FOR THE KIDS : Young People’s Arts Celebration to Offer Full Day of Activities : The free event Sunday at Civic Arts Plaza Park in Thousand Oaks will include songs, magic, dance and crafts.

For families on the lookout for those rare freebies, note Sunday on your calendar. That’s when the Young People’s Arts Celebration lets loose at Civic Arts Plaza Park in Thousand Oaks.

Kids can do everything from watching young hula dancers perform on stage to drawing their own cartoons--and even get an up-close look at some snakes and other slithery creatures.

About 1,000 kids from 20 schools will provide entertainment on the park’s outdoor stage. A different group performs every 15 minutes. The acts run the gamut: skits by the Charles Davis Actors Workshop, singing and signing by students at University School for the Deaf, a comedy act by Hillcrest Christian School.

On the grass, fiddlers, magicians and mimes will rove through the crowd. Gull Wings Children’s Museum and such businesses as the Parenting Store, Paint Pals, Imaginarium and Young at Art will have hands-on activities for kids, including spin art, sponge painting and magnet decorating.

For Barbie fans, the 4 Dolls Co. of Newbury Park will spread out its Barbie Doll collection.

Kid food, in the form of pizza and hot dogs, will be on sale, and a cappuccino cart will brew espresso for adults.

The celebration, sponsored by the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission and the Conejo Valley Unified School District, runs from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the park, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.

This is the second year for the event. According to organizer Pat Grant, a crowd of 3,500 is expected.

The Young People’s Arts Celebration launches the city’s annual Arts Festival, a series of events through the summer.

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Mention s’mores, those gooey chocolate-marshmallow-graham cracker delights, and kids will follow you anywhere. Maybe that’s why the Conejo Recreation and Park District’s “Saturday Night S’Mores” hike for families fills up fast.

The district’s outdoor unit runs these family outings every month. The next one is June 17, but it’s not too early to sign up. The hike goes from 7:15 to 9:45 p.m. in Wildwood Park. The cost is $4.

A naturalist leads the group on an easy two-mile hike. Midway, there’s a stop at the nature center for a campfire. While the kids toast marshmallows for s’mores, the naturalist tells stories and leads songs.

The last leg of the hike is an adventure because it’s dark by then. The stars are out, and the kids learn stories about the constellations. Participants should bring flashlights and jackets. For information: 494-8301.

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Here’s a culturally enlightening way for kids to spend summer vacation: The Thousand Oaks branch of the American Assn. of University Women is again offering its Youth Cultural Program.

Begun in 1976, it’s a weeklong look at one country through its food, games, music, dance, arts and crafts, drama and folklore. This year, the four-week program includes Sweden, Argentina, the Philippines and Italy. The first session begins July 10, with the last one starting July 31.

The program runs from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Arts Council Cultural Center, 482 Greenmeadow Ave., Thousand Oaks. Every Friday, the kids put on a presentation for parents.

The cost for one week is $50. Only kids who will be entering grades one through six are eligible. Kids can sign up for one or two weeks. Registration is open until June 17. For information: 492-4401.

Details

* WHAT: Young People’s Arts Celebration.

* WHEN: Noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

* WHERE: Civic Arts Plaza Park, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

* HOW MUCH: Free.

* CALL: 495-5960.