Need spring break ideas? Activities for kids abound in McHenry County

Not every family can head to a sunnier clime for spring break or even find a way to get out of Dodge for a few days.

So how can area parents who are planning to “staycation” during the upcoming break avoid the dreaded “b” word – boredom?

We’ve got a few ideas for the coming week, when area schools will be closed. With a little creativity, you probably can come up with a few of your own, too.

Several spring break camps offer organized fun throughout the week.

Sage YMCA of Metro Chicago, 701 Manor Road, Crystal Lake, is hosting a camp for kindergartners through eighth-graders that starts Monday and features different themes each day, including Western day and Hawaiian day. Daily activities include swimming and games.

Families don’t have to be members of the YMCA to participate, and they don’t have to attend every day, Executive Director Robyn Ostrem said.

Drop-off can be as early as 6:30 a.m. and pickup can be as late as 6:30 p.m., she said. Campers should pack a lunch or they can buy one from the center’s Tropical Smoothie Café.

Parents are asked to register by 9 a.m. Friday. The cost is $40 a day for members and $55 for nonmembers. The full week is $180 for members and $210 for nonmembers.

The YMCA also plans an Egg-stravaganza Family Night on Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It is open to all area families and features an underwater egg hunt. The cost is $5 a child and includes a snack.

To learn more, visit www.ymcachicago.org/sage.

The Lake in the Hills Parks and Recreation Department also offers a spring break camp at Village Hall that is open to everyone. Its camp, which includes daily trips, runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Campers must bring their own lunch, snack and water bottle.

Trips for the children in kindergarten through eighth grade include bowling, a superhero party and a visit to a nature center.

The cost is $33 a day for residents and $40 for nonresidents. There is a sibling discount of $30 for residents and $36 for nonresidents.

To learn more, visit www.lith.org.

For children who prefer to be outdoors, the McHenry County Conservation District plans a spring break camp for kids ages 8 to 11.

The camp will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at the Tallgrass Classroom in the Lost Valley Visitor Center at Glacial Park in Ringwood.

On the first day, Outdoor Olympics will test physical, problem-solving and team-building skills. Day 2 has a hike to learn about local habitats, and Day 3 features an outdoor cookout and shelter-building instruction.

The cost is $54 for district residents and $68 for nonresidents. The deadline to sign up is Sunday.

MCCD also plans a Spring Break Nature Night for children ages 12 to 16. The event will have nighttime games and activities along a trail and snacks around a fire. Participants should dress for the weather. The cost is $2 for district residents and $5 for nonresidents. The deadline to sign up is Sunday.

To learn more, visit www.mccdistrict.org.

Not surprisingly, the area’s many public libraries offer parents a variety of activities and special events to keep the kids entertained.

Some libraries have events that are open only to card-holders; others are open to everyone. So it’s best to check with your library district to see what it has going on.

Among those with events open to everyone is the Johnsburg Public Library, 3000 N. Johnsburg Road, which will show "Big Hero 6" at 2 p.m. Monday and "Penguins of Madagascar" at 2 p.m. Friday. Registration is required. The library also offers a LEGO Club for children ages 5 to 10 from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The McHenry Public Library, 809 N. Front St., has a little something for everyone, including "Take Care of those Choppers!" for children at 1 p.m. Monday; "Mad Scientists with Peeps!" for tweens and children at 1 p.m. Tuesday; "Fishing 101 for the Family" at 7 p.m. Tuesday; and "Minute to Win It!" for teens and tweens at 2 p.m. Wednesday. All programs require registration.

The Crystal Lake Public Library, 126 Paddock St., has a drop-in paper craft program for children ages 4 and older at 10 a.m. Monday and a drop-in LEGO program for those 4 and older from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday. Kids in grades six to 12 are invited to a Teen Anime Club from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Of course, area libraries offer entertainment beyond special programming.

For instance, the Crystal Lake library has, among other things, a Velcro wall, a dollhouse, computers with interactive educational games, checkers, chess, puzzles, blocks, a puppet theater and a train table, said Linda Price, the library’s public relations coordinator.

Some libraries, such as those in Woodstock and Johnsburg, have activity packs that can be checked out.

In Johnsburg, there’s even a home-school resource center that has games, telescopes and microscopes that can be checked out, Library Director Maria Zawacki said.

Even more computer activities and games can be found online on the McHenry library's website at www.mchenrylibrary.org, public relations manager Kathy Lambert said.

Parents also can stop by MCCD’s Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road, Crystal Lake, to check out seasonal hiker packs; map and compass packs; and Illinois Department of Natural Resources trunks that cover topics including mammals, birds and creepy crawlies, as well as geology and astronomy. There are even binoculars that can be borrowed while parents and kids stroll along the trails, MCCD communications manager Wendy Kummerer said.

Also at the center is a family “Exploration Station,” which features hands-on activities.

And we haven’t even mentioned other sports facilities, such as the Woodstock Recreation Center, which offers racquetball and swimming among its activities.

The Woodstock facility’s daily rate for children ages 4 to 17 in $4. They must have a signed waiver from a parent or guardian. Those 18 and older pay $8.

For information, visit www.woodstockrecreationdepartment.com.

With all that the area has to offer during spring break, parents just might be able to hear a different “b” word – “blast.”

As in, the kids are having one.