Getting Started:

Welcome back to another post! This week I have been looking into sport and activity based programs offered in Cranbrook to kids, and how they positively impact the city as well as improvements or changes to potentially make!

Train Museum:

There are many activities and events for children in Cranbrook. The Cranbrook History Centre provides summer camps and winter camps for children. Their summer program lets the kids engage in hands on learning where they “become” a conductor or palaeontologist. This lets kids learn group work, provides indoor and outdoor opportunities, while also teaching them about our town history and what was here before us.

In the winter, they give kids a chance to relax while doing crafts, socializing over hot chocolate and board games, and they also host movie nights for the children. The history centre does limit this to children aged 5-10 years old. I personally loved trains while growing up and I think the restoration had been amazing, however the changes I would make here would be age groups. I would split the ages from 5-8 and then make it more accessible and have a second group aged 9-12. This gives more kids a chance to participate and socialize with others around their age.

Western Financial Place (WFP):

The WFP is the main booking place for the City of Cranbrook. They have a very large brochure (42 full pages to be exact), which holds information of all the clubs and activities along with the names and numbers of who to contact if interested. I won’t re write all of it for you but I will give the main activities and provide the page for you as well as a Canva which is linked in the following paragraph.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFrhg3YgOM/view

I have taken these next pictures of a couple pages from the WFP site and the canva, I did not create it but will share with you all. Some of these are not just for children as anyone can join.

Clubs/Communities:

Areas/Topics:

As you can see, Cranbrook provides so many opportunities for many different activities and this is just a couple of the pages. It made me very happy to see how there is a huge variety of clubs and communities while researching. It shocked me to see this many. There truly is something out there for everyone.

Youth Centre:

The last group I want to talk about is the Cranbrook Youth Centre. They provide programs for toddlers, Kids aged 3-5, After school programs, and youth programs. “Youth Impact’s mission is to empower youth to become positive leaders and role models in our community by supporting and challenging youth in their social, emotional, and physical development.” (BGC Cranbrook). Here is a list on what this group provides (taken from their website)

• Low-fee programs and activities open to any youth in Cranbrook who are currently enrolled in grades 6 – 12.
• An alcohol-free and drug-free space to build lasting friendships with peers in a safe and comfortable environment through activities such as rock climbing, hiking, swimming at the beach or pool, camping, mini-golfing, downhill and cross-country skiing, and other exciting activities.
• Providing youth with assets and skills development through lessons such as job training, resume writing, cooking healthy meals, physical activities, and more.
• Helping youth to connect with our community through activities such as community fundraisers, assisting other organizations, or learning about other community projects in town.
• Supporting youth by building positive, consistent relationships with adult staff members and qualified adult volunteers.

Summary:

I believe all of these groups and community based programs are in the best interest in providing opportunity for the children and future generations. They keep it fun, entertaining, and most importantly, inclusive. During all my research and from living here for awhile, I have realized that Cranbrook may be a small community, but it is a big activity based place to live. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area of the world that makes it possible for us to get out and enjoy these things. I know this week I learned about so many more programs available to everyone and even if this just lets me provide one future student of mine with a new hobby or to get out of their comfort zone and try something new, this will all be worth it. I hope I was able to teach you guys something valuable in this post or even steer you in a direction to find a new activity yourself! I will be back next week with a final post before wrapping everything up. Thanks for reading once again!

– Carter White