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Desert Lightning News June 3, 2016 17
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How to entertain your military kidsFacebook.com/DesertLightningNews for free this summer

Katie Lange Military kids and their families can hit up all of America’s 2,000+ federal
recreation sites and national parks not just in the summer, but all year long.
DoD News, Defense Media Activity So if you’re anywhere near Yosemite, Acadia National Park or the Bad-
lands, definitely take advantage of it!
It’s that time of year again, everybody! We’re thinking about summer
and what to do with our days off – or, more likely, finding ways to keep our Most people have to pay $80 a year for the annual National Parks and
school-less children from uttering those dreaded words, “I’m bored!” Federal Recreational Lands Pass, but for military folks – nada.

Luckily, there are a lot of options for military families that don’t involve Free Access to Art, Museums and Exhibits
much money (or are just plain free). Check out some of the things to do below: Starting Memorial Day weekend, the Blue Star Museums program gives
all active-duty, National Guard and reserve personnel and their families
A Free Week of Camp free access to more than 2,000 art centers, museums and exhibits across
the country. at’s a lot of museums, including spots such as the Met and
Guggenheim in New York City and Rocky’s iconic Philadelphia Museum
of Art, as well as small-town centers like the Key West Tropical Forest &
Botanical Gardens in Florida and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in
Cody, Wyoming.

Summer Reading Programs

(Air Force photo by Melissa Still)

Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape instructor Airman 1st Class Daniel Foret speaks with
children attending the Blue Green Summer Youth Camp. The children learn to make a shelter in
the wilderness, read a compass and repel from rocks during the camp, which gives priority to kids
with a deployed parent.

If you didn’t already know about this, you might want to start taking ad- (Photo by Marine Corps Sgt. Shannon Yount)
vantage of it. e National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple
offers military children a free week of camp every year, giving kids the chance Children read a book during the Summer Reading Program kicko party at McTureous Hall Li-
to connect with others like them through kayaking, zip lining, horseback rid- brary on Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow.
ing, photography, ceramics and all sorts of other fun activities.
Summer might be time for Slip-N-Slides and outdoor forts, but your kids
While several of the camps have filled all of their spots for this year al- need to keep reading all summer long to keep their reading skills strong.
ready, some of them run their own versions of that camp concurrently, and
some are still taking applications. So check out the camps in your area via at’s what DoD’s MWR Summer Reading Programs are for! As the world
the link above to see what’s available. At the very least, you can see what’s watches Olympic athletes in Rio this year, military kids can join the fun
out there and plan ahead for next year! and reap rewards through this year’s theme, “Read for the Win!” Events
include story times, crafts, STEM activities, games and possibly even par-
ere are also teen adventure camps and deployment support camps ties. ere are also prizes like T-shirts, toys and more to motivate kids to
sponsored by the Defense Department that are offered at little to no cost, read. To find out more about this year’s program, click here or contact your
and there are camps held at each installation’s Morale Wellness and Rec- installation’s library.
reation facilities every year for activities such as golf, archery, swimming
and crafts. e DoD Education Activity’s Online Summer High School Program is
available for older students who want to continue their learning over the
Free National Park Access summer. It’s also for those who are at risk of not meeting DoDEA gradua-
tion requirements.
(Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Shaltiel Dominquez)
Low-Cost Entertainment Deals
Not everything can be free, but with your military ID, you can get a LOT
of extra discounts and savings on things like travel, theme park tickets,
sporting events, day trips and all forms of entertainment. For more infor-
mation, visit your local Tickets and Travel Office for more details.

ere’s also always stuff going on locally at your installation for your kids
over the summer. Check in with your local MWR office to see what’s avail-
able in your area.

Otherwise, have a fantastic summer enjoying the perks that come with
being in the military!