Playing Outside
Dancing on Ice
Figure skating for beginners
It’s Tuesday afternoon and a dozen kids are zipping around the Le Cool ice skating rink at Guomao shopping mall. One of them is 10-year-old Wang Zichen, who is practicing a one-and-and-half revolution jump-spin that she just learned a few weeks ago. Her tall, slim body moves to music in a graceful curve – arms spread like wings, feet gliding in rhythm, her purple skirt fluttering in the breeze.
Instructor Hu Xiao’ou is sternly correcting Zichen’s poses, but he can hardly conceal his pride in her. “Zichen was a shy kid when she first came here to learn skating six years ago,” says Hu with a smile, “but now she is an excellent public performer and expresses herself freely through music and movement.”
Casting Off
A nautical oasis near Beijing
As far as recreational activities are concerned, Beijing is a city that serves its expats well. But when Rick Pointon upped sticks and moved to Beijing from London, he was disheartened to find there was nowhere within commutable distance from the capital where he could indulge his passion for sailing. A committed mariner since his teens, Rick knew that there was plenty of suitable coastline but was frustrated to find none of it nearby was being utilized for sailing. So rather than waste hours on trains and planes going back and forth to Qingdao, he concocted a plan to build a sailing center of his own.
Moving to the Kindermusik
A boogie down for the barely walking
At first glance into Beijing’s Kindermusik program, you can’t be sure if you’ve wandered into a children’s band, a dance class, or a small miracle – 11 babies, and not one of them crying.
Practiced in over 66 countries, the Kindermusik program is aimed at children ages 7 and younger and combines music and movement to help develop a variety of skills: singing, rhyming, object identification, sound imitation, listening and coordination. The Beijing program was started in September 2006 by Canadian Sarah Peel Li, a licensed Kindermusik educator. “We never make up what we’re doing,” she says. “There is always a real reason behind what we are doing in each class.”
Taking Flight
Spread your wings with the Rainbow Model Aircraft Club
Rainbow Radio-controlled Model Shop and Club may not look much from the outside, but ever since it opened in 1997, it has been a haven for many RC aircraft lovers. Not only can you find various types of model aircraft and radios here, but you can also learn how to build, fly and repair your model plane with other RC plane enthusiasts in Beijing.
Zhao Jianliang, co-founder of the Rainbow RC Model Club, has been a fan of radio-controlled model vehicles since he was a child. “Flying model aircrafts is a wonderful hobby,” says Zhao, “it gets me out of the city every weekend. Plus, it combines knowledge of physics, mechanics, even chemistry, and it also gives me an opportunity to learn about aerodynamics.”
Icing on the Lake
Experience One Of Beijing’s Most Delightful Winter Pastimes
There are many skating areas around Beijing, indoor and outdoor, but Houhai has that little something extra. It is something of a Beijing institution, sitting in a prime city locale and surrounded by some of the most intriguing hutong neighborhoods - a maze of enchanting streets, funky eateries, squeaky rickshaws and scrappy stores hawking dusty treasures. Perhaps the best time to enjoy Houhai is in winter, when the water freezes and the ice thickens to give way to a transitory playground on the surface of the lake.
Though the lake is collectively known as Houhai, it is actually divided in two parts that are separated by Yinding Bridge: The northern part is Houhai, which means “the rear sea” in Chinese, while the southern part is called Qianhai, meaning “the front sea,” and has a small island in the middle. Qianhai is the part of the lake that is smaller and friendlier for skaters, as well as more suitable for kids, due to its ease of access and proximity to other facilities like McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Hit the Slopes at Qiaobo Snow Dome
Experience Beijing’s first and only indoor ski resort
Ski season: It’s coming. The freezing winds and low temperatures will soon force the water vapor in the high reaches of the atmosphere to freeze, condense and fall onto the rolling hills of Beijing’s ski resorts. The lifts will start running, and revelers will come in droves and queue up to take nosedives into mounds of soft, white, powdery snow. But before you dig those salopettes out of the closet and head for your nearest ski resort, it might be best to fine-tune your skills in a more controlled environment, and the perfect place to do so is Qiaobo Snow Dome.
Bookworm Kids Club
When it gets cold outside, head to The Bookworm for a cozy kids’ treat
The Bookworm sits like a chartreuse gelato block in a nest of grey, just south of the corner of Gongti Beilu and Sanlitun Lu. Inside this gelato block, however, it is far from icy. The atmosphere bubbles with warmth, partly from the winter sun peeking through the glass ceiling and partly from the throng of regular clientele poring over books with piping hot mugs in hand. The vibrant yet cozy and mellow environment of The Bookworm make it a wonderful weekend hideout for parents and kids.
Dragon Fire Swim Team
Taking a splash never goes out of
season
As October rolls around and the routine of school kicks back in, nothing works better to distract children mourning the loss of summer than a bit of wholesome physical activity. Beijing parents searching for just such a release need look no further than the Dragon Fire Swim Team.
Started in 1994 by Kevin Hua, Dragon Fire began with a modest 20 swimmers but has since expanded to a membership of over 200. The team is a consortium of students from various local and international schools in Beijing, though practices are conducted primarily in English by Kevin and his squad of eight coaches.
R & R for All
Parents get pampered and kids get entertained at Commune by the Great Wall
The Kempinski Commune by the Great Wall has figured out the perfect “R and R” formula for Beijing families: plenty of rest for parents and endless recreation for kids. So, while you indulge in a day of relaxation and luxury at their Anantara Spa, they’ll keep your kids entertained and occupied at their stylish and fun kids’ club, Commune of the Children.
Tucked behind the circus of Badaling in the secluded valleys of the Shuiguan Mountains, and with a section of the wall all to itself, Commune is an easy daytrip from Beijing. Designed by 12 Asian architects, it’s also a stunning collection of contemporary architecture that was named a “New Architectural Wonder of China” by BusinessWeek; for design lovers visiting Beijing, its Cantilever and Bamboo Houses have become a must-see.
Pizza Party
Kids get hands-on in a Papa John’s pizza-making course
Pizza: the ultimate kiddie food. Infinitely customizable yet always recognizable, it never goes out of favor. Which is why tbjkids was so excited to learn about the pizza-making courses at Beijing pizza chains like Papa John's, designed to let kids get up close and personal with their favorite meal. In the spirit of investigation, we rounded up six rambunctious pizza aficionados to try out the Little Papa course at the Kerry Centre branch of Papa John’s.
Although food is an international language, Papa John’s rep Shelly Dong came down to lead Jan (10), Hunter (9), Livia (7), Clayton (6), Ellen (5) and Tao (4) in English. While some Papa John’s staff speak functional English, it’s best to request an English instructor of your own if the pizza makers in your group aren’t bilingual.
