The image of kids climbing the walls is a frightening one… unless they’re at Cliffside Climbing Gym located on Laval Crescent in Kamloops. As a mother of two young boys, I am constantly looking for things for my boys to do to help keep them active and to burn off a little energy.

The inside climbing gym is a perfect place for them to be kids and to have a great time. When you first enter the facility, there’s a lounge area, brightly coloured walls and a shoe rental/front desk area, plus some funky tunes coming out from the stereo system. It just looks like it’s going to be fun as soon as you walk in. The team at Cliffside are great too, especially Sabrina, who you can tell loves having the kids come in for some fun. Even though it’s fun, it’s pretty educational too as both boys know what ‘carabineer’ and ‘belay’ mean, and both know how to get in their harness unaided. My boys were in a class that ran each week and you could see real differences in them from the start of their sessions to the end in the difficulty of the walls they were climbing. Both boys were even having fun climbing blindfolded, and my 8 year old got so good, he was assisting in belaying kids bigger than him, a real confidence booster.
There’s a great balcony area for parents to watch the kids if they are not interested in climbing, but it makes for a good family time too. You’ll quickly be amazed at how good of a workout it is hoisting your body around a vertical wall, because the kids make it look REALLY easy (which it’s not).

The Cliffside Climbing Gym has group classes and drop in times, plus you can host parties there too, making it an all around awesome facility. And safety is of top concern to the staff, so you can rest assured that your kids will have fun and be safe too. So move over Spiderman, and watch your kids dazzle you with their wall climbing antics.

~ Awesome Aleece

What kid (or big kid) doesn’t love science? Even if you don’t have a passion for science, I guarantee you’ll LOVE the BIG Little Science Centre as our family did.

The BIG Little Science Centre first opened its doors in February of 2000 by Gordon Gore, a retired science teacher who aims to teach science through interactive and hands on teaching. We were fortunate to have Mr. Gore do the ‘Science of Light and Colour’ show on the Saturday we went to the Centre. The Centre has been in a few locations in Kamloops but now is at its home in the George Hilliard School on Kamloops’ North Shore. When we first walked in, we were cheerily greeted by Susan Hammond who showed us where we could put our coats, where the washrooms were, told us what time the show started and encouraged us to check out the interactive displays.

We were treated to a show first where Mr. Gore showed various experiments with light and colour. Takes me back to my days of high school science classes, though this was much more fun enjoying the oohs and aahs from the crowd, with no test after either (best part). Kids ranged from 3 years of age to teens, and along with grandparents and parents, the show was appropriate and fun for all. Our 5 year old son Calum was chosen as a volunteer and enjoyed being a part of the experiment with light.

Next we went to explore the hands on experiments. There are three classrooms devoted to hands on experiments (140+) and I’d recommend giving yourself a good 2 hours to explore them all. There are volunteers on hand to explain what to do, but the kids had a great time figuring out for themselves what would happen and each station has clearly written instructions. From blowing MASSIVE bubbles, experimenting with magnets, screaming into a sound proof box and enjoying the many mirrors which warp and contort your face and body, our family loved it. The nice thing too, was that there is so much room, you don’t ever feel crowded or pushed to rush through the Centre. And it’s cost effective too. It was $10 for our family of 4 (2 kids and 2 adults). There are special presentations each Saturday at 1:30pm, and they typically theme them from the Science of Christmas: Santa’s Secrets, to other fun shows and demonstrations. Check out the Tourism Kamloops page for more information and enjoy the wonders of Science this year!

Until next time,

Awesome Aleece

Ahoy Mates! Avast ye scallywags. Okay, I obviously need to brush up on my pirate-talk, but I must say my mini golf is on par after this weekend’s family adventure. I’ve wanted to do the new 3D pirate mini golf at the Fun Factor on Kamloops’ North Shore for a few months now, so what better family activity on a Friday night than a little indoor mini golf. I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’ve been to other indoor mini golf courses in the past with the kids and was disappointed by the décor and how run down some places tend to get, so I was super happy when I walked through the doors of the Fun Factor for our mini golf game. First, they’ve completely redone the place, so as soon as you step foot inside the doors, you have a friendly staff member welcoming you and are greeted by the cool Pirate décor. The boys were so excited because they could catch a glimpse of the mini golf area which was completely dark and lit by black lighting – we couldn’t pay fast enough and get the golfing going.

First, you pay for your round and get a new pair of 3D glasses for $2.00 each, which you can keep for the next time you go so you don’t have to pay for the glasses again. Then, you’re given your putters and golf balls and away you go, down a ramp into the 3D mini golf world. It’s incredible. My husband and I were looking around constantly saying, “This is so cool!”. The putting areas are lined with neon coloured blocks which jump out with the 3D glasses and it’s a somewhat challenging course, but not too hard so the kids won’t get frustrated. When you look up, you’ll see giant sharks swimming overhead and all around are wall murals depicting underwater scenes and pirate adventures and it’s, in a word … AMAZING!

There are a total of 9 putting greens and you could be golfing among shark fins and a giant shark head with a full set of teeth or among alligators acting as barriers to you sinking your putt. There’s cool lighting making some areas look like you’re underwater in a shipwreck and other areas have palm trees and a glowing volcano. The 3D glasses definitely make everything appear that much cooler  – except for you, because NO ONE looks good in 3D glasses! I know that the next time I go back, I’ll see something new as there’s so much there. It’s so professionally designed and would be great for anyone to enjoy. You could truly make this a girls or guys night out if you also do the Laser Tag which is located in the same building and play the midway style games. At the end of the course, they have a pirate mural where you can put your face and take pictures which is always a hit with the kids … and the adults.

Great family entertainment at the Fun Factor! Ahoy!

- Awesome Aleece