Children have several activities

At a “beach” in the middle of landlocked Lawrence, children who may have never stepped foot on the coast can learn about creatures of the sea.

It’s possible at the Sea Lab in Kansas University’s Natural History Museum. The temporary exhibit ends in January, but for now, it’s a nice place for young families to spend time together, said Jama Kolosick, the museum’s education director.

Quail Run students Jenny Stern, left, and Erica Lignell attend the annual Christmas Tea at the Lawrence Public Library.

“Children can sift through sand to find seashells,” she said. “We have squid dissections on Saturdays. We hand out squids. Everybody sits down and puts on their latex gloves.”

The exhibit also features live deep sea fishes and a corner where families can cuddle up and read ocean stories.

Other popular child-friendly destinations in the four-floor museum include a live bee exhibit, complete with a monitor that enlarges activities in the hive; live snakes native to Kansas; a diorama of North American wildlife; and dinosaur fossils.

The museum, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd., is just one of numerous educational and entertainment options for area children.

Here are some others:

Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt., 843-3833. Story times tailored to children of all ages are scheduled throughout the week.

“We get people with strollers and whole families,” said Barbara Michener, library assistant in the children’s department.

The library also is a perfect place for children to do homework, she said. There are five computers in the children’s department with educational software like electronic almanacs and encyclopedias. Children can get to child-friendly sites through filtered Internet access.

All children’s programs are free.

Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., 843-2787. The center moved into its new building in April.

“Everything is better,” said Margaret Morris, director of education. “Things are more organized. There’s a lot more space. Kids in the art classes have a lot more elbow room. It’s a pretty incredible place.”

And kid-friendly programs at the center aren’t hard to come by.

“We have tons of really fun stuff,” Morris said.

Children can take four- or six-week classes in clay, jewelry, general art, pottery and performance arts, such as dance and theater. The next round of classes starts in November.

Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St., 832-7980. The 72-acre ecosystem boasts wetlands, woodlands, native prairie grass, birds, snakes, deer and other critters. Walking trails wind through the preserve.

Live Kansas animals, including birds of prey, are on display in the education building. Free programs are available at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday.

Lawrence Park and Recreation Department, 6 E. Sixth St., 832-3450. Parks and Rec offers children gymnastics, photography, dirt-track bicycling, karate, basketball leagues, golfing at Eagle Bend, ballet and tap dancing. There’s even scuba diving for children at least 10 years old.

Summer swimmers had to hang up their suits earlier this month when the Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center closed for the winter. But the city’s indoor aquatic center at Free State High School stays open year-round. It has children’s play features, a water slide and a 50-meter pool with a diving well.

Spencer Museum of Art, 1301 Miss., 864-4710. Seven of the museum’s 11 galleries showcase works of art from the permanent collection of more than 17,000 pieces. The other four galleries hold special exhibitions on tour from other museums or drawn from the Spencer’s own collection.

The museum is known for its Asian collections; European and American paintings, sculpture and prints; and photography.

Admission is free; donations are welcome. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.

Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, 1520 Haskell Ave., 841-6854.

“We give kids a positive place to go after school for a few hours instead of hanging out and coming up with things on their own,” unit director Sean Pearson said.

About 400 children participate in the club’s after-school programs at seven Lawrence elementary schools. Students concentrate on homework for about an hour each afternoon before starting programs.

The club emphasizes citizenship, cultural arts, education and career, recreation, and health and life skills.

Hours at headquarters: 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hours for after-school programs at East Heights, Cordley, New York, Deerfield, Pinckney, Kennedy and Langston Hughes: 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m.