a peek inside the fishbowl

08 Oct, 2013

Ottawa giveaway alert! Win passes to see Frogs – a Chorus of Colours

Posted by andrea tomkins in: - Ottawa for kids|Easy ways to make kids happy|Fishbowl patrons|Giveaways and product reviews

I am so glad my daughters aren’t the kind of girls who are afraid to do this:

Sarah is holding a prince of a frog

I have to thank my husband for introducing them to these interesting little creatures. I truly believe that kids who spend time outdoors and observing nature (like pond life and frogs) become a little closer to nature, and will want to work a little harder to preserve it.

As for frogs, I’m not eager to catch them in my hand, but I do respect the fact that they’re a barometer of the health of the world we live in, and are very deserving of our admiration and respect.

They are visually stunning, vocally interesting, and are found in very diverse conditions around the world; from frozen tundra to scorching deserts. Frogs have amazing abilities, and it’s more than just being able to jump or camouflage themselves. They can climb, glide, burrow, swim and run. Some are sticky, and some can survive a deep freeze while others have the ability to kill. (Poison dart frogs are my personal favourite frog.) It’s fascinating stuff. And no, it’s not easy being green.

I had the opportunity to check out the newly installed froggie exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Nature recently. (The Museum is a Fishbowl patron and I’m very happy to be able to squeeze in a sneak peek here and there!) It’s great to be able to observe so many interesting varieties in their recreated natural habitats, like this dude:

I'm pretty sure I know someone who has this exact expression.

This colourful exhibition features more than 70 (!!) live frogs from around the world. It’s an extremely visual and educational exhibit with tons of interactive elements that will allow children to activate recorded frog calls, perform a virtual frog dissection, and much more.

As always, the Museum of Nature has created an atmosphere of learning that is also interactive and fun. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone visiting a Chorus of Colours will learn something new there, no matter how old they may be.

Here’s the good news, my friends at the Canadian Museum of Nature have given me two passes to give away to two families!

Interested? Please review the nitty gritty:

  • This giveaway is for two family passes to see the frogs at the Canadian Museum of Nature, as well as the permanment galleries. I’ll be giving these passes away to two different families.
  • In order for your entry to qualify, please leave a comment below. Tell me, what do YOU think is kinda cool about frogs? If you’re not sure, ask your kids what they think is cool about frogs! :)
  • For a second entry you can also leave your comment on this Facebook post. Easy peasy.
  • This giveaway is void where prohibited by law. If you can’t post your comment for whatever reason you can email it to me for posting at andrea at quietfish dot com. Please note, I cannot be responsible if your entry is misdirected or gets stuck in my Spam folder!

I will draw two names using Random.org at noon EST on October 15, 2013. The winners will be mailed their passes.

Fans of the Museum of Nature take note! The Museum is opening up its collections facility in Gatineau and you can go on a special behind-the-scenes tour. (I bet you didn’t even know this place existed, but we’re talking about 10.5 million specimens are spread over the equivalent of 5 hockey rinks. Awesome.) It’s taking place on Saturday, October 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it’s free. More info right here.


30 Responses to "Ottawa giveaway alert! Win passes to see Frogs – a Chorus of Colours"

1 | Joy

October 8th, 2013 at 11:09 am

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Frogs absorb water through their skin so they don’t need to drink – cool right?! Wouldn’t that be convenient?!

2 | Karen

October 8th, 2013 at 11:55 am

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I love that we can watch the metamorphosis of a tadpole to frog with our very own eyes!
That’s cool!

3 | HollyStar

October 8th, 2013 at 11:57 am

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My boys and I really love watching the frog growth process (egg-tadpole-mini frog-big frog). It is amazing and fascinating for little dudes. My grampa taught my sister and I to catch frogs at the cottage when we were little girls. There were so many on the shore all the time; I don’t seem to see that many any more. Not sure if the population has actually changed or if I’m just not looking as hard.

4 | Brenda A

October 8th, 2013 at 12:22 pm

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We are a froggin’ kind of family. The girls have honed their skills of observation and catchin’. If they can beat me to them!

We love the stage when the frog still has a tail but also has legs. How cool is that?

5 | lisa from Iroquois

October 8th, 2013 at 12:29 pm

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I’m more of an indoor frog lover. My bathroom is decorated in frog. It started with a shower curtain and then I framed some images from a frog calendar and added some candleholders. My gf even brought me a frog kite from Bali that hangs in the corner. So I’d really enjoy a free pass to that exhibit, and I’ll bring the others too. And thanks for the info on the collections facility. Might be a cool day trip.

6 | Erin

October 8th, 2013 at 12:31 pm

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Frogs are neat little yogis, everytime my daughter and I do some yoga, we pretend to be frogs stretching out and then jumping gracefully with feet together. Nothing can beat the playful jump of a frog.

7 | Tiana

October 8th, 2013 at 12:57 pm

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We love going frog ‘hunting’ at Petrie Island. There are many varieties that make different sounds. Dome don’t even jump away as the kids get super close to take a look.

8 | Krista R

October 8th, 2013 at 1:24 pm

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Did you know…. “When frogs hibernate their bones sort of grow a layer, like a tree does. When you look inside a frog’s bone you will be able to see rings and tell how old the frog is by counting the rings” How cool is that?!

from http://www.frog-life-cycle.com/frog-facts.html

9 | Jesse

October 8th, 2013 at 1:51 pm

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Everything about how tadpoles grow legs and lose their tails and become frogs is just amazing! Love how many frog-spotting-sites we have close to home in Ottawa.

10 | Lisa

October 8th, 2013 at 1:57 pm

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We find it fascinating that the frog is like an early warning system – environmental dangers have an immediate, measurable effect on the frog population. Poor wee froggies.

11 | Lynn Dube

October 8th, 2013 at 2:52 pm

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They’re small, fun to watch, even more fun to catch and touch. Anything that gets my girls outside and excited gets my vote.

12 | Stephanie

October 8th, 2013 at 3:06 pm

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This is pretty basic but seeing frogs jump gets me every time. Their legs are so long!

13 | kim D'Angelo

October 8th, 2013 at 3:28 pm

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I am fascinated by frogs little tounges, honestly haha I think they are so cool.

14 | Pseudacris crucifer

October 8th, 2013 at 4:05 pm

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I tought my kids that a fear of harmless frogs, insects, snakes is irrational. They get that and know that the most harmful animal on this planet is, by far, human beings.

Frogs, like most living creatures, are fascinating. Can’t wait to see the Chorus of Colours.

Best frog memory ever. Driving to our cottage with the girls in their pyjamas and stopping the car near a swampy area where spring peepers were belting out their sweet cacaphony. The girls sat on the roof of the car as they watched the intense show of stars in the heavens above. Best sound and lights – ever. Priceless.

15 | amy

October 8th, 2013 at 6:48 pm

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My 3 year-old daughter and I learned in her recent issue of Chirp magazine that poison dart frogs piggyback their tadpoles from dry land to water…pretty awesome.

16 | Danielle

October 8th, 2013 at 7:29 pm

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I think it is cool that frogs are often used to gauge the health of an eco-system….

17 | Nikki

October 8th, 2013 at 8:48 pm

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I love all the amazing colours!

18 | Alison

October 9th, 2013 at 8:29 am

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I like how frogs move. It’s fun to watch them hop, and the kids love it too.

19 | samantha

October 9th, 2013 at 11:26 am

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What I like about frogs is that they start out as a tiny looking fish and then grow into a frog shape. They are so cool!

20 | LorrieD

October 9th, 2013 at 1:08 pm

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Love falling asleep to the sound of frogs, even at their loudest it is the perfect white noise to me. How does so much sound come out of such a little thing!?

21 | Valerie

October 9th, 2013 at 1:11 pm

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I love the sounds they make. We once had one in our pond with a really low-pitched croak – startled us every time! :)

22 | Karen

October 9th, 2013 at 2:08 pm

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I like how quick frogs are. It seem like they don’t see you coming, and the second you try to catch them they are gone!

23 | Tobi

October 9th, 2013 at 8:10 pm

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Giant bullfrogs eat mice. I find that neat.

24 | Margo

October 9th, 2013 at 9:30 pm

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I love, love the ‘toes’ of tree frogs and how they can just suction on to whatever surface they find.

25 | Sean

October 9th, 2013 at 10:19 pm

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Tadpoles turning into frogs is so cool

26 | Jodie

October 9th, 2013 at 10:23 pm

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Colorful frogs are really neat even though most are poisonous.

27 | Holly

October 11th, 2013 at 5:12 am

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I love that frogs inspire my 22-month old son to hop around the living room saying “ribbit”!

28 | Melissa

October 11th, 2013 at 7:04 pm

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I asked my four-year-old what he likes about frogs and his response was that they jump. He also has a frog stuffie that he sleeps with at night so frogs are held in pretty high esteem around here.

29 | andrea tomkins

October 15th, 2013 at 12:02 pm

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Comments are closed to new entries. Stay tuned for the winner!

30 | andrea tomkins

October 16th, 2013 at 11:49 am

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The winners are commenter #27 – Holly –
who wrote: “I love that frogs inspire my 22-month old son to hop around the living room saying “ribbit”!”

… and #36, which would make it a FB commenter! It was Lisa M who wrote:”We find it fascinating that the frog is like an early warning system – environmental dangers have an immediate, measurable effect on the frog population. Poor wee froggies!”

Congratulations! You’ll be hearing from me ASAP.

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