Spring Break

C M Y K Page 1 C M Y K manitobamuseum.ca manitobamuseum EXHIBITCLOSESAPRIL19 CHILDREN'S TICKETSSTARTAT $ 5.50 MARCHONLY Spa & Conference Centre Springbreakat ElkhornResortSpa &ConferenceCentre Reservebycalling: 1.866.ELKHORN(1.866.355.4676) www.elkhornresort.mb.ca 3MooswaDriveE Onanole,ManitobaR0J1N0 frontdesk@elkhornresort.mb.ca Leavethegadgetsbehindandspendsomequalityfamilytimewithgreatindoororoutdoor �������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������� Booka3nightstaybetweenMarch29toApril8,2015foronly$340 (that'sasavingsof$110!) Newbookingsonly|Regularbookingrulesapply ApplicableforDeluxeRoomsonly|Notapplicableforgroupbookings Already bookedyour stayatElkhorn Resort?Addan extradayfor only$50! Onlyapplicablefor exsistingmulti-night reservations I t's a time of year parents both dread and take delight in: spring break. On the one hand, the break comes at the end of March, which means that spring is (finally) near. On the other, spring break means that the kids will be off for a whole week, and will somehow have to be occupied. On the one hand, the break comes at the end of March, which means spring is (finally) near. On the other, spring break means the kids will be off for a whole week, and will somehow have to be occupied. Thankfully, several organizations have stepped up to fill the activity void for spring break, which runs from March 30 to April 3 this year. So for families not travelling south of the border to the U.S., they'll find — to their delight – that activities abound here for young kids. And most importantly, those activities are affordable. One of those activity hotbeds will be the University of Manitoba, which will be offering two programs during spring break: its Mini U, which has run for no fewer than 37 years, and its ice programs, which have been running for the better part of a decade. "With our Mini U – which is for kids aged five to 13 – we offer seven different programs," said Kaylee Roteliuk, sport program co-ordinator for Mini U programs. "Kids get to play dodgeball, do wall climbing or take part in rhythmic gymnastics as part of our different A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS SATURdAy, MARCH 7, 2015 2015 GET PHySICAL Options abound to keep kids active during spring break Mini U at the University of Manitoba has been keeping kids busy at spring break for over 30 years. credit: U of M photo GymKyds Gymnastic Centre offers kids a taste of gymnastics. credit: GymKyds photo By Todd Lewys For the Free Press program offerings. We usually get about 150 to 200 kids for the week. This year, the program will run from Monday to Thursday because Good Friday is on April 3." As far as the most popular activities go, Roteliuk said three stand out. "For our Mini U program, the two most popular programs are wall climbing and rhythmic gymnastics. We're really excited about wall climbing, as we just opened up a new wall in our Active Living Centre that will make it even more fun and challenging. For $168 (taxes included), kids get two hours of climbing, and the rest of the day is spent doing activities such as swimming, archery and racquetball." She added that rhythmic gymnastics is a close second on the popularity scale. "I think it's so popular because it's an activity that young girls can participate in without having to deal with boys, which can be a bit intimidating. On the ice program side, Learn to Skate is really popular because it helps kids get started properly with that skill. And kids love the Hockey & Sport program, where they learn from Bison players, and get two hours of on-ice work, along with four hours of dry-land training and coaching; it's a great program, too." Parents looking for other alternatives on the hockey front can also look at enrolling their kids at a spring break hockey camp run by Canlan Ice Sports (see www.icesports.com/winnipeg/hockey- camps.aspx). Among the programs offered there (at their facility at 1871 Ellice Ave. at the junction of Ferry Road) are Hockey Tips for Tots (age 3-6), Hockey Fundamentals (age 6-8), and powerskating and various hockey skills camps designed to refine kids' skating technique and overall skill set. Costs range from $199 to $349, with an age range going up to 14 years of age. Another option during spring break is gymnastics. One of the organizations putting on a spring break camp is GymKyds Gymnastic Centre (www.gymkyds.com), which is located at 421 Beaverhill Blvd. in Southdale. "While we'll be running a camp for the entire week, you don't actually have to sign your kids up for the entire week," said Peggy Glassco, head coach at GymKyds. "A half day would cost $24 (plus GST), a full day $40. We cater to every skill level, from beginner to competitive, and classes are open to kids from age three to 12, with a ratio of one teacher for every six kids." The goal during the camp is simple, said Glassco. "We want to provide a fun, safe setting where kids can learn some gymnastic skills, and where they leave with a feeling of success and love for gymnastics. Who knows, it may be something a child may want to pursue for the long-term after being exposed to the sport." Another gymnastics option is Panthers Gymnastics (www. panthersgymnastics.ca), which will also be offering its own spring break camp. Not surprisingly, both baseball and softball camps are available during spring break, as well. Baseball Manitoba (www. baseballmanitoba.ca) will be offering its ninth annual Spring Break Camp at the Winnipeg Soccer Federation's Soccer South facility at the University of Manitoba from March 30 to April 2, while Softball Manitoba (www.softball.mb.ca) will he holding its own camp at the Home Run Sports Training Centre at 905 King Edward St. from March 31 to April 2. Cost for the Baseball Manitoba camp is $265; cost for the Softball Manitoba camp is $60. The U of M offers many on-ice programs over spring break. credit: U of M photo Spring break March 7, 2015

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