EDUCATION : Entertaining Ways to Round Out Children’s Holidays

Your children have 11 days of vacation left, and they’re already bored. Luckily, there are things to do around town that are fun and educational.

“Hamlet” is big in conversations about movies. But the film is also an educational experience because it is a retelling of one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays--one that is read in most public high schools.

Youngsters will like this version because it stars heartthrob Mel Gibson as Hamlet, while Lady Hamlet is played by Glenn Close, who also starred in “Fatal Attraction.”

Watching a genius’s classic play performed by such popular actors for just a $4 matinee ticket is unbeatable. Check the movie listings for a nearby theater.

Another classic film is “Cyrano de Bergerac,” based on the drama of romance and suspense by French playwright Edmond Rostand. This film is a fresh release from Orion Classics and opened on Christmas at Laemmle’s Royal in Santa Monica.

Visiting the IMAX Theatre at the California Museum of Science and Industry is one of the best supplements to your child’s science class. In fact, IMAX’s latest film, “Blue Planet,” will give your student views of Earth that he or she cannot find in a textbook.

These pictures, shown on a five-story screen, cover an incredible visual range from 330,000 miles in space to 10,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface.

Admission is $5.50 for adults and $4 for children 4 to 17, senior citizens and students with identification. Call IMAX at (213) 744-2014.

Rarely do children have a chance to actually witness and live history. But at Medieval Times in Buena Park, they can see what they have been reading about England’s medieval period--complete with knights in armor and damsels in distress.

Visitors will eat an authentic medieval dinner (with their fingers!), while watching medieval entertainment, such as magic, horsemanship and jousting with real swords.

Medieval Times also features a torture museum and collection of armor.

Visiting Medieval Times is a splurge, though, because adult tickets are about $30 and children 12 and under get in for about $20. Call Medieval Times at (800) 438-9911.

Give your child a new perspective on American history with a close-up look at World War II airplanes at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica.

The Museum of Flying has on display 20 planes, including the 1924 Douglas World Cruiser, which circled the globe, and a replica of the Voyager space shuttle.

A variety of short films about planes and their roles in history show continuously every day. Your child may also tour the panoramic observation deck and airport runways.

The Museum of Flying is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children 13 to 17, and $1 for children 12 and under.

For a broader view of history, try the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, which covers 600 million years of Earth history.

Everyone will find something interesting, since exhibits cover everything from dinosaur fossils and pre-Columbian art to animal and marine life, and even Snoopy’s 40th birthday celebration.

The Natural History Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for students and senior citizens, $1 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 are free.

Enriching your child’s study of the arts is easy in Los Angeles because we have the best of music, drama, dance and visual arts.

The “Nutcracker” ballet is popular during the holidays, and several dance companies are performing it. Among them are the renowned Joffrey Ballet, whose performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion end Sunday. Tickets range from $8 to $45.

For lessons in arts, crafts and games, your child can try free programs offered by local parks this week and next.

Supervised by adults, the program is for fourth- through eighth-graders only. It is open Monday through Friday, except New Year’s Day, from noon to 4 p.m. Call (213) 458-8311 for the participating park near you.

Physical education doesn’t have to end when vacation begins, and there is a free program for that, too.

Boys and girls in grades six through eight can enjoy football, basketball, volleyball and full use of the gymnasiums at Lincoln and John Adams middle schools in Santa Monica. This fitness program runs noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except New Year’s Day.

A ski trip is also planned, but it is not free. Call (213) 458-8311 to find out more.