by Anita DiGregory
Summer Family Fun
Well, summer is finally upon us. If your kids are anything like mine, they may already be climbing the walls (literally), looking for things to do with their newly acquired free time. Although many kids look forward to summer break all year, parents may feel the added stress of becoming a quasi-activities director in order to keep their kids from overloading on video games, screen time, and too much TV. Fortunately, our area offers many affordable activities for kids and families. Here are just a few fun festivities offered locally.
Participate in a summer reading program. Just because it is summer, doesn’t mean learning needs to stop. Fun, educational, and often free, these programs generally offer an assortment of prizes to entice young readers to challenge themselves. The Frederick County Library System offers parents the opportunity to sign up their children at the library or online (http://www.fcpl.org/programs-events/summer-reading) and then earn points for reading and completing different activities (http://bluetoad.com/publication/?i=383331#{“issue_id”:”409260”,”view”:”articleBrowser”,”article_id”:”2787840”}). Barnes & Noble also offers a program (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/summer-reading-for-kids/_/N-2mir), in which children can download a reading journal, read eight books, and return the completed journal to receive one of the free redeemable books listed on the back of the form.
Attend a storytime. Help transport your children to another place and time by fostering their imagination and encouraging them to read. The Frederick County Library System offers different options for storytime, crafts, and activities at their local branches (http://fcpl.evanced.info/signup/calendar). Barnes & Noble hosts storytime with stories, activities, and crafts on Wednesdays and Saturdays (http://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/2257). Dancing Bear in downtown Frederick also has storytime for little ones (http://dbeartoys.com/events).
Attend a workshop. Several stores in the community offer fun kid workshops. Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/workshops/#change_store) offers a hands-on class once a month for children and parents to build fun projects together. Joann Fabrics (http://www.joann.com/classes/), A.C. Moore (http://www.acmoore.com/specialpromo?spid=326), and Michael’s (http://www.michaels.com/classes-and-events/classesandevents) also offer classes for kids.
Shoot for the stars. The Earth and Space Science Lab (ESSL)provides a truly unique experience. A part of the community since 1962, the ESSL promotes all four earth sciences with a planetarium, observatory, arboretum, and critter cove (https://education.fcps.org/ESSL/content/essl-events-201617).
Get creative. The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center hosts free workshops for kids (http://delaplaine.org/classes-workshops/free-workshops-for-kids/).
Go bowling. Children registered in the kids bowl free program can receive two free games a day for the entire summer. Check the website for details (https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/).
Check out some of the offerings around town. Frederick County Parks and Recreation offers several classes and special day activities for kids (http://www.recreater.com/). Fun-filled family events are hosted year-round in Frederick (http://www.celebratefrederick.com/).
