The giant game room at Boomers in Boca Raton contains activities for children young and old,
from mazes to video games to dance jams to redemption games.
Photo provided
By Janis Fontaine
It’s hot out there.
Weather experts recommend you (and your kids) stay in during the hottest part of the day. We offer ideas for things to do with the A/C running.
By the way, these suggestions work on rainy days, too!
Go to a museum
The Boca Raton Children’s Museum helps children become critical thinkers and stresses the importance of learning science, technology, engineering and math through exposure to history, sciences, humanities and the arts.
With classes designed for little fingers and unique programming to keep kids’ interest, this is a great place to spend a hot afternoon.
Also notable: Two of Boca Raton’s few historical buildings are located here. Singing Pines (circa 1913) and The Cottage (circa 1935) are on site.
The Boca Raton Children’s Museum is at 498 Crawford Blvd. Call 368-6875.
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The Boca Raton Museum of Art in Mizner Plaza offers programs for kids, teens and families.
For the younger kids (grades 3-5), consider ART-E-OLOGY. This monthly activity focuses on one artist on exhibit. Students are encouraged to explore and even master the artist’s style in their own work. Upcoming classes include “Carol Prusa: Doodle Creatures” on Aug. 6 and “Carlos Cruz-Diez: Op Art Designs,” Sept. 10.
A teen class on video production is Aug. 9.
ARTful Adventure Sunday is a family program that celebrates the visual arts and is appropriate for all ages. Upcoming classes include “Pen and Ink Masterpieces” on Aug. 7 and pencil drawings Sept. 11.
Call 392-2500 or visit www.bocamuseum.org.
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The Children’s Science Explorium in Sugar Sand Park is best for kids ages 5 to 12. Interactive exhibits and hands-on learning spark the imagination. The park is at 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Call 347-3900 or visit www.scienceexplorium.org.
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The Schoolhouse Children’s Museum, at 129 E. Ocean Ave. in Boynton Beach, has two floors of hands-on exhibits where kids can learn art, music and the sciences. Visit www.schoolhousemuseum.org or call 742-6780.
Get them cooking
Sign up your kids for a cooking class at Sur La Table and they can help get dinner on the table. Classes include Science in the Kitchen for Kids and Science in the Kitchen for Teens. It’s in Mizner Park at 438 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. 953-7628; www.stores.surlatable.com/en/mizner-park.
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The Publix Apron Cooking School offers Creative Kids Cooking Classes for ages 8-12 and Creative Cooking for Teens for ages 13-18 at the Publix at Polo Club Shoppes, 5050 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton. Call 994-4883 or visit www.publix.com/aprons/school.
Visit a nature center
Much of the charm and appeal of the 20-acre Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex is outside, but the center has indoor exhibits as well, including the Sea Turtle Garden and a gopher tortoise exhibit. Indoor aquarium feedings take place at 2:30 p.m. every day. There’s also a gift shop run by the Friends of Gumbo Limbo perfect for browsing. Gumbo Limbo is at 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Call 544-8605 or visit www.gumbolimbo.org.
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The Sandoway House Nature Center’s sole purpose is educating people about the marine environment, its plants and animals, challenges and treasures. If you’ve never seen The Albert and Ann Becker Shell Collection, it contains nearly 10,000 museum-quality shells, although only 3,000 are on display. The shells were donated to the Sandoway House by the Beckers’ niece when they died.
The second-floor library has books on nature for readers of all levels, plus a place to draw or use the computer. The museum is at 142 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. Call 274-7263 or visit www.sandoway.org.
See a movie
Theaters have always been a cool, dark place to escape the elements (and your life) and today it’s easier than ever to eat yourself into a food coma while you’re bombarded with incredible sensory input. At the renovated iPic Theaters, 301 Plaza Real in Boca Raton, you’ll get lounge chair seating with side tables for your food, which can be delivered right to your seat. Call 299-3000 or visit www.ipic.com.
Be a filmmaker
Sugar Sand Park is looking for kids ages 6-17 who love to make movies to enter the fifth annual Kids’ Scary Film Festival. Filmmakers need to submit their films on DVD with an entry form and $5 fee by Sept. 23.
The grand prize is a GoPro camera, plus having your film screened during Shriek Weekends 2016, Oct. 21-22 and 27-29. This year’s theme is Florida’s Terrifying Tourist Traps. Awards and prizes will be presented at a November ceremony at Sugar Sand Park Community Center.
For more information, visit www.SugarSandPark.org/shriek-week-film-festival.
Arcades and bowling alleys
Strikes at 21046 Commercial Trail, Boca Raton, opens at 9 a.m. and offers free bowling for kids who sign up. It also has an arcade and pool tables. Call 368-2177 or visit www.strikesbocaraton.com
Boomers, 3100 Airport Road, Boca Raton, is the epitome of play lands for kids of all ages. You can easily waste an afternoon indoors at the game stop. Call 347-1888 or visit www.boomersparks.com.
Indoor playgrounds
Children 6 months to 6 years are welcome to come for air-conditioned fun at the Boca Play Station, 2240 NW 19th St., Boca Raton.
Monkey Joe’s at 11411 W. Palmetto Park Road is an indoor inflatable play center for ages 12 and younger with a snack bar and toddler area. Walk-ins are welcome. Kids must wear socks.
Call 488-2272 or visit www.monkeyjoes.com.
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