By Niamh Fleming-Farrell
BEIRUT: The interminable downpour continues, and the
prospect of a weekend cooped up indoors with your restless offspring may, much
as you love them, fill you with terror.Many parents attest that finding
worthwhile activities to entertain children in Lebanon is difficult, especially
in bad weather. But don’t bulk buy the aspirin to get you through the next two
days just yet – The Daily Star has taken on the challenge and compiled a list of
options for keeping your kids amused this weekend.
The budding artist
Creative children aged 5-12 who love to draw and make things
will find all they need at The Artwork Shop in Ras Beirut. Priced at just
LL20,000 per child, walk-in “Artsy-mornings” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays
offer kids the chance to learn handicrafts, structured drawing and painting.
While the handicraft lessons are geared toward younger kids, owner and teacher
Omayma Soubra suggests older art enthusiasts keen to improve their technique
will benefit from the drawing classes, in which they are “exposed to a slightly
higher level of art than usual.” During the sessions, parents can relax at a
cafe on the premises.
For more information call 01-749-646 or visit
www.theartworkshop.net.
The drama lover
In an age when cinematic special effects leave little to the
imagination, the theater remains one of the few places where the mind is called
upon to conjure what is not visually disclosed to it. Reawaken your child’s
ability to imagine (and your own) with an excursion to The Sunflower Theater,
where Saturday afternoons children’s plays are regularly staged. This Saturday
“Sneezing Firas” will be performed at 4 p.m. Through drama, puppetry, shadow
theater, story-telling and video, the play addresses a range of issues
affecting children, including relationships with schoolmates, pollution, energy
problems and natural disasters. The show is suitable for 7-12 year olds, and is
performed in Arabic, although it is also available in French.
For more information visit: http://khayal.org/en/ or call 01
381 290.
The little princess
For young girls who just love breaking into their mother’s
makeup stash, Spa-tacular in Sodeco Square Center may prove the perfect weekend
treat. This salon for children offers a makeup, manicure and hairstyle package
for $20. It also caters to trendy boys, offering a stylish range of haircuts
and hair tattoos. For children less enthralled by fashion and beauty, cooking
and art activities are also available on the same premises. Spa-tacular is open
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and by appointment Sunday.
For more information call 01-397-702 or 71-344-807.
The future engineer
If all things mechanized, robotic or technical fascinate
your child, then a session at The Little Engineer, an educational center in
Moseitbeh, may be the ideal way to spend a Saturday morning or afternoon.
Catering to children aged 7-14, this initiative offers creative classes in
robotics, renewable energy, technology and electro-mechanics. Morning classes
cater to a younger age group, while afternoon lessons are aimed at older
children. The sessions last two hours and cost $30, with all the material
provided by the center. Places must be reserved ahead of time.
For more information visit http://thelittleengineer.me or
call 03-723-715.
The snow enthusiast
They know the rain falling along the coast means there’s
more snow in the mountains, and they desperately long to frolic in it. If you
want to fulfill your kids’ desire to go skiing this weekend, and wish to do so
safely and securely, Skileb recommends booking either a private or a group
lesson for them to ensure they learn the correct skills before taking to the
slopes. For very young children (under 5) the Wardeh domain of the Mzaar ski
resort is the best choice as it offers a roped in area exclusively for kids.
For more information visit: www.skileb.com.
The sporty child
You’ve banned football in the hallway and gymnastics on the
living room furniture, and now you’re wondering if with all that housebound,
unexpended energy, your keyed-up child might actually explode. The antidote: an
indoor gym. Hoops Club, with branches in Antelias, Hazmieh and on the New
Airport Road, offers a variety of physical activities, from hip-hop to taekwondo
and gymnastics to roller-blading. It’s best to call the individual outlet ahead
of time for the day’s schedule, and a one-off session costs $15. Basketball and
football are also offered, but sessions can only be paid for on a monthly basis
at a cost of $55.
For more information visit www.hoops-club.com or call
04-411-515 (Antelias), 01-454-586 (New Airport Road) or 05-454-511 (Hazmieh).
The bookworm
The rain rarely bothers a child who’s easily engrossed in a
book, but if your avid reader is getting dangerously close to that last page,
it may be time to take a Saturday afternoon jaunt to the public library. Both
Geitawi and Bachoura municipal public libraries have ample children’s sections,
and both are open Saturdays: Geitawi from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-6 p.m. and
Bachoura from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3-7 p.m.
For more information visit www.assabil.com.
The family option
The weekend need not only be about appeasing your delightful
progeny, it can also be about quality family time. Rainy-day activities such as
board games are often ideal for older families where no compromise needs to be
made for younger players, but they don’t always work when it is essential to
accommodate a broad range of ages. Bowling, however, usually does – anyone over
the age of 8 can roll a ball down a lane. The alley at the Crowne Plaza in
Hamra is open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Each of the establishment’s 10 lanes
can accommodate up to 12 players, but six is ideal. And at a cost of LL10,000
per person per game, it’s a relatively inexpensive family activity. Kids rides
and other amusements are also available.
For more information call 01-751-127.
The very, very young
Tiny tots and toddlers may not be as explicitly demanding as
older children when it comes to wanting entertainment on the weekends, but if
you do want to get them out of the house, your options can be limited. One
place where infants are warmly welcomed is at The Early Leaning Center. The
three-decade old English franchise specializing in educational toys has stores
in Verdun, Ashrafieh, Dbayyeh and Sin al-Fil. The toys are aimed at 0-8 year
olds, and both parents and children are invited touch, feel and play with test
items on display in the outlets. Indeed, with some 70 toys on display, there
are hours of amusement to be had at the store in Verdun, and, in line with the
franchise’s philosophy, you and your kids can rest assured of a warm and
friendly welcome from staff.
For more information visit www.elclebanon.com.
The sociable kid
Some kids love independent adventures, relishing the chance
to meet new people and experience new things that they can excitedly relay to
their parents later. Care, a Jdeideh-based institution that caters for children
with special needs, programs a daylong excursion each Saturday which is
specially tailored at this time of year to facilitate Lebanon’s changeable
weather. This weekend’s trip departs from Care at 11 a.m. and takes children to
visit the Planet Discovery Children’s Science Museum in Downtown Beirut – one
of the most fun museums for kids in Lebanon – before painting activities, lunch
and either outdoor or indoor games depending on whether or not there is a break
in the rain. Children return to Care for collection at 4:30 p.m. While the
outing is designed to promote social integration of children with special
needs, all children are welcome to participate. You can book a place for your
child either several days ahead of time or on Saturday morning. The cost of
this weekend’s excursion is $75.
For more information visit www.careleb.com or call
01-880-592.
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