Carnaval arrive. How to keep your children busy during the Carnival holidays?

Explain that the children are off for Carnival.

The courses:

The Carnival holidays run from Monday 28 February to Sunday 6 March, during which time children must be kept busy in an intelligent and fun way. Many organisations take care of your children with their courses. There are two options: courses organised by your municipality or by private organisations.

Courses by commune:

- The commune of Schaerbeek still has places available and offers courses for children aged 3 to 11. If you live in the commune, the courses focus on awakening the 5 senses in cooking; games and cultural outings; judo & multi-sports and tennis.

- The city of Brussels offers courses for children up to the age of 12 with the non-profit organisation "Jeunesse à Bruxelles", together they offer many courses with different themes. It will be possible to choose between sculpture, cinema, rap & graff, omnisport,...

- The Uccle after-school centre organises courses up to the age of 14. This year, children can learn about circus, horse riding, music and sports.

- The municipality of Evere and its cultural centre offer courses in theatre, fashion design, dance, etc. The children are divided into age groups: 3-4, 4-5, 5-6, 6-7, 7-8 and 9-12 years.

All the communes in Brussels offer courses, the age groups are often from 3 to 12 years old, but some communes, such as Woluwe-St-Lambert, offer courses from 2 and a half to 14 years old.

To find out what's on offer, you should visit the website of your commune. You can register your child in a commune other than your place of residence, but you may have to pay a little more because you are not a resident.

Private organisations for courses:

If your child loves gymnastics and imagination, go to The Little Gym. This American franchise, which has been around since the 1970s, will look after your child wonderfully. They cater for little ones from 4 months to 12 years. The Little Gym offers gymnastics and crafts related to the theme of the week. The CLL offers language courses for your children and teenagers, an opportunity to immerse them in an intensive setting to learn a new language. This can be a boost for school or a real discovery. There are many places that offer courses, to find the best course for your child, check out the website Le Kid which lists all the courses in Brussels.

Activities to do with the family:

The children are going to their grandparents' but you have also taken a few days off to stay with them? Here are some activities to do as a family during carnival.

Treasure hunt:

The Coudenberg Palace offers a great activity for the whole family! A treasure hunt lasting one and a half hours, children will have to help Charles V to find his treasure of the Golden Fleece. They will be provided with a backpack containing a treasure map, a disguise, a puzzle and a torch. This underground treasure hunt is open from Saturday 26 February to Sunday 6 March and is suitable for children aged 5 to 8 years old accompanied by an adult. Admission is €4 for a child, €10 for an adult and €8 for a senior citizen. Registration is compulsory on the Coudenberg Palace website.

Theatre:

Would you like to introduce your children to improvisation? The Belgian Professional Improvisation League is organising two improvisation matches dedicated to children. Spend your Sunday afternoons around the ice rink, explain verbal jousting to your children,... Who knows, a jouster will select your child to take part in an improv? On 25 and 26 February, the Royal Theatre of Toone will be presenting the puppet show "The Three Musketeers". It's a great play to introduce the puppeteer's job and to make your children discover a magical place in the heart of Brussels! The Covid Safe Ticket is not mandatory for this event but the mask must be worn. Hurry, places are limited.

Exhibition:

The Rouge-Cloître art centre is hosting an exhibition of the work of Brussels-based cartoonist Jonathan Bousmar from the age of 7. He brings the stories of Pinocchio, Don Quixote and Belgium to life with his pencil strokes.

Cinema:

Given the time of year, many films aimed at young audiences are being released. In the cinema, you can see the third part of "Maya the Bee", the sequel to the very good "Tous en scène", "Clifford", or the latest Disney "Encanto". There is plenty of choice to keep your children happy and have a great day in the cinema. 

There are also museums that will be open during carnival, the Poseidon ice rink, Koézio at the Docks and Jump Xl.

Brussels is full of activities for the whole family, whether your children are young or old. You now know what to offer your child for carnival.