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In Belize, a family activity can mean horseback riding through the tropical bush.

FEEDING CATFISH IN A CAVE RIVER IN BELIZE BY TAVIA GRANT

The challenge What challenge? Wake family before sunrise, get to airport to meet 17 other family members to explore the Belizean rain forest. Debate whether to take malaria pills, decide not to, then freak out every time a mosquito nears. Fly to a land many of us lived in previously and explore what's changed (roads are paved) and what hasn't (the sweet jungle smell). Find activities over the next 10 days suitable for ages ranging from one to 63.

The solution Ditch the idea of constant togetherness - we did different daytime activities and met over dinner in a jungle lodge to discuss and drink Belikan beer. For our family of four, tubing down a river to explore Mayan caves, horseback riding through knee-deep mud in the tropical bush, watching Happy Feet with local kids in a nearby village and visiting the Belize Zoo.

Highlights Reading a Dr. Seuss book about rain forests while pointing to the real stuff outside. The misty, mountainous jungle in the mornings. Freshly squeezed orange juice. Swimming in rivers, letting the current carry you. Watching my seven-year-old daughter, Zoë, make a friend, even though they don't share a language. But really, the best part? The chance to hang out with the big family for days on end.

Be warned My son, five-year-old Noah, got a horrible, alarming rash on Day Two that worsened by Day Three into a swollen face with no doctor nearby. A local botanist made him a bucket of jungle herbs and he recovered. Sister-in-law got attacked by a tree, with horrid barbs in her skin. And our nuclear family did return with giardia. But, hey - no malaria!

Kids' reactions "Can we go back?!" One year later, here's what they most recall: being licked by a tapir; touching mimosas and watching the leaves close; galloping on horses (without helmets!) and feeding catfish in a cave river. And, oh yeah ... Fruit Loops for breakfast.

The details Various jungle lodges dot Belize, including one at the zoo. We stayed at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Adventure Co. ( cavesbranch.com), where options range from campsites to luxury tree houses. Direct flights are infrequent and pricey (often about $1,000) because it's not a common destination for charters. To do it on a budget, we'd try flying to Cancun next time and take a day to bus south to Belize. And we're definitely hoping for a next time.

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WATERSLIDES AND BUTTERFLIES IN NIAGARA FALLS BY CATHERINE DAWSON MARCH

The challenge Cabin fever. By February, even the kids (aged 8 and 4) have had enough of tobogganing and skating. We want to be warm again, but haven't got the funds to fly south.

The solution The cheapest, steamiest weekend we can find is a hotel package that includes breakfast and a 24-hour pass for all four of us to the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark for $160 in Niagara Falls, Ont. The 24-hour entry beats a day pass, as it lets us splash around after we check out, too. When we're tired of being wet, the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is a short drive away - this place is Eric Carle's The Hungry Caterpillar come to life, with a pupa viewing station and 2,000 free-flying butterflies.

Highlights Warm at last, we're bobbing on inner tubes in a 26 C tidal wave pool watching the blowing snow through floor-to-ceiling windows. The hot tub relaxes us and conveniently oversees the kiddie area. There is nothing like watching your youngest slowly gain the courage to go down a slide on his own, then laugh with delight as he races around to slide down again and again. Meanwhile, the eight-year-old quickly finds the scariest of the six storey-high slides and then joins other brave souls waiting under the 1,000-gallon tipping bucket, screaming with delight when it dumps its watery load.

The next day at the butterfly conservatory, we're in short sleeves wandering the humid tropical setting in awe of the colourful insects fluttering around us. A stunning monarch even lands on my daughter's head. She's thrilled. The other big thrill of the weekend: splurging at the Hershey store on Falls Avenue, where a five-pound chocolate bar is $50.

Be warned Wet hair freezes in February. Next time, we'll book a hotel with an indoor link to the water park. Of the four hotels offering overnight packages, only the Hampton Inn, located two blocks away, requires you to wear your parka to the water park. Plus, the water park's pricey locker rental ($18, with a $10 rebate, for a space not much bigger than a bread box) means you'd rather not bring too much with you. We got around this by leaving snowsuits in the car parked at the Fallsview Casino garage that is connected to the water park. (Parking is free with a Fallsview Players Advantage card, which is easy to get beforehand inside the casino.)

Kids' reactions "I want to live at the water park!" cried my four-year-old all the way home. "Next time, I'm going to wait until a Red Lacewing and a Blue Morpho land on me," decided my eight-year-old, suddenly an expert on butterflies and already planning our next trip.

The details Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, 5875 Falls Ave., Niagara Falls, Ont., day pass for all ages $44.95; 24-hour passes included in water park/hotel packages from $139, for details: 888-234-8413.

Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, 2405 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ont., $7 to $12, children 5 and under free. Open year-round, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., http://www.niagaraparks.com/garden/butterfly.php

The Hershey Store, 5701 Falls Ave., Niagara Falls, 905-374-4446, ext 4272.

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'IN BARCELONA, CHILDREN ARE WELCOME EVERYWHERE' BY ELIZABETH RENZETTI

The challenge Desperate to escape London's chill for a week, we had settled on the Catalan capital. Barcelona is one of my favourite cities, but that's from a drinking-and-dancing perspective: How would it work with a seven-year-old who loves reptiles and a three-year-old who loves chocolate?

The solution We found a reasonably priced two-bedroom apartment using Owners Direct, the flights from London were cheap (and the flights to London from Canada are cheap now, too).

Highlights My children's demands - reptiles and chocolate - were met. The zoo, tucked into the gorgeous Parc de la Ciutadella, is both wonderful and terrifying - there seemed to be a dozen crocodiles floating and snapping in the rain-forest house. A 20-minute walk along the seafront brings you to the Maritime Museum, housed in an extraordinary medieval building where Spain built its ships for centuries.

For us, there's plenty of rioja (red wine) and jamon iberico (cured ham), and if we'd been alone, a number of great museums to visit. And a bonus for parents? The Spanish truly and unabashedly adore children. One night, we sidled up to a new boutique hotel, the Barcelo Raval, and were welcomed at the restaurant like old friends. "In Barcelona, children are welcome everywhere," the waiter said.

Be warned Entry fees to the zoo and the aquarium nearly impoverished us - the bicep-flexing euro is partly to blame.Kids' reactions Fortunately, Barcelona is also brilliant for free entertainment: the bird- and fish-selling stalls of La Rambla and the bustle of the Boqueria market, where you'll find paella for the adults and churros y chocolate (doughnuts and hot chocolate), for the three-year-old. And it costs nothing to stand outside Antonio Gaudi's endlessly unfinished Sagrada Familia ("the Dr. Seuss church," as my son called it) or to wander around his surreal Parc Guell.

The details Apartment rentals can be found at friendlyrentals.com, oh-barcelona.com and ownersdirect.co.uk. Entrance to the zoo (zoobarcelona.com) is $25 for adults and $15 for kids. The Maritime Museum ( www.mmb.cat) fee is $10. For more information, visit barcelonaturisme.com.

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THE ROMANCE OF A REAL SKI VILLAGE IN N.Y. BY JOHN BARBER

The challenge An impromptu getaway with two teenage children during the March school break, to be accomplished on a modest budget and requiring no travel by air, complicated reservations or fighting with crowds.

The solution Skiing in Lake Placid, N.Y., an overlooked treasure that is easily reached from Toronto and always has room at its many inns. Twice the site of the Winter Olympics, Lake Placid is a classic ski town offering an unequalled choice in winter activities. Whiteface Mountain presents downhill skiers with the largest vertical drop in eastern North America, with signs on chairlift towers informing them as they surpass the summits of better-known ski mountains. But cross-country skiers, with their own Olympic facilities to enjoy on nearby Mount Van Hoevenburg, are no poor cousins in Lake Placid. The trailhead to the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains, the most famous backcountry destination in the east, is just outside town. You can even enjoy a moonlit skate on the Olympic oval in the middle of town.

The Highlights Despite Lake Placid's diverse attractions, finding accommodation there in winter is like falling off a log. We rented a condo-style unit twice as large as the Mont Tremblant equivalent at half the price - in a real village, not some corporate imitation.

Be warned The quality of the food served in all those cozy, attractive places lining Main Street is not high. The local kitchens remind you that Upstate New York is not New England, and Lake Placid is not Stowe. The kitchen in our condo became a lifesaver. Families coming from farther afield than Ontario would be better off in Vermont, which offers a more polished (and expensive) version of the eastern experience.

Kids' reaction But for children from the flatlands north of the lake, skiing a real mountain is guaranteed fun. No further entertainment is needed. Ours also loved the village itself, responding to the romance of its mountain setting and lost-in-time feel.

The details Lake Placid can be reached by car from Toronto in about six hours and from Ottawa in half the time. Lakeplacid.com is full of useful information on packages, accommodation and events.

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UNTRACKED POWDER AND MASSIVE SPAGHETTI DINNERS IN B.C. BY ANDREW WILLIS

The challenge My wife and I used to take great Rocky Mountain ski trips every spring - Whistler, Red Mountain and especially Fernie, B.C., where my family is from. The steep and deep stuff stopped when our daughters were born. But we dreamed of making skiing a shared family passion. So after three March Breaks at family-friendly Smugglers' Notch in Vermont, and far-too-many Saturdays on crowded, icy Ontario runs, we wanted to introduce our daughters, 9 and 10, to the peaks.

The solution We needed a ski resort with something besides huge vertical as we expected the kids to burn out their legs by midafternoon. Fernie had hillside condos with hot tubs, swimming pools and games rooms. We opted for a two-bedroom place with a big kitchen. Four families of friends, all with kids, came out at the same time, and the evening plans called for massive spaghetti dinners.

Highlights It snowed just about every day we were in the mountains. My elder daughter learned to climb above the lifts to find the fluffiest, steepest pitches, way above the tree line, then swoop down the mountain. My younger one fell in love with a winding trail that snaked seven wonderful kilometres from the peak to the base lodge. After six straight days on the snow, the improvement in their skiing was nothing short of astounding.

Be warned Like most resorts in the B.C. interior, Fernie is isolated; it's a long way from the nearest airport. We flew to Calgary, then rented an SUV and drove five hours to the hill, listening to Hannah Montana the whole way. The car trip can easily take twice that time if the weather is poor, and that's a whole lot of Hannah.

Kids' reactions My daughters loved the size of the mountain and the constant sense of discovery that comes with skiing untracked powder and wide-open bowls. They couldn't believe that they never had to ski the same run twice. The hot tub was a huge hit in the evenings, as were family card games.

The details We tried to keep costs down by booking at Timberline Lodges (rates from $95 to $225 a night), which is on the hill, but has no place to eat. The more upscale place to stay, Lizard Creek Lodge ( www.lizardcreek.com), has a fancy restaurant and bar. The skinny on lift tickets and snow conditions are at www.skifernie.com. An adult lift pass is $75 a day, kids are $25, teenagers are $53.

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CRUISING WITH BUZZ LIGHTYEAR BY ANDREW RYAN

The challenge How to squeeze in a midwinter long weekend for three, somewhere warm, of course, that allows two grownups a needed break and still engage six-year-old Sydney, who has been on more than 50 airplane trips (mom Catherine works for an airline) and just recently returned from Dubai. After a week sand-duning in a jeep through the Arabian Desert, our wee worldly princess was not going to be easily impressed.

The solution Back to the boat. Previous long weekends to sunny climes were enjoyable, but Syd gets restless. When Syd travels - London, Bahamas, L.A., anywhere - she wants to keep moving, like her mom, and absorb as much as possible in three or four days. I'm more the can't-we-just-stay-in-this-nice-hotel-room-with-room-service-and-cable-television? sort of traveller. Meeting somewhere in the middle, we again booked passage on the Disney Wonder cruise ship for a three-night getaway.

Highlights Now a year older, and a tad bolder, Syd made no fuss when dropped off at the Oceaneers Club, which features activities for kids aged 3 to 7, and is open from sun-up to early evening (there are also clubs for tweens and teens). Parents are handed a pager and a password for pickup is designated. In general, security for little ones while on-board is roughly the same afforded to the Obama daughters.

Disney Wonder passengers spend three nights at sea and two full days in ports of call - specifically, Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. As before, it went by in a blur. On-board, there were High School Musical dance classes and karaoke contests. In Nassau, Syd swam with the dolphins and went for the hair-braiding route. That night, a lesson in Flubber-making at the Oceaneer Club, after which she was held spellbound by the new stage production Toy Story: The Musical.

Next morning, Syd was up at dawn as the Wonder pulled into Castaway Cay, right alongside the life-size replica of the Flying Dutchman from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Then another breakneck day, filled with glass-bottom boating, limbo contests, paddlewheel boats and general beach time.

Be warned Simply put, there's almost too much going on. Even with an average capacity of 2,700 passengers per trip, Disney still packs far too much into its three-night cruise package.

Kid's reaction Syd clearly enjoyed it more the second time around. She partook of more activities. Mom and I, meanwhile, managed to work in a visit to the ship's adult-only restaurant, Palo, for a romantic dinner - a vacation first.

The details Three-night cruise packages begin at $1,400 per family, depending on choice of stateroom. Price includes accommodation, on-board meals, non-alcoholic beverages, ground transfers and baggage handling. Extra costs include gratuities, shore excursions, alcoholic beverages and spa charges. Book online at www.disneycruise.com, or call 1-800-951-3532.

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