| Hot (free) fun in the summertime |
|
|
|
She recommends becoming a member at museums and zoos
for the year-long free admission that comes with the membership.
With some, the benefits also extend to "sister" museums
and zoos across the country.
Sometimes, Corley says, "if you have a membership
to one museum or zoo and you're visiting grandma, you can go to
that one for free." This also works for some science centers
and aquariums, she says.
Corley also advises checking out several branches
of your local public library. Once, her children took a free course
in drawing comic books at the library.
Finding free things to do might seem like a simple
task. In even a metropolis such as Los Angeles, however, Rita Shuster
found herself overwhelmed, searching for classes and activities
for her three children.
"I was spending hours researching things to do
and classes to sign up for," Shuster says.
She longed for everything in one place.
Last year, she put her findings online at www.kidstuffLA.com.
With some 1,000 listings, the Web site has a good sampling of free
choices which include plays, kid clubs at the mall, museums, galleries,
storytelling, the science center, craft time at bookstores and restaurants
that offer free food for young ones.
"I created kidstuffLA.com to help myself and
others like me," Shuster says. Parents rate the activities
on the site and can write comments. "There's nothing better
than hearing what other parents have to say about services and products
for children. They are the real experts," she says.
When trolling for free activities, Shuster suggests
taking into account hidden costs.
"There are many free festivals throughout our
area. But only admission may be free," Shuster says. "After
you get there, you are usually hit up with parking fees, food costs
and sometimes tickets for rides and entertainment. So those types
of events are not truly free."
Cultural exposure
Shirley Russon Ririe, a long-time dance instructor and national
leader in the field of dance for children, encourages parents to
get children involved in physical activities this summer, particularly
since many schools are reducing art and physical education offerings.
These activities, she says, might not cost anything for parents
to develop, or participate in, but will offer many rewards for a
child's physical and intellectual well-being.
"Parents need to get children into things where
they're active and fill in some of those things that are missing,"
says Ririe, who is the co-founder of the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.
Ririe is also a member of the national advisory committee for the
nonprofit Young Audiences, which offers performing and visual art
programs for children in 32 locations nationwide -- some for free.
Parents who find activities and create games have
more success preventing their youngsters from "sitting and
playing video games and playing with their iPods," says Ririe,
who is based in Salt Lake City. Those very popular, sedentary activities
"are not very good for physical development or creativity.
Parents have to be even more proactive in getting their children
into things more active in nature."
|
