NOTE: This story was updated on March 8 with information from Fraser River Discovery Centre.
I know, I know. You’ve barely recovered from the Christmas holidays and suddenly, there it is, staring you in the face: spring break.
Local parents who are facing the annual scramble to find fun and care for the kids over those two weeks in March need look no farther. We’ve looked around New West and come up with these ideas to help local families keep the kids busy and amused during spring break.
Note that this year’s spring break runs from March 19 to 29 and runs into Easter weekend (Good Friday is March 30, and Easter Monday is April 2). Registration for numerous spring break camps and programs is already underway, so you’ll want to get started soon.
Here are some ideas to help steer you in the right direction:
MUSIC BOX NEW WESTMINSTER
This popular downtown New West music school offers two spring break camps. Hello! Camp, for ages 4.5 to eight, is a five-day camp (March 19 to 23) that introduces kids to five different musical instruments over five days: piano, guitar/ukulele, drums, voice and violin. There’s also Rock Band Camp (March 26 to 30), for ages six to 10. No previous skills are needed, and kids will have a chance to jam out on piano, guitar, drums, vocals and more.
For both camps, in the afternoons, kids get to take part in a variety of activities – heading to parks, playing games, visiting local attractions and more. Full- and half-day options are available. See www.musicboxnw.ca.
THE DANCE MATRIX
This popular downtown dance school offers a spring break camp running nine days (March 19 to 23 and March 26 to 30, based on the theme of the Dr. Seuss movie The Lorax. Camps are open to dancers of all levels, from beginner to advanced, and include singing, dancing and acting, plus costumes, scenery and prop making, trips to the park and a showcase on the last day of camp.
Check out www.thedancematrix.webs.com/dancecamps.htm.
THE STAGE NEW WESTMINSTER
Another popular downtown offering is The Stage New West, which offers Musical Theatre Day Camps for both weeks of spring break. Each week, the students participate in all aspects of putting on a musical theatre production, with classes in singing, dancing and acting, plus props, costumes and set design and production. Kids also play games and take field trips to local attractions. There are options for six-to-nine-year-olds and for five-to-seven-year-olds. No experience is necessary, and there’s no audition.
ARTS CAMPS AT ANVIL CENTRE
The city’s downtown hub of all things arty has a wide range of spring break offerings for kids and teens. Options include Paint/Draw/Sculpt, Mini Coding: Game Design; Theatre, Cartooning, Graphic Novel, Music Makers, Rock Star Music Camp and Artist Focus Day Camp.
For all the details, pick up a Winter 2018 New Westminster Arts and Heritage brochure, or download one from www.anvilcentre.com. You can also call 604-527-4640.
HERITAGE AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS
The City of New Westminster has a range of heritage-themed programs, also running at Anvil Centre. For five- to eight-year-olds, there are Crafts From Around the World and Adventures in History. Both are on March 19 to 23, with the craft program in the morning (10 a.m. to noon) and history in the afternoon (1 to 3 p.m.). There’s also Introduction to Textile Arts, for ages nine to 11, running March 26 to 29 from 10 a.m. to noon, and Traditional Hand Sewing Made Easy, for ages 12 to 14, running March 26 to 29 from 1 to 3 p.m.
For all the details, pick up a Winter 2018 New Westminster Arts and Heritage brochure, or download one from www.anvilcentre.com. You can also call 604-527-4640.
VANCOUVER CIRCUS SCHOOL
If you have one of those gotta-move, gotta-climb, gotta-spin, gotta-tumble kind of kids, why not send them off to join the circus? The Vancouver Circus School is once again offering spring break camps at its New Westminster location (on the second floor at River Market). Kids of all fitness levels and abilities can try out aerial silks, trampolines, juggling and more, with a showcase at the end of the week. There are camps for six- to 10-year-olds and for 11- to 16-year-olds, with morning and afternoon sessions in both weeks of spring break. See www.vancouvercircusschool.com for all the details.
ROYAL CITY CHEER TUMBLING PARKOUR
Here’s another excellent option for those moving-tumbling-running kind of kids. Royal City Cheer Tumbling Parkour offers a full-day camp for spring break from March 19 to 23, and a variety of partial-day programs and workshops to work on specific skills. Your child can try out all kinds of cheer, stunt, tumbling and parkour skills. See www.royalcitycheer.com or call 604-600-5111. The facility is at 102-100 Braid St.
DOUGLAS COLLEGE
Douglas College always offers popular camps for a wide range of ages, and this year is no exception. The college has both weeks of spring break covered at its New West campus, with offerings for nine- to 15-year-olds and five- to nine-year-olds. For older kids, the choices include Sports and Computers, Basketball Camp, Student Leadership, Multisport Camp and Future Broadcasters Camp. For the younger set, there’s Young Artists Camp, Young Drama Camp and Junior Computers camp. See www.douglascollege.ca/YouthCamps for all the details, or call 604-527-5680 for information.
NEW WESTMINSTER PARKS AND RECREATION
As always, the City of New Westminster’s parks and rec offerings include a wide range of camps and programs for kids of all ages. Try such offerings as Superhero Simulator, Weird Science, Girls on the Go, Club Royale, Chefs Are Us, Babysitter Training and much more. There’s a wide variety of days and times, so to get all the details, be sure to pick up a spring break brochure at city facilities or download one from the city’s website at www.newwestcity.ca under Parks and Recreation.
FRASER RIVER DISCOVERY CENTRE
If you're not the signing-up-for-stuff-ahead type, never fear, here's a great drop-in idea for you.
The Fraser River Discovery Centre is inviting families in to explore British Columbia during a special spring break program. The program is inspired by Simon Fraser’s journey down the river, with each day of the week themed in recognition of a different place he visited along the Fraser River. The activities are aimed at kids aged two to 12. Young visitors will get a passport to document their journey – a booklet that lists daily activities, games, films and exhibits to check out for the day.
The event runs March 20 to 23. March 20 features Prince George, March 21 features Quesnel, March 22 is about Williams Lake and March 23 centres on the Lower Mainland. On Saturday, March 24, the centre will feature a combination of all the previous days’ themes and a look at New Westminster today. The centre is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, at a cost of $6 per person or $18 for a family pass (two adults, two children). Those under two are free.
You don’t need to pre-register, so you can just drop in at any time. Fraser River Discovery Centre is at 788 Quayside Dr. For information, see www.fraserriverdiscovery.org/SpringBreak, or call 604-521-8401.
Do you have another spring break idea to share? If there’s a program or event you’d like us to know about, email Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca.
