There are many ways to entertain children in Anchorage

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
JBER Public Affairs

2/20/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- A 4-year-old screamed with glee as she and her father slid down a small hill in their housing area on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The slope was practice for the sledding hill at the Hillberg Ski Area, just one of the many places for children to do fun things while stationed here.

The holidays are long since over and spring is still a way off. So what to do to keep the children entertained?

"This time of year, there's ice skating, ice fishing, skiing, snowboarding, sledding and more," said Susan Dojka, 673d Force Support Squadron International Tickets and Travel manager and native of Roscommon, Mich.

"You can go up to the Hillberg ski area. We offer tickets to Hilltop ski area in Anchorage and Alyeska Resort in Girdwood.

"All three offer lessons for children. Hillberg will probably be your best bet to start off with, because it's a smaller hill - less intimidating for small children. It's also a shorter distance to the lodge where they can get warm," she said.

Community centers on base offer a variety of activities as well. Some of the recreational opportunities include mini golf, a golf simulator, an archery simulator, wall climbing, martial arts classes, dance classes, massages and more.

"The Arctic Oasis community center's a great place for birthdays and other events or special occasions," Dojka said.

ITT also offers discounted tickets to indoor water parks like H2Oasis, select movie theaters, play studios and more for families with small children looking for fun activities.
"In the summer, we offer train trips and cruises," she said. "Families can get close up with icebergs or with wildlife. There's a reindeer farm in Palmer. It's really fun to be out there, especially in the spring time when babies are being born; my kids enjoy it because the deer are very playful and enjoy children."

Much of what's offered in Alaska is available year-round.

"There's a museum downtown with a lot of hands-on learning activities for children and a Smithsonian exhibit that recently opened," Dojka said. "It's a great place for kids to learn while they play. We sell tickets for the zoo and annual passes for the Wildlife Conservation Center."

Other events include fishing, hiking, camping, carnivals, black light 3D mini golf, Kenai Fjords National Park guides, shopping and entertainment in downtown Anchorage in the Bear Square, Sea Life Centers, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and various theatres.

"Alaska's a good place to go hiking and camping," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason Keller, 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "My daughter goes to dance practice at the community center. We sometimes go to hockey games. We go to the fair and Fur Rondy when those are available. We like to camp at the lake on base, or if we have time, in Seward."

Additional outdoor activities include biking, boating, watching dog sledding or the Iditarod, horseback riding, walking various trails, the Alaska State Fair, the Alyeska Spring Carnival, and blueberry and mushroom festivals.

If outdoors isn't your bag, Anchorage and the surrounding areas have paint-your-own ceramics studios; museums offer hands-on craft days; and institutions like the
Alaska Native Heritage Center often host activity days.

The Kennecott and Two Rivers youth centers also offer a variety of programs and sports activities for youth. The Kennecott Youth Center hosts a science club, a leadership club, and a running club which also participates in local races.

They offer paintball for ages 5 to 16.

"We have 10 to 20 different programs a year," said Deandra Wood, youth programmer at Kennecott Youth Center. "Year-round, we never stop doing sports."

For more information, call ITT at 552-0297, the Arctic Oasis community center at 552-5829 or the youth centers, at 384-1508 or 552-2266.