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Summer alternatives for kids

Times have changed and so have what keeps kids busy and amused in the summer. Cindy Filipenko checks out what's up for kids here and in the city.
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"In the interest of family sanity, here are some suggestions for day camps, summer programs, residential camps and easy family getaways that won’t break the bank." Photo by Maureen Provencal

"I’m bored…" Those two words, particularly when uttered in a slightly nasal whine, have a direct line to parental spinal cords. This is probably because for most adults the thought of having absolutely nothing to do is actually a cause for celebration. However, the folks that tend to sputter out this accusatory declaration are children – children who will shortly be free of the structure and demands of school for a couple of months.

Are you shivering yet? Or are you merely envying your divorced friends who manage to ameliorate the situation by shipping their offspring to the other parent over the summer? Well, before your blood runs any colder or you serve your spouse with papers – remember, there have always been summer holidays; our parents survived them and so did we.

Of course, for many of us now in the position of scheduling a summer’s full of activities for our kids, our summers were loosely supervised by a consortium of stay-at-home neighbourhood moms.

In the early ’70s Richmond neighbourhood of my youth, there were really only two programs. The first was a parks and rec program called Summer Fun. Small portable buildings full of playground equipment and craft supplies were dropped into elementary school playgrounds. A couple of college recreation students were put in charge and voila, a free summer program for suburban kids! The problem was, Summer Fun was a bit of a misnomer. At least half the time "summer" was a rainy mess and making macaroni-paper plate art around a wet picnic table was hardly "fun".

The other program was less formal, yet had achieved a high level of compliance among the River Road Maternal Consortium. An adhoc program, it consisted primarily of a harried and exhausted female parent looking up with a pre-murderous expression and yelling: "Get the hell outside!" Sometimes a phrase such as "…before I lose my mind" was added to the call to this particular action.

Get the Hell Outside! (trademark pending) was an effective and easily implemented program with almost 100 per cent adherence in the neighbourhood. Ah the halcyon days of avocado appliances and shag rug rakes….

Kids today are different than we were. Whether they are living in families with both parents working or in single-parent families, daycare has become just another aspect of childhood. From an early age kids are being exposed to increased peer socialization and a day of structured activities. Remove these vital elements from a routine established long before school age and things can get a little hairy. And nobody wants that, I mean, somebody could end up losing his or her mind. So, in the interest of family sanity, here are some suggestions for day camps, summer programs, residential camps and easy family getaways that won’t break the bank.

DAY CAMPS

Number 2, who will be turning seven in September, is already a veteran of day camps. A former daycare kid, he finds the social opportunities very appealing.

Last year was the first year he attended Camp Cayoosh. Operated through the Pemberton Community Centre, the camp combines fun/education outings with a physical activity every day.

A typical week can include disco bowling, climbing at the Great Wall, tennis, lake swimming, picnics and a trip to the water park. The cost is $37/day.

The official age range for participants is six to 12, but the key market is six- to nine-year-olds, although, community centre coordinator Linda Brown points out that older kids also find the experience rewarding.

"The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, so it provides a great opportunity for working parents," says Brown.

Another program that Pemberton Community Centre is offering is Explorations Camp. At $90 a week, it’s a steal of a deal. Again, the age range is six to 12, but instead of focusing on day trips, activities are restricted to within the facility, with kids taking part in arts and crafts and sports. This program runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Complete descriptions of the programs are available at the community centre. While the community centre does not have its own website, Brown is offering her personal e-mail address to take registrations on-line (see below at Contacts).

Whistler, through Parks and Rec, offer a variety of summer programs featured in the Spring/Summer Program Guide. Some programs are two-hours in duration, while others offer a full day of activities. Read carefully before registering!

Paralleling the Camp Cayoosh experience is Camp Summer Sensations and Camp Summer Sensations Breakout. The difference between the two 8:30-5:30 camps is that Breakout demands a higher level of skill for biking, swimming and water activities. Recreation staff can answer any questions you may have concerning level of ability required for this program. Both Camps run for the duration of the summer.

Other programs, which vary in daily length, include Outrageous Art Camp, Junior Golf Camp, Kayak Kamp (three levels are offered), Baseball Camp, Brad Higgs Soccer School, Wakeboarding, Wakeskating Camp and Lifesaving Trio Camp. The program guide lists applicable prerequisites for the various camps that range from $75 for the three session art camp to a high of $375 for the advanced kayak camp, which has 12- to 15-year-olds paddling down the Cheakamus River with a new set of skills picked up on Green Lake.

RESIDENTIAL CAMPS

For kids eight and older, overnight camps can be the thing. Camp Summit administrator Sharon Fields, says that despite being down the street from Whistler and Pemberton, the renowned Squamish camp offers local kids some unique opportunities.

"We hear from local parents, ‘Why would I want to send my kid there to do things we already do together?’ Well, I think learning to mountain bike and other things with their peer group is entirely different," says Fields.

Summit, which focuses on adventure sports such as rock-climbing, rafting and mountain biking, takes full advantage of the community’s recreational amenities. As well, traditional camp activities such as crafts, campfire sing-alongs and field games are also incorporated into the popular one- and two-week programs.

"The two-week program is already sold-out," says Fields.

The camp's reputation, combined with the fact that many of the campers come from international destinations, is the reason for this early sellout. There are still some spaces available for the one-week camp, a program Fields recommends for first time campers.

"We don’t have the same kind of camp culture as they do in Eastern Canada," explains Field. "And for a lot of kids, and their parents, the one-week option works well.

"For first time campers its an excellent program. Taking risks with their peers rather than taking risks with their parents is a completely different experience."

At $640 plus GST, the camp is mid-range when it comes to the various options available in B.C. The main difference between the one-week camp and the two-week camp is that the latter features more advanced activities, including a three-day wilderness camp out.

The ratio of campers to staff is 8:2, with one of the two being a senior leadership camper. Summit’s activities are primarily aimed at kids 8 to 13 years old. Two leadership courses are offered for older campers aged 14 to 17.

New this year to Camp Summit is an intensive four-day mountain biking camp. Also priced at $640, this camp teaches bike maintenance as well as trail riding techniques.

While Camp Summit is very much an adventure camp, there are alternatives for kids for whom the great outdoors is not their idea of fun. While programs such as Stagecraft offer weeklong day camps in the Sea to Sky area, there are some excellent options for residential programs. This year, Number 1, who at 14 is showing signs of musical prowess we may be able to leverage in our golden years ("Gee, Number One, Elvis bought his mom a house!"), is going to Eaglearts. Located over on Vancouver Island at Shawnigan Lake, the two-week camp offers a variety of arts programs, from video production to dance, theatre and music. Additionally, campers will take part in outdoor recreation that takes advantage of the lake setting.

Depending on what program you enroll in, the fees range from $975 to $1,175. If you think of it as a vacation for both you and your teen, it’s a bargain. And unlike other camps mentioned, Eaglearts focuses on kids 13 to 19.

B.C. offers a variety of residential camps offering everything from short film production to wilderness survival. Check the websites listed at the end of this article for more information.

FAMILY GETAWAYS

Another avenue to explore for summer fun is the family getaway.

The difference between a vacation and a getaway comes down to ease and duration. And when traveling with kids, these two factors are paramount to ensuring a successful experience.

Living in the Sea to Sky corridor, many of us use Vancouver as a major service centre. A lot of kids growing up here would be able to give fairly reasonable directions to Park Royal, but would have no idea that the Vancouver Aquarium is in the middle of North America’s largest urban park. (Stanley Park exceeds the size of New York’s Central park by almost 100 acres.)

I realized earlier this year that our kids equated a trip to Vancouver with sitting around having to be extra well-behaved while visiting infrequently seen relatives or patiently waiting while one mom or the other shopped for something not available at home.

When I was a kid, living in the aforementioned below sea-level community of Richmond, every Sunday my parents would take us on a Magical Mystery Tour. More often than not, we would end up at a museum or an attraction in the city – and I remember the feeling of anticipation I had as we cruised over the Oak Street Bridge in my dad’s ’69 T-Bird. Would it be the Capilano Fish Hatchery? The Maritime Museum? The Miniature Railroad and Petting Zoo?

These weekly trips showed us what an interesting place the city could be. However, with a round-trip drive time of slightly more than five hours, our kids have missed out on many of these things. The answer was simple: Vancouver Get-a-way!

Because of our location and my Spousal Equivalent's line of work, our kids have stayed in a surprising number of hotels. The experience has taught me the difference between a good and a bad hotel. A good hotel doesn’t hate kids, has rooms with enough space that the family unit isn’t tripping over each other, has easy access to public transportation and a good swimming pool.

The best hotel we have found in Vancouver that meets these needs is the Pacific Palisades. Part of the groovy Kimpton hotel chain, the Palisades was built in the ’60s as a swinging singles complex with a hotel tower and three residential towers. In the centre of the complex is a glass enclosed swimming pool (the largest of any hotel in Vancouver) and workout centre. This pool totally rocks the house.

However, a pool does not make a hotel. What makes this hotel truly excellent are the accommodations. Since it was developed primarily as a residence, the rooms are large bachelor or one-bedroom suites with kitchenette facilities. For those who loathe the idea of trundling off to breakfast with starving kids before a first cup of coffee, these units are ideal. Decorated in funky Palm Beach colours accented with nice touches, like wooden shutters, the feel is hip ’60s. And keeping with Kimpton’s commitment to creating fun and unique environments, they offer such neat things as yo-yos and paddleballs in the mini bar.

The one-bedroom unit is ideal for a family: the kids get a surprisingly comfy sofa bed while the parents can hide-a-way in the bedroom and fool themselves into thinking they’re on a romantic get-a-way – at least until a squabble over the remote breaks out in the living room.

The other nice thing about the Palisades is the location. At Jervis off Robson, it’s one of the most central locations in town. Bus transportation is a hundred feet from the lobby and cabs are always waiting in the hotel roundabout. I mention this because taking city driving out of the equation can make for a far more enjoyable experience. And really, that’s what this is all about, the family enjoying the city together.

Vancouver, like most cities, is an expensive place to recreate. So, what are the choices? You can cheap out and pick one attraction a day and supplement it with a faux activity like "urban hiking" or you can purchase some See Vancouver & Beyond Smartvisit Cards. An all-inclusive attraction pass, the Vancouver & Beyond cards offer free admission to more than 50 attractions in Vancouver, Victoria and surrounding area. Included with the card is a free guidebook highlighting all the attractions offered, as well as useful maps and transport tips. Available in two, three or five-day durations for both adult and kids, starting at $99 and $55 respectively.

According to Smartvisit’s head of marketing, Arabella Narne, the company has been surprised at the level of interest that cards have generated among B.C. residents.

"We have found in other markets that its usually international visitors using the cards," says Narne. "But we’ve had very strong take up in B.C."

The number one attraction for B.C. residents? IMAX. But for the past month, the number one ticket has been horse drawn carriage rides through Stanley Park.

"When residents think of doing something, they generally have that thing in mind. It’s like: ‘I know Science World, we’ve been there, let’s go again.’ The guidebook opens up ideas on other possibilities. And because you’ve already paid for it, it removes the risk if you don’t like an attraction," she explains.

When Number One, Number Two and I used our cards, we managed – easily – to take in seven attractions in two days. Primarily using public transit, we zipped from venue to venue in stress-free urban style.

Day one we took in the Vancouver Aquarium (The second most popular attraction according to Narne.), The Space Centre, a laser show at the HR MacMillan Space Centre and a 3D flick at IMAX. In there were also three meals and a swim back at the hotel.

Day two saw a trip down into the bowels of Gastown to relive B.C.’s history at Storyeum, a couple of hours of Spring Break madness at Science Centre and equal time at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Had we paid for each admission separately the bill for our whirlwind cultural and entertainment extravaganza would have come to $228.75, so our savings were around 10 per cent. However, had we had time to use the three-day cards, our savings would have been more in the area of 35 per cent based on the three to four attraction per day schedule.

While the savings were not astronomical, it did replace that grim feeling that sometimes accompanies family outings that translates to: "Hey, we’re bleeding money and nobody is having as good a time as they should." The other neat thing is that with the attraction booklet and website we were able to decide and plan our outings as a group. This ensured that everyone’s interests were represented and therefore, expectations were easy to control. Highly civilized. Highly recommended.

If you’re up to jumping on a ferry, the cards offer impressive savings for a variety of Victoria attractions as well. A truly adventurous sort could grab a fistful of the five-day cards and do a Vancouver/Victoria combo get-away. The real deal on the Victoria side of things is a whale watching tour that the card makes available with a $35 surcharge.

The cards can be ordered online at www.smartvisit.com or through the visitor information kiosk at Pacific Centre Mall.

As we enter the last month countdown to summer vacation remember: our parents coped, so can we. And when in doubt remember that no-cost fun summer activity everyone can participate in: Get the Hell Outside!

CONTACTS

Pemberton Community Centre

Email: Lbrown@ mycoast.net

Phone: 604-894-2340

Meadow Park Recreation

Website: www.whistlerisrecreation.com/

Stagecraft

Website: www.stagecraft.ca

Camp Summit

Website: www.campsummit.ca

Eaglearts Camp

Website: www.eaglearts.ca

For more about Camps in B.C.

www.camppage.com

Pacific Palisades Hotel

Website:www.pacificpalisadeshotel.com

Vancouver & Beyond Smartvisit Cards

Website:



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