7 Things to Know This Week — #4

The Oscars Are This Sunday—And Kids Are Weirdly Into It

The world’s most famous awards show airs this Sunday night. And while the ceremony isn’t typically known as a big draw for family viewing, it still has a way of fueling the household conversation.

For older kids and teens especially, the event has become part fashion show, part pop-culture moment. TikTok and Instagram light up with red carpet commentary, outfit roundups and rankings, and predictions about which films will take home prizes.

Many families now treat it the way previous generations treated big TV events—watching the pre-show together, filling out prediction ballots or letting the kids stay up long enough to catch a few major categories.

Your kids won’t have seen most of the nominated films (and honestly? You probably won’t have either). But it doesn’t even really matter. Turn it into a family tradition—one of those little annual rituals your kids start looking forward to every year.

👉 We’ve got tips on how to turn the Oscars into a family-friendly event—complete with an at-home red carpet. Get the goods.

Backyard Birding Is the New Family Hobby

Binoculars are selling out. Birdseed sales are climbing. And the humble backyard bird feeder is suddenly your family’s favourite form of entertainment.

Birding has quietly become one of the fastest-growing outdoor hobbies for families, thanks in part to social media creators who post daily yard sightings and help beginners identify common species.

The best part? You don’t need to go anywhere or spend much money. All it takes is a feeder or two, a couple of types of seed and a little patience. Kids will quickly start noticing who visits the yard—chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, starlings…even the occasional bossy squirrel.

Before long, the backyard will start to feel a little more magical.

The Science Behind Food Memories

Why does the smell or taste of a familiar food instantly transport you to a different place and time?

Psychologists call this reaction a “food-evoked autobiographical memory,” and research shows that smell and taste are some of the strongest triggers for recalling personal experiences. This is because the brain processes scent alongside emotion, and foods are often linked to people and moments in addition to flavour.

That’s why so many of our most powerful associations revolve around kitchens and dinner tables: soup when you were sick, your favourite cake on your birthday, your grandmother’s Sunday roast. The food itself matters—but so do the faces and rituals that come with it.

Sometimes, the right bite at the right moment lets us revisit those earlier moments and feel close to someone we miss.

👉 In this month’s The Thinking Parent, Tina Powell writes about why she bakes peanut butter cookies whenever she misses her mom.

The Sidelines Are Getting Quieter

For years, youth sports culture has been dominated by intense (and sometimes aggressive) sidelines—coaches shouting instructions, parents adding their two cents and referees fielding complaints. It can make a Saturday morning game feel far higher stakes than it should.

With this in mind, leagues across North America are experimenting with a different idea: silent sidelines.

Some organizations now designate games where parents are asked not to shout instructions or commentary during play. The goal is simple—to let kids hear their coaches and teammates instead of the spectators, with the aim of promoting teamwork, confidence and development.

The early feedback is surprisingly positive. While you might expect kids to miss hearing their families cheer, many report feeling less pressure and more ownership over the game.

In other words, sometimes silence really is golden.

👉 If your child’s activity has started feeling a little too intense, here’s what to do.

The Rise of the “Home Café”

If your teenager suddenly wants a milk frother, you’re in good company.

Across social media, young people are recreating café-style drinks at home—think matcha lattes, flavoured cold brews, elaborate hot chocolate concoctions and more.

Part of it is cost savings. Even teens can do the math and realize that $7 drinks add up quickly. But there’s also something creative about the trend: choosing syrups, experimenting with techniques and building a little drink station in the kitchen all feel productive and fun.

Parents are noticing the upside, too. A home café setup has a funny way of luring big kids into the kitchen—and occasionally into conversation.

👉 Want to try it yourself? Click here for our step-by-step guide to making dalgona coffee at home.

Summer Camp or the Hunger Games?

If you’ve tried to register your child for summer camp lately, you know the drill: alarms set, laptop open, credit card ready, finger hovering over the refresh button.

Across Canada, many camps open registration on a specific date and time—and the most popular programs can fill up within minutes. Parents log in like they’re trying to score concert tickets, hoping to grab the weeks their kids want (and their work schedules need) before everything disappears.

The pressure isn’t just logistical. Camps often become little social ecosystems—friends sign up together, neighbourhood groups land in the same weeks and summer plans start forming early. If your kid ends up on a waitlist, it can suddenly feel like they’re on the outside of all those plans.

For working parents, the stakes are even higher. Camp isn’t just fun—it’s a major piece of the summer childcare puzzle. When a week falls through, the scramble begins.

In other words, summer camp registration can feel like a slightly less violent Thunderdome. But if your kids are old enough and your work is relatively flexible, what if you just…didn’t do it?

👉 See what happened when our editor, Katie, forgot to register for summer camp and accidentally had to lean into the ’80s summer experience.

Tiny Gardens Are Trending

Small-space gardening methods—often called container gardening or square-foot gardening—are popping up everywhere as families look for manageable ways to grow food in urban yards and on balconies.

The appeal is obvious: small, raised beds or pots, simple grids and moderate yields of herbs, greens and tomatoes.

It’s also the perfect project for kids. Watching something grow from seed to plate still feels a little like you’re a professor at Hogwarts.

Lately, some families are taking it a step further by mashing up tiny gardens with fairy gardens—tucking miniature doors, tiny houses and little pathways between the herbs and lettuce. Suddenly the tomato plants share space with a whole imaginary village.

👉 If you’re planning a garden this year, click here for our guide to the best gardening gadgets and apps to help it thrive.