Happy new year! With January already speeding by, I thought it was time for a return to the parenting files to dig out more new and fun happenings for families in Burnaby.
I welcome any ideas or suggestions from readers, too – if you have a favourite family hangout or know of a great program for kids in your neighbourhood, send me a message and let me know. You can reach me at [email protected].
In the meantime, here are a few ideas to kick off 2016:
Get arty
Regular readers of the NOW will know that the Burnaby Art Gallery offers lots of programs for families. One of our favourites is in the ongoing In the BAG drop-in, which invites families in on Sunday afternoons to check out the exhibition at the gallery and then get into the studio to make their own art related to it. Families can stop in on Sunday, Feb. 14 for a session in abstracts, and on Sunday, March 13 for Paint Resist. Also stay tuned for a special Family Day program in Art Houses – families can pop in on Monday, Feb. 8 to use all kinds of recycled and found materials to build a dwelling. Check out www.burnabyartgallery.ca for more information.
Start them young
You’re never too young to get arty – and Burnaby’s parks and rec programs are proof of that. Among one of my favourite upcoming offerings is a Mixed Media program for small folks – Mixed Media Baby for two- and three-year-olds, and Mixed Media Preschool for four- and five-year-olds. Both run Saturday mornings at Willingdon Community Centre. For all the details, check out the Winter Arts Guide – you can download a copy from www.shadboltcentre.com.
After school fun
Parents of school-aged kids are often looking for ways to fill those after-school hours – and Burnaby’s schools are a gold mine of offerings. The City of Burnaby’s parks, recreation and cultural services offers a host of after-school programs at Burnaby elementary schools. From Lego Clubs and board games, to muffin making, Valentine’s chocolates and after school yoga, there’s something to suit the taste and interest of just about every youngster. See www.burnaby.ca/afterschoolprograms for the full listing of what’s happening in your child’s school.
Mandarin Language Arts
The Burnaby school district is holding an information night about its Mandarin Language Arts program, for students entering kindergarten to Grade 6. It’s held at Forest Grove Elementary, and the info session is tonight (Wednesday, Jan. 20) at 6 p.m. in the school library. See www.burnabyschools.ca for more information.
Little Things Matter
I happened across this interesting presentation at the www.kidsinburnaby.ca website. Little Things Matter: The Importance of Play for Healthy Child Development is a free presentation coming up on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Lochdale Community School library (6990 Aubrey St.). Free child-minding will be available in the community room next door. Andrea James will lead a discussion about the importance of play in kids’ lives, and how play helps a child academically, socially, physically and emotionally. It runs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. It’s free, but you must register ahead – call 604-664-8222 or email [email protected].
Spring break
It seems Christmas is barely behind is, but anyone with school-aged kids knows that it’s already time to start thinking about spring break. There are plenty of offerings in the city – and a whole host of them are on the shores of Deer Lake, at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. The Shadbolt is once again offerings a series of spring break programs and camps for kids and teens. Among them: a multi-disciplinary arts camp, a circus camp, a writing program, a creative drama program, a dance and photography workshop, a filmmaking camp, a storytelling course and more. Check out www.shadboltcentre.com for all the details.
Get set for secondary
Burnaby school district has a series of open house events set to introduce parents and students to the city’s high schools – tour the schools, meet the teachers and principals, learn about programs and course selection and more. Alpha and Burnaby South have their information nights on Wednesday, Jan. 27; Burnaby North and Moscrop are on Thursday, Jan. 28; and Byrne Creek and Burnaby Mountain are on Thursday, Feb. 4. (Burnaby Central and Cariboo Hill’s have already been held). Check out www.burnabyschools.ca for more details.
Do you have an item for Family Ties? Send family- and parenting-related ideas to Julie, [email protected]. You can also find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
