It's too HOT!

What is a family of children to do now that school is out?

Swimming is an obvious choice! Prestwood Country Club on beautiful Prestwood Lake has a great pool, tennis courts and more; visit them on-line at www.prestwoodcc.org or call them at 332-9391 for membership information.

Hartsville Country Club is not just for golf, they have tennis courts and a pool available. Call for their special social memberships at 332-1441. The Sonoco Lakeview Club is for Sonoco members and their guests. The Hartsville YMCA has wonderful summer programs with a huge indoor pool perfect for staying fit for the whole family; visit their website at www.upperpdymca.org for more information. They are generously offering “City Swim” from June 9 - August 14, 3:15-4:45 p.m., free to Hartsville residents. “Anyone with proof of Hartsville residence is welcome to participate in the city-sponsored swim time at the Y pool. ID cards will be issued and must be presented at each visit. Adult supervision is required for children under 13,” Y officials say. Lake Robinson has several boat landings, including Easterling’s Landing for fun in the sun.

Cool mornings and early evenings are great for visiting our two free local parks. The newly renovated Lawton Park on Prestwood Drive is a great picnic spot for families, with covered picnic table areas, tennis courts, swings and playground equipment. Byerly Park on 14th Street and Russell Road boasts soccer fields, walking trails, running track, playground equipment, tennis courts and ball fields.

Kalmia Gardens of Coker College is always a beautiful treat for children and offers a neat experience on June 25, “Canoeing on Black Creek” and their ever-popular “Week in the Wild” camps July 7 – August 1. Contact Dan Hill at the Joslin Education Center at 383-8145 or dhill@coker.edu for more information. Kalmia Gardens is free to the public and open daily from dawn to dusk.

For some non-TV, FREE indoor fun, try these ideas:

Black Creek Arts Council is offering classes and art camps for the summer months. They have something for all ages, including: Kindermusik for babies and small children; violin lessons; beginning clay classes; Camp Creative; and Russian language. Call them at 332-6234 and visit their website at: www.blackcreekarts.org/ for more information.

The Hartsville Museum on 222 N. 5th Street, next to the Hartsville Center Theater is a fun, interactive and educational experience your children will love. Not only is it air conditioned, it's designed perfectly for children. The museum is all on one floor (you can't lose them, even if you try) and there are sections that they are allowed to touch. Learning about where you live is great fun at this museum... and it's free! Their hours are Monday – Friday 10 a.m. until 5p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. until 2p.m.

The Hartsville Memorial Library is just full of great things, from children's computers, a fun reading castle and rocking chair area, and of course... books galore. Go on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. in the conference room for a great FREE kid program. Ask at the desk for a Summer Reader's Program.
While at the library, check out some books on crafts, sewing, art or cooking for more indoor fun.

Cooking: But, the mess! Just encourage them to help clean up. Even older kids get bored when the temperatures soar, so last summer I got my daughter a cupcake book and some cake decorating supplies and just let her teach herself.

Sewing: Even boys enjoy learning to sew, promise! And you don't have to get a lot of supplies. Use some of their outgrown clothing, a large bag of polyfil, needles and thread and let them design their own pillows. When my sons were small, they enjoyed sewing very much. We still have some odd shaped pillows made from the leg of some outgrown camouflage pants, and some sport shirts with the arms, neck and bottom sewed up... not expertly sewed, but sewed up just the same. And hand sewing takes a lot of time and patience, something that kids bombarded by media are sorely lacking. Designing original stuffed animals is pretty cool, too.

Crafts: The library has a ton of good craft books, and of course the internet is a tremendous resource. Sometimes the kids just need to be inspired on new things to try; crayons and coloring books can be pretty boring after a while. Take out some great art books and let the kids explore an artist at a time. You'll be surprised how well a child can mimic an artist's work after they've been immersed in the images of an artist. Your child's version of the Mona Lisa may have pink hair, but she'll be a totally original piece of art.

Writing Letters: How often do we get "real" mail anymore? Encourage the kids write letters to their elderly relatives. The letter doesn't have to be long, just the practice of composing, addressing an envelope and mailing it will be reinforced tenfold when they are sure to get a phone call from the recipient...and better yet- maybe even a letter in return.

So, turn off the TV, and have some indoor summer fun!