SUMMERTIME : Family Fun and Games : Museums’ summer schedules focus on programs and classes for participants of all ages.

Jennifer Shell believes she and others in the museum industry have hit upon a formula for success this summer.

“We want to see the whole family coming to the museum,” said Shell, coordinator of education at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “Mom and Dad can examine the artifacts, while the children make miniature replicas from various art supplies.”

LACMA will focus on the art of various cultures, including American, early Chinese, late Chinese, Korean, pre-Columbian, Egyptian, ancient West Asian, Greek, Roman, early Renaissance, Southeast Asian, Indian, Himalayan and Islamic.

“In the past, the art museum has primarily been a place for adults,” Shell said. “Now we want people to think of our museum as a place where everyone in the family can have a good time and learn something, too.”

Kidspace in Pasadena has geared its summer programming along the same lines. A majority of its classes are for all ages, and at least once a week, the museum has scheduled a family oriented performance workshop in which performers will include the audience in a participatory demonstration.

For example, in July, mime Judi Garratt will lead a demonstration and workshop in which families will work together to learn a mime routine. Similarly, actor Andy Papadopolous will conduct a workshop in which families learn to tell stories through theater games, and the Pasadena Symphony Juniors will give a performance and then welcome families on stage to try out various instruments.

“This is definitely the age of the family,” said Dana Powell, director of education at Kidspace. “People want to know that everyone from Grandma to junior can participate when the family goes out for an afternoon.”

Powell said Kidspace is encouraging extended families to participate in the summer programming.

“Not all families consist of a mom and dad and two children,” she said. “Whatever people represent family to a child are the people we expect to see at our museum this summer.”

In August, Kidspace will offer family style performance workshops involving percussion instruments, creative dance and Afro-American music. Along with the performance workshops, Kidspace will offer additional children’s workshops every day of the summer. Activities will include storytelling, film festivals, T-shirt making, paper making, nature exploration and workshops on various aspects of nature and music.

“Every workshop we’ve set up this summer is designed so that families may attend them together,” Powell said.

Events scheduled for the Los Angeles Children’s Museum have, as always, been designed for family involvement. Because the museum is primarily for children, workshops allow and encourage parental assistance and family involvement.

“Families flock to the Children’s Museum during the summer,” said Anne Brubaker, public relations coordinator for the museum. “The adults like it because a day with us is a day out of the heat and a day of pre-planned activities for their children. The children like it because they have such a good time here.”

The Children’s Museum has developed themes for each of the three traditional summer months. June is flight month, and several workshops have been scheduled on this theme. In July, children’s courses will focus on architecture and building, and the theme for August is media.

This month, there are workshops on “How Things Fly” and hands-on activities in which children will make flying objects. July will feature workshops on building box cities, under the supervision of professional architects. Children will also have the opportunity to dismantle common household items and put them together again. In August, youngsters will have the chance to make their own newspapers, radio programs and newscasts under the tutelage of working professionals in the media field.

“Not only will the children have a great time with these workshops,” Brubaker said, “they will have a chance to explore something about themselves. In this way, they might discover a love for flying or a desire to be a newscaster one day. This is where it starts, with children.”

The county Museum of Natural History has an added attraction this summer that is expected to attract children and their parents in droves, according to museum officials. The long-awaited Ralph M. Parsons Insect Zoo officially opened along with the reopening of the Discovery Center on April 25.

The Insect Zoo features more than 25 live insect exhibits, including sterile Mediterranean fruit flies, several species of beetles, giant stick insects, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, dung scarabs, Malaysian dead-leaf mantises, velvet ants, a black widow and emperor spider, and hairy scorpions. Spanish-speaking staff members are available for bilingual assistance at the zoo.

The zoo also includes a bioscanner that can be operated by visitors to give them a closer view of insects in their natural habitats.

“The schedules at Los Angeles museums this summer really offer a variety of fascinating possibilities,” Powell said. “With this emphasis toward family involvement, most museums will probably pick up a considerable number of people who will come back again and again, even after summer is over.”

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

At 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3.50 for senior citizens and college students with identification, $1 for children age 6 to 17. Children 5 and younger are free. Free admission for everyone on the second Tuesday of each month. Sunday workshops are free with the price of admission. Special tours are available for visually impaired and hearing impaired. For general information and a list of summer classes, call (213) 857-6000.

Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History

At 900 Exposition Blvd., in Exposition Park, Los Angeles. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insect Zoo and Discovery Center open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $3.50 for students and senior citizens with identification, $2 for children 5 through 12. Children 4 and younger are free. For information, call (213) 744-3534 or (213) 744-3558. The following classes will take place this summer:

“Adventures in Nature,” three sessions will take place July 14 to 17, July 21 to 24, and July 28 to 31, and will go from 10 a.m. to noon. $65 per session. Specific classes include: for first grade, botany; second grade, entomology (insects); third grade, mineralogy and geology; fourth grade, herpetology (reptiles and amphibians); fifth grade, ichthyology (fish); sixth grade, ornithology (birds); seventh grade, paleontology (dinosaurs); eighth and ninth grades, mammalogy. Parents should register children for the grade level they will begin this fall.

“Sea Shanties,” July 19, 3:15 p.m. Free with museum admission. Children will learn salty songs about a sailor’s life. Discovery Center.

“Summer Fossil Excavation of Pit No. 91.” Viewing station open July 8 through Aug. 30, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. George C. Page Museum (separate wing of Museum of Natural History). $5 for adults, $3.50 for children age 5 through 11. Children 5 and younger are free. More than 1,100 fossils were discovered in last year’s dig, and about that many are expected to be found in this pit.

Kidspace

At 390 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Summer hours: Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 per child, $4 for adults, $3.50 for senior citizens, and $2.50 for children 1 and 2. Children younger than 1 are free. For information call (818) 449-9144. Most summer workshops are free with museum admission.

Today: “Armenian Dances.” Children learn about Armenian culture and language through dance. Family participation encouraged. Performance workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Saturday: “Peruvian Looms.” Crafts for children 5 and older. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sunday: “German Jumping Jacks.” Colorful puppet-making for children 5 and older. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Tuesday: “Picture This.” The arts of storytelling and freehand drawing combined for children 7 and older. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Wednesday: “Ty’s Homemade Band,” a musical film for children 5 and older. 2 p.m.

Thursday: “Shake, Rattle and Roll.” Exploring earthquakes with Dr. David Berry., for children 5 and older, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 3: “Body Language.” Children explore mime and improvisation. Family participation encouraged. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 5: “T-Shirt Magic.” Children design their own T-shirts. $5 for T-shirt and dyes. All ages welcome. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 7: “Grandmother Spider and the Sacred Twins.” Navajo stories at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. All ages.

July 8: “Garbage Tale” and “The Giving Tree” will be shown in films focusing on environment. Children 5 and older. 2 p.m.

July 9: “Ralph M. Parsons Insect Zoo.” Insect zoo, with workshops for all ages at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

July 10: “Afternoon at the Improv.” Children create original stories through theater games. Family participation encouraged. All ages. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 11: “Top of the Whirl.” Toy top workshop for children 5 and older. 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 12 and Aug. 2: “Magnificent Mobiles.” Children 5 and older. Workshops 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 14: “What on Earth?” Environmental storytelling at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. All ages.

July 15: “Trip to the Aquarium,” film at 2 p.m. for children 5 and older.

July 16: “What is Weather?” Children 6 and older. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 17: “Pasadena Symphony Juniors.” Young musicians teach about instruments. Family participation encouraged. All ages. Performance workshop at 1:30 p.m.

July 18: “3-D Fantasy Mural.” Children 4 and older create a mural. Ongoing workshop from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

July 19: “Art From Nature.” Children 5 and older. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 21: “African Folk Tales.” Storytelling at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. for all ages.

July 22: Films “The Day Colors Went Away,” “Orange and Blue” and “Dance” at 2 p.m. for children 5 and older.

July 23: “Exotic Animals: Are They Pets?” Ages 4 and older. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 24: “Opera, Anyone?” All ages. Family participation encouraged. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 25: “African Rod Puppets.” Ages 6 and older. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 26: “Stained Glass Windows.” Workshops in simulating stained glass for children age 4 and older at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 28: “Stories From Here, There, and Everywhere.” Storytelling with special adaptation for hearing-impaired visitors. All ages. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

July 29: Films “Curious George” and “The Making of Curious George,” for children 5 and older at 2 p.m.

July 30: “Webs and Chains.” The relationship between plants and animals. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Children 6 and older.

July 31: “Rhythms of Africa.” Family participation encouraged. All ages. Performance workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 1: “Cup ‘n’ Ball.” Making toys in workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Children 5 and older.

Aug. 4: “Fabulous Fables.” Storytelling for all ages at 2:30 p.m.

Aug. 5: Film “Sound of Sunshine, Sound of Rain,” for children 5 and older at 2 p.m.

Aug. 6: “Water at Work.” For children 6 and older. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 7: “Creative Percussion.” Family participation encouraged. All ages. Performance workshop at 2 p.m.

Aug. 8: “Shape-Up.” Children work with various shapes to form art projects. Ages 4 and older. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 9: “Wearable Art.” Designing jewelry in workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Children 5 and older.

Aug. 11: “Stories From Up Your Street and Around the World.” Storytelling for all ages begins at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 12: Film “Loon’s Necklace,” based on a Northwest Indian legend, at 2 p.m. Children 5 and older.

Aug. 13: “Cabrillo Marine Museum’s Touch Tank.” All ages. Workshops at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 14: “Express Yourself!” Creative dance for all ages. Family participation encouraged. Performance workshop at 3:15 p.m.

Aug. 15: “Wrapped Dolls.” Creating dolls from fabric and sticks. Children 5 and older. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 16: “Kachinas.” Workshops in this native American craft at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Children 6 and older.

Aug. 18: “Multicultural Stories.” Storytelling for all ages at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 19: Films on “Amazing Animals.” 2 p.m., for children ages 5 and older.

Aug. 20: “To Your Health.” Children will learn about their health from hospital experts. Ages 5 and older. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 21: “From Blues to Gospel.” Children will trace the development of Afro-American music in workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. All ages. Family participation encouraged.

Aug. 22: “Wild Watercolor Magic.” Ages 4 and up. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 23: “Paper Making.” Children will create their own paper from recycled newspaper. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Children 5 and older.

Aug. 25: “A Summer of Stories.” Storytelling begins at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. for children of all ages.

Aug. 26: Films “Waffles” and “Ramona: A Mystery Meal” at 2 p.m. for children ages 5 and older.

Aug. 27: “The Nature of Things.” Hands-on computer workshops presented by Futurekids at 2 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Children age 5 and older.

Aug. 28: “Family Trees.” Family participation encouraged. All ages. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 29: “T-Shirt Magic.” $5 for T-shirt and dyes. All ages. Workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Aug. 30: “Rain Sticks.” Children will make a rattling rain stick in workshops at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Ages 7 and older.

Sept. 1: “Tales of Nature.” Storytelling begins at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. All ages.

Sept. 2: Films for children at 2 p.m. Ages 5 and older.

Sept. 3: “Pet Care” Ages 4 and older. Workshops at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Sept. 4: “Fridays With Friends.” Family participation encouraged. All ages.

Sept. 5: “Mexican Folk Masks.” Ages 5 and older. Workshop at 2 p.m.

Sept. 6: “Batik Workshop” at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Ages 5 and older.

Los Angeles Children’s Museum

Located at 310 N. Main St., Los Angeles. Open Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for children 3 and older. For information on additional summer workshop schedule, call (213) 687-8800. June ‘Flight’ workshops include:

Saturday, Sunday: “If People Could Fly.” Audience participatory stories that explore the age-old human desire to fly. Noon to 2 p.m. in the Performance Space.

Monday, Tuesday: “Flight Experimentation.” Learn how things fly and experiment with various flying objects from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Skyroom.

Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum

Located at 4700 Western Heritage Way (formerly Zoo Drive), Griffith Park, Los Angeles. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5.50 for adults and $2.50 for children 3 and older. For information call (213) 667-2000. Call for summer classes.