Spring Break Camps Chicago

This post is modified from a post I wrote for our school blog. (Yes, I write blogs for other people and occasionally repurpose them!)

Chicago's Spring Break starts tonight!

Well, officially it starts on Monday, but this weekend is all part of it too!

The break goes for one week.  March 26-30 and school will resume on Monday April 2.  (And the day before is Easter, and the days before that it's Passover.  Everything is coming together beautifully.  (And of course, if you live somewhere else, your break might be different, like next week for the Easter Holiday.  Don't worry, we've got you covered!

We are traveling for part of spring break (seeing family!), and then coming home to be with family for Passover.  #familyfamilyfamily  What plans do you have for your spring break?

If you are not going away, you might try one of these spring break camps that are offered by local arts and science organizations.  I’ve selected a few below, but there’s a whole list available below.  Some of these require preregistration, and some are for the whole week, but many will go day at a time, and many of them still have capacity.  Also, because some of Chicagoland has break April 2-6, most of these organizations have Spring Break camp for two weeks.  Check in with them before signing up!

Chicago Botanic Garden 
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe
Camp for grades K-5 run March 26-30. 9:30am – 3pm. Children will engage in exciting indoor and outdoor activities while exploring the Garden, with experienced teachers who use inquiry-based, hands-on activities. Camp is 63.00 Member | $79.00 Non Member per day. (847) 835-8361. Learn more…

Chicago KICS United FC
Chicago Indoor Sports, 3900 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago$175.00 before March 26, $195.00 after. Camp is held outdoors at the Dunbar Park Sports Park Complex (if good weather), or indoors (if bad weather). Players enjoy the sport of soccer and learn individual techniques, skill and tactics through creative and motivating activities that will increase a player’s passion for the game. Camp is held March 26-30 and April 2-6 from 9am – 12pm. For ages 5-14 years.
Learn more…

Inside Out Art Studio
4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., ChicagoSpring Break Art Camp for ages 5 and up runs March 26 – 30 from 9 AM to 2:00 PM. $45/day; 3 days $120; $35/ day for 4 or more. Imagine making fun art all day. Never more than 12 students per teacher means individual attention from professional teaching/artists. Learn Art history and terminology while practicing important skills. $40/day ~ 3 days $110 ~ $35/ day for 4 or more (773) 697-5012. Learn more..

The Kids’ Table: Build It, Eat It, Love It 
2337 W. North Ave., Chicago
2864 N. Lincoln Ave, ChicagoKids can tap into their inner chef this spring break. In this special “build-your-own” week, kids get to make their own signature creations from our base recipe. We’ve got big plans outside the kitchen too, including field day games in the park (weather permitting), kitchen science experiments, building projects, crafty creations and dance parties. March 26-30 & April 2-6. 9am-3pm $90/day. Lakeview locations for ages 4-10 and Wicker Park location for ages 5-11. (773) 235-COOK (2665). Learn more… Learn more…

Lookingglass Theatre – Spring Break Camp: Treasure Island
821 N Michigan Ave, Chicago
Lookingglass brings the fun of Summergglass Camp to a week-long Spring Break Camp! Mornings are spent learning physical theatre skills, which may include juggling, tumbling, and stage combat. During the afternoons, campers adapt their own versions of past Lookingglass production, Treasure Island. For grades K-4. March 26-30. $325. (773) 477-9257. Learn more…

This is just a selection, check out many more possible camps below:

http://www.chicagokids.com/Blog/Detail/90/2018-chicago-area-spring-break-camps

Chocolate As A Religious Experience

NOTE: We received a candy basket from Hershey's as an inducement to write about chocolate. (As if we need an inducement!) All thoughts about chocolate, Hershey's, and Christian or Jewish Holidays are entirely our own.

We recently received an Easter basket from Hershey's.  My wife had met them last year at the Blissdom conference, and at that time they very graciously agreed to send us a basket full of candy. And this year we were on their list again!

They didn't have a Purim basket, but it's hard to say no to free chocolate.

As you may have guessed (if you didn't already know), we are Jewish. We are not very religious, and don't keep kosher, but we're quite proud of our heritage and we're Jewishly active in our own way, and one of those ways is to celebrate the difference between us and the other prevalent religions and cultures. (I'm not sure if this is centered in Jewish philosophy or if this is my own idea, but I have a memory of talking with a rabbi about how Judaism in general celebrates by being different. What has made Judaism continue onward is that we make ourselves different - through circumcision, through putting on t'fillin, wearing yarmulkes, through eating different foods, through prayer, etc. We Jews bond together in our difference, and as such are able to continue through lots of adversity.  )

Hoo boy, I didn't really mean for this to turn into a rant on religion.

Anyway, an interesting thing about Judaism is that a lot of our religious activities center around food.  We eat latkes (potato pancakes) and chocolate gelt (little chocolate coins) at Chanukkah. We eat matzah, even chocolate matzah, at Passover. During Purim it's the triangle shaped Hamentaschen pastries with either poppyseed or raspberry or chocolate inside. (Hmmm... do I detect a trend?)

We don't observe Easter, or St. Patrick's Day, or Christmas, or any of a number of other holidays that 90% of the American population does celebrate. But we do eat chocolate, which makes Easter one of our favorite secular holidays to celebrate! (And in that, I celebrate the unity of two fine religions!)

Our "Holiday" basket from Hershey's contained Twizzlers, Reese's Mini Reester Bunnies, Cadbury Creme mini eggs (these were very cleverly packaged in a 12-pack mini egg carton), Hershey's pink and green chocolate Kisses, and candy-coated chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs.  If we were hosting an egg hunt, this would be great stuff to create a maze with. (Wait, it's not a maze, is it?  It's more like a chocolate puzzle, or maybe a trail of eggs, or...you know, I really don't know what the tradition is. I know that there are chocolate eggs and there is hiding involved. But other than that, I'm a little fuzzy on the actual details of egg hunts.)


Anyway, we're not going to do that. So the question is, what are we going to do with all of this sweet candy?

I have a few ideas....