Power Up Polk! Family Reading Festival

FREE EVENT!!!

Celebrate literacy at a special event THIS Saturday, February 21.
Power Up Polk! Family Reading Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jim Miles Professional Development Center, 5204 U.S. Highway 98 South in Lakeland. The event is free and open to the public.

There will be activities for a wide range of age groups, including a book fair, obstacle course and games as well as booths, displays and presentations on subjects like gardening, assistive technology, spelling fun, augmentative communication devices, sign language, adult literacy, dealing with grief, Parent University and more.
Families will also be encouraged to read three books together: “The Crayon Box That Talked” by Shane DeRolf, “Out of My Mind” by Sharon Draper, and Holly G. Sloan’s “Counting By 7s.”
See you on Saturday, February 21!

Free Entrance Days to US National Parks 2015

America's Best Idea - the national parks - is even better when it's free! Mark your calendar for these entrance fee-free^* dates in 2015:

• January 19
  Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• February 14-16
  Presidents Day weekend
• April 18-19
  opening weekend of National Park Week
• August 25
  National Park Service Birthday
• September 26
  National Public Lands Day
• November 11
  Veterans Day
•  *Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.
•  http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

Breakfast with Santa at the Y

Mulberry Phosphate Museum STEAM Saturdays

YMCA Fall Festival

Free Fall Festival at the North and South Lakeland YMCA locations

F

Read and Explore at Colt Creek State Park

The Friends of Colt Creek State Park will combine ecology and education Sept. 7 in the fledgling group's second major event since organizing earlier this year.

The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. in the pavilion by Mack Lake at Colt Creek State Park in the Green Swamp north of Lakeland.

The event is being organized in cooperation with the Polk Education Foundation, READ Polk and AmeriCorps Polk Reads.

The occasion is celebrating International Literacy Day, which has been observed annually since 1967,

International Literacy Day, normally celebrated worldwide Sept. 8, was started by UNESCO to promote worldwide literacy.

In the spirit of the observance, anyone who displays a library card or brings a new or gently used book to donate will be admitted to the park for free.

Normal admission is $4 per vehicle.

Visitors also can bring a book to trade.

Although this event is open to all ages, many of the activities will be geared to children to encourage them to read and write.

Events will include nature writing, bookmark making and butterfly painting.

A number of children's authors are scheduled to attend to showcase their works by reading excerpts and autographing copies of their books.

They will include Robin C. Fox and Carol White Fox, Nancy Anderson Judge, Nicole Ford, April M. Whitt, Theresa Kowalski, Jennifer Alden and Ricky and Melanie Hoover.

 

Ready, Set, Learn at Family Fundamentals

Healthy Kids Day at the Y

HEALTHY KIDS DAY IS TOMORROW! 
Join us at the Fontaine Gills Family YMCA for this FREE community event for the whole family from 9am-11am.
 There will be healthy food, family Zumba, community booths and fun activities for all. HEALTHY kids make HAPPY kids!

Family, Fun and Fitness at the Fountain

Family, Fun and Fitness at the Fountain

Saturday, March 1

9-10 am

Central Park, Winter Haven

FREE!

Free workout, nutrition game show with prizes

Family day at Circle B

Christian Music Concert at Fontaine Gills Family YMCA