The Gun Store

My husband, the concierge guru, insists that I post for any and all interests. So, here's one you may not have thought abut adding to your summer calendar. The Gun Store offers these free classes:

Firearms Safety

1st and 3rd Friday of each month 9-11am FREE

"Eddie Eagle" - Children's Gun Safety

For ages 5-11 yrs old - 2nd Friday of each month, 4-5pm FREE

They also have other classes for minimal fees: Concealed Firearms Permit, Ladies Self-Defense, Taser Operation, or Pepper Spray Training, and more. Check out their website for more information.

Parks and Recreation

I LOVE that the cities have such great parks and recreation departments. These are quick links to the summer editions of the parks and rec brochures. Look closely as there are usually LOTS of free classes and/or events:

City of Henderson

City of Las Vegas

City of North Las Vegas

Clark County

Boulder City

Fun at Sun Kid's Club

Need to do some mall shopping? Why not go on the first and third Tuesday of the month? Why you ask? On these days at the Galleria Mall in Henderson, is a neat little program Fun at Sun Kid's Club. Each day they have a different themed activity. Here is list of what they have for the next few months - enjoy & happy shopping!

5/19/2009
Our Pets - Fur, feathers and scales. BOO will bring in photos of his pets- let's see yours'. How to love, protect and look after our faithful friends!Food Court, 10:30am

6/2/2009
Dental Health Day - When we grow up we only have one set of teeth. Let's learn how to look after them with flossing, brushing and dental visits. Lower Level, next to Gordon's Jewelers, 10:30am

6/16/2009
Let's show our Dads' how much we love them. BOO has a Father's Day card for you to give Dad on his special day! Lower Level, next to Gordon's Jewelers, 10:30am.

7/7/2009
Celebrate our country's birthday-music, flags, and parades. Let's see how many Presidents we can name! Lower Level, next to Gordon's Jewelers, 10:30am.

7/21/2009
Fun in the Sun!! Enjoy summer but let's be safe. What to wear....sunglasses, lotions, hats and plenty of water and being safe at the beach. Lower Level, next to Gordon's Jewelers, 10:30am.

Farmer's Market

When I think about summer, I think picnics, pools, watermelons, plums from my grandma's tree, and loads of other scrumptious fruits! I have wanted to hit Henderson's Farmer's Market for some time, but have yet to make it down there. This summer, I was thinking about making a day of it.

A day or so before you go, have a little lesson with the kids about food groups and the importance of eating healthy. Have them cut out pictures from the grocery ads (you know how I love my ads so this may be hard for me) and do one of two things: Older kids can arrange them in a food pyramid (like the one here), or get a few paper plates and have them create a "meal" with their cut outs.

Take a trip to the market and see how many items you can pick for your "meal" or just go see how many fruits and veggies they can name.
For dates and times, click below
Henderson's Farmer's Market - Water Street in Henderson
Clark County Backyard Farmer Market
LV Farmers Market - Multiple locations

Anderson Dairy Tour

Take a field trip! One of the best I have been on, is this little tour at Anderson Dairy. The Barnyard Buddies Tour. The kids get to tour the facility and even see some penguins helping out with the ice cream packaging - very "cool" (ha I crack myself up). Anyway, after a darling video presentation about the history of the dairy and the tour, the group meets back in the "tree" room for a cool treat - Free ice cream!

This tour has to be scheduled in advance. I am planning on scheduling at least 2 tours this summer, so keep an eye out for the dates. Otherwise, plan your own tour. Simply call 642-7507, extension 264.

When scheduling your tour, keep in mind driving time, so you aren't late... Anderson Dairy is located at 801 Searles Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Guess what is down the street? The Natural History Museum, and Children's Museum. This tour only lasts about an hour, so there's plenty of time for a second stop! Have fun - out of the sun!

Ethel M Chocolat Factory

I promised some FREE ideas, so hold on tight while I get a bunch off my list.

The first, and one of my favorites - Ethel M Chocolate Factory. In Henderson on 2 Cactus Garden Drive, the tours are open from 8:30am to 6:00pm. If you want to get a group of 10 or more together for a special tour, call 702.435.2655.

Here's how to make an afternoon of a 10 minute tour:

Take the kids on a free tour and get a free piece of chocolate. Next, walk through the cactus garden, and have the kids pick a few of their favorite plants. Take a few pieces of scrap paper and let them draw a picture of their plant. After you get home, look up the plant on-line and find a few cool facts about it. This may sound kinda silly, but my kids love this sort of thing!

Summer Reading Program

I am a huge fan of reading with the kids and I love that the libraries have a great Summer Reading Program. From June 1st - July 31st kids can read books and earn prizes! It has been my experience that the sooner you get done the better (meaning you will actually get the prize at the end and not an i.o.u). This is a FREE program so much fun!

For Las Vegas-Clark County program details, click here. If you want to add storytimes and other free activities, check out this great list of fun and free things at these libraries! I don't think I will post all the activities on the main calendar since there are so many location options. Oh, I almost forgot, they also have a Teen Summer Reading Program if you have older kids too!

The Henderson Summer Reading Programs do not begin until June 13th. They do not have information up yet as far as the types of prizes the kids will earn. In the past, there have been free passes to the Children's Museum, or Shark Reef. I will keep an eye out and post again with the details. In he meantime, check HERE to create a personalized calendar of events for your family. This calendar is for the Green Valley and Paseo Verde libraries. To make one for your area, simply select your library in the top left box.