Center offers activities for kids, teens

For summer events, there's a 'LOFT' to offer

MOSES LAKE - Larson Recreation Center offers children and teenagers a variety of activities and events throughout the summer.

The center's upstairs section, The LOFT (Learning Opportunities For Today) already blends work and play by providing a study area for students, where they can use any of the 10 computers with Internet connections, then reward themselves with a game of pool or foosball.

The LOFT schedules activities throughout the week, including board games on Mondays and story time and book club on Wednesdays.

"On Tuesdays we're doing a craft time which starts at 3 o'clock. We're getting a lot of kids coming up and doing crafts," said Larson Recreation Center's Susan Schwiesow.

Two Fridays per month are special events. A recent special event included a Scene it? trivia game competition. Scene it? is a movie-themed board game featuring a companion DVD. Some questions require players to watch a movie clip on the DVD and answer questions about the movie.

"The purpose of The LOFT is to provide a safe, comfortable, well-supervised facility where a diverse group of youth can utilize technology, study, recreate and interact in a positive, alcohol-and-drug-free environment," Schwiesow said.

Most youth at The LOFT are between 11 and 18 years old, but younger children are welcome and during the afternoon hours is usually when the young ones are there, Schwiesow said.

Up next on The LOFT's summer schedule is a breakdance show on July 11 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Schwiesow said the contest is open to participants from 11 to 18, but enough people need to sign up for it to proceed.

"We're looking for people to sign up for that, the sooner the better, so we know if we have enough to make it go and we're also looking for judges," she said.

People unfazed by stage fright can channel their inner Kelly Clarkson on "American Idol" night July 25. The contest is for singers ages 14 through 18 and is held from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m.

"We want people to come and show your singing talent but we do require they sign up beforehand," Schwiesow said.

Contestants can sign up at The LOFT and are asked to call Jennifer Walker at 509-989-1472.

July 25 is "Name That Tune" night from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. and a mystery night is on Aug. 8.

For these events, people may need to bring their singing voices and listening skills, but not their wallets.

"Everything we do up there is free," Schwiesow said.

She said for activities not requiring participants to sign up in advance, youth can sign in when they arrive.

"We take however many people want to show up. There is no limit and they can either just show up that night or we have sign-up sheets available at The LOFT. When they're down there they can sign up," she said.

First-time attendees will need to fill out a registration form and their parents will need to sign an Internet permission form, she added.

"There's a ton of kids out there that don't know about the place. We want them to come down and enjoy it and have fun," Schwiesow said.

The LOFT is open from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. It is located at 610 S. Yakima, Moses Lake.

For more information call 509-764-6306 or visit www.mlrec.com/larson.html.