LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
To keep boredom at bay for youth on March break a Fort Simpson society got creative.

Brittany Kendo, left, and Dimitri Blyth flatten out pastry and cut out heart shapes March 21 for apple turnovers during the March break program organized by the Open Doors Society in Fort Simpson. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

On March 20, the Open Doors Society was reaching capacity at the recreation centre. Youth were clustered around the television sitting five to a couch and spilling onto the floor as they eagerly watched the previews before the start of the feature movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.

In the nearby kitchen, the society's staff were portioning out popcorn laced with white chocolate and mixed with Easter candy into individual bags as a special treat.

Working with a capacity crowd of 19 youth at a time was nothing new for the staff last week.

While the numbers at the Toy Lending Library were low during the first week of the break, things picked up from March 17 to 21 with as many as 19 youth coming most days. One week of March break rest seemed to be enough for the kids and then they were looking for things to do, said Natasha Sanguez, a pre-school teacher with the society.

Open Doors had lots to keep them busy. Making slime on March 19 was Ava Erasmus' favourite activity.

"We got to add glitter into it," she said.

The nine-year-old came to the program almost every day during Bompas Elementary School's March break. Without the Toy Lending Library, Erasmus said she would have been at home, bored.

Science experiments are usually the most popular activities at the library, Sanguez said. There are normally crowds during the one day each week that is devoted to science as part of the regular program.

Elohdie Fabre-Dimsdale liked the Perler beads best. The eight-year-old used the plastic beads that can be melted together to make a smiley face and a Pac-Man ghost among other things.

It's fun to make things out of the beads, but also challenging because they are so small, she said. The beads are also a popular favourite, said Sanguez.

"I think they just like being able to create stuff," she said.

The youth like making original crafts and no two of the Perler bead creations look the same.