Screen Break

At school this week, they've challenged all the kids to have a week free of screens (Screen Break). In support of that, the community is having lots of screen-free activities around town for kids to participate in.

We were able to fit in a few activities... but the one that was the biggest hit with the kids was the tour of the fire department. They let the kids come in and check out all their big trucks - fire engine, ambulance and a little quad-bike that had a snowplow attachment out front. There were also coloring sheets and, a big favorite, a bright red helmet to take home.

We decided to ride the train to the fire station, I wasn't sure how popular these events would be and parking is often a premium around here, plus the kids love riding the train, so it seemed the easy choice.

After our tour, we had a bit of free time, so the kids and I rode a few stops down the line just for the joy of it. Which, serendipitously, offered a really nice view of the city skyline as we crossed over to the other side of the tracks to head back home.

We finished off our day of fun with a tasty treat from a local donut shop. Yum! A lovely afternoon, and we successfully avoided screens!

Later in the week, we also toured the police station but it wasn't as photogenic and there wasn't a train that day, so the kids were less impressed. Still, I thought was much more interesting... we actually toured the building and learned a lot and had more time to ask questions.