March Break can either be a welcome time for a vacation with your family or a week or two filled with the classic cry of ‘I’m bored, what do we do now?” For those of you who have chosen the ‘staycation’ route, Leaside Life has compiled a guide to some of the camps for kids and happenings right here in Leaside for you to participate in over the break.
CAMPS FOR KIDS
Pawsitively Pets
Specializing in all things animals and kids, Pawsitively Pet’s camp is a great choice if your child, aged 4-14, is an animal lover. Kids are taught about animal care in two available sessions for a full week, half week or two-day camp. Session A runs March 13-17; Session B March 20-24. For more information, visit www.pawsitivelypetskidscamp.com/leaside
Toronto Hapkido Academy
March Break camp at the Toronto Hapkido Academy provides martial arts training, team building and fun-filled field trips in a safe and caring environment right on Bayview Ave. Camps for kids aged 5-12 run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with early drop-off and late pickup available. www.torontohapkido.com.
After-Four
After-Four on Moore Ave. at Bayview specializes in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) programs and camps for kids aged 7-13 year olds. Full-day or half-day camps include Lego Mindstorms Robotics, Stop Motion Animation, Music Production and Video Game Design. www.after-4.com
Toronto Circus Centre
Brand new to Leaside is the Toronto Circus Centre. If you’ve ever wanted to send the kids away to the circus, this is your chance. 4 ½-13 year olds will learn the art of trapeze, hoop, rope and silks in addition to juggling and clowning. Parents will be invited to a show at the end of the week. Operating out of Leaside United Church, the camp is run by Jen Georgopoulos, a professional gymnast with 15 years’ experience in the circus industry. Full-day camp with early drop-off and late pickup available.
Leaside Volleyball
Representing Leaside but not located in Leaside, the Leaside Volleyball camp is for kids 8-12 years old who are interested in polishing up their volleyball skills for clubs or school teams. All skill levels are welcome for their half-day Skill Development Camp. High performance clinics are also available for U12-U15 Club Level athletes. Camps run out of Bishop Strachan School.
Hockey Extreme
Looking for a hockey camp in the area? Hockey Extreme is running full- and half-day camps for skaters and goalies out of Leaside Arena. They also offer a “learn to play” for 5-10 year olds. Hockey camps tend to fill up fast; find more information at www.hockeyextreme.com
Gym Kats
Gym Kats gymnasium on Bayview Ave. offers full- and half-day camps for 4-10 year olds. Camps focus on fun and engaging physical activity, learning and practising gymnastic skills, developing new friendships while working on social skills and creating crafts. www.gymkats.ca.
FAMILY FUN
Ontario Science Centre
Located just outside Leaside and a quick bus ride away is the Ontario Science Centre. Explore their newest installation – Canada 150: Discovery Way – celebrating Canadian inventions and innovation. Or take in a movie at the IMAX theatre. Current movies showing include “Under the Sea,” “A Beautiful Planet” and “Dream Big,” which explore some of the world’s greatest engineering marvels. www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
Leaside Public Library
Our local public library has great kids’ and family programming over the March Break, including “The Jim Parker Children’s Show,” a family concert with audience participation on Monday, March 13th, at 2 p.m. This show is suitable for kids of all ages. Tickets are free and available 30 minutes before the show. On Thursday, March 16th, it’s Family Movie Matinée featuring Walt Disney’s Tarzan 2-3:30 p.m. This is a drop-in event with no registration required. Check the Toronto Public Library website at www.torontopubliclibrary.ca and search Leaside Branch for a full list of events.
Bayview International Culinary Tour
Are your kids budding foodies? Why not try lunch or dinner every day with an international twist. Japanese at Fukui Sushi, Italian at Verdi, Thai at Satay on the Road, Indian at Indian Street Food and Swiss at Val D’Isere. You can even try cooking some of the international dishes with your kids at home.
