Dearborn Recreation & Parks Department Presents

SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

A fun-filled summer awaits Dearborn children, thanks to the many classes, activities and programs offered by the Dearborn Recreation & Parks Department.

Art Classes—offered June 20-24, July 11-15 and August 22-26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Studio B at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. Childrenages 7-11 can let their imagination run wild while exploring a variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpting and working with found objects. Bring a bag lunch and dress appropriately. Cost/session: $130, which includes all supplies. Register at the box office of the Michael A. Guido Theater Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 943-2354.

Day Camp—“SummerCamp at The Center" offers eight, one-week sessions, running weekdays from8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., tailored to children ages 5-11. Activities include sports, rock wall climbing, swimming, group games, arts & crafts, and board games, as well as special events, such as scavenger hunts and talent shows. Sessions begin on June 20, June 27, July 5, July 11, July 18, July 25, August 1and August 8. Register at the service desk of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. Cost/week: $140 for passholders at The Center, $170 for residents, $200 for non-residents. Siblings receive a $20 discount. 943-2350.

Engineering for Kids Camp (Junior Robotics)---open to kids, ages 4-7, this camp, which meets June 27-29 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center from 9 a.m. to noon, is a perfect mixture of fun and learning using Lego bricks. Participants build an airplane for rescue, a sailboat to escape a storm, and more. They also learn how to program and operate their creations using a laptop computer. Cost: $110 for passholders and $120 for residents. Register at the service desk. 943-2350.

Engineering for Kids Camp (Chemical Engineering)--this camp, which meets July 25-27 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center from 9 a.m. to noon, introduces young engineers to fundamental concepts of solids, liquids and solutions. Participants investigate the properties of several crazy concoctions and produce their own samples of bubbles, play dough, flub and more. Cost: $110 for passholders and $120 for residents. Register at the service desk. 943-2350

Fishing Derby—Twentieth Annual Children’s Fishing Derby, conducted at Camp Dearborn June 12 from

8 a.m. to noon. Free with paid gate admission. 943-2350.

Football and Cheerleading—offeredthrough two of the three franchises (Pioneers, Thunderbirds and Tractors) administered by the Dearborn Youth FootballAssociation. Each franchise has four teams—junior freshman (ages 7-8), freshman (ages 9-10), junior varsity, (ages 11-12) and varsity (ages 13-14)—and is aligned to one of the city’s three public high schools. Openings for both football players and cheerleaders remain for each franchise. Practice begins August 8at Edsel Ford High School (Thunderbirds) and Ford Field (Tractors). Registration information can be found at

Golf Instructional Clinics/Leagues—at the Robert Herndon Dearborn Hills Golf Course. The “Putters” program for youngsters ages 9-11 offers two, four-week sessions (June 21-July 12 and July 19-August 9), each of which begins with an instructional clinic and includes the subsequent three weeks of three-to-six hole league play. Cost: $70. The “Drivers” program for youngsters ages 12-15 begins with an instructional clinic on June 21 and includes the subsequent seven weeks of nine-hole league play. Cost: $135. Register at the Robert Herndon Dearborn Hills Golf Course. 563-GOLF.

Hockey Camps—conductedby Vigilante Hockey Camps at the Dearborn Ice Skating Center July 25-29 (Mite Power Skating and Skills Camp, 9:30-11 a.m.) and August 1-5 (Squirt/PeeWee Day Camp, 9 a.m.-

2 p.m. and Bantam/Midget Day Camp, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.). Register at Discounts for early registrations and multiple registrations from the same family.

Ice Skating Lessons—classes meet once a week for six weeks beginning July 18. Classes include all levels of freestyle, Basic 6-8 and Adult, Mondays from 5-5:40 p.m.; Beginner through Basic 5 and Tot Team, Mondays from 5:40-6:20 p.m.; and Beginner through Basic 8, Wednesdays from 12:10-12:50 p.m. Cost: $65 for Dearborn residents. 943-4098.

Ice Skating—open ice skating is offered at the Dearborn Ice Skating Center (DISC). Call for times and fees. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. 943-4098.

Mad Science Camp (Fantastic Discoveries)----participants in this camp, which meets August 15-19 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will help solve ecological problems, explore the animal kingdom, investigate scientific concepts involved in all aspects of sports and use secret messages and special codes. Open to kids ages 6-12. Cost: $175 for passholders and $190 for residents. Register at the service desk. 943-2350.

Photography Camp—a cooperative venture with the Arab American National Museum, the SURA Photography Program Summer Camp features classroom instruction in the use of digital cameras for youngsters ages 11-15. One-week sessions run June 20-24 and July 18-22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost/session: $150 for Arab American National Museum members and $180 for non-members. Visit for further information.

Playgrounds—Supervised Summer Playground Program operates at 12 city parks and playgrounds from June 20through August 12, offering elementary-age children such activities as arts & crafts, board games, active group games, special events and carnivals, all under the watchful eyes of trained supervisors. Sites scheduled to operate Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. and Friday from10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. include Cherry Hill, Crowley, Dearborn High Tot Lot, Ford Woods, Levagood, Myrtle-Martha, Oxford, Penn-Vassar, Rosalie, Schemansky, Summer-Stephens and Ten Eyck. The program will operate only in the morning at Rosalie and in the afternoon at Ford Woods. Free. 943-2353.

Soccer Camps—conducted by Dearborn Soccer at Crowley Park for players U6-U18. Camps run July 11-14 and July 18-21 from 9-11:30 a.m. Registration is at Cost/camp: $150 through July 1 and $175 after July 1. (313) 471-4916 or (734) 560-0209.

Spray Parks—open at Crowley and Hemlock Parks daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free. No pool tag required. 943-2350.

Swimming (Indoor)—offered at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center daily from 1-5 p.m. starting June 20. Cost: Daily resident admission fee ($7 for children ages 4-12 and $9 for youngsters ages 13-17), free for passholders. 943-2350.

Swimming (Outdoor)—open swimming will be offered at Ford Woods, Lapeer, Summer-Stephens and Ten Eyck daily from 1-6 p.m. beginning June 18 and at Dunworth weekdays from 1-8 p.m. and weekends from noon-8 p.m. starting June 20. Schedules will change in mid-August. Pool tags, good for unlimited admittance to the outdoor pools, are available at the service desk of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: $45 for school-aged youngsters under age 18 ($120 for non-residents). Resident youth admission without a pool tag is $10 per day at Dunworth and $9 per day at the other four pools. Non-resident rates are $12 and $11, respectively. 943-2350.

Swimming Lessons—offered at each of the outdoor pools in two-week sessions that run Monday through Thursday. Sessions at Dunworth Pool run June 20-30, July 5-14, July 18-28 and August 1-11. Sessions at the other neighborhood pools run June 20-30, July 5-14 and July 18-28. Both July 5-14 sessions include Friday, July 8. Classes meet for 30 minutes. Register at the service desk of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: $60 ($80 for non-residents) and the purchase of a pool tag. 943-2350.

Swimming Team—offered at each of the outdoor pools for youngsters ages 17 and under, beginning June 20. Practices are generally held in the mornings. Teams compete against each other and individual swimmers compete among themselves at the City Championship Meet, July 19 at Dunworth Pool. Cost: $15 and the purchase of a pool tag. 943-2350.

Synchronized Swim—designed to teach the basic skills of synchronized swimming to youngsters ages 17 and under. Practices are held at the outdoor pools beginning June 20. This program culminates with the Annual Synchronized Swim Show, July 27, at Dunworth Pool. Cost: $15 and the purchase of a pool tag. 943-2350.

Tennis—instructional clinics featuring Quick Start Tennis conducted by the Dearborn Community Tennis Association in five, two-week (Monday through Thursday) sessions that meet at the Dearborn High courts June 20-30,July 5-14, July 118-28, August 1-11 and August 15-25. Pee Wee (ages 4-6) meets from 9-9:45 a.m., Beginner (ages 7-8) from 10-11 a.m. and Advanced Beginner (ages 9-13) from 11-12:30 p.m. Cost: Pee Wee, $65; Beginner, $73; Advanced Beginner, $89. Non-resident rates are $8 higher. Register at

Theater Experience—a week-long experience for youngsters ages 6-17, conducted by Missoula Children's Theater, which culminates with a full production of "Rapunzel" and includes opportunities for students to participate in three free workshops. Meets July 18-22 from 9 a.m. to2 p.m. Cost: $165 for residents ($175 for non-residents). 943-2354.

Theater Experience—Dearborn Summer Youth Theater is a two-week total theatrical experience for children ages 8-17in which young actors learn theater etiquette, individual and group choreography and music and stage performance skills while preparing for their program-ending performances of the popular musical, “Annie Jr.” DSYT meets weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. from July 5-15 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center. The final rehearsal will be July 16 from 1-6 p.m. and the performance will take place the following day in the Michael A. Guido Theater, beginning at 2 p.m. Cost: $185. 943-2354.

Track & Field—Dearborn Track Club instructors will teach participants in grades 3-12 how to sprint, run distances, high jump, throw the discus, long jump, compete in hurdles and toss the shot put in this seven-week program that meets Tuesdaysand Thursdays at Dearborn High 6:30-8 p.m., starting June 21. (No meetings July 5 and 7) Cost: $55 for Dearborn Public School students. Register on-line at starting June 1.