Are you having a difficult time keeping your kids or grandkids entertained during the pandemic? Luckily for me, my grandchildren love the outdoors and nature, giving us lots of options to choose from. We have discovered lots of things to do with kids in tow.

Last week we took a road trip to my grandparents farm where they could run around outside while I had a socially distanced visit with my aunt and uncle.

This week we stayed in Ottawa, driving a short jaunt to the Log Farm. Pandemic precautions were in place, but fairly inconspicuous for the children.

• lots of hand sanitizer around the spacious farmyard
• masks are mandatory in the gift shop and indoor bathroom, but not outdoors
• tickets purchased online to control the number of visitors
• two 90-minute sessions are available with farm yard activities cleaned between sessions
• attractions, activities well spaced out to encourage social distancing
• outdoor bathrooms available

It was a beautiful fall day, perfect for checking out the animals and exploring the farm yard activities. Check out the pictures!

Another popular outing for us takes advantage of the many groomed woodland trails throughout the Ottawa area. My grandkids love to wander through the forests and across the wetland boardwalks, feeding the birds and looking for frogs, turtles, and the like.

Hazeldean Woods is right in my neighbourhood, so readily accessible and on my list of things to do with kids. Now that kids are allowed back on play structures at the city parks, we can walk to the park and through the woods. And back to Grandma’s house, without encountering the Big Bad Wolf!

When the weather keeps us indoors, baking is always a hit, especially the mixing bowl clean-up and taste testing!

By the way, in case you were wondering, the feature picture (top of article) is a reflection of my 3.5-year-old grandson and me looking for frogs, lying on our tummies on a boardwalk, along one of the mentioned trails. Just one of the many things to do with kids.