Wow, how have we reached the late days of August already? With the calendar getting ready to flip to September, now seems like the perfect time to look around the city and find a new season of activities for parents of littles.
Here’s a few ideas we tracked down for you and your small people so that everyone can stay busy and active this fall and beyond:
GET COOKING
You’re never too young to learn to cook, and Burnaby’s parks and recreation department offers a variety of programs for toddlers, preschoolers and beyond. Kids from 17 to 36 months can join in Cooking Time for Toddlers, running Fridays at Wesburn starting Sept. 30. Or, there’s Incredible Edible Books, for three-to-fives, which combines children’s stories with making and eating snacks and treats described in them. That runs Mondays at Edmonds starting Sept. 19.
If your kids are older, never fear, there are also some offerings for older kids – among them Cooking Basics, for 10- to 13-year-olds, running Wednesdays at Edmonds starting Sept. 21; and Baking Basics, for eight- to 12-year-olds running Wednesdays at Edmonds starting Oct. 26.
EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Is your child into nature? Check out some fun programs at Burnaby Lake Nature House. On Saturday, Sept. 24, you can enjoy Nuts About Squirrels; on Sunday, Oct. 2, you can take part in Eensy, Weensy Spiders. Both programs are for three- to five-year-olds. See www.burnaby.ca/outdorrec or call 604-294-7224.
DROP-IN GYM FUN
If you’re the kind of parent who finds it hard to get organized enough to register for a class (like me), then never fear – Burnaby’s rec facilities offer plenty of drop-in fun for the small folks.
The new fall-winter season schedule is out in Burnaby’s latest Leisure Guide, and the new season kicks off Sept. 17.
Bonsor offers Loonie Gymnastics and Tiny Tikes, both for one- to five-year-olds. Gymnastics runs Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tiny Tikes is on Thursdays and Saturdays from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
Edmonds has Tiny Tikes, for one- to five-year-olds, running Wednesday and Fridays from 6 to 7 p.m.
Cameron offers Buck A Roo Family Fun, for 10-month-olds to five-year-olds, running Mondays from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.
Willingdon offers Motorin’ Munchkins, also for 10-month-olds to five-year-olds, running Thursdays from 6 to 7:15 p.m.
Kids must be accompanied by an adult at all sessions. Check out Burnaby’s Leisure Guide for all the scheduling details, as programs may be closed on certain holidays. Note that some programs can get full, so arriving early is often a good idea.
GET A HEAD START ON READING
Wherever you live, you’re not too far from a Burnaby Public Library branch – and all four branches offer a variety of storytimes for the small folks in your house.
The Bob Prittie (Metrotown) branch at 6100 Willingdon Ave. has storytime for two- and three-year-olds on Thursdays, from Sept. 15 to Nov. 3. There are two sessions, each 45 minutes long: one starting at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. There’s also Storytime for Babies on Tuesdays (Sept. 27 to Nov. 15), with sessions at 10 a.m. and at 11 a.m., and Storytime for Toddlers on Wednesdays (Sept. 28 to Nov. 16) at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
At Cameron (9523 Cameron St.), you can take in Toddler Time on Mondays (Sept. 26 to Nov. 28) at 11:15 a.m., and Babytime on Tuesdays (Sept. 27 to Nov. 29) at 10:15 a.m. There’s also Preschool Storytime on Tuesdays (Sept. 27 to Nov. 29) at 11:15 a.m.
At McGill (4595 Albert St.), Storytime for Babies runs Fridays from Sept. 23 to Nov. 4, with sessions at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Storytime for Toddlers is on Wednesdays (Sept. 28 to Nov. 2) at 10:15 and 11:15 a.m.
And at the Tommy Douglas branch (7311 Kingsway), there’s Storytime for Babies on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. (Sept. 20 to Nov. 1), and Storytime for three-to-five-year-olds on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. (Sept. 22 to Nov. 3). Storytime for Toddlers is on Tuesdays at 10:15 a.m., running Oct. 4 to Nov. 15.
The Tommy Douglas branch also has special Family Storytime events in American Sign Language and English, once a month on Saturdays – Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17, all at 2 p.m.
The libraries also offer a host of special events and programs throughout the year, so if you’re searching for a fun activity for your family, be sure to check out the library events calendar at www.bpl.bc.ca/events.
LEAVE THE KIDS WITH SOMEONE ELSE
Good news – you can stay fit and let someone else worry about the kids for awhile. Some Burnaby rec centres offer on-site child-minding for kids from newborn to age five – so that you can take part in a workout, a swim or an on-site class and leave the kids in a safe, fun place. It’s offered mornings at Bonsor (604-297-4597) from Monday through Saturday (closed on long weekends), mornings at Edmonds Community Centre (604-297-4838) from Monday to Friday, and mornings at Eileen Dailly (604-298-7946) from Monday to Thursday. Check out the city’s Leisure Guide for all the details or see www.burnaby.ca.
Do you have an item for Family Ties? Send family- and parenting-related ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
