Spring break starts next week and if you haven't yet made plans for your little ones, here are a few good options for the two weeks ahead.
The Coquitlam Public Library invites kids aged six and up to puppet-making workshops at each of its branches.
Library experts will teach youngsters how to make a stick puppet, paper bag puppet and a finger puppet.
Workshops are at the Poirier branch (575 Poirier St.) March 13 from 10:30 a.m. to noon and at City Centre (3001 Burlington Dr.) March 15 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Space is limited so call to reserve a spot: Poirier 604-937-4142 or City Centre 604-927-3561 ext. 4.
And on March 21, head to the City Centre branch for an afternoon of board games like Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders and more, for kids five and up, from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
If the students in your house are looking for an arts kick, Place des Arts offers one-week Art Intensives for Grades 6 to 8 running throughout the break: Cartooning participants will learn to storyboard and create comics, and runs March 12 to 16, 9 a.m. to noon; Art Blender is a chance for fine artists to try a variety of media, March 12 to 16 from 12:35 to 3:35 p.m.; and in Pottery Camp, students will learn the basics of pottery March 19 to 23 from 12:35 to 3:35 p.m.
There's also a chance to delve deep into the mind of Shakespeare in a Macbeth Made Fun workshop, from March 12 to 25. Taught by the critically acclaimed Kevin Bennett, the program promises to get middle school-aged kids actually having a blast with the Bard by using theatre games as inspiration.
Bennett studied at Langara's Studio 58 and went on to further work at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
When directing Shakespeare for younger actors, Bennett's goal is to make kids realize it's not boring or hard. "Once you get through a few techniques, [Shakespeare] is quite simple," he said in a release. "This workshop will use an abridged, more modern script that kids can understand."
Macbeth Made Fun runs 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register for any Place des Arts spring break program at 604-664-1636 or www.placedesarts.ca.
Into improv? Second Storey Theatre is the place to be; the Port Coquitlam troupe is offering two one-week improv camps, with comedy improv geared for kids aged nine to 12 from March 12 to 16 ($215) and a musical improv camp for kids 11 to 15 from March 19 to 23 ($235). Both run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and end with a student show on the last day of class.
The camps are taught by comedy improviser and singer Jennifer Pielak and award-winning composer Peter Abando. Visit www.secondstoreytheatre.com for info.
PoCo's Leigh Square Community Arts Village offers two week-long camps, Girls Rule! and 101 Dalmations. Register by calling 604-927-8400 or emailing arts@portcoquitlam.ca.
The Evergreen Cultural Centre still has space in its Kids on Stage day camp running March 19 to 23, as well as the Maritime Marionettes from March 20 to 25. Camps scheduled for March 12 to 16 have been cancelled.
