First and foremost, credit to margaaretkilljoy on flickr for the terrific photo of what I believe to be the playground on the Eastern Prom used in the header of this page. Please be sure to check out the rest of her photos on her Flickr feed or visit her website, Birds Before The Storm. Here’s the entire photo, for your viewing pleasure:

Next week is school vacation week here in Portland. Perhaps you are looking for some ideas of things to do with your kids as you enjoy the vacation week together. Here are a few of my favorite things:

Play Inside at Greenlight Studio
Greenlight Studio on Forest Ave has become my go-to solution for those days when the weather is too awful to play outside (not that we’ve had many of those this winter) but cabin fever demands that we get out of the house. They offer a terrific indoor play space for kids ages 6 and under, complete with a pirate ship, climbing dome, dress up area, a dedicatd art area, a reading room, and a climbing wall. They have a nifty snack bar where you can get super-healthy kid favorites as well as a bowl of their amazing home-made pita chips for mom or dad to munch on. They also offer a variety of classes and play-events. On Thursday they are open late (until 6 pm) and they also play host to an indoor farmers market/CSA on Thursday from 3 – 6 pm.  If you have small kids and have never been to Greenlight, I highly, highly recommend them.
Greenlight Studio Website

Visit One of the Top Twelve Children’s Museums In America -
In Our Own Back Yard
Have you heard that the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine was recently named by Forbes magazine as one of the top 12 children’s museums in the US? It’s true, and a quick perusal of their special vacation week schedule will tell you why: in addition to their fun, accessible, and educational exhibits, their programing goes far beyond the typical classes and programing that so many lesser children’s museums offer. From live animal shows to musical instrument workshops to old time musical chairs, I promise that every kid you know will find something fun to do. (Hint: it’s not on the special event’s schedule, but they host demonstrations of their fantastic Camera Obscura every day the weather permits.  It only gets a tiny mention on their ongoing programs page, but it’s one of the highlights of the museum.)
Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine Website

Take a Train Ride
The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad normally shuts down its track over the winter, but this year they are open for special vacation week programing from February 18 – 26, including train rides!  Volunteers and staff have spent the past few months refurbishing the museum (including moving the newly refurbished first-class “Pondicherry” car out of the museum space and onto the main line to make room for new restoration projects. Of course, the 1.5 mile train ride between the Ocean Gateway and East End Beach is the highlight of any visit (my son prefers to ride in the caboose), but the entire museum is a labor of love created by railroad fans young and old, and if you have a young railroad fan in your family, the museum is absolutely worth a visit.
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum Website

Winter Walks with Portland Trails
If you live in or near the city of Portland, you probably know that Portland Trails maintains a network of over 50 miles of trails throughout the city. But did you know that Portland Trails has snowshoes (in child and adult sizes) available for rental (donated by L.L.Bean) so that you and your family can get active and get outdoors even during the winter? Rentals are free for Portland Trails members and Non-member rates are $10 for the first day and $5 for subsequent days (1 week limit). (More info here on their programs page.)
Portland Trails Website

Stargazing
For over 40 years the Southworth Planetarium on the University of Southern Maine campus in Portland has provided stargazers of all ages with an opportunity to learn more about the universe around us.  For school vacation week, the planetarium offers a variety of star shows at 11 am and 1 pm, as well as afternoon and evening laser shows that blend educational content with pop music and a theatrical presentation. Probably my favorite thing about the planetarium (aside from their terrific shows) is how affordable they are: afternoon shows are priced at $4 – $5, and the evening shows are just a dollar more.
Southworth Planetarium Website

Enjoy Some Vaudeville
Between Christmas and New Year’s, local Vaudeville troupe Phyzgig put on a series of fantastic family friendly shows featuring a variety of physical comics, magicians, and jugglers (including the legendary Randy Judkins). Now they are putting on a special school vacation week encore of these shows on Friday, February 24th at 7 pm at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center. The holiday shows were a hit with young and old alike, and the February shows are sure to be just as successful. Take the whole family and spend an evening together, laughing.
Phyzgig Website at Acorn Productions