The Connection

The children are off from school --- again. It’s winter and it’s cold, and, possibly, snowy. You’ve done the library (Patrick Henry and the Oakton Library), the movies (huge selection at Tysons AMC) and have taken the kids bowling (Bowl America is full of youngsters during “break”). Kids are getting antsy and parents are running out of entertaining ideas … besides homework.

Gleaned from parents and kids themselves is a little list of five fun finds during winter days-off.

Make your own sno-cones

Half the fun – okay, most of the fun – of eating sno-cones is slurping on gaudily-colored syrup. To make sno-cones au naturel, use frozen concentrated orange juice of purple grape juice. Fill a plastic cup with freshly-fallen snow or crushed ice cubes and pour over thawed concentrated orange juice or purple grape juice. Or, to really be old-fashioned, pour over snow/ice a couple of tablespoons of real maple syrup.

Ice-skating in outdoor ice rink

While sledding and snow-fort construction requires little in the way of infrastructure, ice skating takes a bit more forethought. Vienna-Oakton has access to two outdoor ice rinks: Tysons Ice Rink and the Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion.

Rinks charge for skating and skate rental. Open through early March. The Reston rink has themed “fests.”

For information, see:

http://www.restontowncenter.com/directory/reston-town-center-ice-skating-pavilion/

http://www.tysonscornericerink.com/

Cooking lessons during school breaks

Try to get a couple of your children’s friends together and sign up for one of Culinaria Cooking School’s pop-up kids’ cooking classes. Instructors demonstrate preparation of the dishes most kids love to eat and the students participate in preparation. Then, they eat the results of their labor.

$65 per person each class.

Feb. 5 - Kids and teens cooking classes

Kids class: learn from-scratch favorites, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Three pantry and freezer staples (plus condiments) transformed into homemade, kid-friendly recipes (to make and eat). Mac & Cheese; Parmesan Chicken Fingers with Trio of Dipping Sauces; Quick Cinnamon Apple Sauce.

Teens Cook Italian, 2 to 5 p.m.

Focaccia Bread with Sea Salt and Fresh Herbs; Spaghetti alla Carbonara; Mixed Green Salad with Homemade Parmesan Croutons and Lemon Vinaigrette; Italian Dark Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Mascarpone Cream.

Feb. 15 – Kids and teens cooking classes

Kids class – Burgers, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Kids learn how to make sliders with their favorite toppings, Butternut squash fries dipped in a curry ketchup sauce are a tasty and healthy new spin on the classic. For dessert, kids make their own cookies and fill them with marshmallow cream and custom toppings. Chicken and Beef Sliders with Toppings Bar; Butternut Squash Fries with Curry Ketchup; Dessert Burgers - cookie sandwiches filled with marshmallow cream.

Teens Class - From Food Trucks to Chic Restaurants, 2 to 5 p.m.

Asian fusion cuisine, including Korean Chicken Tacos; Fresh Spicy Cucumber Kimchi; Fruit Sushi.

Puzzle-mania

Set up a card-table in a convenient, yet high-traffic, spot in your home. Spread out the pieces of a puzzle. From past experiences, it appears that adults and kids alike cannot walk past a strewn puzzle without trying to put a few pieces together.

Visit someplace new

If this is a scheduled day off – as opposed to snowstorm day – take some time and visit one of the area’s martial arts schools during a class. There are several martial arts schools, from tae kwon do to karate, in Vienna-Oakton. Some, like Mountain Kim Tae Kwon Do, invites guests to participate in a complimentary introductory class.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens hints at spring and entrance fees are listed during the winter months.

Finally, consider shopping at a used book store. Kids can buy many of their favorite books at discounted pricing, including serial chapter books, such as The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Lake Anne in Reston houses the Reston Used-Book Store.