March Break on the South Shore
Need a little help with what to do over the March Break? Our good pal Darcy Rhyno has gathered some great ideas to get your gang on the go and having fun right here on the South Shore.
FROM BEACHES TO BONFIRES
If there was ever a year for a spring break staycation, this is it. Nova Scotia’s public school spring break runs from March 13 to 21. Luckily, the South Shore has great ideas, offers and opportunities that will make this spring break a fun and memorable one for toddlers, teens and every age in between.
Bunnies and Bonfires
At White Point Beach Resort, spring break is a tradition, and this year is no different. Check out their ten-day calendar of activities that caters to everyone in the family. For starters, there’s a pool. Full stop. Nothing more required. But White Point always goes the extra mile… or ten.
Each morning, everyone gets to prepare for a busy day with some yoga overlooking the ocean. From there, the young ones can head to the Kid’s Zone for games, movies and art programs. They can jump into some craft-making or challenge each other to games of foosball, pool and ping pong that will keep them moving. For quieter downtime, there’s a games library where kids can sign out what they like and return when they please.
For a truly unique treasure hunt when the weather is suitable, walk the sculpture trail in search of the resort’s 14 works of art. While outside, everyone loves to hang out with the famous White Point bunnies that browse and hop about the grounds.
Evenings are filled with options like nightly bonfires with marshmallow roasting, family movies on a big screen and live entertainment in the lounge. See the full 10-day calendar of activities and events on the March Beach Break page of their website.
Boots and Backpacks
If outdoor pursuits are the family preference, join a South Shore hiking group for some day hiking on one of the dozens of trails. The Lunenburg County Hikers group is welcoming anyone interested to join them on March 13, the first day of spring break, for a two-hour, five-K hike in New Germany. Park on Daniels Road at 9:30 in the morning for a hike through mature hemlocks and mixed forest along wood roads and forest trails.
The outing is part of the Hike Nova Scotia’s Winter Hiking Series. Or, on the same day and at the same time, join a merry band of wilderness walkers at the Forest Heights Community School on highway 12. Students have built a trail suitable for hiking and snowshoeing through this mixed forest. If there’s enough of the white stuff, bring your shoes or borrow them from Recreation and Parks, the Municipality of Chester. Organizers promise the hike isn’t all that long, but “enough to work up a bit of a sweat.”
Many municipal government recreation websites have lists of trails to explore on your own. Here’s a list filled with South Shore hiking trails southshoreconnect.ca/trails
Beaches and Boats
Spring break is traditionally about hitting the beaches down south. Well, we’ve got our own treasury of southern beaches in Nova Scotia. They’re uncrowded. They’re close by. They’re accessible. They’re beautiful. Create a family challenge to collect as many beaches as possible over the spring break.
While kids are filling in their South Shore Beach Collection scorecard, the kids can see how many sand dollars, clamshells and pieces of driftwood they can collect. If the beach is in Shelburne County, take a few photos and enter them in the Winter Photo Contest hosted by Shelburne Municipal Recreation and Parks, deadline March 21. See their Facebook page for details.
An alternative to the collecting of beaches is to introduce kids to the whacky world of boat names. Fishing boats tied up at wharves all along the South Shore have their names proudly and colourfully displayed on their bows and sterns. Kids will find names like Hope and Prosperity, Devil’s Dream, and Live and Learn. Bonus – they’ll get to see working boats, talk to fishers and maybe even see some catches of lobster. You’ll find all the Beaches on Nova Scotia’s South Shore listed here.
Bowling and Brews
After a few games at the bowling alley, hit the Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill in Liverpool. The Best Western, Liverpool includes vouchers for these activities in their one-night March Break package. At the Route 3 Cellar, parents can order up some classic pub fare and local craft beers while the kids order from a menu built just for them – there’s pasta, poutine, popcorn chicken and plenty more. Bring along the family pet at no extra charge and head home in the morning with a complimentary grab ‘n’ go breakfast.
Just don’t leave Liverpool without walking into the menagerie behind Cosby’s Garden Centre. Whether the store is open or not, everyone is welcome to stroll the paths and wonder at the dozens of fantastical creations delicately fashioned from concrete.
Life-size acrobats, mythical creatures and fairytale forms are frozen in mid pose or leaping into the air, all beneath a canopy of tall trees. It’ll feed the imaginations of the little ones for the rest of the break.
For many families, priorities for this year’s spring break include getting active, getting outside as much as possible, and having fun as a family.
It’s super important right now to keep our minds and bodies busy with the joys that life can bring us, luckily something easily accomplished on the South Shore.
