So the good news is, the kids are home from school for Christmas break.
The bad news is ... well, the kids are home from school for Christmas break.
Fortunately for local families, there's plenty to do over the holiday season even once the pre-Christmas rush has passed.
Here are a few ideas:
* Go for a swim: The Canada Games Pool is open on a holiday schedule from Boxing Day through to Sunday, Jan. 4, with regular schedule resuming on Monday, Jan. 5. There are public swims each of those days as well as some other family-friendly events, including Parent and Tot Playtime starting at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 28, 29 and Jan. 4. Check out the city's Christmas Active Living Guide - you can pick it up at city facilities or see www.newwestpcr.ca - for all the details or call 604-526-4281.
* Go for a skate: Moody Park Arena also has a special drop-in schedule for the holidays, with Loonie Skates from 12:30 to 3 p.m. on Dec. 26, 29, 30 and 31, Jan. 1 and 2. There are also various public skating and family skating sessions, as well as a Parent and Tot Hockey session on Monday, Dec. 29 from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. and a Parent and Tot Skate on Thursday, Jan. 1 from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Check out the city's Christmas Active Living Guide - you can pick it up at city facilities or see www.newwestpcr.ca - for all the details or call the arena at 604-525-5301.
* New Westminster Public Library: The kids' room at the library is always a friendly place to pass the time - kids can play with toys and look for new books to read. Plus, the library has some special programs for the holidays, including free drop-in craft sessions for all ages on Monday, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesday, Dec. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. Call 604-527-4660.
* Queensborough Adventures: Five- to 11-year-olds can partake of the fun at these half-day camps from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29 and 30, with games, cooking and art. Call 604-525-7388 or see www.newwestpcr.ca for the Christmas Active Living Guide.
* Christmas Vacation at Club Royale: Six- to 13-year-olds can take part in these fun days at Centennial Community Centre, with various crafts, games, skating, swimming and trips. It's on Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it costs $38 per day. Call 604-777-5100.
* Drop by the New Westminster Museum in the new Anvil Centre at 777 Columbia St., open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the holidays (closed for Christmas Day and Jan. 1). On Thursdays, it's open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can check out the special Baskets for Barter exhibition until Jan. 25, looking at the history of Coast Salish basket weaving and exchange along the Fraser River.
* Try your hand at pickleball: Yes, you read that right. Families (kids aged five and up) can check out this hybrid of badminton, tennis and table tennis, played with wooden paddles and a perforated plastic ball that must bounce after going over the net. There's a family pickleball drop-in at Queensborough Community Centre on Tuesday, Dec. 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. Call 604-525-7388.
* Drop by the New Westminster New Media Gallery at the Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St. The ongoing exhibition is Biometric, running through January 2015, which brings together artists from around the world who use new media to create portraits. See www.anvilcentre.com for more.
* Drop by River Market, the destination for foodies, families and fun on the waterfront. You can partake of a variety of activities, including drop-in soap making on Dec. 27, 28 and 29, or a zumba class on Sunday, Dec. 27 in the community square. And, of course, on Saturday, Jan. 3, it's Royal City Farmers Market's winter market and the Artisans Fair. Plus, no matter when you go, there's a host of excellent eateries just waiting to serve you up whatever tickles your tastebuds - be it Thai, tea, tostadas or tarts. Check out www.rivermarket.ca.
* Stop in to the Fraser River Discovery Centre to check out all the hands-on, interactive exhibits about the river and what it means to all of us. Admission to the galleries is by donation, and the centre is open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. See www.fraserriverdiscovery.org for more or call 604-521-8401.
* Take a hike: If Mother Nature cooperates - or even if she doesn't (that's what rubber boots and rain gear is for, right?) - then get your family and get outside. The city has some great places to go for a nature walk - try the trails at Queen's Park, the rails around Port Royal in Queensborough, or the back-to-nature experience of Glenbrook Ravine, for starters. Find out all about the city's parks at www.newwestpcr.ca.
Do you have a holiday event to share? Email [email protected].
