CURE BOREDOM

STORY BY BETSY ILER

Adventure Abounds

From outdoor adventures at local parks to library reading programs, there's a summer adventure for every child.

Add some spark to summer when boredom sets in for the kids with a host of fun and creative activities at local venues, from art camp in downtown Dadeville to watching a children’s play. Alabama Extension Service, Wind Creek State Park and others have put together programs that will give the kids something to talk about when they return to school next fall.

Fill out their summer calendars with reading programs, fishing, swimming, art and theater with these events and activities. You don’t even need to tell them they’ll be learning while they’re doing it. June 21 is 4-H Fishing Day, when Tallapoosa County 4-H members between 9 and 18 years of age will spend the morning fishing and learning about water quality at Crooked Oaks in Notasulga. The $15 cost includes lunch. Call Trent Carboni at 256-825-1050 or email him at stc0011@ auburn.edu to sign up. Feed their creative juices mid-summer with the 2022 Tallapoosa County 4-H Art Camp from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Zazu’s Verandah in Dadeville on July 19. Children ages 9 through 18 will spend all day with talented local artists for hands-on painting, drawing, pottery, crafts and more. The cost for this inspiring experience is $30, which includes lunch and all art supplies. Email Trent Carboni at stc0011@auburn.edu for details and registration.

Sign them up for 4-H STEM Camp on July 26, too. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., they’ll experience all things STEM, from drones to rockets, aerospace and more. This camp costs $15, which includes lunch. To register, email Carboni.

And when it’s all over, send them to the Tallapoosa County 4-H Back 2 School Bash at DARE Park in Jacksons Gap on Aug. 2. For $5 each, kids will celebrate the end of summer with swimming, games, lunch and more 4-H fun. Contact Carboni for details and registration.

Treat the kids to an outdoor Disney movie on July 1 when First Baptist Church of Dadeville hosts a showing of Over the Hedge on a 33-foot screen on church grounds. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. The church will serve popcorn and treats and will have some giveaways for the kids. The gathering begins at 7 p.m., and the movie will roll at dark. The church will show The Wizard of Oz on Aug. 1.

Reading is fun when it’s accompanied by special programs at the local children’s libraries. This year, the theme is Oceans of Possibilities, and Mamie’s Place Children’s Library in Alexander City will host a variety of programs to pique the kids’ interest in books. From a ventriloquist at 10 a.m. on June 21 to live lizards and snakes on July 14, this year’s reading program will keep kids gasping with surprise and cringing at the creepycrawlies. Visit alexandercityal.gov/ library/page/mamies-place-childrenslibrary for program dates and events. Wind Creek State Park has planned a summer full of fun for kids, whether they are camping or lodging guests or local children. Overnight guests at the park are

admitted to these activities for free, and activities are open to day-use guests with paid park admission.

Stop by the park’s Clubhouse between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. on June 17 and 24 for an interpretive program that will connect them to the natural world through art, storytelling, games and more. Then, visit the gazebo from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on those same days to learn about happenings around the park, from the sites along the trails to wildlife movements.

Also offered at noon on June 17 and 24 is the Ranger Buddies program. Park rangers keep Wind Creek State Park safe, and at Ranger Buddies presentations, they will share the ins and outs of their work. Join them at the Clubhouse.

Better bring the A-game on June 18 because the Wind Creek Water Wars will be on from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clubhouse field. Water gun fights, water games, an inflatable water slide and more will be on tap. Kids should bring a towel, water gun or super soaker, sunscreen, clothes that can get wet and a change of dry clothes for after the fun.

On June 25, Wind Creek interpreters will show and tell how drops of rain, blades of grass, flocks of birds and herds of deer are all connected in the natural world. This program about the invisible web of life will open kids’ eyes to broad applications in nature from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Clubhouse.

And from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the topic will be the magic of mimicry, that powerful tool that plants and animals use to survive. Join park interpreters at the Clubhouse for this fun and interactive program.

The programs and activities at the Wind Creek State Park Gazebo and Clubhouse, including Ranger Buddies, will continue on Saturdays through July.

At the end of July, take the kids to a live stage performance of A MidSummer Camp’s Dream at 7 p.m. The Alexander City Theatre II production introduces kids of all ages to the literary genius of Shakespeare with a script and setting that have been adapted for children. And children will play all of the parts in this one-hour production, as well. This play is presented free of charge, thanks to the generosity of business and individual sponsors. Visit the ACT II Facebook page for location to be announced soon.

Don’t forget that every Friday night, all summer long, Russell Lands hosts lawn games, hoola-hoops and more during Friday on the Green events at Russell Crossroads. These family-friendly free concerts are a great place for kids to meet new summer friends and have no-tech fun with family.

And on a hot summer day, let them cool off at the Splashplex at Alexander City’s Charles E. Bailey Sportplex. It's free and open for use during regular park hours.

With so many opportunities for fun, there’s no cause for boredom this summer.

Summer Adventure

Clockwise from Top Left: From a 4-H fishing day in Notasulga to fun at the Splashplex in Alexander City and an arts camp in Dadeville, a full summer is waiting for kids of all ages.