Keeping Up With The Kids

Spring Safari
Charlotte County Community Services will host a Spring Safari-themed event on Saturday, May 4, 9am to noon, at Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park, 6791 San Casa Drive. There will be a safari scavenger hunt, face painting, live animal show, games and crafts. This is a free family-friendly event, part of the REC2U mobile program unit. So come have some family fun! For questions, call Lisa at 941•681•3760 or email [email protected].

Soccer Tryouts
West Coast Chaos announces 2024/25 competitive soccer tryouts at the Englewood Sports Complex, 1300 S. River Road. Girls U9-U19 (2017-2006) will be Monday & Tuesday, May 6 & 7, 6 to 8pm. Boys U9-U19 (2017-2006) will be Wednesday & Thursday, May 8 & 9, 6 to 8pm. On Saturday, May 11 (time to be announced) will be boys & girls (2017-2006). Please visit https://sports.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1021616 for more information about this competitive program. For more information about the league, visit englewoodsoccer.com.

Lego Club is Back
The Lego Club is back at Elsie Quirk Library. Work on your own creations or build as a team. Legos are provided; you provide the imagination. The Lego Club will meet on Wednesday, May 8, 6 to 7:30pm, and is open to ages five and up. No registration needed. The library is located at 100 W. Dearborn Street and can be reached at 941•861•1110.

Full STEAM Ahead
Kids can register for an hour of hands-on STEAM-tastic fun on Friday, May 10, 4:30 to 5:30pm, at the Englewood Charlotte Library, 3450 N. Access Road. Each month, kids will explore concepts in science, technology, engineering, art and math during this free program. Dress for a mess. You must register each child by calling 941•681•3736 or online at charlottecountyfl.libcal.com. 

SKY Academy Art Show  & Dinner
SKY Academy Englewood invites you to attend their First Annual Art Show on Friday, May 10, 5 to 7pm, at the school, 871 S. River Road. Come view the students’ artwork and pick up a dinner prepared by Nicola’s Italian Kitchen. There will also be a silent auction. This event is a fundraiser for the school art department supplies and the student art club. Dinner is $15 pp and orders need to be placed by Friday, May 3rd. Donations and dinner orders can be placed at @skyenglewoodboosterclub. For questions, call Katie Jones at [email protected].

Moms Deserve the Best Event
Charlotte County Community Services invites kids and their mother figure to celebrate together on Saturday, May 10, 5 to 7pm, at Centennial Park Rec Center, 1185 Centennial Blvd, Port Charlotte. Participants will have the opportunity to decorate cupcakes and create a craft for their mother. Each family will receive four cupcakes to decorate, and each child will be provided a craft; all supplies will be provided. Registration is required as supplies are limited; both programs are $10 per family. Register now at tinyurl.com/OurMomsDeservetheBest or call 941•613•3230. Dads, you aren’t forgotten. Father’s Day Delights will be Saturday, June 15, 5 to 7pm, also at the Centennial Park Rec Center. Register by Monday, June 3rd at tinyurlcom/FathersDayDelights.

Venice Theatre’s teen improv troupe, “The Teenyboppers”, is holding a new round of auditions on Saturday, May 11, 10am, in the Raymond Center at the theatre, 140 Tampa Avenue West, Venice. Students, grades 9 to 12, should come dressed comfortably and be ready to play. Weekly rehearsals will be Saturdays from 11am to 12:30pm and culminate in three ticketed evening performances July 24-26. No experience is required. For more information, visit venicetheatre.org.

Read with the Dogs
The Elsie Quirk Library invites kids to drop in and read to the Suncoast Humane Society’s furry friends. This monthly program encourages conversation and develops reading and communication skills for children preschool to 12 years old. The May “Read with the Dogs” will be Monday, May 13, 3:30 to 4:30pm, at the library located at 100 W. Dearborn Street. For questions, call 941•861•1225.

Pollinator Powerhouses
 Kids, ages 6 to 12, are invited to participate in a free program on Saturday, May 18, 2 to 3pm, at the Port Charlotte Library, 2280 Aaron Street, Port Charlotte. “Pollinator Powerhouses” was created by a local teen volunteer to teach families about the importance of pollinators in the environment. Kids will learn about pollinators, plant their own bean seeds to learn how plants grow and more. Register online at thearcticalligator.com. For questions, call 941•764•5562.

Quirky Crafts for Teens
Tweens and teens are invited to attend Quirky Crafters on Wednesday, May 22, 4 to 5pm, at the Elsie Quirk Library, 100 W. Dearborn Street. You will learn to how to use patterns to make cool designs using Perler beads and use heat to fuse them into place. No strings necessary. No registration is needed for Basic Perler Bead Crafting. For questions, call 941•861•1110. This program is sponsored by the Friends of Elsie Quirk Library.

Make a Friendship Bracelet
Make a friendship bracelet during Quirky Crafts on Tuesday, May 28, 4 to 5pm, at the Elsie Quirk Library, 100 W. Dearborn Street. This free program is open to all tweens and teens. Bring your creativity and make a braided or beaded friendship bracelet. No registration needed. Sponsored by the Friends of Elsie Quirk Library. For questions, call 941•861•1110.

Youth Theatre Classes
Theater classes for youth are scheduled at Venice Theatre this summer. Technical Theatre Camp for Grades 3 to 8 with Kelly Duyn begins Thursday, May 30, 1pm, and runs for five weeks. Tuition $120. Theatre Extravaganza-Camp for Grades K-2 with Kelly Duyn starts Monday, June 10, 9am, and runs for two weeks. Tuition $230. Act! Sing! Dance! For Grades 3-8 with Kelly Duyn runs for three weeks beginning Monday, June 24 at 8:30am. Tuition $335. Teen Cabaret Performs for Grades 9-12 with Brad Wages starts Monday, July 1 at 1pm and runs for four weeks. Tuition $335. For class descriptions and registration, go to venicetheatre.org. Venice Theatre is located at 140 Tampa Avenue West, Venice.

Youth Sailing Camps
Englewood Sailing Association is offering three sessions of sailing camp for youth, ages 10 to 17, this summer. Each session runs five days and by the last day, most students will be able to sail a small boat by themselves. Students will learn how to rig their own boat, and how to navigate Lemon Bay. The session dates are Monday through Friday, June 3-7, June 17-21 and July 8-12, from 9am to 3pm at Indian Mound Park, 210 Winson Avenue. Each session is $200 per student and financial aid is available. Students must be able to swim, and a swim test is required. Families are invited for lunch and to sail with their student on the last day. For more information and registration, visit englewoodsailing.org. For questions, call Cathy at 410•426•6742.

Nature Summer Camps
Are you looking for a fun way for your kids to learn about nature and science over summer break? Kids, age eight to twelve, are invited to attend Summer Camp at Cedar Point Environmental Center, 2300 Placida Road. This camp is perfect for kids interested in ecology, outdoor adventures and summer fun. Camp hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm. Each week’s session offers a different theme. June 3-7: Treasure Island - embark on a treasure hunt to unravel buried fossils, dinosaur bones, seashells and ancient artifacts. June 10-14: Eagle Heights - learn to look at the world from a bird’s eye view and follow the fundamentals of birding, space exploration and science innovations. June 17-21: Everglades Survivors - adopt hunter & gatherer earth skills such as fire building, shelter building and identifying edible native plants in Florida. June 24-28: Dive into the Deep. Explore the underwater world of Charlotte Harbor by wading, fishing, swimming and more. Program fee is $195 per child per week. Note: lunch is not included. Pre-care & post-care is available for $10 per hour. You can register at checflorida.org/camps2024. For more information, call 941•475•0769 or email [email protected].

See How Fun Opera Is
Sarasota Youth Opera invites young people between the ages of eight and 18 to explore the exciting world of opera through its summer camp weekdays Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 28, 10am to 4pm, with a one- or two-week session available for children aged eight to 10 and a three-week session for young singers ages 11 to 18. Camp is held at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota. Cost varies according to camp session and age group. No audition required. Registration deadline is Wednesday, May 15. For more information, visit sarasotaopera.org/summer-camp or call 941•328•1329.

Congratulations to the Lemon Bay High School Boys Tennis team. They are District Champions, finishing the tournament without a loss at any position. Pictured here (l-r): Coach Seamus McCarthy, Jordan Clay, Logan McGinty, Hunter Andres, Steven Ethier, Nils Ruhland, Brynner Hitt. Steven Ethier qualified to go to the State tournament at #1 singles, and he and partner Hunter Andres will go to States at #1 doubles. Unfortunately, they fell short in their matches.

A big congratulations to the Lemon Bay Girls Tennis Team. They traveled to Naples on 4/25, and defeated the Aubrey Roger Patriot Girls, in the 2A Region 6 Finals by a score of 4-0. The Manta Ray Girls qualified for the Florida State Tennis Team Finals Tournament, Elite 8, and travelled to Orlando on Monday, April 29. Unfortunately, the girls’ streak came to an end after a tiebreaker in their second doubles match . This is Lemon Bay’s 9th Regional Title since 2010, and their first Team trip back to the Girls State Tennis Finals since 2017. Pictured here (l-r): Coach Darrell Roach, Sihara Padrino, Kenzie DeLong, Parker Zautcke, Alaina Maday, Avery Shirley, Rosey Lowder.