"Summertime, and the livin' is easy "

So begins an old classic song about summertime; for many people this season is certainly that, particularly school kids who have a whole two months of nothing to do.

Nothing to do. All that free time and they have "nothing to do"? Doesn't that seem a bit out of whack? Unjust, even, to busy adults who would love nothing more than to have a large amount of time off during the best season of the year (weather-wise).

Need I remind any parents or grandparents out there of that most annoying whine (possibly more annoying even than the whine of mosquitoes) which goes: "I'm bored! I've got nothing to do!"

Well, I happen to know there is literally a ton (a tonne?) of stuff to do this summer, and this is quite besides the many community events that you will find spoken of in the editorial on this page. There is stuff just for the kids, and they run the whole gamut from sport to recreation to reading to drama.

I can truthfully say no community I grew up in had this number of opportunities for things to do in the summertime, mostly because summer meant vacation time, and usually the family would go off somewhere for a couple of weeks.

Anyway, I would challenge any kid to look at the following list and still be able to say in a whiny voice, "But I still have nothing to do !" (If they do, it's because they really don't want anything to do.)

Firstly, if you're not into sports, or being dramatic, or just recreational type of activity, there is the summer reading program at the Weyburn Public Library. This program has stuff going on each and every week through July and August, with many fun things in addition to the reading, like games, crafts and the occasional visiting guest. It takes time to do reading, and kids have a ton of time available, and this is a great time to get a child interested in the joys of reading.

For those who are into art, and crafts, and related activities without the reading, Signal Hill Arts Centre has summer arts programs for young children, teens, and even a program "Just for Girls", which enables girls aged 12 to 15 to have a time just for themselves, to learn about things like makeup, hair, nail art, exercise and nutritious eating. And, by the by, there are some adult summer programs, including that topic which is near and dear to my heart, photography.

For those kids who are interested in acting (I don't mean acting out either) and/or singing and performing the stage, there is the summer theatre program at the Tommy Douglas Centre with the theme, "Pirates of the Living Skyes". This program runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which actually allows time for kids to then take part in the Signal Hill program, which then runs from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Now, if none of those turns a kid's crank, or floats their boat, there is the Wheatland-Souris Challenge summer recreation program put on at the Leisure Centre; this program involves time in the pool, and also many other games and recreational activities.

For the sport-minded, there is the Heatwave Hoops basketball program, although it's a bit late to join (it started Monday), but there are also kayak lessons at Nickle Lake throughout the summer, and guided kayak trips with an experienced adult, which would provide a different activity than maybe they're used to.

All in all, there's no excuse to say there's nothing to do in Weyburn; it's more a matter of picking one, getting busy and having fun.