March 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 11 What to do for spring break? PP&R has it covered By CASEY BROWN Parents, are you looking for ways to keep your children active over spring break (March 27-31)? Pendleton Parks and Recreation is hosting a Spring Break Stay-cation with three boredom-busting events. Throughout the week, kindergar- teners through fourth graders can “Xplore Pendleton,” 7- to 15-year- olds can catch a ride and catch air on the “Get Air Tri-Cities Road Trip,” and families with kids of all ages will enjoy the free movie night screen- ing of “Moana.” Each event provides entertainment and activity to make spring break happier and healthier for the whole family. “Xplore Pendleton” will be a fun and exciting multi-day event taking kids on a downtown adventure to three locations where they can take part in hands-on activities: Pendle- ton Rec Center, Pendleton Center for the Arts and the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon. The cost is $40 for three half-days of activity on March 28, 29 and 30 from 8 a.m. to noon each day. The first group (kindergarten and first-graders) begins at the Children’s Museum to create art, play music, experiment with science, cook and garden. This station provides op- portunities for concentrated play, which gives children an outlet to focus their energy on. These activi- ties teach children how to plan and design, and what steps are involved to making something from nothing. HEATHER A. BACON, PH.D. & JENNIFER K. COOPER, PSY.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologists Helping parents discover new ways to shape behavior and reconnect with children. Currently accepting new patients. Most insurance and private pay accepted. 860 W. Elm Ave., Suite 204, Hermiston, OR 97838 541-289-7777 • hermistonpsych.com Next stop is the Pend- leton Center for the Arts to work with clay, papier maché and painting. It’s another opportunity to create new projects and interact with peers for laughter, group learning and sharing. At the last station, kids can burn off lots of energy at the Pendleton Recreation Center. They can rip and roar across the gymnasium to play a variety of games such as dodgeball, pickleball and ping pong. An obstacle course will also be set up for children to hop, duck and shimmy through, helping children develop agility and improve con- centration and focus. The second group (second to fourth graders) will do the same activities at each location but begin instead at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. Children of all ages will be dropped off at their respective start- ing points and picked up from their respective end points. For children age 7 to 15, the “Get Air Tri-Cities Road Trip” provides an adventure to Kennewick’s Get Air trampoline park. Children can get out of town for a few hours and may make new friends on the bus ride. Then they’ll get lots of opportunity for physical activity between various styles of trampolines, the foam pit and dodgeball. The group, limited to the first 14 to register, departs from the Pendleton Rec Center’s parking lot at noon on March 27. The $20 registration fee includes transporta- tion and one hour of jump time. A night of fun for the whole fam- ily, the spring break movie this year will be Disney’s animated hit, “Mo- ana” – the tale of a girl in ancient Polynesia who must defend her island against a terrible curse. Some concessions will be available for pur- chase at this free movie event. On Friday, March 31, Vert Audito- rium opens its doors at 6:15 and the movie starts at 7 p.m. Between these three events, the goal at Pendleton Parks & Recreation is to provide fun, entertainment and a safe place for kids during their stay- cation. For more information and to register, contact Pendleton Parks & Rec at 541-276-8100 or visit www. pendletonparksandrec.com. ________ Casey Brown is Special Projects Coordinator for Pendleton Parks & Recreation.