It’s spring break, and for Winnipeg parents looking to give their little ones some fun that’s also educational, many of the city’s downtown museums feature special programming during the week away from school.
The Manitoba Museum’s Brandi Heyberg told Global Winnipeg that spring break is one of the sprawling facility’s prime times for family visits.
“We have lots of really cool activities happening, and it’s a little bit cold outside, so why not come in out of the cold? We have hands-on activities in all of our galleries, plus a scavenger hunt,” Heyberg said.
“The scavenger hunt is called ‘the Big and Small of the Manitoba Museum’ — it kind of takes you through all of our different galleries, and you’re looking at our largest artifact, which is the (full-sized replica of the 17th Century ship) Nonsuch, down to the tiniest little insects of seeds that you find throughout the galleries.
“You’re learning as you go along.”
A trip to the museum, Heyberg said, could even be spread over multiple days, as little — and grown-up — visitors couldn’t possibly take in its vast collection of galleries and artifacts.
“There is so much information, so many stories here to learn, you could never take it all in in one day. … It’s a really great way to learn about the stories and history of Manitoba.”
In the same Main Street complex lies the Planetarium, which is also featuring special spring break programming, including a brand-new show that opened this week.
“It’s called We Are Guardians,” Planetarium astronomer Scott Young told Global Winnipeg. “It’s all about satellites and how they help the Earth and look at our planet — but it’s done in a really fun, kid-friendly way. The satellites are all cute little characters. … It’s a great show, everybody’s been loving it.”
Spring break also marks the return of a classic show, In My Backyard, which features narration recorded by famed children’s entertainer and Winnipegger Fred Penner.
“He narrates the show, he wrote the songs in the show, and the show will basically have this great Fred Penner vibe to it,” Young said.
“We used to run it a long time ago and it’s been completely reproduced for our new Digistar projection system that we have here in the Planetarium.”
Also playing during the week is Edge of Darkness, a show that focuses on close-up footage of distant celestial bodies, including dwarf planet Pluto and its moons.
Minutes away, over at The Forks, the Manitoba Children’s Museum is also offering seasonal programming.
Program director Meghan Hayward said the facility will host a special guest, a craft, an activity, and story time each day.
“The theme of our spring break programming this year is wellness and physical activity and taking care of our bodies and minds,” Hayward said. “So all of the activities that we have going on throughout the week will be based on that.
“It’s always fun to see the different programs that go on each day. … So even if you have been here before, there will be some new stuff going on too.”