If you haven’t yet experienced the spine-tingling literary webs woven by the great Terry Pratchett, then we certainly wouldn’t want you missing out. For devoted fans and new followers alike, Pratchett’s richness of character and far away realms act as escapism we wish we could take with us into adulthood. Acting as an introduction to one of the Lyceum’s most mastered crafts, we’ll immerse students in the world of Maurice, the clan and many more, before felting enough furry friends to forge an unbreakable army. Christianne will guide the group in selecting reams of locally sourced and naturally dyed wool to form the perfect colour palette for their characters.

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This is a craft best practiced with patience, but don’t worry if that’s in short supply - we’ll take plenty of breaks to cozy up with hot chocolate, watch clips from the movie, and fuel ourselves with delectable treats.

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Attendance in this camp is a sure fire way to expand the literary horizons of the ones you love.

Boy asked, “What is the bravest word you have ever uttered?” Horse answered, “Help.” 

Boy needs to find home and he is lucky to have the friendship of three as he journeys in search of what makes “home.” When Charlie Mackesy released The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse in 2019, readers were swept off their feet as they experienced new depths of kindness, courage and hope; commodities that are in very short supply in today’s world of rushed algorithms. This charming book full of parables has been made into a short animation and its enduring lessons brought to life on camera. We’ll add to our book experience by watching the film as we munch our lunch.

Next we’ll use the sumptuous images in the book as inspiration for a series of watercolour paintings to be mounted on an acrylic canvas. Christianne will guide the group through a free-spirited sketching session, focusing on heart and passion just as much as technique, before we sweep soft watercolour across the page, adding the perfect finishing touches. Of course there will be tiny cakes for us to decorate, as Mole is convinced “the world is a better place with cake.” 

Often referred to as the most mythical of creatures, dragons entertain, enthrall and encapsulate the magic of medieval times; bring a little bit of history into our modern minds and equal measures of mystique. Over the course of this day, we’ll explore these leviathans in several pieces of children’s literature.

Starting the day, Christianne will read The Reluctant Dragon, a tale that beautifully showcases what the persistence of one young boy and a very determined dragon can do to affect change. Students will paint the background of a wood plaque painting, and then bring their own dragons to life incorporating found object collage. It’ll be hard to believe that your child’s handiwork won’t just fly right out of the frame, and take its rightful seat next to you reading poetry at the dinner table.

We’re taking the chance to introduce your youth to two lesser known tales, and we’re sure they’ll be carrying both with them through the next generation and beyond.

Starting with the true story of Father Goose, we’ll take the group on a heartwarming journey following William Lishman as he adopts a gaggle of geese, teaching them how to fly with the ingenious aid of an ultralight glider. Christianne will then use the threads of togetherness and compassion weaving them into another of her favourite works. As the importance of the ‘pack’ can never be underestimated in nature, sometimes all we need is a little push in the right direction. In The Prince of Butterflies, Coville explores these themes through the complex and mesmerizing beauty of the monarch butterfly. Students will use their learnings to paint intricate 12 piece infinity puzzles (cut by Ben Hayward, Christianne’s nephew) reminiscent of the mind boggling markings that nature has birthed. What a way to immortalize their time with us. 

Somehow the magic of J. K. Rowling’s wizarding world endures year after year after year! With each one that passes our knowledge of Rowling’s Wizarding World deepens and we’re confident of our expertise in the field. This time however, we’re going to go back to the beginning…back to where it all started. We’ll start by declaring potions class in session, mixing and matching until the right concoction has formed, flexed and bubbled over. No witch or wizard can “summon” on an empty stomach so we’ll make sure to add fuel to the (absent) fire with delectable butterbeer before moving on.

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The rest of the day promises to be action packed as we bear witness to the birth of our baby mandrakes, making sure to take notes on how to keep them alive…and quiet. Last, but not least we’ll equip each student with a wand, unique to them, for maximum potency, but rest assured that there’ll be no spells at the dinner table.

This level of awe-inspiring magic is really quite unrivaled in the greater Vancouver area. We’ll build pillow walls to rival the fortress of Hogwarts castle, play sleepover guessing and pictionary games, and make untamed brooms (complete with flashlights) for night Quidditch before settling down to watch our favourite Harry Potter movies. This particular sleepover we will be going back to the beginning movies. For students who have the midnight munchies, there’ll be jellied worms and chocolate frogs to keep their magic flowing seamlessly through the night. You’ll be invited to pick up your witch or wizard after our, now famous, waffle breakfast at 11:00 am the next morning ready for the broom ride home. Don’t worry, we’ll send you a list to guide you in packing for your kip.

Another option would be to drop your child off with us in the morning (for our full day offering) and then luxuriate in the gift of time, safe in the knowledge that your child is feeding their imagination until the following morning. For this option, there will be a $15 fee for the break between 4:30 and 6:00 pm (please pack some extra snacks).

There is so much history yet to be unlocked in this world. The richness and diversity in ancient Egypt permeates aspects of life today that few people are fully aware of. Achievements such as quarrying, surveying and construction that were established as early as 3000 B.C.E. inform modern day systems of irrigation, mathematics and agricultural techniques - acting as a thread through time, connecting us to history. We’ll travel virtually through time via Linda Bailey’s Adventures in Ancient Egypt.

In the afternoon we’ll create our own canopic jars, containers used during the mummification process to preserve body parts of their owners, ready for the afterlife. Christianne will guide the group, using Sculpey clay as a medium, molding each curve intentionally, and carving hieroglyph inspired patterns that will tell our own story for years to come.

Very few things in life are without imitation (which, of course, they say is the highest form of flattery). Here at the Lyceum however, we think we’ve stumbled upon one of the most unique secrets in the whole of Metro Vancouver; a clan of faeries that defy the faerie queen, by exchanging stories of their lives through tiny notes. Devotees will know that our resident Faerie population was all ‘a flutter’ at news of the impending move from Alma to our new location - this diverse group of fae clans have used the garden for over 14 years.

Luckily one of our long-time learners crafted tiny curated maps and 25 miniature moonlights (one for each new block west) to light the way, and make sure no sprite, gnome, gargoyle, or faerie was left behind. A symbol of just how far care and compassion can truly reach. A new garden for the fae will act as one of the entrances to the Lyceum and we are confident that in time it will be every bit as special and intricate as the last one.

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Over the course of the day, Christianne will read from her rich collection of Faerie lore, while students create tiny faerie abodes to take home, helping expand rest stops for the fae throughout the lower mainland.

There is an enduring and captivating essence surrounding the superhero realm. The way comic books are able to draw in audiences both young and old, encouraging those who can sometimes be lost in a sea of words, is truly transformative - superhero comics can act as a springboard to appreciating longer superhero stories in text. At the Lyceum we have always waxed lyrical about valuing all forms of literacy and in a generation where reading image for meaning has never been more prevalent, we’ve decided to devote a whole day in celebration of the superhero comic.

After spending the first part of the morning pouring over a large comic collection, Christianne will guide the group in creating their own miniature comic books. We’ll take our time, as the devil truly is in the detail, before adding covers, binding and sending them home with the author extraordinaire.

This year our lucky silent auction winner, Ellyse, knew instantaneously what her Spring Break Camp day was going to look like. She imagined the scene of children huddled in a cushion circle, enraptured by passages from The Spiderwick Chronicles. 

Though these books feel like they’ve been lost in time, we’ll make sure to isolate each child's favourite part of the adventure and immortalize it in print with a font that reflects each individual style. We’ll adhere these excerpts onto wooden backings before setting to work on our watercolour sprite figures, hanging them ever so delicately in beautifully built shadow boxes. Of course faerie morsels of sweetness will be served with tiny pots of herbal tea for snack. We hope this sufficiently captures Ellyse’s vision, but if you’re part of the class, do feel free to ask the creator herself why the world of Spiderwick tickled her fancy.

This literary classic travels through time and space, much like the Great Glass Elevator amidst its pages. To round out our Spring Break roster in style, we’ll marvel in one of the greats, starting our day with excerpts from one of Roald Dahl’s most pivotal pieces. While we listen, each child will be given a sketchpad to get into the swing of Quentin Blake’s quick black line drawings before recreating them, with a dash of colour on shrink art paper and the toaster oven will shrink them down (not unlike James and the Giant Peach) to live inside a glass globe which will be mounted on a small wooden base inside a globe. We will not forget to adorn them with gold foil reminiscent of the elevator that launched Charlie, Willy Wonka and the gang up and out into the ether. Your child is invited to hang this in a room of their choice, serving as a reminder of the limitless possibilities that this life holds.