Win free Mary Poppins tickets in Toronto with Mirvish’s Jolly Holiday Summer Photo contest.

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Looking for the cutest back-to-school backpacks? Check out the wonderful designs at DanteBeatrix.com

dante beatrix backpack

Britney Spears’ boys have one. So does Halle Berry’s daughter Nahla and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s little Ramona. In short, the adorable backpacks and lunch boxes made by DanteBeatrix are the “it” bag for the kindergarten set. Made from eco-friendly materials, sized
for kids and toddlers, and fashioned in trendy colours with whimsical motifs, these bags are sought after by the hippest mommies and their progeny. Best news yet: they’re now available
in Canada at select children’s boutiques and online at Dantebeatrix.com

Why settle for watching a ballet when you can take a free class with the National Ballet of Canada? Why paint on paper when the seniors in Sudbury will show you how to paint Ukrainian Easter eggs? The second annual, nation-wide Culture Days festival – nation wide from September 19 to October 2 -  is all about doing.

culture days

And it explodes in communities across Canada from September 29-October 2 featuring free, interactive creative activities with a focus on hands-on participation and behind-the-scenes insight. Visit CultureDays.ca for information.

• Winnipeg – Visit CKUW 95.9 FM and see how community radio is made, Sept. 30.
• Saskatoon – Dance, write, act and paint at the Dance Saskatchewan building, Sept. 30.
• Toronto – Take a ballet class with the National Ballet of Canada, October 2.
• Vancouver – Go backstage at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company on a tour with the Managing Director, October 2.

Kids get so excited, they don’t even realize they’re learning when they read teacher-turned author Bart King’s books. King’s newest title – Bart’s King Sized Book of Fun – is  a great addition to his series of wildly popular kids guide books to all the worthwhile things in life.

barts king sized book of fun

(Past books include The Big Book of Gross Stuff, The Pocket Guide to Magic and The Pocket Guide to Mischief.) Bart’s King Sized Book of Fun is stuffed to bursting with awesome activities, silly jokes, trivia and puzzles – a modern kids companion they won’t leave home without. (Gibbs Smith and Raincoast Books)