Griffin Reichl, 14, who has been climbing for 4 years is seen here at Cliffhangers in Vancouver March 8, 2011. Cliffhangers offers a kids program over the March break.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
Science World
Discover the science behind wacky weather and natural disasters at Science World in Vancouver, where kids can find out about earthquakes and tsunamis, have their photos taken in a giant windstorm and pretend to be TV weather announcers. Lots of special guests, too, including meteorologists and audio-effects artists who will kick up giant storms of sound. (March 19-April 3, scienceworld.ca)
Carousel Theatre
Got a young drama queen or king on your hands? Take them to Carousel Theatre, where little ones become wizards, princesses, pirates and more using a few props and whole lot of imagination, and older kids can pick up vocal and physical acting techniques, in special courses and workshops. (March 21-25) Then see the pros in action at Carousel's production of Munscha Mia. (until March 27, carouseltheatre.ca)
Whistler
Head for Whistler Blackcomb - ranked among Ski Magazine's top 10 resorts for families - where little ones can join an adventure camp, go tubing in a huge tube park, show off their tricks in the kid-sized terrain garden, then head into the happy mayhem of outdoor adventure play areas. Great family deals available. (whistlerblackcomb.com)
Police Museum
Give your wee crime fighters a CSI-style holiday at the Vancouver Police Museum, where they'll learn about fingerprints, foot and tire prints and ballistics, and older kids can even find out about blood splatter analysis, at Forensics for Kids workshops. Or drop in any day and try solving a crime. (March 21-April 1, vancouverpolicemuseum.ca)
Gold Fever at Fort Langley
Little history buffs can pretend they're seeking their fortunes in the 1858 Fraser River gold rush by picking up their licences, panning for gold and enjoying a prospectors lunch at historic Fort Langley's Gold Fever spring break program. (March 19-27, fortlangley.com)
Britannia Mining Museum
For another blast from the past, take young uns on an underground train ride, pan for gold and enjoy special themed days including Mineral Rock Days, Social History Days and Rhymin' Minin' Poetry Days at the Britannia Mining Museum near Squamish. (bcmuseumofmining.org)
Big White
Head for the hills outside Kelowna, for a month's worth of snowy spring break fun, including an all-girl rail jam, tubing, ice climbing, sleigh rides, snowmobiling on kid-sized machines and more at the family-friendly Big White Ski Resort. Great family deals available. (bigwhite.com)
Grubs Spring Break Camp
Budding environmentalists can explore urban farming, build their own compost bins, learn how to grow veggies - and of course, play with worms - at the green-minded GRUBS Spring Break Camp in Victoria. (March 21-25, compost.bc.ca)
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
Send your little astronauts into orbit at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, where they can build a Martian habitat, learn about rocket design, and try all kinds of space simulations at Spring Break Cosmo Camp. (March 21-23) Or drop in for space science experiments, the latest GroundStation Canada Theatre show, and air rocket building with two-litre pop bottles. (March 21-25, spacecentre.ca)
Vancouver Aquarium
Kids can enjoy spring break Amazon-style and check out an adorable Goeldi's monkey, a buttress root crawling with exotic insects and invertebrates, jungle sounds and hundreds of butterflies at the Vancouver Aquarium's New Amazon exhibit. (until April 30, vanaqua.org)
Maritime Museum in Victoria
Want a little marine-minded merriment? Find out about early explorers, pirates and mythical sea creatures at the Maritime Museum of B.C. in Victoria. Little model builders can also get great tips from master model maker and MMBC curator Cuyler Page. (March 21-25, mmbc.bc.ca)
Place Des Arts
Kids can learn how to cartoon, dance, drum, write - and even perform in an abbreviated version of Hamlet - at Place des Arts in Coquitlam, which is hosting week-long camps or day-long workshops through spring break. After-hours care also available. (March 21-April 1, placedesarts.ca)