Get Sun Run Ready!

As we exit the holiday season and enter into the new year, there are plenty of health and fitness opportunities on the horizon! One of these is the annual Sun Run ten kilometre run that’s happening Sunday April 14, 2019. While some of us may be ready for this fitness challenge, others may be looking for the opportunity to break out some running shoes and start getting run ready!

BICR is running our yearly Sun Run In Training clinic this winter season starting in January. If you are looking to build up your running abilities and endurance to participate in this event, the in training workshop will meet for weekly training sessions to keep you on track and social with guest speakers, along with a training plan you can do from home to make sure you’re ready for the big day!

Bowen Island Community Recreation’s Sun Run training clinic will run from January 12 to April 6 on Saturday mornings from 8:30 am to 10:00 am. Sign up today at www.bowencommunityrecreation.com or call the office at 604-947-2216!

2019 has Some Exciting Options in Store Now!

Well, there’s the Random Acts of Kindness Dance on Feb 14 for Grades 5, 6 & 7 that should allow for some awesome memories! But we aren’t stopping there! BICR also has a plethora of enriching after-school program options from sports, drama, art and French classes for Bowen children to try-out in 2019! Our facilitators have been working hard to come up with some creative and inspiring curriculum and we think they’ve hit the nail on the head! So, visit the www.bowencommunityrecreation.com website now and check out the various options to keep your children active and interested after-school!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

“Winter” and “hiking” don’t often go together for some parents because hiking with kids (even in exceptional weather) can be a little scary. Well, fear not! Winter is a magical time of year in nature and with some common sense, the trails are just as navigable as they are in summer!

Learning to walk and navigate on snow safely and confidently are part of becoming physically literate and are important skills for life in colder climates (like Canada). Here are some tips to get going over the holidays:

Baby Steps

Start by choosing a shorter, well-known path to you so you can test your gear (good shoes are key) and how your children do in an environment they are already comfortable with. Once you see that everyone is enjoying themselves, move into longer hikes.

Layer Up

Hiking in snow with smaller people like babies and toddlers requires a little more attention to check if they are too cold or too hot, so be sure to stop and do checks often. A base layer, followed by a heavier second layer and topped by a water/wind-proof layer is pretty standard for all. Kids who aren’t walking may need a fourth layer. And be sure to pack extras of socks, mitts and hats in your bag for everyone.

Be Creative

Make it fun for the kids so they will get more out of it and want to do it again. Build a snowman, have a snowball fight or play an impromptu game of tag.

Snack-it-up

Bring extra snacks to keep everyone going and have something fun ready for the car ride home.

Have fun out there!!!

Keep Going!

Our walkathon is still going strong, and we hope you are too! Get those steps in by parking further away, taking the stairs, getting outside on your break or catching up with friends on the trail. A reminder that the BICR weight room is running holiday hours until January 6, which can be viewed online at www.bowencommunityrecreation.com. This is a great place to hit the treadmill and get that step count higher. Keep it up!