Into spring break

Spring break in the Northwest usually means stormy weather and cold days. But don’t let that keep the kids from getting the most out of it.Camas and Washougal offer several options for kids to be interactive and engaged during their time off from school, without spending several hours in front of the television or computer.

For those parents who don’t have the week off with their kids, there is the option of an all-day or part-day spring break camp through Camas Community Education.

“Not everyone goes on vacations and many parents need childcare,” said Director Mary Weishaar. “And if others are going to be home and just want their kids to have some fun, structured activities, there’s a half-day camp option, too.”

The camps include arts and crafts, baking, interactive games, and outdoor or indoor play.

“We want them to have fun and also to learn how to work as a team, have basic social skills and be polite,” Weishaar said. “We also limit the sedentary time. There is a Wii and PlayStation but we try to keep it interactive with sports games that require movement.”

Washougal Community Education has been offering spring break camps for approximately 20 years.

“We base our camps on a little bit of brainstorming and ideas from community members who want to offer classes,” said Kathy Douglas, community education technician.

Unlike past years, there is not a slew of spring break activities from which to choose.

“This time, we’re keeping it simple and offering a basketball camp,” she said. “During spring break, it seems like many people just want to take some time off from activities.”

In addition to the community education offerings, Camas Parks and Recreation has organized several different camps during spring break at the Camas Community Center. These include an “Adventure Tikes” camp, “Motion & Creation” youth spring break day camp, junior camp counselor training and a golf camp.

“We get a lot of our ideas from what was successful with past camps and what is popular now,” said Kathi Hansen, recreation coordinator. “This year, because of the timing of Easter, we’ll include a lot more of those activities. We can do egg hunts and adventure hunts to find chocolate Easter bunnies, and crafts and decorations.”

“We want something entertaining and fun for the kids while they’re are not in school. It gives them a chance to play.”

In addition to different camps, there are also free movies at the Camas Public Library, and spring break specials at the Liberty Theatre.

See sidebar for additional details on local spring break events.