All in favour of making spring break mandatory for grown-ups, raise your hands.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could declare ourselves a couple of weeks off this month? Sadly, however, parents in New West are going to have to face the usual spring dilemma: what to do with the kids for the two weeks they're off school.
Fortunately for local families, there are plenty of options for spring break fun in the city. I've been digging around for ideas - and, thanks to Twitter, I gained a few more suggestions (thanks @jenarbo, @rivermrkt, @TheStageNewWest, @100BraidSt for chiming in!). If you have others, please feel free to share (email me at [email protected]).
In the meantime, check out these options:
* New Westminster Parks, Recreation and Culture: The city always goes all-out to keep kids entertained over spring break, and once again parents have a plethora of options to choose from. There are drop-ins for toddlers and preschoolers, a variety of youth events at the youth centre, family trampoline and tumbling sessions, and a Superhero Spectacular at the Canada Games Pool on March 19 - just for a start. There are also a variety of daycamp and program options for kids of all ages, covering everything from cooking, Mad Science and dance to art, printmaking, photography and crafts. Get the spring break brochure from a city facility, or download it from www.newwestpcr.ca to get all the details.
* Douglas College: Every year, Douglas College offers a host of spring break camp options at its downtown New Westminster campus at 700 Royal Ave. - and this year is no exception. The March 9 to 13 week includes sports and computers, student leadership, creative writing, young artists and multisport camps, while the March 16 to 20 week includes basketball, young entrepreneurs, young writers, dance and multisport camps. Check out www.douglascollege.ca/youthcamps, email [email protected] or see www.facebook.com/DouglasCollegeYouthPrograms for all the details.
* Vancouver Circus School: Once again, New West's favourite circus school at River Market is offering spring break experiences for kids, with half- and full-day options. Young people aged six to 16, of all fitness levels and abilities, can fine-tune their skills in such circus fun as aerial silks, trampolines, juggling and more - culminating in a show for friends and family on the final day. Camps run in the circus school's location on the second floor of River Market from March 16 to 20, with morning camps from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or full days from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The school is also continuing to offer its regular drop-ins, including parent-and-tot and family sessions, as well as unicycling and juggling drop-ins. Check out www.vancouvercircusschool.ca for all the details.
* 100 Braid Street Studios: The studio and gallery on Braid Street is offering spring break arts classes for kids aged five to 12. You can choose from morning or afternoon sessions from March 9 to 13 or March 16 to 20. Each session is on a different theme; the first week features Canadian Artists Week (Ted Harrison, Bill Reid, Tom Thomson, Emily Carr, Alex Colville) in the mornings and Techniques and Mediums (stamping and block printing, collage, clay, watercolours, painting on rocks) in the afternoons. In the second week, it's Famous Artists Week (Picasso, Klimt, Leonardo Da Vinci, Georgia O'Keeffe, Salvador Dali) in the mornings and Techniques and Mediums (mosaics, stained glass, stencils, finger weaving, painting on ceramics) in the afternoon. See 100braidststudios.com, email [email protected] or call 778-886-5391.
* River Market: As always, New West's favourite foodie destination is making itself family-friendly for March break. There are Music Kids Club sessions for preschoolers and Mini-Music drop-ins at Music Box New Westminster, baking sessions with Pamola Bakery for young children, and Bricks 4 Kidz Lego camps March 11 to 13 and March 18 to 20, for the five- to 12-year-old set. Keep an eye on www.rivermarket.ca or www.facebook.com/rivermrkt for details as they are announced.
* NAPA Dance: The Northwest Academy of Performing Arts (511 Columbia St.) offers a spring break day camp for kids aged six to 12, running March 16 to 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Kids can enjoy a week of dance, singing, games and crafts. Before- and after-camp care is available for an extra fee. Check out www.napadance.com or call 604-521-3255.
* The Stage New West: This downtown performing arts school (50 Lorne St.) offers musical theatre day camps for kids, with one camp from March 9 to 13 and a second from March 16 to 20, both for kids aged six to nine. Camps include singing, dancing and acting along with costume, set and props design and production. They run Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out www.thestagenewwest.ca for all the details.
* The Dance Matrix: This downtown dance studio (802 Agnes St.) offers a spring break dance camp from March 9 to 20. The camp is on a Little Mermaid theme and will include singing, dancing and acting, plus costumes, scenery and prop making, trips to the park and a showcase on the last day. The camp runs Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and before- and after-camp care is available for a fee. Check out www.thedancematrix.webs.com or call 778-397-0934, or email [email protected] for more details.
* New Westminster Public Library: Once again, the library has some special spring break activity sessions lined up for kids. Those aged three to seven can check out the fun on Wednesdays, March 11 and 18, with sessions running from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at both the Queensborough and main (716 Sixth Ave.) branches. Tweens aged eight to 12 can check out spring break activities on the same Wednesdays, with sessions from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the main branch and 2 to 4 p.m. in Queensborough. For teens, the library is offering a Spring Break Monster Mashup, in which teen artists can join local artist Thyrza Segal in turning old landscape paintings into something new by adding monsters and other creatures in to the scenery. There are sessions on March 10, 12 and 17, running 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. each day. See www.nwpl.ca for all the details.
*Bullpen Baseball School: This baseball training school offers a number of camps, including one running March 17 to 19 at Justin Morneau Field in Moody Park, for 10- to 13-year-old players. Check out www.bullpen.ca/clinics for details.
* Anvil Centre: There are a few special family-focused events at the Anvil Centre over the last couple of weeks of March, including a Board Games: Then & Now session at the New Westminster Museum. It runs Saturdays, March 14 and 28 from 1 to 2 p.m. There's also a special session at the museum with the Interactive Discovery Cart, giving people a chance to get hands-on with artifacts, on Saturday, March 21 from 1 to 2 p.m. See www.anvilcentre.com.
* Fraser River Discovery Centre: Besides being a fun family place to visit any day, the Discovery Centre (788 Quayside Dr., next to River Market) is also offering a special Gold Fever program on Saturday, March 21. The session runs from 1 to 4 p.m., at a cost of $20 per family, and your family has a chance to complete challenges and follow clues to uncover a secret stash of gold. Check out www.FraserRiverDiscovery.org/GoldFever or call 604-521-8401 to register.
* Hawkes Martial Arts: This Sapperton-based martial arts school (484 East Columbia St.) offers a spring karate camp from March 16 to 20, for kids aged six and up. Activities include weapons training, self-defence and board breaking, along with swimming, laser tag and trips to the Extreme Air Park and Science World. There's a free pizza party included on the Friday. Check out www.hawkesmartialarts.com.
Do you have an item for Family Ties? Julie MacLellan is always interested in family- and parenting-related events and activities in the city. Send her an email, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
