Philadelphia offers summer fun for kids

HEY, KIDS! Want to swim, dance, kayak or blow stuff up in test tubes this summer?

Whatever your interest, the city says it can find something fun for kids of all ages in its wide array of classes and camps, as well as by offering safe hangout spots at city recreation centers and pools.

"There's no excuse to say, quote-unquote, there's nothing to do this summer," Mayor Nutter said Wednesday at the kickoff for the Fun Safe Philly Summer campaign.

There are camp slots — in programs as varied as sports, arts and science — for up to 15,000 kids, as well as activities at recreation centers, libraries and pools. Also, all 70 city pools will be open with staggered openings starting June 18.

The city will also be sponsoring a reading challenge for kids ages 5 to 18 and a service challenge for those ages 14 to 18. Kids who complete those challenges will get to enter raffles for tickets to the Flyers, Phillies, Eagles, "American Idol" concerts and other events.

And eligible students can enroll in the Summer Food Service Program, which provides breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the summer to those who qualify for a free school lunch. That begins June 18.

Nutter reminded parents that summer curfews take effect when school ends on June 14. The times are 9 p.m. for youngsters 13 and under, 10 p.m. for 14- and 15-year-olds, and 11 p.m. for 16- and 17-year-olds. Nutter also said the city was looking at whether further evening programming should be offered.

Full details can be found at phila.gov/youthprograms. n

Contact Catherine Lucey at 215-854-4172, luceyc@phillynews.com or follow @phillyclout on Twitter.