An exciting fact, sure to impress at a cocktail party or middle school dance: The Etruscans invented the safety pin. And the Penn Museum of A&A has lots of 'em. At the museum's weekly camps, kids play around with reproductions of fun old things, and enjoy gallery discussions, field trips and art projects like designing African necklaces and henna tattoos. Plus, water gun fights in the afternoons.

Not a dark and stormy night, but daylight hours at the Writers' Corner USA in Doylestown. Kids explore a different genre each day (short stories, poetry, etc.), write by themselves, work together and meet people who make a living off the written word (a journalist, a folklorist, a script analyst). The kids' work will be published online, and at the end of the week they can read their work for Mom, Dad and Blinky II at a pizza/open-mic party.

Originally for gymnasts, Camp Woodward also provides a summer haven for skateboarders, BMX bikers and inline skaters. The camp boasts 17 skate parks (including Woodward Avenue, "the only street in the world where you really won't get harassed by police") and campers who range from novices to Olympians.

At the Wayfinder Experience's "Philly Finale," improv games and trust falls culminate in a two-day live-action role-playing game, as a court of elves and humans (your children, transformed into creatures of legend with the aid of facepaint and glow sticks) journey bravely through the wilds of Fairmount Park to seek the blessing of a friendly dragon. Foam swords, political intrigue, marshmallows at the end. Best of all: No one dies, they just get reincarnated. An economical and comforting universe, it is.

Meet Flyers coach Ken Hitchock. Meet Flyers announcer Jim Jackson. Go to a Phillies game. Meet the Villanova basketball team. Practice pre-game shows. Practice post-game shows. Meet WIP's Glen Macnow. Meet WIP's Paul Jolovitz. Read off a teleprompter. Now they'll never stop talking about sports.