Find things to do for kids & families in Schenectady, Albany, & Troy.

This week, I feel like I’ve just been puttering around, completely unproductive. Part of the problem is that I arrived home Tuesday night, so on Wednesday morning I was sleepy, unpacking, and in need of a grocery run. On Thursday morning I had an appointment that got cancelled, but instead of just moving on to the next item on the agenda, I sort of floundered. Like, all morning. So I’ve been pondering why  this week has been such a waste, and I came up with a whole list of excuses reasons.

I really need a list. For me, there’s nothing like a good To Do list to keep me on track. If I begin to slow down, I look at my list and it jolts me into action. Or if I want to take a break or eat lunch, I tell myself that I have to check something off the list first. Sometimes I’ll make a list of things I enjoy doing and things I hate doing, and I have to do something I hate (like making phone calls) before I’m “allowed” something I enjoy (like working out or folding laundry with a tv show on). I’m so obsessive-compulsive about my lists that if I find myself doing something productive that wasn’t on the list, I add it to the list just so that I can cross it out immediately and feel proud. I often make a list for the week on Sunday night, and I didn’t this time because we were skiing. Yeah, I know I should make a list now. Absolutely: you’re right. But I’m afraid I’ll freak out over everything that I haven’t accomplished all week. So I’ll continue to write this post. Then, at least, I’ll have something to cross off my list right away.

I need to do a calendar review, which I didn’t do this week, either. I’m terrible with schedules. I don’t know why, but I’ll do crazy, stupid stuff like, for example, forget the time of a lesson that my kids have been attending every week all school year. Suddenly instead of thinking, “We need to leave at 4 for 4:30 gymnastics,” I’ll think, “We need to leave at 4:30 for gymnastics.” I don’t know why I do this, but it’s like my sense of direction issue. If I just make sure to review everything two or three times, I’m usually okay. Also, a calendar review at the beginning of the week throws up red flags, like with last night’s concert, in which: 1) I received two different fliers telling us to arrive at two different times, 2) I realized that M was planning to wear something way too casual and made an emergency shopping trip for slacks, and 3) I thought that I could just blow off the request for reception treats just this once until M arrived home hours before asking, “What are you making for tonight? I hope it’s something good because we all worked really hard.” Dang. I made chocolate chip cookies. Which we couldn’t eat due to the fire alarm. Yet when I retrieved the plate this morning, only smears of chocolate were left.

I need to step away from technology. I have three different emails (personal, Capital District Fun, and Kids Out and About), a Google reader, Twitter, and the comments here on the blog and via Facebook to check. Any one of these  is fraught with peril, because there are invariably fascinating links that lead to items to read that lead to further links to videos I simply must watch. The challenging part, here, is that keeping up with all of that stuff is part of doing Capital District Fun and Kids Out and About. But it can get ridiculous: there are times when by the time I’ve checked the last item on the list above, my emails have been pinging at me for attention again.

I need to set a timer. Actually, I use a timer often already. Right now I have it set to remind me when to start the slow cooker. I often set it to remind us all when we have to leave for whatever class or activity is coming up. I do timed writing and timed workouts pretty regularly.  And when I’m doing something that I hate, I’ll sometimes set the timer for, say, 10 or 15 minutes, and I lie to myself that as soon as the timer goes off I can stop. It’s a lie because once I’m 10 or 15 minutes into something it’s easier just to finish whatever it is (like, say, cleaning the bathrooms or filing). But now I’m thinking that I need to set a time limit on the technology stuff. I have other time-sucks that I need to limit, like when I’m fed up with all of our meals, and I’ll while away a very long time searching for recipes.

Books in the return bin at school

You know what? I didn’t do so badly this week. I grocery shopped, I worked out on Wednesday & Thursday (we’ll see about today), I came up with two pretty good new recipes, those chorus slacks were on clearance for $6, and I’ve kept up with the blog. Plus, I volunteered at the school library, and I chauffered my friends’ cat.

So, anyone got organizational tips to share?

Poor Kitty! He deeply resents his bath and subsequent jail time.

Okay. There’s no avoiding it anymore. Time to go make that To Do List. Well, maybe lunch first.

I promise that this is my last alliterative title. I couldn’t help myself.

We went to M’s first school orchestra and chorus concert. For the chorus portion she had a solo, and she did a great job. Poor J, who had seen the program as part of an assembly once already during the school day, tried her best to be patient in the hot, crowded gym. After the concert, roughly a million 4th and 5th graders and their families knocked around expensive, unwieldy musical instruments while praising each other’s performance, gossiping, and shuffling toward the cafeteria, where a spread of cookies and juice awaited everyone.

And that’s when the fire alarm went off. Everyone was ushered outside into the freezing rain, where mothers frantically sought out their children to ensure that coats had been retrieved (and, crucially, put onto bodies) and at least one music stand was abandoned in a pile of slush during the melee. Fire trucks were arriving, and although the word in the hallways was that someone had accidentally leaned against an alarm pull, prospects for getting back inside to the food and warmth were dim.

On the walk home, J cried, because she’d been looking forward to the best part, chatting with her friends and eating cookies after all the sitting still and “listening” was finished. I feared that M would be disappointed, too, but she was fine. “It’s too bad that you had to miss that extra time eating cookies and having people tell you how great you did,” I said to her. “Oh, it’s okay. I got, like, five compliments just while I was walking up the stairs.”

Anyway, here’s the link to the KidsOutAndAbout.com weekly newsletter. And here’s what I’ve found for this weekend. I love additions and corrections in the comments.

All Weekend:

• Hansel & Gretel continues at Steamer 10 Theatre.
• It’s Sesame Street Live presents 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo and Friends at Albany’s Palace Theatre, where tickets range from $15 to $67.
• Shrek the Musical is at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets are $20 and up.
• It’s Snow Fest with Armlin’s Army, NYSERDA & Schoharie River Center  on Saturday and Sunday at Mine Kill State Park. They’re planning: Chili Contest, Survival Workshop, Winter Energy Tips, Snowshoeing Clinic, X-C Skiing, Camping, and more!

Evening of Friday, January 27th:

• The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company will be performing Unannounced: Dance in Unexpected Places! at The Arts Center of the Capital Regionat 7 pm. This free performance is part of Troy Night Out, which runs from 5-9 pm. Another fun-sounding event as part of Troy Night Out is a Broadway Musical Singalong.
• There’s an Adirondack Phantoms hockey game at 7 pm at Glens Falls Civic Center.
• There’s a Barn Dance in Delmar with Homespun Occasions starting at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, January 28th:

• There’s an Ice Fishing Clinic for kids from 10 am until 2 pm at Moreau Lake State Park. Registration is required, but no equipment needed.
• People aged 10 and up can Learn to Snowshoe at Saratoga Spa State Park from 11 am to 12:30 pm. Pre-register; $5 includes snowshoe rental. Cancelled if the snow gets washed out by rain.
• It’s a Critter Scene Investigation from 11 am to 12:30 pm at Albany Pine Bush. Pre-register; it’s $3/person, $5/family.
• They’re planning a Snowshoe Hike at Up Yonda Farm from 1-2 pm. $7/person includes snowshoe rental, or $4 if you have your own.
• It’s Sundae Funday from 2-3 pm at New York State Museum.
• From 2-4 pm it’s the first meeting of the Harry Potter Club at the Bach Branch Library. They’re making it for ages 10-16, which seems like it will leave out some very pro-Potter 8- and 9-year-olds.
• From 2-5 pm at the Delaware Branch Library, it’s the Albany Mommies Monthly Meet & Greet Pizza Party. $5 covers pizza.
• There’s an Albany Devils vs. Adirondack Phantoms hockey game at the Times Union Center at 5 pm.

Sunday, January 29th:

• Learn about Groggy Groundhogs from 1-2:30 pm at Albany Pine Bush. Pre-register; it’s $3/person, $5/family.
• At 1 pm kids 5 and up can get Stuck on You while experimenting with stickiness at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology. Pre-register; it’s $2/non-member.

I’ve been getting the KidsOutAndAbout.com newsletter ready tonight, but luckily I’ve got a big list of links that I’ve been meaning to share with you.

All Over Albany has a post on The Snow Train to North Creek.

I just love Glennon’s approach to dealing with tantrums over at Momastery. Seriously, I can’t look at that thumb’s up photo without giggling. It reminds me of one of my favorite things about blogging. When the day’s going crappily, I know that I can kvetch to you all.

The TU’s Parenting Blog has a post with folks suggesting where to donate used toys.

Mamatoga visited a new indoor play center in Ballston Lake, The Wonder Room.

The TU’s Your Day Blog shares that you can get two lift tickets for $20 to ski West Mountain on Wednesday nights.

And you’ve probably already seen this “I’m Elmo and I Know It” parody video that’s been going around, but just in case.

We spent Sunday, Monday, and today on our annual Jiminy Peak trip with friends. We returned a few hours ago, and I’ve literally been stumbling around due to exhaustion. As in, I tripped on our duffel bag handle and landed on my face, and moments later I fell down the stairs while carrying 3 pairs of ski boots. Lucky for me they were the carpeted stairs down to our basement instead of our steep, old, wooden stairs that strike fear into the hearts of visiting mothers with toddlers.

M, who is an unbelievably motivated maniac, managed to finish all the schoolwork that she missed in time to hustle off to soccer practice tonight. In fact, she was hoping to go to another soccer thing that she normally does–which would have been a whopping 2 1/2 hours of soccer after skiing for most of the day–but she had to finish her homework first, so she missed the first hour.  I don’t think that she’ll collapse on the gym floor, but I am a little worried that there will be sobbing before she finally passes out tonight. We usually walk the couple of blocks to the school gym, but Cute W’s driving her home. J, meanwhile, fell asleep in the car on the way home, continued the nap on the couch, and was only roused by the scent of take-out Italian food. She ate three helpings of pasta and settled in for yet another Harry Potter reading marathon (we’re now on #3 with her) before bed.

Our weekend was great, especially considering that there was serious rain last night. The girls spent most of the day on Monday in ski school, and they had a wonderful time. Prior to the drop-off, there was a bit of high drama because they have one girlfriend who also attends the daylong class, so each girl was hoping that she’d be placed with a friend and fearing that she’d be left out. They’re pretty close, ability-wise, but you just never know, and you want them to feel comfortable skiing at the right level. There was also speculation about the placement, because last year the two older girls had been told that they’d be in the Fox group. Jiminy used to place kids in groups named after various woodland creatures. If you’d done your time as an undignified Chipmunk or Raccoon, of course you’d be psyched to finally become a Fox. When I broke it to them that the ranking system was different now, both girls were in denial, so I just did the old motherly, “Well, we’ll see. . . .” Really, it makes sense. If some 11-year-old first time skier got called a Chipmunk they’d basically be opposed to the entire program immediately, I bet.

Ski School was a tremendous success. All three girls (and only our three girls) were with one teacher whom they liked very much. And they were thrilled because he took them on black diamonds, so they officially feel like The Most Awesome Skiers Ever.

There was a lot of that girl power thing going around. At one point J stopped next to me and laughed out loud, saying, “I can’t believe that I’m still alive.” I promise that we weren’t particularly defying death on that run. But seriously, how much happier would your life be if you took a moment any old time to laugh out loud with joy that you’re still alive? We should all try it, maybe. Another time, I was skiing with a bunch of girls (we just happened to have a girl-heavy group), and a middle-schooler who’d been a bit hesitant about skiing down a black diamond decided to try, anyway (not surprising, since the two 4th graders were game). When the hardest part was over, I told her to stop and look up. It appeared much scarier from below, probably because you could see a greater expanse of the whole slope. “Now, aren’t you impressed with yourself?” I prodded. “You know what?” she answered, “I really am. I really, really am impressed with myself.”

After so much rain last night, I expected today to be a washout, but conditions were surprisingly good. Nothing froze, trails were groomed, and the temperature hovered just around freezing, keeping us all warm and cozy without melting the slopes entirely.

Between all of that skiing the kids swam in the pool, I learned how to play one of Cute W’s new board games, and we all ate a ridiculous amount of food. Now it’s back to real life again. But you know what? Real life’s pretty good, too.

Really, it’s impressive that I’m pulling this post out at all. We spent much of the afternoon and evening skiing, I sampled some delightful home-brewed home cider, and frankly? I’m pretty much ready to be sleeping. So I’ll ask in advance for you to forgive typos or missed items. And always don’t forget to check out the pages to your right, like What About TODAY?, which includes regularly scheduled events, and the Embrace Winter! page, which has links to skating, sledding, and other winter fun.

Here’s what I’ve got:

All Week:

• It’s Sesame Street Live presents 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo and Friends at the Glens Falls Civic Center on Tuesday and Wednesday, where tickets cost $14 to $52 and are required for ages 1 and up. Then it moves on to Albany’s Palace Theatre over the weekend, where tickets range from $15 to $67.
• Shrek the Musical is at Proctors in Schenectady starting on Tuesday through the weekend. Tickets are $20 and up.
• Moreau Lake‘s got several snowshoe hikes, including a Beginner Snowshoe from 1-3 pm on Thursday.

Monday, January 23rd:

• At 10 am, it’s a Fluffy Friends Fashion Fiesta for kids ages 3 and up at the Bethlehem Public Library.
• The Troy Public Library is having  a Chinese New Year Party at 4 pm for children 5 and older. Please call to register.
• There’s a drop-in PJ Storytime at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library at 5:45 pm or 6:30 pm.
• There’s a Three Stooges Film Festival at the Palace Theatre at 7 pm in Albany.

Tuesday, January 24th:

• Albany Pine Bush has Pine Bush Pups: How to Stay Warm in the Bitter Cold? at 10:30 am. It’s free, and you can register online.

Wednesday, January 25th:

• Albany Pine Bush has Pine Bush Pups: How to Stay Warm in the Bitter Cold? at 10:30 am. It’s free, and you can register online.
• At 10:30 am, it’s Alphabet Soup: S at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. Free with museum admission, for ages 3 and up. Funny that the letter this week is S, considering my title! Or maybe it’s only funny if you’re overtired. . . .
• There’s a Story Time Mix for 3 to 6 year olds at 1:15 pm at Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library. It’s a drop-in program.

Thursday, January 26th:

• They’re doing an Eagle Survey from 10 am until noon at Moreau Lake.
• At 10:30 am, it’s Silly Science: Magnets at the Children’s Museum at Saratoga. Free with museum admission, for ages 3 and up.
• The Bethlehem Public Library is hosting a 6:30 pm Children’s Circle, a story time designed with special-needs kids in mind.

Friday, January 27th:

• The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company will be performing Unannounced: Dance in Unexpected Places! at The Arts Center of the Capital Regionat 7 pm. This free performance is part of Troy Night Out, which runs from 5-9 pm. Another fun-sounding event as part of Troy Night Out is a Broadway Musical Singalong.

Looking Ahead to the Weekend:

• There’s an Ice Fishing Clinic for kids from 10 am until 2 pm on Saturday at Moreau Lake State Park. Registration is required, but no equipment needed.
• Hansel & Gretel continues at Steamer 10 Theatre.

It’s cold enough that outdoor skating is available! I got an email today saying that there’s skating at Indian Meadows:

The Town of Glenville skating rinks at Indian Meadows Park, 155 Droms Rd., are now open. Hours are sunrise to sunset, and when rink conditions allow, evening skating under the lights until 9PM. The rinks will be open until further notice as weather permits. There is no charge for public skating. One rink is reserved for recreational skating only; the other rink for pick-up hockey. Updates on rink conditions are on the town’s website at www.townofglenville.org

A friend also called saying that people can skate at Central Park in Schenectady, and I had the vague notion that we’d join them after school until I realized that J is now doing gymnastics on Friday afternoons. Which is not super-convenient because Friday is the best day for play dates, but J loves it, so . .  . fine.

Today at 3:55 pm I was urging J out the door, and she was all ready to hop outside in a leotard and boots. Which reminded me of Monday, when she was ice skating while scantily clad at the Union College rink. In fact, I took a picture of her skating along with two friends (one’s right behind the other), and at the time I’d felt like a Bad Mommy because her little friends were decked out in snow pants, coats, mittens, and helmets. . . and then here was my kid looking quite unencumbered & unprotected. I have a particular fear of kids falling and getting their hands skated over (this happened to my little brother, and a neighborhood friend got her hand sliced by a sled runner). So I always make sure that we pack mittens, at least, but inevitably my children do a gradual striptease as they skate. Seriously, I’m fortunate that she’s at least got long-ish sleeves.

Here’s the picture. It showed current faces, which I don’t usually show, so I blurred them out. But then that looked creepy and horror movie-ish, so I added smileys.

Still weird, but not scary-and-upsetting weird. Right? I hope that’s not scary and upsetting for anyone (like, I don’t know, our friend’s mommy?).

Anyway, today I insisted on some pants for J before she headed out to gymnastics. There have definitely been times when I’ve told the girls that if they’re not going to wear their coats, they have to carry them so that the general public knows that I have provided for them. Although, truthfully, this morning I was skittering through the snow in my Vibrams to make it to a yoga class at the JCC, so perhaps I’m a bad influence. Which, hello, speaking of scantily clad and yoga, did you see the Equinox yoga ad that’s got some people riled up? It’s supposedly controversial because it’s sexy, but I thought it was super-cool and it made me want to do yoga, like, immediately. Alas, had you seen me in today’s class, well, it wasn’t quite that inspiring. But the teacher did compliment me on my wheel.  As I was prone to saying after several beers in while in college, I used to be a gymnast.

Anywhere, Albany Kid made a huge and comprehensive list of ice skating rinks in the area a while ago.

And finally, I have to link to my favorite Etta James song, The Rock. Loved her, love her still.

It’s a surprisingly busy weekend! Of course, we’ve got too much going on our own to take advantage of most of it. M has ice skating lessons on Saturday morning followed by a soccer double header, and then on Sunday afternoon we’re heading out for our annual Jiminy Peak trip. So think snow!

Hey, have you signed up for the KidsOutAndAbout.com newsletter yet? If not, here’s the link to this week’s edition.

And of course, if you have additions or corrections, feel free to comment or email me about future fun at capitaldistrictfun [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Evening of Friday, January 20th:

• It’s Art Night Schenectady from 5-9 pm.
• From 5:30-7 pm, there’s a Family Scavenger Hunt with Radio Disney at Colonie Center.
• Go on an Owl Prowl from 6:30-8 pm at Albany Pine Bush. $3/person.
• There’s Phantoms vs. Albany hockey at Glens Falls Civic Center at 7 pm.
• The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company is performing at The Egg at 8 pm. Tickets are $24.
• Debuts Theater Company is presenting Seussical the Musical at 8 pm today and through the weekend. Tickets are $10.

Saturday, January 21st:

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region take their 2012 Radiothon to Crossgates Mall with family-friendly activities throughout the day.
• A five-week session of My Parent & Me, a science program for preschoolers, begins at the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology today at 9:30 am. The website isn’t updated, but it was $75/non-member the last time.
• Students aged 9-17 can audition to join the Capital District Youth Chorale from 9:30 am until noon. You must call to schedule an audition, and it’s a $10 audition fee per family.
• At 10 am, learn about Chinese Calligraphy and Zodiac Signs at the World Awareness Children’s Museum. For ages 5 to 12, cost is $5 museum admission plus $5 program fee, and pre-registration is required.
• From 10 am until noon there’s a Preschool Fair at Saratoga Springs Public Library.
• Celebrate National Squirrel Appreciation Day from 10:30 am til noon at Albany Pine Bush. $3/person, $5/family, register online.
• From 10:30 am until noon, there’s a Saturday Morning Workshop on Landscape Painting at The Hyde Collection. It’s for ages 6-14, and it’s free.
• At 11 am, it’s a Winter Nature Walk at Wilton Wildlife Preserve.
• From 11 am until 1 pm it’s a Winter Hike at Mine Kill State Park.
• From 11 am until 4 pm it’s the Annual Winter Festival at Grafton Lakes State Park.
• There are 11 am & 1 pm Planetarium Shows at the Henry Hudson Planetarium at the Albany Visitors Center.
• They’re planning a Snowshoe Hike at Up Yonda Farm from 1-2 pm. $7/person includes snowshoe rental, or $4 if you have your own.
• Learn about Winter Sleeperzzz from 1-2:30 pm at Albany Pine Bush. $3/person, $5/family, register online.
• They’re planning a Snowshoe Hike at Up Yonda Farm from 1-2 pm. $7/person includes snowshoe rental, or $4 if you have your own.
• Celebrate Chinese New Year at the World Awareness Children’s Museum. The $5 museum admission includes the program.
• There’s a Chinese New Year Celebration at 2:30 pm at The Egg. Tickets are $20 and up.
• At 3 pm, the Empire State Youth Orchestra is performing at Niskayuna High School. It’s $10/adult, $6/student, and tickets are available at the door.
• There’s a Phantoms hockey game at 7 pm at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Tickets are $13 and up.

Sunday, January 22nd:

• Take a 10am Snowshoe Walk at Thacher Nature Center.
• Celebrate Salsa Sunday from 2-5 pm at the National Museum of Dance.
•  At 3 pm, the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra has a concert at Proctors. $12/adult, $8/student, Kids 7 and under are free.

Looking ahead:

• At the Glens Falls Civic Center, it’s Sesame Street Live presents 1-2-3 Imagine! with Elmo and Friends on the 24th and 25th. Tickets cost $14 to $52 and are required for ages 1 and up.
• Shrek the Musical is at Proctors in Schenectady from January 24th to the 29th. Tickets are $20 and up.
• At 7 pm on Monday, there’s a Three Stooges Film Festival at the Palace Theatre in Albany.

Back when Daniel B. posted on All Over Albany about Tacos at La Mexicana Grocery & Restaurant, Cute W and I sent each other the link with messages laden with multiple explanation points about how we must try it soon. But of course, the holidays were busy. Over the weekend, Cute W planned a menu out of one of his Rick Bayless cookbooks, so it was the perfect opportunity to shop and get some takeout at the same time.

Mmmm, it was a hit with the family. If you want the nuanced, well-considered, foodie review, check Daniel’s. I’ll give you J’s review. Regarding the chicken taco, she said, “I think that I have found something new which I adore.”

And the tacos are $2. So that’s awesome. Cheaper than Chipotle, for sure.

Of course, Cute W’s dish was delightful as well: tostadas with a black bean concoction, shredded chicken, romaine lettuce with a bit of dressing, Mexican cheese, roasted tomatillo salsa, and tomatoes. Just typing it is making me a little bit sad that the leftovers are gone.

Cute W is not the only cook in the family. J invented a new dessert recipe. Simply unscrew an Oreo, add a dollop of cranberry sauce, replace the tip, and voila! Very sophisticated if you are 7 years old. And Cute W thought it was tasty, too.

Update: okay, okay. Have I mentioned that I’m not too tech-savvy? My first plug-in, which would have kept you in the dark at Capital District Fun all day, didn’t work, so you just got a teensy blackout. And here’s more info. if you’d like it:

If you spend slightly less time on the internet than I do, or if you’ve been taking care of toddlers or sick children, you might not realize that there are going to be quite a few blacked-out sites tomorrow. Capital District Fun will be one of them. I wanted to give you a little warning in case you want to look something up and write it down with an old-fashioned pencil.

I am blacking out because I like to link & comment with wild abandon, and I like to link to people & places where people are talking about all sorts of things. Sometimes these are vitally important and politically relevant. Sometimes they’re tasteless, not-suitable-for-the-kids spoofs of pop culture. I want access to all of them without fear that my site, or the sites that I love, will be shut down.

Here’s more information, in case you’re looking for it.

FightFortheFuture.org video (this has a quick form to send to Congress) and information on the SOPA Strike.

TechDirt’s got what it calls The Definitive Post On Why SOPA And Protect IP Are Bad, Bad Ideas.

If you don’t feel like reading, and you’d rather listen to a guy ranting in a British accent while you, I don’t know, fold laundry or wash dishes, here’s your link.

Here’s a commentary from Time’s Techland Blog.

Here’s a legal memo by a smart guy from Harvard.

The Bloggess takes on SOPA in video form and makes us fall in love with her all over again.

Here’s a quick list of vacation camps. It’s not an exhaustive list, so do please share additions in the comments or email me at capitaldistrictfun [at] yahoo [dot] com and I’ll update it as I receive more information, too. Some places generally do camps (Tumbling Tykes and World Class Gymnastics come to mind), but they don’t update their websites. And there will be tons and tons of places that will have fun things to do that you won’t necessarily require far-in-advance reservations or large wads of cash. But if you’re up for a money/time investment and you want to plan ahead, these will get you started.

Afrim’s in Latham has Action Camps as well as a Junior Golf Camp for ages 8 to 12

Albany Institute of History & Art has a three-day Vacation Art Break 

The Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy has Art Around the World

The Children’s Museum of Science & Technology has a February Break Science Camp

There’s a Kidzartand a Kidzart -Drama Kids camp

Maple Ski Ridge: skiing and snowboarding lessons all week long

Proctors Winter Adventures

Tiny Tots Tearoom has a Prince/Princess Camp–all week or drop in for the day