Developing a new skill is a summer pastime; here's three options to connect your kiddos to new ways of interacting with the world around them.

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Horse Around with Equestrian Lessons
At Don-e-brook Farms, your child will learn to ride English or Western style during formal lessons and trail rides. The convenient location - just a minute from the city limit - offers daily sessions from 9am to 12pm with professional trainers and fun counselors. Snacks and crafts are included in each session, which cost only $250 ($150 with your own horse.). The first of eight sessions begins June 12.
297-7669

Paint with a Twist
Join Painting with a Twist for Kids Summer Camp! They will be offering week-long sessions this summer to keep your kids both educated and entertained by featuring a different painting each day. You can sign up for as many as or as few classes as you want and camps are open for children ages 7 to 12. Sign your little artist up for a week of learning and fun - they will come out with five paintings to proudly display in your home or they can turn their room into a private gallery. At the end of each camp, families and friends can come view the campers' art from the week. It's a little bit of kids, a little bit of art and a whole lot of fun!
www.paintingwithatwist.com/santa-clarita

It's "Safety First!" for Santa Clarita's Kids
We asked: "What did your child like best about Safety Town?" Parents reported what their children liked - and the answer was, "everything!" Fun details included, "driving the pedal cars through Town," "meeting and interacting with community safety professionals like crossing guards, life guards, fire fighters, CHP officers, guide-dog trainers, EMTs and more," and "singing the Safety Town song."

Safety Town is unique because it is the only dedicated safety program for young children in the SCV that gives children hands-on experiences of safety training in a realistic, fun and controlled environment and provides opportunities to interact with local community safety professionals. Santa Clarita Optimist Foundation's Safety Town camp is a five-day safety education and awareness program for children ages 4 ½ to 6 years of age in the SCV. Camps will be held at North Park Elementary School July 10 to July 14 and July 17 to July 21, from 9am to 12:45pm.

Safety Town is a miniature city built to the scale of a small child that will be assembled within a secured playground with traffic light, street and stop signs, striped walkways, crosswalks and streets. Each day of the camp, children learn from California-credentialed teachers, volunteer teen counselors and local community safety professionals who talk and give safety demonstrations to the children. Topics include earthquakes and disasters, fire prevention, emergencies and dialing 911 and other safety topics like vehicles and passengers, pedestrians, personal and stranger danger, water, playgrounds, bicycles and animals. Videos, craft projects, songs and games reinforce the safe conduct rules the children have learned.

The application to register your child for a Safety Town Camp is available online. For more information, contact the Safety Town director at 383-7453 or e-mail susan@santaclaritaoptimistfoundation.org. www.safetytownscv.com