Looking for Something to Do This Summer?

For anyone with kids, I recommend you sign them up for swim lessons at your local YMCA. If you’re worried about the expense, stop by the front desk to see if you and your kids qualify for financial assistance. My siblings qualified for assistance when they were kids.

I think it’s very important that every child learns to swim. According to the American Red Cross, nearly 3,500 Americans drown each year, and of that more than one in five victims are children age fourteen and younger. Learning to swim is not only a life saving skill, but knowing the front crawl and the back stroke adds to hours more of fun when you and yours make your way to the swimming pool or beach. And when they get a little older, they can turn their skills into a part-time summer gig as a lifeguard, just as I did.

For those of you hitting the road, on your way down to Florida, see if you can add a stop to your itinerary and swing on over to the east coast to visit and tour the Kennedy Space Center. One of my sisters along with one of our nieces and I did so a few years back and we had a blast learning about our nation’s space program and our International Space Station. There were plenty of interactive exhibits and experiences. And just for the basic admission price, we were able to put in a full day of fun. Did you know that NASA is launching a new space program which will eventually use a robotic arm to pluck samples from an asteroid?

On NASA’s website, Administrator Charlie Bolden says; “It’s robotic missions like these that will pave the way for future human space missions to deep space destinations.” So exciting! Remember parents, math and science is where it’s at for our kids. This visit will be a great opportunity to inspire them to walk down that path.

For all you parents out there, looking for something for your kids to do, there you have it. Regardless if you are hitting the road or not, please one way or another, make sure your kids truly know how to swim, and push them towards excellence in education. From a non-parent interested in the possibilities of tomorrow, I thank you!

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