Keeping Up With The Kids

Little Explorers Program
Cedar Point Environmental Park’s Little Explorers is a free one-hour program for ages three to seven that is offered on Tuesdays, 9 to 10am at the park located at 2300 Placida Road. The program includes various crafts and activities about the Florida environment to get little ones excited about the world around them. December’s theme will be “Fly Fly Butterfly”, focused on the butterfly life cycle and what symmetry means. Advance registration is required as class size is limited to 12 participants. To register, go to ChecFlorida.org/little-explorers-cedar-point. For questions, call 941•475•0769 or email [email protected].

Family Fishing Clinic
Families are invited to attend a three-hour family fun Saturday fishing clinic where attendees will learn the basic fishing knots, fishing rod casting techniques, fish handling and saltwater fishing regulations. The clinic is taught by members of the Englewood Fishing Club and will be Saturday, December 7, 9am to noon at Cedar Point Environmental Park. The cost is $10 per person and children must be six years or older. All fishing equipment is provided for the clinic by the Florida Youth Conservation Commission Network. Learn more and register at ChecFlorida.org.

STEAM-tastic Fun
Kids will explore new concepts in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) each month at Full STEAM Ahead at the Englewood Charlotte Library, 3450 N. Access Road. Register now for the Friday, December 13th session from 4:30 to 5:30pm at charlottecountyfl.libcal.com/events. P.S. Dress for a mess! For questions, call 941•681•3736.

Merry Meal with Santa
Children ages 12 and under, along with their families, are invited to join Sarasota County Parks & Recreation for the annual Merry Meal with Santa event. This free holiday celebration includes a meal, festive music, a toy giveaway and a special visit from Santa. Locally at the Englewood Sports Complex (1300 S. River Road), there will be a dinner event on Friday, December 13, 5 to 8pm. Registration is required at SarasotaCountyParks.com/programs-and-events or call 941•861•5000. If you are unable to attend the Englewood event, there are also similar events at other county park locations listed on the event web page.

MLB Pitch, Hit & Run
Charlotte County Community Services is hosting the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run on Saturday, December 14, 8:30am-noon, at Harold Avenue Regional Park baseball fields, 23400 Harold Avenue, Port Charlotte. This event is for children ages seven to fourteen to compete in three categories: pitching at a target, hitting off a tee and a timed run from home plate to first base. Participants are separated by age group and based on scores, the winners can advance from the local competition to a team championship and then to the finals which are held in conjunction with Game 2 of the World Series (these competitors receive an all-expense paid trip to the city hosting Game 2). To register, visit mlb.com/pitch-hit-and-run/find-a-competition. For questions, contact Sean at 941•883•3579.

Little League Spring Sign-Ups
Englewood Area Youth Little League Baseball is accepting early bird registration for the Spring season through Sunday, December 15th. Cost is $100-$150, depending on age & league. Late registration after that date through Tuesday, December 31st is additional $25. Skills assessments are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday January 8 & 9 at 5:30pm and 9:30am on Saturday, January 11 (Rookies & T-Ball players do not need to attend). Practice starts the week of January 13th at the Englewood Sports Complex (1300 S. River Road) and games start Saturday, February 2nd. For more information and registration, go to englewoodareayouthbaseball.com.

Empower-Her Girls Club
Centennial Park Recreation Center will host Empower-Her Girls Club on Wednesdays, 6 to 7:30pm beginning January 15 through May. This program is exclusively for girls in grades 6 through 8 and is designed to build confidence, strength, leadership skills and promote self-esteem in a fun environment. Participants should dress comfortably and bring their own snacks. This program is free and girls may join in at any time. To learn more and register, call Centennial Park at 941•613•3230. Centennial Park is located at 1185 Centennial Blvd., Port Charlotte.

Family Story Time
The Englewood Charlotte Library, 3450 N. Access Road, hold a weekly story time for children ages five and under along with their caregiver on Thursdays from 11am to noon. This is an interactive session with musical play and group participation skills. For more information, call the library at 941•681•3736.

Homework Help
Does your child need help with homework? A volunteer tutor is available on a first come, first served basis to provide homework help and tutoring for students, kindergarten to fifth grade, at the Englewood Charlotte Library (3450 N. Access Road) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 5pm. For questions, contact Holly at 941•681•3736.

Children’s Network Receives Grant
The Children’s Network of Southwest Florida recently received a $23,889 grant from the United Way of Charlotte County to support Family Stabilization services and the Family Intensive Treatment Team. This grant award is part of a distribution of community funding to local health & human service programs on behalf of the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners. According to CEO Nadereh Salim, “This funding is critical in keeping children in safe environments while their families work to correct their issues.” To learn more about the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, visit ChildrensNetworkFlorida.org or call 239•226•1524.

Items appearing in this column are as accurate at time of publication. Please call the listed numbers for confirmation.