ABC Life Literacy Canada

(Toronto, ON - June 16, 2011) - What better way to celebrate Canada Day than by having friends and family over for food, fireworks and an entire day of fun!

Fire up the barbeque and offer a Canadian-themed menu with bison burgers and Canadian bacon or offer poutine by adding cheese and gravy to fries made with Yukon potatoes. Don’t forget to also have a few hot dogs grilling, as they are always a classic favourite.

Working together as a family, or with your friends, is a great way to learn while ‘on the job.’  If you’re following a favourite recipe, for example potato salad, have one person read it out loud while the other follows the instructions and cooks. While spending time together, you’re also practicing reading and listening skills.

After the barbeque, why not start playing games in the sun? Setting up a scavenger hunt is a great way for everyone to participate and enjoy the holiday. Be sure to have a list of items prepared that are all hidden before your guests arrive. You can also play flag football or ultimate Frisbee if you want to stretch your legs and get a bit of exercise.

Below are suggested items you can include in the scavenger hunt: 
Canadian flag
Hockey stick
CD: Jann Arden, Barenaked Ladies, Tragically Hip or Celine Dion
Tim Horton’s mug
Book: by Robert Munsch, Margaret Atwood or Lucy Maude Montogomery
Fishing rod
Ski goggles
Magazine or newspaper: MacLean’s, Chatelaine or The Globe & Mail
Hockey jersey
Moccasins
Movie: starring Jim Carrey, Rachel McAdams or Dan Aykroyd
Toy bear or beaver
Picture frame of a trip to the cottage

Rules for scavenger hunt:

1.    Hide the items around your house, both inside and outside.
2.    Prepare clues for people to follow to find them or guess what they are.
3.    To start the game, give each team or person a different clue to start their search.
4.    Once all items are found, each person or team presents the item to the host while spelling it out in order to receive full points.
5.    Five points are awarded for finding the item with an additional five points if spelled correctly.
6.    If misspelled the other team can be given a turn to spell the item’s name correctly and steal the alternate 5 points.
7.    Once all items have been found and returned, the person or team with the most points wins!

Another activity everyone can play after the fireworks is BINGO. However, to keep consistent with the theme, switch the name on the card from BINGO to MAPLE! 

Download a copy of the activities here.

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