5 days off: a perfect storm of boredom for the unprepared.
March Break can be a great time for kids if they’re engaged in interesting activities but when boredom sets in, it can drive parents crazy. How to keep children immersed in meaningful activities doesn’t always come easily for parents. The city of London is trying to combat this problem by hosting a variety of events and activities that involve lots of social interaction.
The London Public Library is hosting events and activities during the week. The hope is to encourage kids being active and to draw them away from TV and computer screens. One of their biggest events of the week is called “Comic book Jam”. The annual event is called a jam because it’s like a free-form jam session where kids can spend time at a number of activity stations. They can create their own comics, get their photo taken and even earn free comics. The jam started almost a decade ago as a way to get children into reading using alternate means. Many kids dressed as their favorite superhero to partake in the event.
“We usually have a good 400 to 500 kids show up. Its a celebration of comic books and comic-book art and it gets kids active in the community”
said Brahm Wiseman, the owner of Heroes Comics on Dundas Street,which partners with the library to stage the event.
“Kids usually will walk away with 10 to a dozen comics each that they earned by completing the different tasks.”
Lots of other events are happening at the library throughout the rest of the week, which you can see the full list here.
The Library is not the only place aiming to entertain and educate kids during their 5 days off. MEET A SLOTH and so much more! – ‘Diversity of Living Things’ hosted by Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo and combining forces with Animal Ambassadors and Little Tracks Petting Zoo. It is there largest and most comprehensive exhibit to date. This 15,000 square foot exhibit features animals like Sloths, Harris Hawk, Alligators, Snakes, Tarantulas, Tortoises and a full petting zoo. They have 2 highly interactive 30-minute educational programs that will rotate 15 minutes apart each day.
PRESENTATION TIMES:
Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo – 10:15/11:45/1:15/2:45/4:15
Animal Ambassadors – 11:00/12:30/2:00/3:30
GENERAL ADMISSION:
Tickets can only be purchased at the door
$14.50 a person with children 2 and under being free BUT if you -‘SHARE’ their Facebook event, it is only $12.50 a person. Family of 4 is $56 or $48 if you ‘SHARE’.
DATES:
Thursday March 15th 10:00am – 5:00pm
Friday March 16th 10:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday March 17th 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday March 18th 10:00am – 5:00pm
High school students are required to do 40 hours of volunteer work during their four years and spring break is a great time to put in some time.
- Social agencies, church groups and other non-profits are always looking for volunteers.
- Get a head start and look for a summer job. The Central Library offers a teen resume workshop.
- Diversity of Living Things have up to 5 volunteers per day and you get to interact with the animals.
Keeping your kids engaged without breaking the bank or your mental state is difficult but not impossible.
