Fun for the Young : Activities: Hundreds of antidotes are available to refute youngsters’ age-old summer complaint--’There’s nothing to do!’

With vacation just beginning, organizations all over the South Bay are working to keep young people this summer from ever having to say: “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.”

Parents who have waited until the last minute to plan entertainment for their children will find that scores of classes and dozens of public and private camps still have openings.

Available are a surfing class in Hermosa Beach, horseback riding in Palos Verdes, arts and crafts in Inglewood, piano playing in Hawthorne, pumping iron in Torrance and beach bingo on Catalina Island.

If those events prove too mundane, how about contests in gum-blowing, frog-jumping and lip-syncing? Or a crash course on the stock market at Los Angeles Harbor College for pint-sized brokers?

The various activities range from one-time sessions to summer-long programs and are being sponsored by camps, community organizations, colleges and city recreation departments.

Day camps throughout the area have openings, including one that welcomes the entire family, sponsored by the Gardena YMCA. Held at Lake Sequoia in the San Joaquin Valley over Labor Day weekend, the camp allows parents and children “to do a lot of goofy things that people don’t do in the city,” such as frog-jumping contests, said the YMCA’s Jenny Mulhollin.

Those seeking refuge from the heat will find swimming lessons offered at pool after pool and, cooler still, ice-skating instruction at Ice Capades Chalet in Rolling Hills Estates.

There are programs in volleyball, softball, soccer, tennis, ballet and aerobics, a two-week Kung Fu Camp at Hesse Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, and a jazz dancing class at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

“If you’re going to be hanging out in your body for 70 years, you should learn to move it right,” said Mona Jean Cedar, a professional dancer who will teach the jazz dance class for children 8 to 16.

Children will not only dance to music by Paula Abdul, New Kids on the Block and other popular artists, they also will learn the “difference between nightclub dancing and trained dancing,” Cedar said.

Surfing instructor Jim Cubberley, who has been riding waves for 30 of his 40 years, will share his expertise at Hermosa Beach. He says his classes are most popular among those who live near the beach and who grew up elsewhere.

“There’s a lot of people that have the California beach lifestyle in their head--girls, volleyball, surfing,” he said. “Many of them are from places like New York and Chicago and have always wanted to come out to California to learn to surf.”

The surfing classes are open to those 17 and over. A popular body-boarding course that Cubberley teaches for children 8 and over is already closed.

Those more interested in exercising their brains than their muscles will find chess instruction offered by the Gardena Recreation and Human Services Department.

National master Robert Snyder said his classes, open to children 7 to 15, are as much entertainment as instruction. He use rhymes such as Knights on the rim are dim to teach youngsters the strategies of the game.

Other academic activities will be offered at the “College for Kids” program at Harbor College in Wilmington. At the stock market course, children 10 to 14 will learn the differences between commercial banks and savings and loans, and delve into stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts.

“If kids can get the basic concept of saving money when they’re young, they’ll be in a better position later on,” said instructor Gary Cummings, a financial planner based in Torrance. “Most people spend 40 hours a week working just to pay their bills.”

Based on past experience, Cummings said, participants will fall into three groups when the course is over: those who know more than the average adult does about financial planning, those who have some idea of the fundamentals, and those who “might as well have been playing basketball.”

Don Brown, associate dean of instruction at El Camino College in Torrance, said he is surprised by the number of young people enrolling in the college’s basic mathematics course for junior high and high school students.

“You’d think that would be the last thing a kid would want to take in the summer,” he said. The college also offers classes in astronomy, weightlifting, automotive repair, spelling improvement and other topics.

At county libraries in Lennox, Carson, Hawthorne and other South Bay cities, children can earn small prizes for spending their summer months reading.

“Kids love buttons; kids love stickers, and some of those kids will read that book so they can get (them),” said Tom Martinez, youth services coordinator of the County of Los Angeles Public Library Western region. “For the kids who already read, (the gifts) are just icing on the cake.”

Those interested in the arts will find many avenues for expression across the South Bay.

In El Segundo, future actors 9 and over may enroll in a six-week movement class that turns everyday movements and situations into dance. Margaret Theriot, who developed the concept in a master’s thesis at UCLA, will teach the Friday morning class.

In Manhattan Beach, the Recreation Department is offering a clown workshop that will teach juggling, pantomime, yo-yo tricks and face painting. The class begins June 30.

In Hermosa Beach, children 9 to 14 can appear in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” at the end of an eight-week theater workshop.

“The main goal is to teach them enough to come up with a production at the end of the course,” said instructor Linda Locke. “They do learn a lot, but they learn by doing.”

Pat Tierney, who will teach cartooning in Gardena, expects to see the faces of Bart Simpson, Dick Tracy and the Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Turtles pop up this summer in the Sunday morning class for children 8 to 13.

Those in a beginning cooking class at El Camino College will come home with different sorts of creations. The catalogue promises “tantalizing recipes and informative cooking tips.”

At the Cabrillo Marine Museum in San Pedro, a variety of one-day workshops and weeklong camps that delve into the mysteries of the sea and the shore will be offered for first-graders through high school students.

In one of the museum’s one-day workshops--”It’s a Small World After All”-- students will use microscopes and video cameras for detailed study of miniature marine life.

A weeklong camp called “Ichthyology and Other Slimy Words” will allow fifth- and sixth-graders to study sharks and other fish, examine the museum’s 36 aquariums and net sea specimens from Cabrillo Beach.

“They are both very popular programs that accomplish a great thing,” said museum spokeswoman Bee Powell. “They get students acquainted with the ocean early in their lives--and what better thing could you do for the environment?”

Staff writers Gerald Faris, Shawn Hubler, Kim Kowsky, Greg Krikorian, Ian Rose, Deborah Schoch, George Stein and Tim Waters contributed to this story.

A partial listing of summer youth activities available in South Bay communities.

SUMMER IN THE SOUTH BAY

Carson

City Summer Program--The city runs an extensive recreation program at its 12 parks; 830-7600. For example, Veterans Park, 22400 Moneta Ave., has an array of activities, including a tennis club, day camp for ages 6 to 12 and a wading pool; 830-9991.

City Fine Arts Camp--Classroom instruction, field trips to local museums, T-shirts, arts supplies. Designed for ages 8 to 14 with an interest in painting, cartooning, woodcraft and calligraphy. 9 a.m. to noon, July 9 through Aug. 16. Registration deadline July 6. Cost $125; Carson Community Center, 801 E. Carson St.; 835-0212.

City Kids Club--Year-round before- and after-school day camp; homework time and tutoring, snacks, recreation, excursions. For ages 5 to 12. Summer fees for one child range from $15 weekly for 7 to 8 a.m. to $60 weekly for 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Program at all 12 parks, 830-7600; Ext. 240.

City Swimming--Aquatic programs at Carson Pool, 21436 S. Main St., 830-1053, and Scott Pool, 23410 Catskill Ave; 549-9051.

Drill Teams, Drum Squads--Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., free. Streetbeat High-Steppers, Avalon Park, 700 E. Gardena Blvd., 538-0019; ages 6 to 13. Carson Queenettes for children 3 to 21, Mills Park, 1340 Dimondale Drive; 631-3130.

Catalina Island

Weekly Recreational Events--Lip-sync contest every Friday at 7 p.m. at Wrigley Plaza stage; children should bring their own music. Beach bingo every Tuesday night; 50 cents a card; 510-1987.

Girl Scout Camp--Camp White’s Landing on Catalina Island offers swimming, skin-diving, sailing, water-skiing, canoeing and wind surfing for girls 10 and older. Sessions run nine, 10 and 11 days. Costs range from $176 to 352; 933-4700.

El Segundo

City Summer Program--Classes in ballet, tap-dancing, self-defense; George E. Gordon Clubhouse, 300 E. Pine Ave.; 322-3842.

Gardena

Gardena YMCA--Preschool for ages 2 1/2 to 5 years from 6:30 a.m to 6 p.m.; $72 a week. Summer Day Camp for first- to sixth-graders from June 25 to Sept. 7 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $90 a week. Family Camp on Labor Day weekend. Swimming lessons for ages 6 months to 14 years, starting June 25. One-week camp program from July 14 to July 21 at Camp Round Meadow in San Bernardino for fourth- to sixth-graders; $190; 327-0750.

City Summer Program--Summer classes for children of all ages, including cartoon drawing on Sunday mornings for ages 8 to 13 and Tuesday afternoon for older children. The department offers basic reading, writing and arithmetic classes; dance, gymnastics, baton twirling, tennis, karate, ice-skating and chess; 217-9537.

Harbor area

Swimming Lessons--Classes will be offered by the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department at four area pools beginning July 2. The $10.25 lessons will be held in 10 30-minute sessions. In Wilmington, lessons will be offered at Banning High School, 1450 N. Avalon Blvd. (549-9017) and Harbor Pool, 1221 N. Figueroa St. (548-7514). In San Pedro, classes will be held at Peck Park, 560 N. Western Ave. (833-7977) and Gaffey Street Pool, 3351 Gaffey St. (548-7795). Pools will also be open for recreational swimming and other aquatic programs, including inner-tube water polo, diving, synchronized swimming and junior lifeguard training.

San Pedro Classes--Peck Park offers a variety of summer recreational classes from July 9 to Aug. 31. The classes include: ice-skating Monday afternoons for ages 7 to 12; tap-dancing Tuesday afternoons for ages 4 to teens; computer classes on Wednesday afternoons for ages 5 to 10; crafts Wednesday afternoons for ages 6 to 8, and flag football on Thursday afternoon for ages 6 to 8; 548-7580.

Marine Classes--The Los Angeles Maritime Museum will offer several summer programs, including free amateur radio classes on Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m.; for ages 12 and up; classes conducted by the United Amateur Radio Club of San Pedro; 548-6618. The museum is at Berth 84, at the foot of 6th Street, San Pedro. Cabrillo Marine Museum: One-day workshops and weeklong camps for all ages beginning June 25. The Museum is at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. Prices vary according to length and nature of program; 548-7562.

Harbor College--Several courses for children at the “College for Kids,” including one on playing the stock market; for ages 10 to 14. Other classes cover computers and academic and personal enrichment subjects. Courses begin in late June or July; 518-3510.

Hawthorne

City Camp in the Mountains--Beginning July 9, the Hawthorne Youth Camp kicks off the first of its seven sessions in Angeles National Forest near Wrightwood. Activities include campfires, nature hikes, archery lessons, boating and fishing. For ages 7 through 12. Hawthorne residents pay $70 for each six-day session, which runs Monday through Saturday. All others pay $105 per session; 970-7230.

City Summer Program--Hawthorne Parks and Recreation children’s program offers classes in tennis, golf, gymnastics, dance, piano, guitar, ice-skating and more; fees vary; 970-7230.

Swimming Lessons--The Hawthorne Municipal Pool will offer two-week swimming classes beginning June 25. Fees for ages 2 through 6 are $15 per session. Fees are $20 for ages 7 and older. Register at the pool, 12501 Inglewood Ave.

Hermosa Beach

Summer Reading Program--Movies, crafts, clowns and magic--and books--will be available for children in kindergarten through sixth grade at the Hermosa Beach Library, 550 Pier Ave.; Wednesdays at 2 p.m., June 27 through Aug. 22. Sponsored by Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library; 379-8475.

City Day Camp--Beach Summer Blast offers a six-week day camp sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Department of Community Resources. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for ages 6 to 14, beginning July 2. Hermosa Beach residents pay $80, $40 for each additional sibling. Financial assistance available. Non-residents pay $95. Weekly sign-ups available; 318-0280.

City Summer Program--Tennis, jazz dancing, acting, sculpting and art classes for ages 6 and older. Classes begin the week of June 25. Surfing class open to ages 17 and older. Fees range from $25 to $35. Register at the Hermosa Beach Department of Community Resources, 710 Pier Ave., or call 318-0280.

Inglewood

City Day Camps--Centinela, Queen Street, Darby and Rogers parks have day camps. Swimming, music, field trips, arts and crafts. Ages 6 to 16. Camps run four or five weeks and begin June 25 and July 2. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Child care is available before and after camp. For five-week sessions, cost is $72 for Inglewood residents and $86 for non-residents. For four-week sessions, cost is $58 for residents and $70 for non-residents. Call 412-5508 for five-week sessions at Centinela and Queen Street parks. Call 412-5391 for four-week session at Darby Park. Call 412-5504 for four-week session at Rogers Park.

YMCA Day Camps--Sports, field trips, swimming and movies. Ages 5 to 12. Camp runs for three two-week sessions from July 25 to Sept. 6. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $110 per two-week session for single parents and $130 for others. Inglewood YMCA, 319 E. Kelso St.; 671-7615.

YMCA Sports--Swimming sessions and basketball, softball and T-ball leagues. Ages 5 to 18. Leagues begin July 7. Cost is $28. Swimming schedules and fees vary. Inglewood YMCA. 319 E. Kelso St.; 671-7615.

Lawndale

City Day Camps--Four two-week sessions beginning July 2 for children ages 5 to 10. Arts and crafts, games, movies, excursions; Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; $50 per session. Sponsored by the Department of Recreation; register at City Hall, 14717 Burin Ave., 973-4321, Ext. 151.

Stone Soup Summer Camp--Day camp from June 25 to Sept. 10 for children in kindergarten through seventh grade. Movies, sports leagues, arts, crafts and trips. Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. One group meets at William Anderson School, the other at William Green School. Cost is $155 monthly per child or $200 monthly per family. Must be a Lawndale resident to apply. Sponsored by the city of Lawndale and the Lawndale School District; 973-2030.

City Summer Program--Free activities for children at Jane Addams, Anderson and William Green parks every Friday afternoon beginning July 13. Activities include an ice cream party, a bubble gum-blowing contest, relays and races, a “Balloon to the Moon” contest and a watermelon giveaway; sponsored by Lawndale Parks and Recreation Department.

Arts and Crafts--Children of all ages can learn to make boomerangs, visors, kites, sand pitchers, leather purses or jewelry every Monday and Friday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at William Green Park and every Wednesday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Jane Addams Park; 973-4321, Ext. 151.

Lomita

Parks and Recreation Department--Offers mainly sports activities. Also a sign language class for ages 8 to 12, Saturdays 9 to 10 a.m., July 7 to Aug. 25; $10 for Lomita residents, $13 for non-residents; 326-0140.

Los Angeles County

Jr. Athletic Workshop Day Camp--Nine weeks of basic instruction in tennis, swimming, racquetball and other sports for ages 6 to 12. Also field trips, crafts and talent shows, sponsored by the South End Racquet and Health Club in Torrance, 2800 Sky Park Drive. Activities from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, with before-care beginning at 8 a.m. and after-care until 6 p.m. Lunch included. June 25 through Aug. 26. Price to non-members is $135 for the first week, $115 for all subsequent weeks, plus $2 an hour for before- and after-care. Discounts for siblings and club members; 530-0630.

El Camino College for Youth--Classes in academic subjects, self-improvement and sports are open to students in grades six through 12 at El Camino College, 16006 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena. Topics include: mathematics, introduction to Spanish, beginning computer, automotive repair, photography and soccer. An astronomy class will meet in the college planetarium June 25 through July 12. A cooking class will start June 25. Most classes are scheduled for 90 minutes a day Monday through Friday for three weeks; sessions begin June 25 and July 12. The fee is $53 per student per class. A special reading improvement program, open to students from first through 12th grade, costs $195; 715-3116.

Lifeguards--Daily instruction on beach safety, first-aid and lifeguard techniques for ages 10 to 17, on local beaches in Torrance, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. Morning sessions from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., afternoon sessions in Torrance and Manhattan Beach only from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Program is five weeks, Monday through Friday, July 2 through Aug. 4. Cost is $130, including a bathing suit and T-shirt. Sponsored by L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors, and taught by certified lifeguards. Students must pass a swimming test to qualify for the program. Last test will be July 2, 8 to 10 a.m. at Redondo Union High School pool; 822-5020.

Dolphin Camp--An introduction to the ocean and beach safety for ages 7 to 9, with field trips, boogie boarding, arts and crafts by the sea; sponsored by the county Department of Beaches and Harbors. Openings still available for Aug. 27-31 session in Hermosa Beach. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Aug. 6. No extended day care. Students must pass a swimming test to qualify, swimming 50 yards in two minutes, 30 seconds. Last test will be July 2, 8 to 10 a.m. at Redondo Union High School. Cost is $110 a week; 305-9587.

Manhattan Beach

Table Tennis--Manhattan Beach Recreation Department offers instructional classes and tournaments in table tennis for residents of all ages at the city Community Center Auditorium, 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd.; 545-5621.

City Summer Program--Classes in bicycle maintenance for ages 8 to 12 and clowning for ages 8 and older. Several other classes for children of all ages have openings; 545-5621.

Palos Verdes Peninsula

Peninsula-Wide Summer Program--Horseback riding, tennis, kung fu camp, sports clinics, wilderness camps and other activities for all ages organized by the four cities’ parks departments. Times and fees vary; 377-1577.

Redondo Beach

City Day Camp--Seaside day camp offers swimming, snorkeling, crafts, marine biology projects and field trips. For ages 6 to 12. Two-week sessions, with morning program, afternoon program or all day. Morning 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. No day care after hours. Cost per two-week session is $105 mornings, $115 afternoons, $220 all day. Sponsored by the Redondo Beach Recreation and Parks Department. Held at Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way; 318-0610.

City Summer Program--Ballet, fitness, tennis, dance, ice-skating, self defense, art and acting classes are being offered for ages 2 to 18. Sessions are eight to 10 weeks. Fees range from $23 to $56. Earliest classes are at 9:30 a.m., latest at 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Redondo Beach Recreation and Parks Department. Sites are all in Redondo Beach, except for ice-skating, which is at the Capades Chalet in Rolling Hills Estates. Registration this week for Redondo Beach residents. Others can sign up beginning June 25. 318-0610.

Playground Program--A non-custodial program--not a day camp--run by the city of Redondo Beach for ages 6 to 12. Playgrounds at Perry Park and at Alta Vista, Adams and Lincoln Schools will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. June 25 through Sept. 7. Free. Leaders leave promptly at 5 p.m., no day care afterward; 318-0610.

Torrance

YMCA Programs--Summer swimming classes for ages 3 to 15 emphasizing swimming skills and safety. Five-week program of twice-a-week classes begins June 25. More classes begin July 16. Cost is $23 for full members and $56 for community members. Day camp starts June 25 for 11 weeks. Torrance-South Bay YMCA, 2900 Sepulveda Blvd., Torrance; 325-5885.

City Day Camp--Camp for ages 5 to 12, with crafts, games and beach field trips, begins July 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Based at La Romeria Park, 19501 Inglewood Ave. Other camp activities: Arrowhead Day Camp, introducing ages 6 to 12 to crafts, games and cooking, begins July 2, July 16 and July 30 at El Nido Park, 18301 Kingsdale Ave. Sports Camp for ages 7 to 12 emphasizes soccer, basketball or drill-cheerleading and begins July 30. Day camp charges are $60 a week for residents and $65 for non-residents; 618-2930.

City Dance Classes--Classes in ballet, acrobatic dance, tap dance, tumbling and movement and jazz, for ages 3 through 18. Sessions begin the week of June 25, meeting once a week for two months. Costs range from $11.50 to $25 for residents and from $16.50 to $30 for non-residents; 618-2930.

City Swimming Classes--Beginning swimming classes are offered for ages 4 and older. A parent-child class, “Mommy/Daddy and Me,” helps ages 1 to 4 adjust to the water. Classes available for older children in springboard diving, skin-diving, synchronized swimming, lap swimming, emergency water training and lifeguard training. Dates and times vary; each session lasts two weeks. Costs range from $14.50 to $19.50 for residents and $19.50 to $24.50 for non-residents. All classes at the Victor E. Benstead Plunge, 3331 Torrance Blvd; 618-2930.

Jewish Community Center--Camp Kadima, day camp with Israeli dancing, arts and crafts, swimming, bowling and field trips, kindergarten through sixth grade. Two sessions, June 25 to July 20, and July 23 to Aug. 17. Cost for members $460, non-members $500. Also offers baby-sitting and a “Mommy and Me” program in which parents and babies play together with other participants. Jewish Community Center, 22410 Palos Verdes Blvd., Torrance; 540-8416.