basketball – Beijing Kids

Too Late To Plan a Day Trip? The Only List You’ll Need for Golden Week

Cindy Marie Jenkins — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 05:00:43 +0000

We already covered special day trips and hotels perfect for any kind of overnight treat, but how about those special outings that only Beijing can offer? Those places you hear about but never have enough time to visit?

Here at beijingkids we make so many great lists of different places that it’s a shame to make you scroll through our posts to find the kinds of fun you need. So just bookmark this blog and we’ll link you to the coolest playdates within our city’s borders!

Dust off Those Swim Trunks at Twenty-First Century Hotel Swimming (二十一世纪饭店游泳馆)

If you want an Olympic size pool, then this indoor facility is right up your street. Should you decide to take your kids here, it might be advisable to watch them closely, but lifeguards are constantly on standby in case of any emergency. Open from 9am to 9pm every day of the week, it also comes in at the affordable price of RMB 73 per person.

Address: 40 Landmark Road, Chaoyang District, 亮马桥路40号

Hoop It up at Hongchang Junhuaxiang Basketball Stadium 宏昌竣花香篮球馆

There are two courts at this venue, which is covered by an air dome. Although the lighting is dim, the courts provide good feedback and aren’t slippery. You can book either a half or full court on Dianping, but the spots fill up very quickly. RMB 70 per person per session.

Inside the Hongchangjun Net Badminton Center, 88 Laiguangying East Road
来广营东路88号宏昌竣网羽中心内

Scavenger Hunt at Beihai Park

When one of our favorite local travel companies Bespoke Beijing announced that their First Ever DIY Beihai Park Scavenger Hunt was up and running, we were over the moon. Scavenger hunts boost observational skills, promote problem-solving and critical thinking, support team-work, as well as giving you an opportunity to learn new things. Oh, and you get to spend the day outdoors in a beautiful setting exercising your body as well. What’s not to love?

The iconic White Pagoda stands over the lakes of Beihai Park, the perfect spot to spend a day

Touring As Easy As… Riding a Bike

The company currently runs two regular tours: Old Beijing, which visits locations like Ghost Street, the Drum and Bell Towers, the Forbidden City, Fox Tower, and the Ming Dynasty City Wall; and Modern Beijing, which stops by locations like Galaxy Soho, CBD, CCTV Offices, China Zun, Phoenix Offices, and The Workers Stadium. They have also just officially re-opened their very popular Hutong tour, which can run as normal now that most of the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

What a great way to see the hutongs

Try Some Beijing Street Food Like Baozi (包子 bāozi)

Finally, steamed buns or baozi are the Beijing street food which can be the most customizable in terms of filling. The base dough is often made using white flour, milk, water, yeast, and oil. Then, the seller will steam the buns after adding a filling inside.

Classic breakfast options are pork buns but when it comes to baozi, there are no limits to what you can fill them with. Any type of meat or vegetable baozi can be found at street stands around the city, and if you happen to venture into a local dessert shop, there are plenty of dessert buns filled with things like sweet custard or red bean paste that are just waiting for your to discover.

READ MORE: The Teenager’s Guide to Beijing Street Food

Photos: Uni You, Courtesy of Authors, Bespoke Beijing, and Venues

Kickers, Basketball, and Martial Arts: Sports Summer Camps 2019

Wendy Xu — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 07:00:42 +0000

Ready for an action-packed summer? The following are sports summer camps for football, basketball, exercise, and lots more! Explore our list to find the best camp for your child.

Beijing Kickers Summer Camp, Jun 14 to 19

Beijing Kickers will be starting this year’s summer holiday with a fun based and action-packed football camp at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). Kickers head coaches Martin Engst and Bas Birze will lead the four-day football camp. The focus of the camp for young football enthusiasts will be skills, small-team games, and finishing. Age 6-14. RMB 1500/ week, RMB 400/day. 8.30 am-12.30 pm. Outdoor facilities of the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). For more information check out: www.beijingkickers.com

ClubFootball Summer Skills Camps, Jun 14, 17, or 18; Jun 24 to 28, Aug 5 to 9

Courses run on the soccer field at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), and in the dome and soccer field at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB). All are open to students from all schools. Sessions follow a daily theme, with the second half of each session devoted to applying the new skills and techniques in matchplay situations. All sessions are taught by ClubFootball’s qualified UK coaches. At WAB: Grade K/R to grade 9. Mornings: RMB 400 for one day; RMB 1000 for three days. Full days: RMB 800 for one day; RMB 2000 for 3 days. Western Academy of Beijing. (5130 6893/4/5/6, www.clubfootball.com.cn). At DCB: Years R to grade 9. Mornings only: RMB 2000 per week. Full days: RMB 4000 per week. Dulwich College Beijing Legend Garden Campus.(5130 6893/4/5/6, www.clubfootball.com.cn)

Flips & Kicks Plus Multi-Sports Summer Camp, Jun 24 to Aug 16

Flips & Kicks Plus in proud cooperation with Kerry Adventure Zone offers your child a fun and active time during the summer break with multi-sports camps. Try loads of new and fun sports, such as martial arts, gymnastics, swimming, and fencing. Classes are conducted in the spirit of Flips & Kicks Plus with expert sports coaches. The coaches speak both English and Chinese. Age 4-12. Mon-Fri. Half day (9am – 12pm): RMB 3500; Full day (9am – 2.30pm): RMB 4600. Kerry’s Adventure Zone. (8565 2466)

Summer Programs at Worldstrides Global Camps, Jun 24 to Jul 29

In the real world it is teamwork that drives most success. Success in life may not all be based on Gaokao. WorldStrides Global Camps’ activities and creative challenges develop children’s team skills through STEM, performing arts, visual arts and sports. Ages 5-12. RMB 10800 (10 days). Jun 24, Jul 1, 8, 15, 22 or 29. Dulwich College Beijing, HeDe International School. (400 081 2009)

Basketball this Summer with Wild Yaks, Jul 13-22, Aug 21-30

Game on this summer as your kids learn the basics of basketball and more at the Wild Yaks’ upcoming summer camp. Students will learn to dribble, shoot, proper defensive and offensive positions, and more, as taught by European coaches. Age 5-15. RMB 2500. 6-8pm. Hongchangjun Sports Park. 88 Laiguangying Dong Lu. (177 4652 8970)

Photos: courtesy of organizers

Back Again: NBA Nation 2015 Tips Off This Weekend In Beijing

Nimo_Wanjau — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 05:00:00 +0000

The National Basketball Association commonly known as the NBA has had a major presence in China for years. Basketball, China’s favorite pastime sport, has made the NBA gain a multitude of fans across the whole country. This in turn has made China an off season target for players to make the long trip here, mingle with their fans, and have a time-out of sorts traveling under the NBA Nation tours.

This weekend, July 24-26 at the Indigo Mall, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Mike Conley (pictured above) and Toronto Raptors’ Luis Scola are in town to kick off the tour with the two players hosting an NBA FIT Clinic, a range of different basketball activities, signing autographs, and interacting with fans.

NBA Nation is the NBA’s largest free basketball and lifestyle touring event features fans getting a chance to participate in 3-on-3 challenge tournaments, interactive digital games, and NBA FIT clinic. The two are part of an eight player mission taking part in the four-city tour.

There’s a Kids’ Zone that’s going to be set up where they can practice shooting skills at the POP-A-SHOT machine and use the NBA Green Corner where they will cycle stationary bicycle to recharge their mobile devices. Children under the age of 12 will have to be accompanied as most of the stations are unsupervised.

This year’s sponsors include Anta, Gatorade, Master Kong, Spalding, ZTE, Tencent, BesTV, Chongqing Satellite TV, and DeNA.

Here are some of the other activities with chances to win prizes for the lucky few:

Anta 3-on-3 Tournament: The tournament will feature 32 teams competing in each of the four NBA Nation stops, and the winning team in each city will receive a trip to Shanghai to attend NBA Global Games 2015 – China.
Anta Skills Challenge: Fans will have the opportunity to showcase their passing skills and freethrow accuracy to win NBA prizes.
Master Kong Slam Dunk Contest: Fans will have the opportunity to showcase their most creative and explosive dunks, and winners from each NBA Nation stop will receive a trip to Shenzhen to compete in the finale.
NBA Interactive Gaming Zone: Fans can play the latest NBA-themed games including NBA My Dream and 2K Online and win NBA prizes.
NBA Nation Half-Court Shooting Contest: Fans will shoot from half-court to win NBA prizes.
Spalding Sky Hoop: Fans will be challenged to shoot a basketball into a 6-meter high basketball hoop.
ZTE 3-Point Shoot Out: Fans will have the opportunity to showcase their 3-point shooting skills and win NBA prizes.
NBA Nation official WeChat mini-site: For the first time fans can connect seamlessly and interact with each other through theWeChat mini-site, which will provide fans with event information such as the schedule of player appearances, roster of activities, and registration for the Anta 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
NBA official mobile community “Kanbisai”: Tencent will launch the NBA official mobile community “Kanbisai” to enable fans to post pictures and share their experience at NBA Nation.

Shanghai, Chengdu, and Shenzhen are the other cities on the tour list. Rajon Rondo of the Sacramento Kings, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. Chengdu will be graced with The Larry O’Brien Trophy to help celebrate the current

Photos: NBA Nation

Shunyi Happenings: School Activities, Spring Camps, and Crafting Supplies

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 02:00:00 +0000

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ISB Spring Fair Opportunities for Vendors or Sponsors
The annual ISB Spring Fair on Saturday, May 10 is a highly-anticipated event not only for the school’s families, but also for the greater Shunyi community. It is a family-oriented day that is expected to attract nearly 5,000 locals and expats. The Spring Fair will offer carnival games, shopping from artisans and vendors, a raffle draw with big prizes, food from a variety of restaurants, and live entertainment.

If you would like to be part of this event, you have until March 31 to book a table. This opportunity is being offered to restaurants, businesses both big and small, artisans, and consultants. Spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact ISB Spring Fair 2014 Co-Chair Saeri Yuk at saeri@ziebart.org for details.

Dulwich Community Programme (DCP) Spring Break Camps
Staying in Beijing over spring break? If you are looking for ways to keep your children active during this time, check out the Dulwich Community Programme (DCP) offerings from March 31 to April 4.

Activities include swimming, basketball and football camps, all to be held at the Dulwich College Legend Garden Campus.

Swim camps run in the morning, with mixed boy-and-girl groups divided by age and skill level:
•    Beginners, for ages 5-8 years, from 9.00-9.55am
•    Advanced I, for ages 8-11, from 10-11am
•    Advanced II, for ages 12-18, from 11am-12nn

Basketball camps for boys and girls (ages 7-12) are from 10am-12nn, while the 13-18 year age group (also mixed boys and girls) plays from 1-3pm.

Football camps will be led by FA-qualified coach Gary Saunders. Children will take part in activities, drills, and match play to improve skills and strategy. The football program is designed for ages 6-11 and camps run from 9am-12nn.

Daystar Academy Open Day
Daystar Academy’s Open Day on Wednesday, March 19 (9-11am) will teach visitors about the school’s 50/50 bilingual program. The heads of school, teachers, and parents will be on hand to explain the curriculum and share their personal experiences. To reserve your spot or to find out more, call 5603 9446 or email admissions@daystarchina.cn.

Roundabout Craft Sale and Crafting Days
The Roundabout store is holding an ongoing crafting sale with beads, ribbon, fabric, stickers, scrapbooking supplies and more. The organization is also bringing like-minded crafters together for its Crafting Days; the idea is for volunteers to hold mini-crafting workshops in which each participant is asked to donate RMB 100 for Roundabout’s charitable endeavors.

The next one is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, March 26. (Call Roundabout for details.) There will also be another craft sale to be held at Pinotage Plaza. Stay tuned for more details.

Opening hours for Roundabout are Monday to Saturday from 9.30am-5.30pm. Telephone numbers are 137 1877 7761 (English) or 137 1805 3814 (Chinese only).

Photo by Dana Cosio-Mercado

Yao Ming Basketball School to Launch in Beijing

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 02:00:00 +0000

It is not unusual for sports megastars to retire away from the glare of the public eye and simply enjoy the earnings they never had time to spend. But not former basketball ace Yao Ming.

Since ending his sports career in 2011, Yao has kept himself busy campaigning against shark fin soup and elephant poaching. He has also now partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to build the game’s profile in China and to develop a youth basketball program, set to launch in Beijing.

The first ever NBA Yao School will be landing in the capital next month, offering kids the chance to learn from top coaches and develop their ball skills. As well as improving their abilities on the court, the school’s 13 week program, developed by Yao in conjunction with NBA China, hopes to teach youngsters other important life skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership.

The profile and popularity of basketball has grown substantially in China over recent years, a phenomenon that Yao is almost single-handedly responsible for. It is estimated that over 300 million people play the game in China, a figure comparable to the entire population of the US.

Whether your kids make up that number, or wish to add to it, now is their chance. Boys and girls aged 6-16 of all abilities are invited to sign up, with players grouped by age and skill level. Participants in the training sessions, which take place after normal school hours, will enjoy coaching from NBA-selected trainers, a chance to compete in weekly competitions, and a personal appearance from the big man himself.

The first program will launch on February 21 at the Wukesong Basketball Park and costs RMB 3,900 per semester. For more information about the school and upcoming programs, or to register your interest, visit www.nbayaoschool.com (complete with English language page).

NBA Basketball Returns to Beijing October 15, Los Angeles Lakers to Play Golden State Warriors

Nimo_Wanjau — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant will lead the Los Angeles Lakers to Beijing on Oct. 15 to take on the Golden State Warriors, as NBA basketball returns to the Chinese capital in the 2013 Global Games.

Bryant returns to the MasterCard Center in Wukesong, where he and his U.S. teammates won Olympic gold in 2008, defeating Lakers teammate Pau Gasol’s Spain. The Warriors are making their second visit to China, with a roster featuring Stephen Curry, the NBA’s record holder for three pointers in one regular season, and NBA All-Stars David Lee and Andre Iguodala.

Tickets go on sale Thursday, Aug. 8 at 3pm via Damai.cn. Hardcore fans can buy team-designated seating via NBAStore.tmall.com, where fans of the Warriors and Lakers can sit together and support their team. Fans that purchase these limited Fan Zone tickets at the NBA Tmall Store will be awarded a limited-edition Warriors or Lakers t-shirt.

The two teams will also play in Shanghai on Oct. 18.

NBA Global Games 2013 in Beijing and Shanghai are authorized and supported by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Sports. These games will mark the seventh edition of NBA preseason games in China.

Editor’s Note:

Tennis stars world number one Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams will play at this year’s China Open from September 22nd to October 6th should one or both advance to the finals. Djokovic will be trying to defend his title of which he has never lost from 2009. Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva will all be joining Djokovic and Williams at the National Tennis Olympic Center.

This year’s China Open will be celebrating it’s tenth year anniversary and has grown to become one of Asia’s richest tournament in terms of prize money with the ATP winner taking home USD 573,000 as well as 500 points while the WTP winner will take home USD 775,500 as well as 1000 points.

This post first appeared in the beijinger website without the Editor’s Note on August 7th.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

NBA Stars Shoot Hoops with Students at Beijing School for the Deaf

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 07:00:00 +0000

One hundred seventy deaf Beijing students took on four NBA stars at their school on Monday – and everybody won. NBA players John Wall, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Ricky Rubio spent the afternoon of Tuesday, July 2 playing basketball with students from Beijing No. 3 School for the Deaf in Haidian District. The event was held in partnership with leading non-profit Right to Play.

Established in 1958, Beijing No. 3 School for the Deaf is a special education school that has a strong sports tradition, including sport facilities and a basketball team. The school has also competed in the World Paralympics, World University Games and National Games for the disabled. Supported by teachers who provided sign language, the NBA players and Adidas staff volunteers shot hoops, mentored and coached the students.

“We’re thrilled to have these four NBA players join us today to not only show these students the fun of basketball, but the value of sport. Not only does sport build healthier lives, it also builds teamwork, confidence and life skills," said Colin Currie, Managing Director at Adidas Group Greater China.

Photo by Dime Magazine