Winter was joking for a little while there in the early new year, but now, Halifax is assuredly a frozen wonderland. Get some Sackville Snow Days in while you can, send those young naturalists tracking, find your family’s favourite slope to sled, or if the indoors is preferred and the kid has a passion for programming, do read this Wrap-Up to its end…
1. The community of Sackville is getting together to Celebrate the Snow Days! Among an avalanche of activities, breakfasts, and parties, there’s a free-to-enter scavenger hunt going on throughout the weekend, clues will be available on their website and at the Sackville Public Library on Friday morning at 10. The Days really kick off with a Free Family Costume Party on Friday at 6:30 at the Sackville Legion and Winter Play Day is in full frolic Saturday from 1-4 at Acadia Park. There’s a Free Skate at Sackville Arena on Sunday at 3 and a Snow Days Parade on Monday beginning at the Legion at 2.
2. The Young Naturalists Club is taking a Winter Tracking Hike on Sunday from 1-3! The particular path the Nature Guardians will blaze is on a need to know basis, but will no doubt be a beautiful one, so get in touch with Robin at yncns@yncns.ca if your 10-14 year olds want to go hiking and learn how to track. Parental accompaniment is not required, The Nature Guardians Programtakes tweens somewhere into the wild every month and new participants are always welcome!
3. Fancy yourselves some sledding in HRM and want to try something new? Or it’s your first time since your teens when you rode down the Mother Hill at MSVU but now you have a 3 year old and that slippery slope is out of the question?
Gorsebrook School, on the corner of Robie and Inglis, comes highest recommended for a family sled. It’s not totally insane and vertical, suitable for a variety of braveries, and close to the hospital if said bravery gets one into trouble. The downside is that this hill is often crowded and you should go after hours because it’s on school property. That being said, there’s plenty of parking.
Edging into the territory of more insane is “the Pit” or Merv Sullivan Park as it is formally known. You’ll find the park in Halifax’s North End at the corner of Leeds and Novalea and you must bring a helmet for this hill, folks, it’s a wild ride!
The obvious answer is Citadel Hill; and yes, parts of it seem too dicey to take young kids to; however, the area above the Garrison Grounds has a lot of coasting space with no worry of running into traffic or fences. Be warry of the Citadel High side and watch out for rocks and roots!
For smaller kids, keep snow-covered golf courses in mind! The Ashburn Golf Course in the West End on Joseph Howe Drive and Mumford Road is family friendly, safe and small, and not so crowded. The Links at Brunello offer sledding as well as a wide variety of other winter activities. They’re in Timberlea on Brunello Boulevard.
As for Dartmouth… the Dartmouth Common, close to the Bridge Terminal, is your best bet for downhill delights! Start by the gazebo, take in a beautiful view of the harbour, and let ‘er rip!
4. Find out about this year’s Learning Unleashed Challenge at the Maritime Museum! Kids ages 9 and up, together with NSCC faculty, get to assemble, program, and test the active movement of a small LEGO robot. Parental accompaniment is recommended, but pre-registration is not required and all materials are provided for this event, so all you have to do is show up and pay the admission of $3.10 per kid on Saturday from 2-4. Oh, the kid is younger, yet you still see her or him as a future computer programmer? Send them to a no-experience-required Hour of Code at the Halifax Central Library. This all-ages, hands-on, Anna and Elsa-themed workshop is on Saturday at 2.