TORONTO2015.org and their news article on this

Best 3 Places for a Holiday Office Party

A holiday party is probably the last thing on your mind as you try to wrap up this year’s business and deal with all the other formalities. Even if you haven’t managed that you cannot ignore the holiday office party, as you still need to motivate your employees. So plan your office party and be stress free.

Holiday Office Party

Holiday Office Party

Which is the best venue for your holiday office party?

Office

One of the most important things to consider when throwing an office party is the venue. This dilemma can be solved by hosting it on your office premises. Small or mid-sized businesses should host the party in their office premises, as they will save a lot of money by not having to rent a room or a hall. If your office building has a huge penthouse or an empty space, you can take that on rent to host your party. This way you are able to spend more money on food and entertainment. You won’t have to find a venue and your employees won’t have to struggle through traffic to reach it. Also, whatever decorations you put up will be retained by you, and can be enjoyed during other office parties in the future.

Conference hall

If you want to hold the party off the official premises, it would be best to use your personal or professional networking connections. See if any one of them can offer you discounts on their normal rates. You never know if the person with whom you play golf or tennis on a regular basis is the owner of such facilities!

Conference halls are pretty expensive, but the professional service offered there is next to none. The staff there knows what is required for a holiday office party and will prepare things for you in advance. For example, they will decorate the place for you, and arrange dinners with a large menu to choose from. So if you have a big enough budget, go for a conference hall.

Bowling centers

 Did you know that official parties are also hosted in bowling centers? Well, bowling centers are great fun. Not only do your employees get a chance to play the game, it will also de-stress them. They will be more open to each other and will interact in a friendly way. Generally, the atmosphere is more relaxed, people let go of their inhibitions and there is a great team spirit.

There are so many bowling centers, but if you happen to be in Toronto, you’ll find that bowling centers in Toronto offer great packages for a holiday office party. With the festive season around the corner most of them are offering discounts and special extra services to attract more customers.

A holiday office party offers an ideal opportunity for employees and employers to spend time with each other and get to know each other better. Your party should be such that the employees feel they are part of the entire entertainment instead of just being passive observers. Why not encourage them to get involved in the arrangements?

 

Top 6 Places for Indoor Birthday Parties in Mississauga

There’s nothing easier to arrange than a birthday party hosted at an indoor location in Mississauga, especially during the winter when the temperatures can fall below 3 degrees C. For smaller kids you can go for play centers with bars, ladders and slides, while for older kids you can find play centers that have rock-climbing structures or arcades. Most of these indoor places have food available for the party so it’s a win-win situation for the parents as well as the kids. indoor birthday party

Here are the top 6 places for hosting indoor birthday parties in Mississauga that you should consider:

  1. Playdium: This place is huge, covering an area of more than 40,000 sq ft area with video and arcade games, go-karts and a restaurant. There are over 200 high-tech attractions, rides and simulators. This park caters for both adults as well as kids. After playing and having fun, your guests can stop at Playdium’s diner to feast. Here you get a variety of food like pizza, snacks, appetizers, etc. This place offers several birthday packages to choose from.
  2. Planet Bowl: This is one of the top venues to hold indoor birthday parties in Mississauga. There are three private party rooms available here and they can accommodate 16 kids, 24 kids and 28 kids max. it is a clean facility with modern amenities and a full size kitchen.
  3. Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park: If you want your kids and their friends to have a 3-D play experience, then Sky Zone is perfect. This is the world’s first all-trampoline, walled playing court that is suited to all ages. Here you will get unmatched fun! This place ensures that guests get a real adrenalin rush.
  4. Mega Fun 4 Kids: For kids from 0-7 years, this is a great place. While it is open to the public from Monday to Friday, it is closed during weekends in order to host private birthday parties. If you want babysitting facilities, you can ask for their special services. However, your child needs to be potty-trained.
  5. The Secret Palace: This is one place where princes and princesses of all ages will be enchanted. They have packages for kids from 4-12 years. This place is budget friendly and you can host a 2-hour private theme party for $330 or less. They also offer discounts on certain packages. Since catering services are also available you won’t have anything to do at all.
  6. Fantasy Fair: This is an indoor entertainment park that is geared towards providing fun for younger children. Being one of the best venues for indoor birthday parties it has a great reputation. There are several rides, including a Ferris wheel, train, and merry-go-round. When your kids get tired of playing and running around, they can indulge in the food served here.

For children, their birthdays are perhaps the most important event of the year. They expect the best and they look forward to their birthday so much that we as parents really want to make them enjoyable. Hosting birthday parties at outdoor locations is fine as long as it is summer. But hosting it outdoors during winter is almost impossible, and hosting indoor birthday parties at home can be a messy affair. So it is best to host them at places where your kids will enjoy themselves. Give your child a birthday party he or she will remember forever!

 

Top 10 Places to Hold Corporate Events in Mississauga

corporate_events

A corporate event is a great opportunity for a company big like a fortune 100 company or small like a local Mississauga dental office not only to reward their employees for the work they have done, but also as a teambuilding opportunity to ensure the staff is comfortable with each other and can work together as a team. There are tons of great venues and activities in Mississauga where companies can take their staff for a fun company outing, including bowling, picnics, or musical events.

Top 10 Places to Hold Corporate Events in Mississauga

Picnic parks are a great place to get your employees together for an afternoon of fun and learning. Large open spaces allow the perfect opportunity for group teambuilding and recreational activities to be set up. Weather permitting, a picnic in a park can be a place where staff can shed their inhibitions with their ties, dress casually and bond with each other over the barbecue pits.

picnic-park-corporate-events-Mississauga

picnic-park-corporate-events-Mississauga

An easy and effective corporate group event can be a bowling party. Bowling parties are not only great fun and universally enjoyed, but also a great way to encourage group interaction and inspire team spirit. Bowling in teams can bring out the best and most supportive aspects of your employees, while shedding their inhibitions. A bowling center like Planet Bowl will take care of all the needs of such an event ensuring that it runs smoothly.

bowling-parties-corporate-events-Mississauga

bowling-parties-corporate-events-Mississauga

Casino Nights are a more formal event where employees can dress up and let their hair down. They can be set up at any of the banquet halls or convention centers that a company chooses for its corporate event.

casino-nights-corporate-events- Mississauga

casino-nights-corporate-events- Mississauga

 A party on a cruise ship or a yacht is also a fun memorable experience for the employees of your company. A party with a sunset over the waters, extending into a night of revelry under a starry sky will certainly go a long way to make people feel special, and that the company has gone out of their way to make them feel valued.

party-cruise ship-corporate-events-Mississauga

party-cruise ship-corporate-events-Mississauga

 

 

A live singer or performance will add an element of glamour to the event, which will set it apart from the usual party.

live performance-corporate-events-Mississauga

live performance-corporate-events-Mississauga

Another musical idea is that of a drum café, where music facilitators bring in drums and teach people coordinated beats so they can make music together. It is a great exercise in learning to work with each other, and collaborating to make something bigger than each one, which will help with teambuilding.

drum-cafe-corporate-events-Mississauga

drum-cafe-corporate-events-Mississauga

Organizing a scavenger hunt where people drive around the city looking for clues and taking pictures of the objects on the list with their camera phones is also a great way to bring out the spirit of adventure, teamwork, and healthy competition.

scavenger-hunt-corporate-events-Mississauga

scavenger-hunt-corporate-events-Mississauga

If you want a corporate event that will add value to the community to work in, a group community service event can help your team come together to work for a greater cause such as a Food Bank.

group-community-service-corporate-events-Mississauga

group-community-service-corporate-events-Mississauga

Art galleries or museums will add a measure of style and culture to your corporate event elevating it from the mundane to the extraordinary.

art-galleries-corporate-events-Mississauga

art-galleries-corporate-events-Mississauga

If you’re looking to take the level of style and elegance to another level, you can have your event at one of the city’s many nightclubs.

nightclubs-corporate-events-Mississauga

nightclubs-corporate-events-Mississauga

Those are the top 10 places to have your corporate events in Mississauga. Any other suggestions? Post it in the comment section below.

 

 

Top 10 Places to have Fun in Toronto

As summer winds down and the CNE starts again you would want to get the most fun before Fall comes along. Toronto is a world-class city replete with exciting options for visitors as well as its citizens. A mix of fun and culture can be found in a large number of options across the city just a few of which are highlighted here.

CN Tower

 Top 10 places to have fun in Toronto

  1. CN Tower one of the world’s tallest buildings takes excitement to a peak with a 58 second high-speed glass elevator which you can ride to the top to feast your eyes on some incredible views. Myriad options for shopping, and dining make it a fun trip for the entire family.
  2. Wonderland is Canada’s foremost theme park with hundreds of attractions, which include a large variety of roller coasters, water rides, and other thrilling adventures adding up to 65 exciting rides, including the world’s biggest and tallest roller coaster.
  3. Harbourfront Centre is a performance space where musical and theatrical acts are held around the year, including regular children’s events. The centre brings international acts from across the globe, exhibiting cultural diversity on its stages, making it an ideal way to introduce children to the cultural arts. The icing on the cake is the large pond, which is freezes to form an ice skating rink in the winters.
  4. Medieval Times Dinner recreates those old times where knights in shining armor and riding horses vie for glory in authentic tournament action. Guests are served an elaborate medieval-style four-course meal, which adds substance to the drama. The vast tournament arena can seat up to 1400 and is housed inside a castle-like structure.
  5. Toronto Zoo is a fascination to people of all ages, which brings together thousands of animals representing hundreds of species in one wonderful forest environment. Located in the beautiful forest region in northeast Toronto, the space inspires love for animals and respect for the environment in all who step fool inside it. A special kids zoo allows children to interact with the animals, and a new Panda bear makes the trip all that much more valuable.
  6. Wild Water Kingdom is an ideal way to beat the Toronto heat and is therefore a popular summer activity for both adults and children. Miles of water slides, wave pools and water sports lend an unbeatable aura or frolic. The Dolphin Bay playground is a wonderfully serene pool where younger children can play in the water, and the whole family can enjoy batting cages, miniature golf and bumper boats. In addition to heated waterslides and giant whirlpool hot tubs, the thrill-seekers can head down the speed slides or for the tidal wave pool.
  7. Bata Shoe Museum is an unusual space where an extensive range of shoes from around the world is exhibited. It is a world of fantasy where women can swoon over the footwear, while the men marvel at the vastness of the collection. The variety of collections extends from shoes worn by North American Indigenous people, shoes from across the globe and across time, as well as celebrity shoes worn by musicians, artists, and actors including John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, and Pablo Picasso.
  8. The Playdium Mississauga is a massive indoor complex consisting of over 200 attractions and rides replete with unique high-tech and interactive forms of entertainment, both virtual and physical. Prizes can be won in the Redemption zone, so bring your skills into play at this mega entertainment zone. If only for its size and the variety of entertainment it brings together in one place it should not be given a miss. This is a sure fire place to have fun in Toronto.
  9. Planet Bowl is a large bowling centre, which also brings entertainment for all ages together under one roof. In addition to regular bowling, and bowling leagues it brings the experience of cosmic bowling to the visitor, a nighttime bowling activity where the lanes glow with an otherworldly light and a DJ plays the trendiest tracks of the day. Providing a vast menu of child-friendly foods and beverages, bowling is a fun activity for when children need a bit of adventure, and parents want to relax and play a couple of games.
  10. The Art Gallery of Ontario, an architectural delight bringing together elements of light and wood, is a wonderful space to delight in some art and culture. Toronto-born and now world-renowned architect Frank Gehry designed the gallery, which is characterized by sweeping staircases and glass walls. Over 5,000 works of art hang in hundreds of galleries, and one can easily pass a day in its warm and airy halls without a though for the time.

3 Places for a fun group outing in Toronto

 Toronto as a vibrant diverse cosmopolitan city is always ready to offer up its citizens a range of wonderful ways to spend their days. The true energy of the city comes from the people and the diversity of their interests. A family or group of friends can spend their weekends engaged in a range of fun activities, ranging from bowling to parks to nice meals. Here are 3 places for a fun group outing in Toronto.

Planet Bowl

Bowling Centers

A number of great bowling centers can provide a full day of holistic and easily accessible fun for people of all ages. Families can take children of all ages and spend the day amongst the bright adventure that a bowling alley brings, in addition to a vibrant environment filled with other families and child-friendly foods. Everyone can bowl, from two-year olds to seventy-two year-olds, and that makes this a perfect day out for the whole family including the toddlers and the grandparents. A multi-purpose bowling center like Planet Bowl is also a great venue for groups of adults as it offers the enhanced bowling experience that is cosmic bowling. Cosmic Bowling is when the entire alley including the pins, the lanes, and the gutters are illuminated, this giving the place a ‘cosmic’ ambiance. Add a DJ and the bowling center feels like a nightclub with bowling balls thrown in.

restaurant

Classy yet family – friendly restaurants

Going out for a nice dinner is another way to experience and enjoy the diversity of Toronto. There are several great restaurants that are classy yet family-friendly and willing to customize specials to the taste of your children. This way they can experience foods beyond the usual burgers and pizzas they might like, while also allowing the parents to treat themselves to trendier foods. The diversity of cuisines available in the city are a blessing, so be adventurous and try that new Italian or Indian place you might have heard about. Dining out is a great way for a group of friends to catch up over a good meal accompanied by a glass of good wine.

Great Malls

shopping

Finally, there’s always that all-encompassing universally entertaining avenue of fun, the mall. Some great malls offer not only good shopping where adults and children can both stock up on necessities and indulge in luxuries, but they also provide an array of entertainment to while away the time. Some have video game arcades where children of all ages can find something to do including bouncing around in a pile of colorful balls, smacking a few balls on the mini-golf range, or succumbing to fantasy in virtual reality games. While the children play, so can the mothers by getting pampered at spas and nail salons in malls.  Movie theaters where you can catch the latest blockbuster or animated film can unite the group with large buckets of popcorn, and a food court in a mall will cater to every culinary whim.

Malls, restaurants, and bowling centers are only some of the entertainment options that the vibrant city of Toronto has to offer group outing in Toronto, along with water parks, museums,  skating rinks, playgrounds, the list goes on. Come the next free day get your family together and head out for a fun adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

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Three Clever Ideas to Boost Team Morale

 

Front view portrait of four business executives jumping with arms raised

Low team morale? Boost it with these three clever ideas

When energy is running low in your offices, and lethargy seems to be dominating, your employees are probably going through a dip in their collective morale. Low morale amongst employees can lead to hostile and negative environment in the workplace. Employee morale can make or break a business, so it is crucial to monitor it and give it the occasional boost to ensure things are up and running smoothly. There are several ways that are likely guaranteed to quickly boost team morale and boost positivity and productivity at the same time.

  1. Celebrate Accomplishments: It’s easy to let everyday accomplishments get buried in the routine of mundane tasks, the firefighting, and the preparation for the challenges that the future will throw out. It is important, however, to acknowledge accomplishments and recognize them publicly. If a person’s contribution is valued, it inspires confidence in their work and the motivation to work harder; it inspires loyalty and ownership towards the company; and instills a general sense of well-being and job satisfaction. Public recognition means that people will also realize that the company notices each individual’s achievement, and they are not seen merely as cogs in a machine. So let them see they are valued, through notices, announcements in the newsletter, gift certificates, employee-of-the-month type awards, and so on.
  2. Team Sports: Getting the entire company involved in a sport is a great way to kick morale into high gear. Putting together teams from different floors or departments to compete against each other will give each team and the overall company a chance to bond. They can name their own teams, design jerseys for themselves, and pick mascots. To make it even more fun and get everybody involved, even the non-sporty people, pick a game that everyone likes. Bowling is a great way to boost company morale. Corporate bowling is a team sport and a company outing rolled into one, and everyone can and loves to bowl. Bowling alleys are bright and fun and most will also help you out with a menu of food and drinks you can serve, as well as decorate with company logos and banners.
  3. Community work: Helping out in the community by contributing services to local schools or NGOs can do wonders to boost low morale in individuals. If you feel like the energies of your employees are rundown and need a lift, give them a few paid hours a month to do community work, with organizations they choose, or those you can tie-up with. Let them also participate as a group in charity events such as walkathons. In addition to allowing them feel good about themselves, this will also make them feel good about the company, and work with renewed respect.

These are several effective ways to combat flagging company morale that are easy to incorporate in your company policy, such as community service hours and setting parameters for recognition. These techniques to boost team morale can also be a great fun bonding experience, such as corporate bowling.