Benton County

By Becca Martin-Brown Special to Official Kids Mag

As a kid, having three months of lazy summer days stretching out in front of you is a dream. For parents, though, finding quality activities to fill the long days is made a bit easier given Northwest Arkansas’ plethora of arts, youth and cultural organizations. Our list is just the tip of the iceberg, so keep an eye on nwaonline. com / whatsup for weekly calendars. And don’ t forget to check out the public library in your community for a robust offering of free summer activities centered around the theme“ Color Our World.”

BENTONVILLE

Museum of Native American History 202 S. W. O St. 479-273-2456 www. monah. org

Take a quest through MONAH’ s galleries to learn about atlatls, wampum, Mayan eccentrics and a woolly mammoth named“ Tusker.” Learn about traditional ball games you can play at home, buy a new family board game called“ Winter Rabbit” in the museum store, and shop for great summer books like“ Eerie Legends: An Illustrated Exploration of Creepy Creatures, the Paranormal and Folklore from Around the World” and“ Museum in a Book,” which lets readers explore, play and create an ideal exhibition. The museum’ s last two spring story times are at 10 a. m. on May 31 and June 28, and resume in the fall. Open 11 a. m. to 5 p. m., Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free.

Boys & Girls Club of Benton County

and up. For more information, contact membership @ bgcbentoncounty. org or visit www. bgcbentoncounty. org / summer

Coler Mountain Bike Preserve Camp 2500 N. W. Third St. 479-364-0168 www. peelcompton. org

June 23-27 and July 21-25 Explore Coler Camp Ages 7-12

Campers will learn basic outdoor skills, shelter building, collecting and purifying water and fire building. $ 190 Hobbs State Park- Conservation Area 20201 E. Route 12 479-789-5000

Hobbs is Arkansas’ largest state park, spanning a 12,054- acre tract of Ozark landscape along the southern shore of Beaver Lake. Highlights of this day-use park include a diverse, 54-mile trail system with hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails, and is ADA-accessible. The park has 11 primitive campsites, six accessible by mountain biking, the first in Northwest Arkansas. It’ s the only state park in Arkansas to allow regulated hunting. The visitor center includes exhibits about the park’ s natural resources, limestone landscape, and history. Interpretive programs and workshops are offered throughout the year.

Trike Theatre 209 N. E. Second St. 479-464-5084 www. triketheatre. org

Trike Theatre offers performance and adventure camps in the summer for ages 4-18. No experience necessary.

June 23-27; July 7-11; July 28- Aug. 2 Trike Camp Theatre Ages 5-8: 9 a. m. to noon Ages 9-12: 1-4 p. m. Held at the Bentonville Community Center. $ 145- $ 155 per session

July 22-26 Trike School of the Magical Arts Ages 8-10 1:30-4:30 p. m.

This adventure camp focuses on team building, games and art. Campers may craft wands, learn spells, brew potions, explore mythical creatures inspired by the Exquisite Creatures exhibition, and more. Held at Crystal Bridges Museum. $ 155- $ 190

June 2-21 Wizard of Oz School Grades 4-9

Students bring the magical world of The Wizard of Oz to life, from auditions to final performances at the Thaden School. $ 1,050

Photo courtesy Museum of Native American History

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art 600 Museum Way 479-418-5700 www. crystalbridges. org

Designed for kids ages 4 to 18, week-long day camps focus on a different kind of creative fun. Explore the grounds in a camp all about art and nature, or give the architect in the family a chance to build their skills with a camp connecting STEM and the arts:

June 9-13 Mini Masters Ages 4-5 $ 160- $ 200

June 9-13 Nature Explorers Ages 8-10 With 37 North Expeditions $ 160- $ 200

June 9-13 Digital Art Ages 11-13 $ 160- $ 200

June 9-13 Architecture With Fay Jones Ages 8-10 and 11-13 $ 160- $ 200

June 9-13 Printmaking Ages 5-7 $ 160- $ 200

June 9-13 Teen Studio: Digital Art Ages 14-18 $ 160- $ 200

June 16-20 Sketchbook Ages 5-7 $ 160- $ 200

June 16-20 Painting Ages 11-13 $ 160- $ 200

June 16-20 Ceramics With Fifth Street Studio Ages 8-10 $ 160- $ 200

June 16-20 ARTimals Ages 4-5 With 37 North Expeditions $ 160- $ 200