It may be hard to believe given the current deep freeze and endless blowing snow, but spring break is, indeed, on the horizon!
If you’re worried about how to keep your kiddies entertained for a what can feel like an eternity away from school, or you'd just like to get them out of the house, there are a few great options right here at The Forks.
Many programs already have registration open, so keep reading to see what's on offer and which events require a bit of pre-planning:
Over at the Children’s Museum, there are tons of things on deck for spring break. Every day from Mar. 23-Mar. 31, there is a class or workshop dedicated to “adhesive adventures,” a.k.a. fun with tape! Let your kids get their fingers sticky as they maneuver their way through a duct tape obstacle course, create duct tape cufflinks and Washi tape figurines or join up with a few other friends on a collaborative tape-art project.
Adhesive Adventures is also available as a day camp for kids ranging in age from kindergarten to Grade 4 and runs from Mar. 25-29. Pro-tip: Children’s Museum Members save 10 per cent on registration fees!
The Children’s Museum is also offering an Explore-Abilities morning, a sensory-friendly museum trip designed for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders, on Mar. 23. For this event, you have to pre-register, which you can do here.
If your kid is more thespian than tape-enthusiast, MTYP has a few options as well. The theatre is running day camps during spring break week for kids ages 5-12 (there different camps for kids of different ages) which allows them to work with industry professionals and prepare a performance to present on the last day of camp. Registration for those camps is already open.
For those who’d rather view than participate, the theatre is presenting childhood classic The Very Hungry Caterpiller & other Eric Carle Favourites the weekend before spring break, Mar. 16-17 and tickets are available now.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has an excellent promotion for spring break week: kids 12 and under are free! The CMHR is also presenting the Festival of Rights during the afternoons of Mar. 25-28, which celebrates the right to play, learn and have fun with activities like face-painting, crafts, hoop dancing, jigging, circus arts and more. These events are also totally free!
In addition, the museum is also running family tours of the Mandela: Struggle for Freedom exhibition, screening animated films that have a focus on children's rights and bringing in a couple of other interactive photo activities in two galleries that only require a gallery admission for those older than 12.
And after a one-year hiatus, Festival of Fools returns to The Forks Market for free, all-ages afternoon festivity and foolery from March 23 to March 29!