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Inexpensive, Fun Summer Activities
By DEBBIE PETERSON

Saving your pennies for summer road trip gas? There are lots of fun activities for kids in Bryan/College Station that are free or a great value for your money.

Library Events
You can’t beat the library for free entertainment, and in addition to being able to check out books, books on CD, and DVDs, both the Bryan and College Station Libraries offer great activities as part of their free Summer Reading Programs. The Bryan Public Library’s program kicks off Saturday May 31 from 11am-12pm by welcoming the Southwest Dairy Farmer’s Mobile Classroom. Kids can pick up their reading club game board, see Bessie the Cow, and have milk and cookies. The other events are on Wednesdays and will be offered at both 11am and 2pm, except for Big Rigs, Police Dogs, and Read-a-Thon, which will be from 9:30am-11am. These events are: Big Rigs on June 4, Snakes Alive! on June 11, Storyteller Robbin Major on June 18, Kim Lehman: Music and Storytelling on June 25, Crazy Science Day on July 2, Police Dogs K-9 Unit on July 9, and Read-a Thon on July 16. The closing ceremonies will be July 23 at 11am, and an End of Summer Jubilee Costume Party will be July 26 at 11am.

The Larry J. Ringer Library in College Station will kick off their Summer Reading Program on June 4 from 3pm-8:30pm with free activities and food outside the library. Inside they will be holding a Scholastic Book Fair from 9am-9pm. On June 17 from 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm, the library will be celebrating the years 1958-1968 with a classic car display, popsicles, and a sock hop. Other reading program events will be celebrating various other decades on Tuesdays at 10am, 11am, 2pm, and 3pm, including: Scrapbooking Through the Decades on June 10, Musical Celebrations with Kim Lehman on June 24, 1968-1978: Blast Off to the Moon puppet show on July 1, 1978-1988: Play-A-Thon of Favorite Games on July 8, 1988-1998: From Books to TV on July 15, Make Your Own Musical Instrument on July 22, and the closing event Party Like It’s 1998-2008 and Beyond on July 30.

Both libraries also have regular story times for toddlers and preschoolers and events for teens as well as opportunities for teens to volunteer through the summer months. Call the libraries or check out their web site for more information.

Starlight Music Series
The College Station Starlight Music Series concerts, which are free outdoor concerts held at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater, continue into June. The gates open at 6pm, and families can come, spread out a blanket, bring a picnic dinner, and enjoy Max Stalling with guest Kathleen Brown on June 7 and The Big Time on June 14. Check out the College Station web site for information about the artists and all the details.

Water, Movies and Baseball
A great way to cool off on a hot day, the free splash pads at Bryan’s Tanglewood Park and Tiffany Park run from 10am-8pm and include fountains, buckets, and sprayers that allow kids to get soaking wet while parents can relax on nearby benches and covered pavilions.

Another inexpensive way to entertain the kids is the Summer Movie Clubhouse at Cinemark Movies 18. The movies are shown on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9:30am and only cost $1.00 a ticket. Parents can also purchase in advance 10 shows for only $5.00. The movies are all rated G or PG and include movies from the last year like Alvin and the Chipmunks, Shrek the Third, and Bee Movie. See the website for the complete schedule.

The Bryan Bombers are offering a good deal to encourage kids to come out to the baseball games this summer. Kids can join the Bomb Squad for $15.00, which includes free admission to Sunday home games, a T-shirt, special events, and other goodies.

Texas Reds Festival
The Texas Reds Festival in Downtown Bryan on June 20-21, which highlights steaks and wine, might sound like an event only for adults, but the Festival actually includes a Kids Zone open from 10am-8pm with lots of fun and free or reasonably priced activities for kids. Both the Brazos Valley Children’s Museum and the Bryan Library, located in the Kids Zone, will have free activities. The Children’s Museum will have free admission the day of the festival and have crafts, games, and more available. The Bryan Library will have a Crazy Science Show at 12:30 and 3:30pm, Fancy Nancy Story time and Crafts courtesy of the Girl Scouts at 1:30 inside the library, and a “Buggin’ Out Zoo” on the library lawn from 12pm-4pm. The Kids Zone will be featuring free entertainment especially for kids at the Kids Zone stage throughout the day.

For $10.00 parents can buy a wristband that allow kids unlimited access to all of the other activities like the petting zoo, climbing wall, zipline, bungee jump, and inflatable mechanical bull. If you are buying for several children, the wristbands are 3 for $25.00.

So save for gas money and still enjoy summer fun with your kids this summer in Bryan/College Station.

Water Safety Tips
By REBECCA WATTS

The importance of water safety came home to my family a little over a year ago when my four-year-old almost drown. We were gathered at our parent’s home in College Station, chatting on the front porch while our children explored the area. My four-year old son was playing with a watering can, filling it with small rocks, and dumping it out in the driveway beside the porch.

I don’t remember exactly how much time passed before I noticed I could no longer hear the thud of rocks hitting the plastic bottom of the can. We all immediately started spreading out searching and calling his name when I saw him at the bottom of the hill, floating in the pond, with the tiny plastic can bobbing along beside him. The memory of that moment will forever cause a quick shudder and a sick feeling inside my stomach.

But we are the lucky ones. With a family member’s quick thinking and properly performed CPR, my son fully recovered and by 10 p.m. that same night was charming the hospital staff. There is no brain damage. There are no lingering consequences.

According to the Safe Kids Worldwide organization, drowning is the leading cause of death of children aged one to four and the second leading cause of death for five to fourteen year olds. Over half of children’s drowning deaths occur during the summer months, an 89 percent increase over the annual average. As Brazos Valley pools, lakes, and ponds fill with visitors, it is important to follow some simple tips to keep children safe around the water.

• LEARN TO SWIM
The American Red Cross says learning to swim is the best method for staying safe around the water. The cities of Bryan and College Station, Aerofit fitness centers, and the Red Cross offer swimming lessons. The cost for these services is under $100 dollars.

• SUPERVISE
Regardless of your child’s swimming skills, it is important to watch children at all times while in, on, or near the water. The Red Cross recommends “Reach Supervision” for younger children, which means staying within arm’s reach at all times, and to be in a place that allows visible and vocal contact if the need arises to respond quickly.

• INVEST IN A GOOD FLOTATION DEVICE, BUT DON’T RELY ON IT
Personal flotation devices can make the water a much more enjoyable experience for both children and parents. Buy a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device for your child, but do not depend on the device. Flotation devices are subject to wear and tear and can suddenly shift or slip.

• LEARN CPR
Knowing proper CPR can alter the outcome of a life-threatening situation. The College Station Medical Center, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Head Start, the American Red Cross, and several other Brazos Valley organizations offer CPR courses.

Following these simple tips could be all it takes to avoid a tragic accident in your family.