THINGS TO DO ON MARCH BREAK
Family-friendly ideas, outside and in
Spring is so close you can almost taste it, like maple syrup and tender greens. If you’ve had a little trouble embracing the winter, March Break is one of your last chances till fall. Here are several things to do outside the house and a few for rainy, snowy, I’m-not-going-anywhere days during the school holiday from March 3 to 11.
GETTING OUT ‘IT WAS THIS BIG!’
You can get the kids to make dinner, but how about going one step farther: Have them catch and clean it first.
Éco-Nature in Laval is offering two ice-fishing sessions for families, on March 5 and 9. Children age 8 to 13 are invited to learn how to catch, clean and prepare fish. Everything is provided, including a fishing licence for youth — participating adults will have to procure their own licences. Reservations are mandatory and can be made at 450-622-1020 or via info@parcmille-iles.qc.ca. Those who already know the ins and outs of ice-fishing can rent a cabin on the river any day to lure several species of fish including bass, pike, musky, walleye, yellow perch. If fishing isn’t your thing, there are dozens of other ways to spend a day at Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Park, which is a wildlife sanctuary. There are 13 kilometres of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and places to skate and toboggan. Discover more at laval.ca.
CHOMPING AT THE BIT?
You’ll gain a whole new perspective on the land from horseback. Even if you’ve never had your boot in a stirrup, the folks at St-Lazare Ranch will make it seem like a cinch to get started and head out on the trail. The ranch caters to all skill levels and all ages over 6. Daytime and sunset rides can be arranged, with packages starting at $25; prices vary depending on trail, time of day and length of ride. 1271 St-Louis Rd., St-Lazare. 514446-4776, montrealhorsebackriding.com
LIVESTOCK AND SYRUP
If you prefer to have your feet on the ground when you’re around livestock, drop into the Ecological Farm at Cap-St-Jacques Park on the shores of Lake of Two Mountains in Pierrefonds. It’s free (parking is $9) and open every day. Their barn shelters a motley crew of cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, rabbits and ponies. While you’re there, find out what’s on tap in the maple grove with a sleigh ride to D -TroisPierres’ cabane à sucre, which features pancakes with maple syrup, homemade soup, a drink and snow taffy. Every weekend till April 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $15 per person. 20099 Gouin Blvd.
PLANESPOTTING
Pack a lunch and eat it while sitting on the bleachers at Jacques de Lesseps Park in Dorval. The charm of this park — named for the pilot of the first flight in Quebec, in 1910 — is that it overlooks runways at Trudeau airport. The park is on Jenkins Ave. at Halpern Ave.
Sometime before your butt goes numb from the cold of the bleachers, get back in the car and head west to the tip of the island for more sky-high adventures at the Montreal Aviation Museum. A historic barn near Macdonald Farm houses planes built between 1909 and 1947 with fabulous names like Blériot XI Scarabée, the Bolingbroke, the Rambler and the Fleet Canuck. There is also an extensive art gallery showcasing the history of aviation in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.
To find the museum, take Exit 41 or 44 from Highway 40 or Exit 39 from Highway 20 and follow the signs, or visit the website for more precise details. Monday, Tuesday, Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. $5$8. cahc-ccpa.com.
THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT
Don’t fight the noise. Just give in to it. But give in to it on your own terms, with a visit to the Emile Berliner Museum of Sound, a little gem tucked away near the Home Depot in St-Henri. The inventor Berliner turned the world on its ear when he patented the gramophone in 1887. By 1900, the Berliner Gramophone Company opened its first store in Montreal, then eventually moved to the lovely old building in which the museum is now housed, at 1001 Lenoir St. The current exhibition runs till March 18, and celebrates industrial design and the “futuristic vibe” of sound systems in the 1960s and ‘70s. Guided tours for families are available. Friday to Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. $3-$5, 514-932-9663, moeb.ca.
UP YOUR GAME
Enough playing around. Get serious at Montreal’s Games Festival, which runs till March 11. There are more than 300 activities taking place across the city and at 45 libraries. Games run the gamut from murder mysteries to board games to video games to role-playing and more under the theme Inclusion. Check your local library to find out what’s happening near you, or montrealjoue.ca for even more, like outdoor games and discounts at various gaming locations.
Do you know how electricity works inside your body? How about the way it affects the Northern Lights? Lightning? OK, that last one is a bit of a no-brainer, but if the others were some what brainers, you might be shocked by how much you can learn at The Électrium. The electricity interpretation centre is running workshops throughout March Break for children 6 and up, including workshops on space rockets, robotics and electrolysis and hydrogen. Admission is free, but since places are limited, reservations are recommended for the workshops, which are in French. There are free guided tours (in French and English) throughout the day. 2001 Michael-Faraday St., Ste-Julie. 800-267-4558, hydroquebec.com/visit/monteregie/electrium.html.
STAYING IN
Clearly, the best thing you can do for your sanity and your children’s pleasure is to give them a roll of bubble wrap and put them in a different room. But once that’s exhausted, here are a few ideas for having fun at home.
Tape paper plates to craft sticks or paper-towel rolls. Then blow up a balloon and sit back and laugh till it hurts watching the kids play balloon tennis. Just move the breakables out of the way first.
Our favourite spring lookahead craft reuses CD cases you haven’t thrown out “just in case.” Cut a piece of absorbent cloth (you can use a rag or buy something green at the dollar store) to fit inside the CD case. Dampen the cloth and place a few seeds — radish works great, but any seed will do — on the cloth and close the case. Use the hole(s) in the back of the case — the back of the centrepiece that holds the CD in place — to lightly water your seeds. Prop it in a window and watch the magic. By the time spring truly arrives, you’ll be able to transplant them into a window box.
Next, get rid of some scraps of art supplies while teaching your children about peaceful protest. Cut up an egg carton, leaving two or three egg holders together, because no one wants to protest alone. Add some googly eyes, big smiles, and feathers or yarn for hair. Paint popsicle sticks bright colours and use pipe cleaners to make hands to hold them up. Use pieces of construction paper to make little signs. Ask your children what they want their protest people to stand for — they can say things like “Love yourself” or “Respect the earth” or “Make friends.” To enjoy community with your crafting, visit the Sherbrooke Forest Art Hive, March 6 and 9, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. 6462 Sherbrooke St. W., Suite 2. ndg. arthive@gmail.com. More info on art hives can be found at arthives.org.
Do you know how electricity works inside your body?