Summer programs for kids

Discovery Camp begins June 13th with a week of summer solstice fun! We are still taking registrations for all summer long. If your elementary age child would like to participate in one or more of the weeks, call the Museum at 385-5437 or stop by to pick up the registration form. Full information can also be found on our website at www.childrensmuseumhighlands.com.

SFCC's Camp Discovery will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Thursday, June 13 to July 1 and July 11-29, at the SFCC Highlands Campus. Young people ages 7 to 16 will participate in supervised educational activities, technology and art-related projects and recreation. An optional Friday program will take campers on field trips to local attractions.

During the first week of camp, June 13-17, campers will explore automotive racing by building and racing their own pinewood cars.

Campers will learn about architectural design June 20-24 by building houses with Lego blocks and making furniture from cardboard. A house-building contest will highlight the week.

A focus on public service will teach children about wilderness safety and give them a first-hand look at wild animals, June 27-July 1. Law enforcement experts will give demonstrations of fingerprinting and talk about the investigative techniques police officers use at crime scenes.

Camp Discovery will conclude July 25-29 with tours of a fire truck, an ambulance and a paramedic's lab. The highlight will be a landing by the Aeromed helicopter.

"What makes flour rise?" and other culinary mysteries will be explained during Safety in the Kitchen week, July 11-15.

During Carnival of Caring July 18-22, campers will play real-life nurses as they practice taking blood pressure readings, check vital signs, and learn about pool safety and CPR.

Children may enroll in any week of their choice or the entire camp, although pre-registration is required.

Cost is $100 for Monday-Thursday, and $25 for Friday field trips. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are provided each day, but campers may also bring their own meals. Drop-off begins at 7:30 a.m. each day; pick-up time extends to 5:30 p.m. Camp will not meet the week of July 4.

For information about Camp Discovery, call SFCC's Corporate and Community Education Department at 784-7388 or e-mail redickl@southflorida.edu. Registration forms and more information are available online at www.southflorida.edu/campdiscovery/

The Art Studio and Lake Placid Art League's annual summer art camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon June 13-24 and July 11-15 at the art league's building.

Classes will be watercolor for ages 9 and up; artsy craft for ages 6-9; and 3-D painting for ages 9 and up. Pre-registration is required.

The art league is located at 127 Dal Hall Blvd.

Call Jeni Novak at 273-9098, or email her at jenisartstudio@gmail.com

The Sebring Public Library has set its summer reading program.

Sign-up begins Thursday, June 9 and ends at the end of the day on June 30.

For the reading incentive part of the program, children must be 5 years old.

The focus this year is on stories that celebrate cultures around the world. Besides special programs on each of the continents, children may earn incentive prizes for the hours they read this summer.

All children, regardless of age eligibility for the incentive program, may attend story-times, programs and all events.

June events:

•Saturday, June 11 at 2 p.m. - at the Civic Center. "Reptile Discovery is back." Bruce Shwedick will present reptiles collected over the world, including a 20-foot-long albino python, a live Chinese alligator, a trained iguana, an alligator snapping turtle, a 20-foot anaconda and more.

•Wednesday, June 15 at 11 a.m. – "Celebrate Africa!" Story-time will feature Anansi tales and other folklore from Africa. After the stories, the participants make beaded friendship bracelets in traditional African colors.

•Thursday, June 16 beginning at 2 p.m. – "World Peace Day." Participants will make "world peace flags" in the style of Tibetan prayer flags to decorate the library.

•Wednesday, June 22 at 11 a.m. – "Celebrate America!" Celebrate the American continent with folktales from the U.S., Canada, and native peoples of both countries.

•Wednesday, June 29 at 11 a.m. – "Tribute to Antarctica!" Come hear about Antarctica, and stories about its native inhabitants, the penguins.

July events

•Wednesday, July 6 at 11 a.m. – Asia covers a vast area of many diverse countries. The session will concentrate on folktales to honor Japan. A poetry workshop will follow, where participants will create simple Haiku poetry, mount it on origami paper, and create a patchwork display on the library wall.

•Friday, July 8 at 2 p.m. – Florida dairy farmers will be here to present a special story-time "Alison Investigates," a chocolate milk mystery! Baby cow will be here for kids to pet, and free chocolate milk will be given out.

•Saturday, July 9 at 11 a.m. - Bob-Pop presents "Lively Lithuania," a special story-time on Eastern Europe with special emphasis on Lithuania.

•Wednesday, July 13 at 11 a.m. – "Destination Italy." Deb Frisco, children's library assistant presents "Viva Italia!" a program on Sicily. Story-time will include songs, stories, surprises and "mosaic" art project.

•Wednesday, July 20 at 11 a.m. – "Voyage to Oceania!" Australia, Polynesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and New Guinea are part of the continental area known as Oceania. The group will read "Diary of a Wombat" and other books, and create lucky shell charms.

•Friday, July 22 at 2 p.m. – "Local Heroes!" The firefighters of Sebring Fire Department present: "Fire Safety!" The firemen will teach you everything you need to know to be safe should a fire threaten. They will bring their big fire engine and special equipment to demonstrate their firefighting skills.

•Wednesday, July 27 at 11 a.m. - "Celebrate South America! Amazing Argentina!" Front desk staffer, Estela Patrick, brings a vibrant slice of her birth country, Argentina, to the world celebration. There will be stories, treats and picture frame hanging globe craft.

•Saturday, Aug 6 at 2 p.m. at the Civic Center – The "Tricky Dogs Show" with Ricky Martin!" Join Ricky and his playful pooches as they perform their amazing tricks. This is free to the public.

Highlands County 4-H will be holding a series a summer camps:

•Horse camp is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 10. Activities include riding a horse, seeing a real "equine dentist" in action, learning about horse health, equine safety and how to groom a horse. Cost is $30 and includes lunch.

•Summer art camp is from 9 a.m. to noon, June 13-15. Make your mini scrapbook, special treasure box and paint and draw. Cost is $30.

•Camp Cloverleaf in Lake Placid from June 20-24. It includes camping, archery, canoeing and kayaking, all meals, art supplies and a camp T-shirt. Cost is $195.

•Junior master gardeners from 9 a.m. to noon, June 27-29. Make your own hydroponic garden, learn how to make a compost bin, plant terrarium and other projects. Cost is $30.

For more information, call Kellie Duke at 402-6540, or email her at dkellieduke@ufl.edu

The Highlands Art League will hold the following classes:

•Watercolor painting taught by Owen Jolly for ages 7 and up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13-16. Cost is $60.

•Pottery taught by Darian Dumont for ages 5 and up from 1 to 3 p.m. June 20-23, 27-30 and July 11-14 and 18-21. Cost is $60 per week.

Pastel drawing taught by Owen Jolly for ages 7 and up from 10 a.m. to noon June 20-23. Cost is $60.

•Drawing and painting taught by Shirley Stone for ages 9-12 from 10 a.m. to noon July 5-8. Cost is $60.

•Explorations in contemporary expression taught by James Ward for ages 15 and up, including adults, from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 2, 4, 9, 11, 16 and 18. Cost is $79 per session. Highlands Art League members receive a 10 percent discount.

For more information, call the Highlands Art League at 385-6682.