Parks News - PRM We Create Jan 2012
We Create Community
January 2012 • Volume 2 Issue 1
Winter Break Fun at Parks, Recreation and Marine
During the two-week winter school break, kids and teens had lots of choices for fun at their local park. Winter Fun Days From December 27-30 and January 3-6, Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine offered “Winter Fun Day” programs at 24 parks and at Long Beach Unified School District campuses including nine WRAP (Winners Reaching Amazing Potential) and seven ROC (Recreation on Campus) sites. All locations were open for six hours each day. The free non-custodial, drop in program for youth 5 to 14 years of age was full of fun for all participants. Throughout each week, craft projects included making friendship bracelets, calendars and scrapbooks. New Year’s themed projects such as 2012 eye glasses, party poppers, streamers, hats, noisemakers and confetti eggs ensured that New Year’s Eve would be a special event for all. Kids had plenty of opportunities to play outdoors. Freeze tag, kickball, softball, tetherball, basketball, tugo-war, dodge ball and relay races, sack races and double-dutch jump rope contests were just some of the active fun that was offered. Board games, charades, karaoke, musical chairs, scavenger hunts, trivia contests, cooking classes, year-end parties and trips to movie theaters and ice skating rinks added to the fun and ensured that there was never a dull moment for youth looking for something to do over the winter break. Teen Centers The four Department Teen Centers at Chavez Park, Houghton Park, McBride Park and Silverado Park were also open throughout the two weeks to provide a safe, productive and fun environment for teens ages 13-18. The teens enjoyed crafts, sports, games and field trips. El Dorado Nature Center Winter Break Workshops El Dorado Nature Center staff designed two-hour workshops centered around a different science theme each day. Parents could register their K-1st grade children for morning Park Naturalist Chris Rougier, sessions and 2nd-4th Michelle Vieville and Erika Treller with pine cone. graders for afternoon sessions. Kids explored wildlife including birds traveling the flyway highway, animal tracks, and fungus, bacteria and insects. They made crafts from pinecones, seeds, and other found items on the trail with textures, colors and patterns. Inspired by the “music” of animals, they also built instruments. Other workshops taught youngsters how to use nature’s “GPS” system and find their way by recognizing landmarks, tracking the sky and using a compass. In the “Survivor Kid” session, survivor skills like finding shelter and building a fire were taught.
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