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Fun things to do defy the summer doldrumsBy KATHERINE SNOW SMITH © St. Petersburg Times, published May 27, 2001 My 4-year-old asks the same question every night before bed: "Mommy, what are we going to do tomorrow?" I usually tell her she'll go to school in the morning, then we'll see what happens. But for the next 12 weeks, my answer cannot include school. What it will include, I'm not exactly sure. I ran a column last summer of places to go with kids that were free, inexpensive or at least cool. So, after asking around and racking my brain, here are some new ideas for this summer. Largo Central Park. Yes, it is worth the drive. The biggest playground I've seen and, better, it sits under a canopy of huge oaks. Along with the monkey bars, swinging bridges, slides and sand, there are several purple dinosaurs the children can climb, ride and rock. There is a life-size car with steering wheels. The playground is split into areas for older and younger children. The whole thing is fenced in to inhibit any wandering. The first full weekend of each month, the local train club gives free train rides from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on miniature replicas of actual locomotives. The ride lasts about 10 minutes and is on a permanent track that winds between trees, beside flowers and statues, and across a little pond. Donations are requested when you board. The Largo Cultural Center shows children's plays. The summer schedule includes Little Red Riding Hood, Sinbad and Sleeping Beauty. There's also a public library. At East Bay Drive and Seminole Boulevard. Call 586-7415 for more information. Kids Clips. Across the street from Largo Central Park, there is a hair salon for children. They sit on airplanes and animals during their haircut. They watch videos and throw their towel in a big plastic hippo when they're done. There are toys, books and lollipops for waiting siblings. Cuts cost $10 for 2- to 11-year-olds and $6 for children under 2. Walk-ins only. 1130 East Bay Drive. 585-1400. Boyd Hill Nature Park, 1101 Country Club S, St. Petersburg, offers lots of shade over 3 miles of paved paths and boardwalks and 2 miles of dirt roads. The trails wind through woods, around ponds and past Lake Maggiore. Jungle Boogie, 11:15 a.m. every Wednesday, is for children 3 to 5 years old to walk the trails, learn about nature and sometimes make a craft. Parents stay with their kids and can bring younger siblings, too. Boyd Hill also has a playground and you can get inside the air conditioning at the South Branch Public Library inside the grounds. Tuesdays and Thursdays, the park is open until 8 p.m. and has tables for evening picnics. Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army and thrift stores. My girls like exploring here, pointing out the fake fur stoles and ceramic Bugs Bunny figurines. On a recent trip to the Salvation Army, my 2-year-old found a working ice cream scoop for 29 cents that is now the favorite piece in the play kitchen. We got her sister a fan with Chinese letters for 79 cents and a box of dollhouse trees and lawn chairs for 49 cents for both girls. The Goodwill store on Gandy Boulevard is our source for dress-up clothes. My best find was a beaded white taffeta first communion dress for $5. I paid another $5 for a used veil and my daughter had a bride outfit for Halloween. City recreation centers. Many are hosting camps, but some will continue to have classes such as crafts, cooking or dance that meet just once a week. The Azalea Recreation Center has a great "toddlercise" class on Tuesday mornings through the end of June. Children 13 months through 4 years play miniature basketball, crawl through tunnels, walk the balance beam and march in a parade while playing their own music. It costs $4.50 a child and $2.25 for each sibling. I've taken my 4-year-old to the playroom at the BayWalk theaters in St. Petersburg three times since it opened. She masters the computer, plays with a big dollhouse, makes crafts and reads books she doesn't have at home. And the kids get to eat popcorn and watch a movie on the wide-screen television. There is strict security to ensure nobody but the teachers are in the playroom, not even parents picking up kids. You and your child have matching bracelets and you have a beeper so they can reach you. The drawback: It's only for children ages 3 to 8. If you have children over and under 3, as I do, try teaming up with another couple and take turns staying home with the younger siblings while the other takes the older ones to the movies. Summer pajama story time. I know this sounds like something out of Norman Rockwell, but a friend of mine has organized a weekly bedtime reading in front yards around our neighborhood. Kids show up after dinner and baths in their pajamas and bring their own milk or juice. The hosting parents provide a snack and read a few of their kids' favorite books. We are going to try it in front or back yards, so the readers won't have to compete with indoor toys. We might move it inside if the heat, noise or bugs are too much. Here are some of the more popular suggestions from last summer's column. Bill Jackson sporting goods store, 9501 U.S. 19 N in Pinellas Park, is full of tents, scuba suits, stuffed buffalo, moose and owls. H&R Trains, 6901 U.S. 19 in Pinellas Park, has a model train that crosses a pond and winds up a mountain. The Pier in downtown St. Petersburg has a free aquarium, tourist stores and Great Explorations the Hands-On Museum, which has new exhibits about children's diversity and bubbles. Your local library has story hours for all ages each week in the morning or evenings. ParkSide mall, U.S. 19 and Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas Park, offers room to roam, a play area with bridges and stages, a Dairy Queen, pizza stand, Chick-fil-A, toy store and an ice skating rink that's fun to watch. Your local fire station offers free tours to groups as small as six. Party supply stores and pet stores.
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