Weekend Family Time
For many busy families, Saturdays and Sundays represent days of rest and relaxation. It’s a time to re-charge energy levels to meet the start of the work and school week. In fact, in many cities, communities and organizations stage special weekend events designed for children and their parents, which encourages families to have some fun together.
In the Greater Toronto Area, for example, the Art Gallery of Ontario offers Family Sundays through to the end of March in the new Weston Family Learning Centre. With events for all ages, the AGO combines the excitement of all the arts in a grand spectacle format in Walker Court the last Sunday of each month, with interactive, innovative family activities to engage and delight all ages throughout the studio and gallery.
Do you want your children to explore art, but in a more hands-on way? Located in front of the AGO, the Art Square Gallery painting workshop is targeted for children from 5-12 years of age. Each Saturday, there’s a new theme and children are shown different art techniques and offered a little bit of art history. Children will be encouraged to develop their critical thinking skills by looking at various art works, discussing the techniques and creating their own works on canvas. Supplies are included in the workshop fee.
Perhaps you and your children prefer more recreational activities. Rock climbing is a popular family pursuit, encouraging physical challenges. At the Boulderz Climbing Centre, a one-of- a-kind centre in Canada, the climbing walls sport a variety of subtle angle changes and challenges. Every weekend families can drop into Boulderz and try their hand (and feet) on the climbing walls. Foam flooring and safety landing pads provide safe landing surfaces, and you can rent harnesses and shoes. Instructors are on hand to belay, answer questions about technique and give basic instruction.
If you’re looking for a ‘green’ activity, you can explore a variety of activities at Evergreen Brickworks, including skating, site tours, art exhibits, electric vehicle demonstrations, and a farmer’s market (Saturdays only). Named by National Geographic as one of the world’s top 10 geotourism destinations, Evergreen Brick Works is a community environmental centre that inspires and equips visitors to live, work and play more sustainably. Evergreen, a national charity, has transformed the former Don Valley Brick Works from a collection of deteriorating heritage buildings into an international showcase for urban sustainability and green design that is open year-round.
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