Making slime, learning magic or creating a video game are a few of the ways that elementary-age children can play at the St. Charles Park District this winter.

Through cultivated collaborations, the St. Charles Park District is excited to offer activities in which young people can play, learn and perhaps even meet a few friends along the way. Youth Program Supervisor Andrew Little said partnerships with organizations and community members enable programming for a variety of interests.

The park district established connections with local organizations so children can take drama classes at the Marquee Youth Stage in St. Charles or get creative with art classes at All Things Art Studio in St. Charles.

Other partnerships bring the instructors to the St. Charles Park District facilities for classes. Magician Gary Kantor will share a trick or two at his magic class at Pottawatomie Community Center on Feb. 7.

Little said the class is expected to fill quickly.

“Gary is really great with the kids,” Little said. “It’s definitely one of the more popular classes.”

Kantor teaches new tricks at every session and participants receive their own take-home magic kit.

Lisa Lombardi from Lisa Lombardi Coaching Inc. will return Jan. 31 for her popular Valen-Slime class at Pottawatomie Community Center. The class, for ages 6 to 13, is a fun, sticky, sweet class and Lombardi melds the fun of creating slime with her ability to talk to young people about growing one’s mindset and the power of yet.

“The kids always have a really fun time,” Little said.

For young musicians, the park district hosts a beginner guitar course. Classes are kept small, giving each student a chance to learn and develop their strumming skills. Classes are taught by Pinhead Piano and it’s a great way to let students explore an interest.

The creative team at Minds in Motion will lead a class in Crime Scene Investigation for children ages 8 to 12. The class delves into forensic science and each participant receives their own take-home detective kit for further exploration. The class meets weekly from Jan. 31 through March 6.

For those who love video games, consider new classes that will let participants learn the basics of building their own game. Video Game Design and Intro to Python Coding are designed for ages 9 to 15 and in the multi-week class, participants learn the basics of building a game. The class is taught in partnership between the St. Charles Park District and Creative Brain Learning.

Create Video Games with Unity Engine is a new multi-week class for ages 8 to 15. Unity Engine is involved with popular games such as Pokemon and VR Game Beat Saber. Participants will have a chance to get creative and learn how to use the tools to create a game.

“This goes beyond playing a video game and lets participants learn how to make a game and how to code, which are great tools for young people,” Little said.

From art to science, slime and a little magic, there’s always something new at the St. Charles Park District.