FOR THE KIDS : Annual Extravaganza Turns Mall Into Youngsters’ Paradise : Nonstop whirl of music, activities and exhibits in Thousand Oaks features performers who won’t turn off parents.

This weekend is a good time to be a kid. Especially if you drop by The Oaks shopping center for its Kid’s World ‘94, a three-day entertainment extravaganza.

This free, nonstop whirl of music, hands-on activities and exhibits has kid written all over it. But the lineup of entertainment features artists who won’t turn off parents.

This is the ninth year the Thousand Oaks mall has offered Kid’s World. It starts Friday at 10 a.m. and runs through Sunday at 6 p.m.

“We get a tremendous crowd,” said Diane Boyd, spokeswoman for the mall. A lot of the appeal is that families can see top performers for free, instead of paying the usual concert admission.

Some of entertainers perform regularly at the mall during its Thursday O.K. (Oaks Kids) Club, but some are new, like singer Hazel Payne who performs twice on Friday at 4 and 6 p.m.

Payne was part of the pop musical duo, “A Taste of Honey,” during the late 1970s and ‘80s. Their song “Boogie Oogie Oogie” was a hit in 1978.

“I’ve been in the music business since the dawn of disco,” she said.

Payne left the music business in the early ‘80s to concentrate on her family--she has five children, the youngest 8 years old. Two years ago, she got back into the music business--this time performing for children.

Payne is very recognizable. Her signature outfit is boxer shorts, baseball jacket, and Converse high-tops.

“I’ve been told I’m very energetic on stage,” she said. “I have a tendency to be here, there and everywhere. I go out into the audience. I get the children involved in the music.”

The majority of the material is her own, said Payne, who plays electric guitar. She delivers a positive message about self-esteem and character, as in her number called, “Do Your Best,” based on the old tortoise and hare fable.

Stepping into children’s music was a natural for her, she said. “I always made up songs when my children were little. If I was going to teach them something, it was in song.”

Also performing Friday, at 5 p.m., is Caren Glasser, an O.K. Club regular and emcee. She’ll be taking the stage on Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Mark Beckwith, a singer and guitarist who appeals especially to preschoolers, performs at 1 p.m. Friday.

On Saturday, the shows are hourly beginning at 11:30 a.m. with the Scott Land Marionettes, which also appear at 1:30 p.m. Look-alikes Janet & Judy, a fast-moving duo who appeal to older kids, take the stage at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m.

On Sunday, Dan Crow and his Thunderwear Band liven things up at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. All the concerts are in the mall, near the Broadway store.

This year’s Kid’s World also features a safety theme, with exhibits by fire, police and ambulance crews. Parents can have their children fingerprinted on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. If children bring in their old toothbrush they can get a new one, courtesy of the Santa Barbara/Ventura County Dental Assn.

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Moorpark’s Arroyo Vista Recreation Center has a special deal for teen-agers. The center will offer an “open gym” for youths 11 and older on Fridays from 3 to 9 p.m. This is a chance to shoot baskets and play volleyball. Equipment is available at the center. For information, call 531-9100.

Details

* WHAT: Kid’s World ‘94, three days of entertainment and activities.

* WHEN: Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* WHERE: The Oaks shopping center, 222 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks.

* FYI: 495-2031.