Banff and the Kananaskis are wonderful places to visit on a beautiful long weekend. However, if you are staying in town this weekend, there are lots of intriguing options to keep the kids occupied.

Calgary Public Library has some great programs for families on Saturday, May 19.

Fish Creek Library is offering an exciting program at 2:00 p.m., Elephone and Telephee: A herd of elephant stories, jokes, songs, and poems are presented with puppets and lots of audience help. This program is presented by WP Puppet Theatre.

Join our Drop-in Storytime at Crowfoot Library at 10:30 a.m. Bring the little ones for a half hour of stories, songs, and fingerplays the whole family can enjoy. Ages 2 to 5 with a parent/caregiver. No registration required.

Don't forget to drop by your local branch on Friday or Saturday for books and movies to entertain the kids. The library will start our summer Sunday closures on May 20 and will be closed on Monday, May 21 for Victoria Day.

Calaway Park Grand Opening is on Saturday, May 19 with all the usual fun rides and tempting treats.

Heritage Park will start opening daily on Saturday, May 19. The park is celebrating Victoria Day on Monday, May 21 with a free pancake breakfast for the first 500 customers. On Monday you can also enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea in the upstairs Tea Room of the Wainwright Hotel (Check in advance for ticket availability.)

Celebrate Mountie Day on Monday May 21^st from 11-4 at Fort Calgary. “You are invited to join Fort Calgary on Victoria Day to commemorate the formation of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) by Sir John A. Macdonald in 1873...”

The Royal Tyrrell Museum begins its spring programs on Saturday, May 19th. Check out their website for times and details. One of our staff members visited with her family recently and was very enthusiastic about the whole experience. She shares her impressions in a blog entry, "Walking with the Dinosaurs".

Curious about the history behind Victoria Day? Place your hold on this new book: Victoria Day by Lynn Peppas.

"Victoria Day is celebrated across Canada on the third Monday of May. It is a federal statutory holiday in honor of the birthday of England's Queen Victoria. It is informally considered the beginning of the summer season in Canada. Readers will learn about the importance of the first sovereign of confederated Canada, as well as Empire Day, celebrated in Britain."

Are you staying in Calgary with the family for Spring Break? There are many opportunities in the city for fun family activities, starting with Calgary Public Library.

Our libraries are always great places to spend a few hours, browsing for books, CDs, and DVDs. As well, many of our branches are offering special programs during the week, starting on March 23rd.

PD Day Movie at Central in the John Dutton Theatre.

Come watch a feature film on your day off! Call branch for movie title.

Kids - with a parent/caregiver, 1:30 - 3:30 on Friday, March 23rd. No registration required.

Chess in the Library at Forest Lawn Library

Join members of the Calgary Chess Club and Calgary Junior Chess Club for the opportunity to play chess, supported by coaching. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

Kids & Teens - Ages 6 to 20, Sunday March 25^th, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Registration Not Required

Spring Break Movies at Signal Hill Library

Join us on your school break for a selection of short, funny films from the Library's collection.
Ages 5 to 12, Tuesday, Mar 27, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. No registration required

ESL Teen Talk at Fish Creek, Nose Hill & Saddletown Library

ESL teens and tweens can practice English language skills and enjoy a variety of fun activities at the Library.

Ages 10 to 14, Monday, Mar 26, Tuesday, Mar 27, Wednesday, Mar 28, Thursday, Mar 29, Friday, Mar 30, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Gaming For all ages at Nose Hill Library

Bring your friends and enjoy video games with the Nintendo Wii, such as Beatles Rock Band, Wii Sports, and selected Mario games. Wednesday March 28^th, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Kids & Teens - Ages 7 and up Registration not required

LEGO Club at Fish Creek & Shawnessy Library

Join us to build, create, and explore! Legos provided.

Kids & Teens, Registration not required

Create Fantastic Creatures! at Alexander Calhoun

Create creatures a la Parrototter or Rhinostrich inspired by "Mixed Beasts" by Wallace Edwards, learn pencil crayon shading, and read, write, and share rhymes. Presented by Pinkmittens2.

Kids - Ages 9 to 12, Saturday, Mar 31, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Other Venues

Heritage Park's Gasoline Alley Museum is offering Spring Rally in the Alley from March 23 - April 1, 9:30am-4:00pm.

The Calgary Zoo offers daily programs and special programs and has to be a great place to be with all this great spring weather. What a great chance to see the new penguin exhibit. (Of course, it is snowing as I write this! Spring in Calgary!?!)

Spring is an excellent time of year to visit the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. My bird-watching friends tell me that you have a better opportunity to see the birds before the leaves are on the trees.

Star Night - And speaking of viewing, why not take advantage of a great opportunity to view the stars. Clear or cloudy skies, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and Fish Creek Provincial Park are offering viewing of the night sky with telescopes, astronomy presentations, interactive games and displays. Everyone welcome, no charge!

Telus Spark, the new science centre, is offering special programs for spring break.

Fort Calgary is open every day through the spring break, offering a chance to see where Calgary first started at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers.

Mom, Tot and Kids' Show website describes itself as a fun and interactive tradeshow for Alberta Families. More than 100 exhibitors will be present showcasing the latest in technology, apparel, furniture, products and toys. they invite you to come and play with your kids, be entertained, explore and just have fun!

The kids will be off for 5 fun-filled days during Teachers' Convention and Family Day Weekend. What do you do with them in the middle of February?

Calgary Public Library is always a great place to take the kids to spend a few hours, looking for great books and movies. What is better than time spent browsing through the children's collection? For information on locations and hours, visit our webpage.

Movie Night at Crowfoot Library - Thursday, February16th at 6:30, a new release, with a very popular action star.

On Friday, February 17^th from 2:00 - 3:30 pm, Southwood Library will be offering Flipbook Animation for Kids, between the ages of 8 to 12. Kids can make their own cartoons by learning simple animation through creating flipbooks.

On Sunday, February 18th from 12:00 - 1:00 pm, Shawnessy Library will be offering LEGO Club – Create, and explore! Legos provided. No registration required

City of Calgary – Recreation

Family Golf Celebration - The City of Calgary Golf Courses, National Golf Academy and Boston Pizza invite you to join them for free indoor golf activities, pizza, giveaways and more alongside award winning CPGA golf professionals at the NGA Dome.
Free, all ages, drop-in, Saturday Feb 18, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Free Public swim and free Public skate on Family Day at select locations

Canmore Nordic Centre

Enjoy the best of winter with your family at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Along with 60km of groomed cross country ski trail, (trail fees in effect), enjoy free ice skating, tobogganing and a ski obstacle course. Free hot chocolate and music for will be offered at the Family Snow Zone, (toboggan hill).

Family Day Weekend at Heritage Park

Take part in a fun-filled family quest! Work together as a family or group to complete five hands-on challenges as you explore Gasoline Alley Museum. Answer the five key questions with each challenge and discover funny, memorable stories that make your family unique. Bring your camera for some fun photos!

TD Winterfest Free Family Day Fun 2012

TD Winterfest is back.
Bring the whole Family down to the Olympic Plaza. There is a lot to do for all!

• Live Music.
• Live Ice-Sculpting.
• Snowman and Ice Castle Building.
• Ice Café.
• Enter our RESP contest for your chance to win one of three $250 cash prizes.
• Meet, skate with and have your photo taken with Calgary Hockey Greats Jamie Macoun and Colin Patterson.
• Bring your skates and bundle up!

Royal Tyrrell Museum

Join them February 18 - 20 for some family fun as they celebrate Family Day Weekend with programs, activities, and more!

FREE Admission on Family Day - Monday, February 20, 2012!

So-o-o, you have the kids home for the next two weeks and are looking for some activities that will keep them away from the TV and computer. There is so much to see and do, your problem will be making a choice.

Calgary Public Library has free programs during the break. The library is offering everything from holiday music and storytimes to video games and giant chess. Check out our Programs page to see what is offered near you! And don't forget to stock up on all the wonderful books and movies available through the library.

Heritage Park has closed their main gates for the winter but just outside the gates you will find the Haskayne Mercantile Store, Railway Cafe and Gasoline Alley Museum open year round. If you have a car crazy kid, you will want to visit Gasoline Alley. It is a hands-on, interactive museum with vintage automobiles and a storytime every Tuesday morning at 10:30. They are celebrating the holiday with Winter CARnival from December 27 - January 8.

For the military buffs in the family, visit the Military Museums of Calgary. And for your child who is fascinated by airplanes, there is the Aerospace Museum and Spaceport.

The Calgary Zoo is offering their fantastic Zoo Lights display until January 7th, excluding Christmas Day. There is a storytime on Thursday, January 5th from 11:00 - 11:30. And, of course, you can come to see the animals every day from 9:00 - 5:00, except for Christmas Day.

Fort Calgary, with its lively interpretive centre is open over the holiday season from 9:00 - 5:00, except for January 1, December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1.

Telus Spark, the new Science Centre, offers many interactive activities, including the Creative Kids Museum. Be sure to check the special holiday hours.

And don't forget the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum at Canada Olympic park and the Glenbow Museum with its marvellous exhibits of Canadian Western heritage.

The City of Calgary offers a listing of outdoor cross-country skiing, skating rinks and tobogganing hills, which may or may not have snow if this lovely warm weather continues. Perhaps it will be hiking rather than skiing.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum is always a great day trip. Find out more by checking our recent blog, Walking with the Dinosaurs. Don't forget to check for the holiday hours.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump also makes for a great day trip.

You can always look to the mountains if there is no snow in Calgary. Find out all the great activities through the Banff-Lake Louise site.

You can find coupons for some of the above attractions at www.calgaryattractions.com. (Most of them expire by the end of 2011)

Happy Holidays!!

If you're staying in the city this weekend, here are some places to go and things to see.

A day at the Calgary Zoo is always fun and time well-spent. If you're looking for a little something more, try Bathtime with the Elephants on Saturday, September 3rd from 10:45 - 12:30. Buy tickets in advance.

There is always lots to see and do at Heritage Park. Special events on Labour Day are Afternoon Tea at the Wainwright Hotel (buy tickets in advance) and Strathcona Mounted Troop at 2:00 pm.

Fort Calgary is open all weekend from 9:00 - 5:00. They are currently featuring an exhibit of canoes from the Canadian Canoe Museum, which is included in the general admission.

Looking for something free?

Don't forget your local library. We will be closed Sunday and Monday of the long weekend so be sure to drop in on Saturday to pick up books, music and DVDs. Crowfoot Library has a drop-in storytime from 10:00 - 11:00, Saturday, September 3rd for ages 2 - 5 with a parent/caregiver. No registration required.

The forecast for the weekend is looking great so why not check out the many City of Calgary parks and pathways.

The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is always fun and educational. The park is open every day from sunrise to sunset and the Nature Centre is open 10:00 - 4:00, but closed on the statutory holiday.

Looking for something outside the city?

Check out the Okotoks Pro Rodeo from September 2-4, the Okotoks Chile Cook-off on September 4 and Olde Town Okotoks Country Fair on September 5. There is also the Canmore Highland Games on September 4th or the Cochrane Labour Day Parade on September 5th.