Follow Your Kids’ Passions for an Educational Spring Break

Spring Break is coming up March 9–13, 2015, for most families in town. Even though there will be no school that week, it will still be learning time in our family. Whether your kids are passionate about STEM, the arts, history, or nature, San Antonio offers lots of choices to keep the learning going. Some of these suggestions are day camps, while others are activities for families to do together.

STEM

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Great careers and a lifetime of discovery await your kids if they are turned on to science and technology. These activities are not just for mad scientists, however—your budding artists will appreciate discovering the rhyme and reason behind the beauty.

The San Antonio Children’s Museum is offering two Spring Break Camps: Explore with Light and Color (for ages 4–6), and Engineering Challenge (for ages 7–10), Monday, March 9–Friday, March 13. These camps will be the last ones offered at the downtown location, which closes March 29, 2015; the new facility, The Do Seum, will open in June 2015.

Parents and children together can enjoy weekly events at the Children’s Museum, like Pint-Sized Science, Tuesdays at 10:00 A.M. and Wednesdays at 2:00 P.M.

The Witte Museum‘s Spring Break Adventure Camp, Kids in the Kitchen!, is about the science of healthy eating. Classes run Monday–Friday in the demonstration kitchen at the H-E-B Body Adventure (learn more). Kids will make delicious recipes while learning about the chemistry and physics behind them.

The Geekbus, a project of SASTEMIC, is hosting Robotics Spring Camp, Wednesday–Saturday, for kids ages 8–14. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at the FIRST South Super-Regional Competition at the Convention Center and develop their own LEGO robotics skills.

The new Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City makes a great family day trip. My kids and I went to the grand opening on February 14, and wrote about it. All ages, from toddlers up to middle school and beyond, can find something to enjoy. The beauty of the exhibits draws you in, and the maker carts inspire you to keep learning at home.

Arts

The Magik Theatre is adding a second location, the Magik Performing Arts Center, near I-10 and De Zavala, and will be offering Spring Break Camp at both locations.

The Magik Theatre will also be presenting The Cat in the Hat at the Empire Theatre, from Tuesday, March 10–Sunday, March 15, with shows at 2:00 P.M. and 6:30 P.M.; buy advance tickets online.

The Rose Theater Co. offers a Spring Break camp, Monday–Friday.

During the second weekend of Spring Break, bring your kids to these performances:

• Ballet in the Park, on Saturday, March 14 at 7:00 P.M., is an opportunity to see a free public performance by Ballet San Antonio at Travis Park.
• Zenshin Daiko will perform Japanese drumming arts at the Witte Museum on Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 P.M.; included with museum admission.
• The Carver Community Cultural Center presents the Delta Showcase of Talent Gospel Fest on Sunday, March 15 at 4:00 P.M.

The McNay Art Museum has Free Spring Break Family Days: Unwrapped on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:00–4:00 P.M. and Thursday from 2:00–6:00 P.M. Families can create with Inspire Fine Art Center and enjoy the new exhibit Rodin to Warhol: 60th Anniversary Gifts and Recent Acquisitions. Read more about enjoying the McNay with your family.

At the San Antonio Museum of Art, March 8 will be the last chance to see Picasso: Nelson Rockefeller’s Picasso Tapestries Commissioned for Kykuit; on Sunday, March 8, from 11:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M., see an expert weaver from the Southwest School of Art demonstrate the techniques used to make the tapestries.

More events at SAMA:

• SAMA is hosting a free family event, Spring Break Fun: Patterns Across Cultures, on Tuesday, March 10 from 1:00–6:00 P.M. There will be projects for kids of all ages that use patterns to integrate math into the arts.
• SAMA’s weekly Playdates, for ages 2–6, continue through Spring Break, with Shape Up on Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 A.M.; be sure to register in advance.
• Art Crawl, gallery tours on every second Thursday for caregivers and babies up to 18 months, continues on Thursday, March 12 at 10:00 A.M.

For your young Monets and Picassos, several art studios in town are offering Spring Break camps:

• Artworks has half-day and full-day camps Monday–Friday for kids ages 5–12. Each day explores a different medium, including drawing, dyeing, and painting.

• Pinot’s Palette offers Little Brushes Spring Break Camp in the mornings on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
• Whimsy Art Studio has kids’ classes during Spring Break; check the calendar for details.
• Painting with a Twist, with locations at Artisan’s Alley, Northwest, and more, has all-ages painting classes for kids and caregivers to do together.
• The Royal Canvas has Spring Break camps Monday–Friday; check the calendar for details.
• Clay Casa has Spring Break classes at its Embassy Oaks and New Braunfels locations; call for details.

History

A great time to visit the Briscoe Western Art Museum with kids is during the Lil Partners Story Time Stampede, every Saturday from 2:00–4:00 P.M., in the Kampmann Library Portal. At any time, check out a Buckaroo Bag for hands-on activities that you can play with in the galleries.

For Texas Frontier Week, the Institute of Texan Cultures is opening up the Back 40—including a log house, barn, schoolhouse, adobe house, and frontier fort—for activities to demonstrate the ways of frontier life. Visit Monday–Friday between 10:00 A.M.–3:00 P.M.

Jewels of the Court: A Journey Through Fiesta’s Coronation, an in-depth exhibit about the history of Fiesta coronation, opens on March 7 at the Witte Museum. My daughter will be clamoring to see the beautiful dresses and crowns.

With the Texas Star Trail walking tour, downtown San Antonio becomes an open-air history museum.

Nature

San Antonio Parks and Recreation offers Spring Break camps at multiple locations; call 210-207-3000 for more information.

The San Antonio Humane Society‘s Camp Humane, for kids ages 9–12, is a week-long opportunity to learn more about animals.

The Cibolo Nature Center and Farm, in Boerne, offers kids’ activities, including Spring Break Camp: Pirates of the Seven Cs, Monday–Wednesday. The Little Explorers program is offered Tuesdays at 10:00 A.M. On Saturday, March 14, at 10:00 A.M., Kids Club at the Farm will feature Fairy Houses, Gnome Homes, Leprechaun Lodges.

Spring Break J-Camp at the Barshop Jewish Community Center includes Tikkun Olam Camp (for grades K–2) and Step Into Spring (for grades 3–6), focusing on repairing the world and celebrating things that are new.

The Bug Adventure‘s Spring Adventure Camp runs Monday–Thursday.

Spring is a wonderful time to visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden, and the place is so big that it never seems to get too crowded. The Rainforest Adventure Maze opens on March 7.

Maggie has great suggestions for local(ish) hikes to enjoy the outdoors.

The San Antonio Zoo gets busy during Spring Break; it helps to get there early. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch also offers animal adventures.

Reading

Check the San Antonio Public Library events calendar for activities at your local branch.

Bexar Bibliotech has Tiny Techolote Stories & Crafts on Tuesdays at 6:00 P.M. and Sundays at 2:00 P.M.

The Twig Book Shop‘s Twiglet story time with Miss Anastasia, every Friday at 10:30 A.M., includes story time, a craft, and a snack.

Play

YMCA of San Antonio offers day camps during Spring Break.

Green Tree Tennis Club has two camps scheduled: All Day Sports Camp and Junior Tennis Camp.

Utopia Play Cafe offers drop-in childcare for kids up to age 8. Kristin has more ideas for indoor play.

Morgan’s Wonderland, a fully-accessible park, will be open Monday–Friday from 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M. during Spring Break; check the events calendar for more details.

The McKenna Children’s Museum in New Braunfels offers imaginative play opportunities for younger kids.

Olympian Fencing Club has a five-day Spring Fencing Camp.

In 2014, Sarah offered ideas for a Spring Break staycation, and Maggie B. wrote a guide for avoiding crowds during Spring Break.[hr]

Have you been to any of these places or events in the past? Or, do you have more ideas to add enrichment to Spring Break? Please leave a comment to share your experience or add an idea.