The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ith beautiful sumâ€" Wmcr weather beckâ€" oning, few people are content remaining at home. Fortunately for Waterloo residents, there are many interesting places to visit within a twoâ€"hour drive. While many of these sumâ€" mer spots are wellâ€"known. others are more hidden, though equally enjoyable. Unique dayâ€"trip destinations close to home The Waterloo Regional Children‘s Museum Closer to home,. the Waterloo Regional Chilâ€" dren‘s Museum, Jocated on King Street in Kitchener, is situated in the lofty building that once housed the hisâ€" toric Goudies Department Store. Besides the two sizes of entranceway (one for adults and one for children}. the exterior of the museum does little to suggest the treasure trove of activities, games and adventures that lie within. Hidden treasures Since opening last Sepâ€" tember, the children‘s museâ€" um has hosted over 65,000 visitors and boasts over 600 families as members. With four themed levels filled with interactive exhibits, there is enough to not only amuse any child for an afternoon, but parents as well. Visitors can begin by honing their architectural and geometry skills with a variety of coloured blocks and other building toys. On the same floor, very young visitors can visit the Tot Spot for a quiet place to play or read. The second floor features Mechanical City and the Water Garden, where chilâ€" dren learn about magnets, gears and the "metamorph" (a series of linked commuâ€" nication devices}. Children gain a basic understanding of Ohm‘s Law. circuits, elecâ€" tricity and xâ€"rays, thanks to the exhibits on the third floor‘s Energy Playground The fourth floor allows visiâ€" tors to look in on the "Artist By Canuin CarPENTER bor The Chronicle in Residence," as well as communications exhibits. The museum has a gift shop, which could be seen as an exhibit itself, with an interesting collection of educational toys and books. The basement of the chilâ€" dren‘s museum is home to a changing collection of interâ€" active activities relating to the museum‘s monthly theme, such as a juggling workshop, exploring toys from the past and being an archaeologist. The Waterloo Regional Children‘s Museum, located downtown Kitchener, combines fun and education. The children‘s museum is an excellent way to turn a sweltering summer day into an experience that makes learning fun. Wings of Paradise Most Waterloo residents have marveled at the quiet beauty and strength of butâ€" terflies during the summer However, only a fraction have experienced over 1,500 butterflies flying around them. Located at 10 King Si. W., Kitchener. Wings of Paradise â€" a but terfly conservatory â€" fea tures 40 species of butter flies and 75 species of flow ing plants, trees and bushes This indoor tropical garâ€" den proves an aweâ€"inspiring learning experience for adults and children alike by viewing the interesting disâ€" plays that give insight into the lives of butterflies and other insects. Visitors view PTIEFESEYLE i ceik 4 0 Ol_uunki LA LA L.i L. metamorphosis firstâ€"hand at the hatchery and can watch in "closeâ€"up" detail how butterflies consume fruit and nectar. The Parâ€" adise Café has a Sunday brunch, as well as picnic baskets to take out in the surrounding gardens and trails. Located at 2500 Kossuth Rd., via Highway 8, exit at Sportsworld Drive, turn left on Fountain Street. Dundas Valley Conservation Area Why waste the summer sunshine by being indoors when great hiking trails and history await you in Dunâ€" das. Located near Hamilton, the Dundas Valley Conserâ€" vation Area boasts several scenic hikes of varying disâ€" tances, including portions of the legendary Bruce Trail and the Hamiltonâ€"toâ€"Brantâ€" ford Rail Trail. The trails begin off the 3.5 km Main Loop, a pleasantly hilly hike that begins at the Trail Cenâ€" tre â€" a reproduction of a Vicâ€" torian train station used in the filming of the television series Anne of Green Gables. The trail is shaded by a variety of trees including a sunny apple orchard and rare Carolinian species. The woodlands contain many huge ancient trees and scenic babbling brooks. The Main Loop allows visitors to see the Hermitage (the remains of a 19th century stone mansion} and the Gatehouse Museum. There are plenty of delis and bakeries in the nearby historic town of Dundas to make a picnic lunch before heading over to the conserâ€" vation area. Take Highway 8 to Dunâ€" das. The conservation area is located on Governars Road, west of town. Port Burwell Provincial Park Besides claiming one of the best beaches in Ontario, Port Burwell offers campâ€" sites, a hiking trail and sports fields. Located on Lake Erie, on land that was once a glacial lake, the park has varieties of plant and animal life more typically found in the southern United States. Equipment and facilities for baseball, badminton and horseshoes are available, as well as creeks for fishing. The broad, two kmâ€"long beach features soft sand. warm water, roaring waves and is rarely crowded. In town, a historic lightâ€" house enables visitors to view the beach from above, and the nearby Port Burwell Marine Museum explains local history. The town of Port Burwell has some excellent ice cream shops for cooling down after a day at the beach. Take Highway 19 to Port Burwell and follow signs. Camu® SARPEWIE® PACTC The report focuses on the health of children in Waterloo Region between the ages of zero and six. The effects of experiences that occur during these early years are critical in determining a child‘s health and development. According to a new health status report, A Glance at Health in the Early Years, "many young children in our community may,be lacking the nutrients necesâ€" sary for healthy growth and development". Lack of access to healthy food is a key finding with almost one in six households with children aged zero to five experiencing some food insecurity. A number of families report that due to lack of money, they often or sometimes do not have enough to eat, worry about having enough to eat or do not eat their desired quality or variety of food. Waterloo Region demonstrates a consistently lower rate of low birth weight infants than Ontario. However, from 1990â€"2000, the low birth weight rate ranged considerably within the Region, with Kitchenâ€" er reporting the highest average rate followed by Camâ€" bridge and Waterloo, with the rural regions demonâ€" strating the lowest rate of low birth weight births. Women with higher education levels in both Waterloo Region and Ontario are more likely to have breastfed their most recent child compared to women with less education. Further research into the factors that impact breastfeeding initiation and duration could have implications for health programming. Approximately one in seven children between the ages of zero and five are regularly exposed to secondâ€" hand smoke in their own homes. Raising awareness of this issue is very important as secondâ€"hand smoke exposure has been linked to many detrimental health outcomes. Respiratory iliness among children aged zero to six is the number one cause of emergency room visiis {2002) and the second leading cause of hospital admissions from 1996 to 2001. It is important to continue monitoring and investiâ€" gating this trend so that prevention efforts can be aimed appropriately. The top four causes of respiratory hospitalization are bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, and croup. Research suggests that outdoor air pollution increases the risk of hospitalization due to respiratory illness among young children. Wateroo Region demonstrates a consistently higher rate of respiratory hospitalizations than Ontario‘s average (1996â€"2001). Numerous data sources including Statistics Canaâ€" da, Ontario Ministry of Health and Longâ€"term Care, Region of Waterloo Public Health and various research reports were used in the preparation of this Report. To obtain a copy of this report or any future reports on health status in Waterloo Region, visit the Public Health website www.region.waterloo.ca/ph [go to Resourcesâ€"Healthâ€"Determinants Planning) or call BB3â€"2374. A Glance at Health in the arly Years was produced by Region of Waterloo Public Health. Children lack nutrients necessary for healthy growth: report states