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I was recently invited to discuss March Break ideas on the local London CBC morning show the topic was last minute ideas for families during the upcoming March Break. There are plenty of activities for elementary and middle school children, we must not forget our teenagers have the same time off. This is a good time for teens to take a break and regroup. Some may be at sports training camps in the south or they may also be on mission trips but some are just hanging around at home. Do we let them sit on their computers and watch YouTube all day or play on their DS? Is it time to find something for them to do to be both productive and have a little bit of fun. There are programs for teens through The City of London as well as other organizations which may be of interest to your teen.
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You can hear the whole interview here.
Go to the Library
Tuesday, March 13 – 2 –3 pm – Central Branch – Teen resume writing workshop (13 – 18 years) Head to the second floor Teen Annex for a quick workshop on how to write a good resume. The first step to finding a summer job. A solid resume is an effective tool for getting noticed by employers. In partnership with Youth Opportunities London.
Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Masonville – DIY Zine-Making with Megan Arnold – Create your own zine with London Artist, Megan Arnold, using collage, stamping, drawing and text-cut-outs. Come with a theme in mind. Light snack will be served.
Wednesday, March 14, 1 – 4 – Central Branch – Comic Book Jam! Cartooning workshops, crafts & activities (button making, comic creations, photo-booth). Feel free to come in costume. In partnership with Heroes Cards and Comics.
Thursday, March 15, 3 – 4 – Bike 101 – Learn the basics of bike repair and maintenance. Light refreshments will be serviced. In partnership with outdoor outfitter MEC.
All week at various branches – Games to Go – The London Public Library now has a Game lending library. Search “Games to go” in the on-line catalogue to locate your favourite board game. The following titles are available to play in the library or to borrow and play with your friends at home! Age of War, Anomia, Bohnanza, Carasconne , Settlers of Catan (Family Edition), Centure Soice Road, Cockroach Poker, Condenames, Concept, Coup [ Dixit, Exploding Kittens, Flash Point, For Sale, Forbidden Island, Ghost Blizt, Hive, Incan Gold, King of Tokyo, Kingdomino, Love Letter, Machi Koro, One Night Werewolf, Pandemic, Patchwork, Splendor, Sushi Go, Ticket to Ride, Timeline/Cardiline Tsuro.
Movies – various locations – 2:30 – 4, 4-6 or 6 – 8 pm – Although some of these may be for the younger crowd, there are some fun choices in different locations. Be sure and call each location to see what they are showing. Most movies are in the afternoon.
Volunteer your Time
Every secondary school student in Ontario must volunteer for a minimum of 40 hours during their four years of high school. March break is a good time to find a volunteer position. Don’t leave it all to the last year of high school to find something that will interest you. This summer London will host the Canada Games and they are looking for Volunteers. This may be a good time to sign up so you can get your choice of volunteer positions and locations. You can find various places to volunteer or check FB posts. I found one for the Glen Carin Community Resource Centre looking for volunteers for March Break. You can go to the Pillar Network website – to find long-term volunteer positions (3 – 6 month minimums). You can also look into the Youth Giving Back Volunteer Fair held at the Central Branch on May 10 from 3 – 4:30 pm. The following organizations will be there:
• Home County Music
• London Children’s Museum
• London Public Library
• Museum of Ontario Archaeology
• Northwest London Resource Centre
• SARI Therapeutic Riding
• South London Neighbourhood
• United Way Elgin Middlesex
Take a Class
I know, I know… why would I want to go back to school when I actually have a week off of school? You don’t have to go to school for the whole week but you could easily take a few courses that you may need for a good summer job. Maybe you want to work as a Wading Pool attendant or a lifeguard. Last year, the City of London was still trying to find enough qualified swimming instructors, lifeguards and wading pool staff at the beginning of the summer season. Get a jump start on those jobs and take a lifesaving or aquatic course:
- Bronze Cross
- National Lifeguard Service
- Instructors
- CPR and First Aid
You may want to consider taking some courses for working in a restaurant or working within the service industry. Once you complete these courses, you can put them on your brand new resume!
- High Five
- Babysitting Course
- Smart Serve (needed to serve alcohol – must be 18+)
- Safe Food Handler
- Learn how to drive this is a great time to take your driver’s ed course in one week.
Have some fun
All work and no play makes your teen grumpy. Make sure to schedule in some fun time. There are great specials that you can take advantage of during during the week. Here are just a few:
- Go to the movies: Both Cineplex and Landmark have a few select movies on for $3.00. Check out your local listing to see what is playing.
- Go bowling, laser tag or play some pool: Palasad (north and south location) have a few different offers but the cheapest is from 10 am to noon.
- Go Sugaring off: Get a car load of your friends and go to any one of four different locations that have a maple syrup festival.
- Go see a game: London Nights and the London Lighting both have home games this week. Watch a bit of hockey or an action packed basketball game – we’re going!
- Go Stargazing: You can go to the Hume Cronyn Observatory at Western University on Monday, March 12 between 8 and 10 pm and have a look through one of the many telescopes set up to see the stars.
- Go to the Museum: There are free guided tours on Sunday March 11 and March 18th from 2 –3 pm at Museum London
- See a play: There are productions of The Wizard of Oz at Original Kids Theatre in Covent Market and Beethoven Lives Upstairs at the McManus Studio at the Grand Theatre.
- Go for a walk around Longwoods Conservation area and Ska-Nah-Doht Village. Its only $4 for a car load!
The best part about March Break is that you can do many things or nothing at all. Be sure and GO OUTSIDE. You can still go skiing and hiking in different conservations areas. Don’t miss out on this week to find a job, get a course under your belt and have fun with your friends. Enjoy your March Break.
🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.
Nice article thanks for sharing this…