FCPS: Countdown to Kindergarten
Children registered for Kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year at Fayette County Public Schools can attend a variety of fun, free and educational activities through the school district’s Countdown to Kindergarten program.
Many community organizations partner to offer these countywide opportunities such as The Explorium, the Kentucky Children’s Garden, Lexington Children’s Theatre, the Lexington Philharmonic and more.
At Kindergarten registration, parents will receive a Countdown to Kindergarten booklet with a coupon for a Countdown to Kindergarten T-shirt.
The coupon can be redeemed at any branch of the Lexington Public Library, and the T-shirt is the child’s ticket into the special events and activities.
2019 schedule
June 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. – The Children’s Garden at the Arboretum, 500 Alumni Drive Come join in the fun as you learn about butterfly life cycles, plant a seed to take home, and explore how the garden is blooming. Free admission for child with C2K shirt and one adult. Additional visitors, $3 each.
June 8 – Parks and Recreation pools
Enjoy a day of swimming at any city pool. Free for kindergartner with C2K shirt. Please check with the city pool locations for hours and cost for additional guests.
June 15 from 10 a.m. to noon – Lexington Children’s Theatre, 418 W. Short St.
Join the Lexington Children’s Theatre as we explore “Where the Wild Things Are.” Check out actor’s tools, make a mask, and act out this fabulous story. Free for kindergartner with a C2K shirt and one adult. Register at www.lctonstage.org before June 14.
June 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Living Arts and Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Blvd.
Explore the LASC during this special Discovery Saturday program! Enjoy hands-on exhibits, art and makerspace activities, live animals, a planetarium show, and more! Free admission for Kindergartener with a C2K shirt and one adult. Additional guests, $5 each.
June 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – McConnell Springs Nature Park, 416 Rebmann Rd.
Join in a nature scavenger hunt! Free for children in C2K shirt and their families.
July 6 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Lexington Philharmonic’s Concert at the Carnegie, 251 W. Second St.
Enjoy some child-friendly music with the Lexington Philharmonic. Pre-concert activities: instrument petting zoo, musical crafts, coloring pages, and more! Free for child in C2K shirt and one adult; others, $5 each.
July 13 from 10 a.m. to noon – Bluegrass Greensource, 835 National Ave.
Find out what animals live in Kentucky and what they need for survival. Examine pelts, tracks, and skulls while learning about animal habitats. Free for child in C2K shirt and their families.
July 20 from 11 a.m. to noon – Lexington Public Library, central location, 140 E. Main St.
In the VIP Kindergarten Experience, come play, explore, and create in a special Saturday in Phoenix Park event. Then come inside to sign up for your very own library card and take home a bag of books. Check the library’s Facebook page for more details.
July 27 at 11 a.m. – Explorium, 440 W. Short St.
Come see our show that oozes, fizzes, and kabooms! Free for child in C2K shirt; all others, $9. Email Kalli Turner at turner@explorium.com for reservations (required).
Aug. 3 – Back to School Rallies
Each summer, the YMCA of Central Kentucky hosts Back to School Rallies across the city. For locations and other details, visit http://www.ymcacky.org/childcare/back-to-school-rallies/.
Aug. 3 – Parks and Recreation pools
Enjoy a day of swimming at any city pool. Free admission is only for kindergartner with C to K shirt. Please check each city pool location for hours and cost of additional guests.
Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – KET’s Super Saturday, 600 Cooper Drive
Children in C2K shirts plus one accompanying adult (two if there is room) are invited to a special zone within Super Saturday in the KET Media Lab. Each child will leave with a book and activities to do at home. Registration is required at www.ket.org/supersaturday, beginning June 15.