Long hard summer of fun

For all those mothers who are looking at the long summer months ahead with long holidays to keep children occupied, here is a listing from Al-Ahram weekly of places offering activities / options for kids. Out of these, I’ve taken my son to Fagnoon Art School and Pharonic Village, and believe me, my son had a blast!

LISTINGS

-Art and Design School: 7 Baghdad St., Korba, Heliopolis. Telephone: 4159752. Contact person: Dr Issac Azmy.

-Art Fun: 2 Hassan Aflatoun St., Ard Al-Golf, Heliopolis. Telephone: 4194611, 012-3472716.

-Bedaya Art School and Conservatory: 93 Farid Semika St, Al-Hegaz Sq., Heliopolis. Telephone: 6374233, Fax: 6328383.

-The Pottery Workshop: 216 Sudan St., Mohandessin. Telephone: 3473445, 3447032.

-Fagnoon Art School: Saqqara road, Sabil Umm Hashim, approximately four kilometres after the turn off to Saqqara Country Club. Telephone: 010-1586715.

-Pharaonic Village: 3 Al-Bahr Al-Azam st., on the Corniche. Telephone: 5718675/6/7.

- The Educational Centre for Development of Artistic Talents: Cairo Opera House, Gezira Island, Telephone: 7370603. Ask for the centre or ask for Dr Ratiba El-Hefny.

- Maadi Music Centre: 38D Road 206, Digla, Maadi. Telephone: 5196917, 0105194518.

-En Vogue Modelling School and Agency: 12 Omar Ibn Al-Khattab St., Ramo Buildings, second floor, Nasr City.Telephone: 4146875.Web site: www.envogueonline.com

-Injie Solh Dance and Fitness Centre: 1 Moussa Galal Square, Mohandessin, near Seoudi Supermarket. Telephone: 3461517.

- Creative Dance and Fitness Centre(Samia Allouba):13b Road 254, Digla, Maadi. Telephone: 5196575, 6 Amr St., off Syria St., Mohandessin. Telephone: 3020572.Web site: www.cdconline.com

- Fitness and Dance Academy: Nile Tower, 35 Abul-Feda, Zamalek. Telephone: 7377500.

-Smash Tennis Academy: Behind Novotel Airport Hotel. Working hours: from 9am to 4pm. For the summer school, call: 2670897/2670779/2670467.If you are only interested in arts and crafts, you can join the "Art Attack" programme. Contact person: Architect Ayman El-Kashty. Telephone: 2900164/ 0122109217.

- Katamiyya Tennis Centre ó Al-Shafie Ranch: New Cairo, off Katamiyya Road. Telephone: 7580805/7580516/17, Ext: 272, 273.

-Cairo American College: 1 Midan Digla St., Maadi. Telephone: 5196665.Web site: www.cacegypt.org/summer

- Integrated Care Society-Culture Centre: 42 intersection of Thawra St., and Abdallah Deraz, Ard Al-Golf, Heliopolis. Telephone: 4172084/5/6/7/8. Working hours: 9.30am to 2.30pm. Web site: www.ics.org.egSwiss Club in Cairo: Villa Pax in 90, Gihad St., off Sudan St., Kit Kat, Imbaba. Telephone: 3142811 /3151455.

- Misr Al Gadida Library: 42 Al-Orouba St., Heliopolis. Telephone: 4158880. Fax: 4181618. Working hours: 9am to 9pm except Fridays.Web site: www.hsds.org.eg

- Greater Cairo Public Library: 15 Mohamed Mazhar St., Zamalek. Telephone: 7362271/7362278.Working hours: 9am to 5pm. Closed Fridays and Saturdays.

- Maadi Public Library: Al-Nasr St., New Maadi. Telephone: 1458457/2458457/3458457.Working Hours: 9am to 8pm except Mondays.

- Mubarak Public Library: 15 Tahawiya St., at the corner of Corniche Al-Nil and Tahawiya. Telephone: 3360291.Working hours: 11am to 7pm. Closed Tuesdays.

- British Council: Agouza Branch: 192a, Al-Nil St., Agouza. Telephone: 3031514/3476118.Heliopolis Branch: 4, Al-Minya St., off Nazih Khalifa St. Telephone: 4523395/7. Closed Fridays and Saturdays.Web site: www.britishcouncil.org/eg

-International Language Institute(ILI): 2 Mohamed Bayoumi St., off Merghani St., Heliopolis. Telephone: 2919295/4189212.

- Centre Francais de Culture et de Cooperation: Mounira Branch: 1 Madrasat Al-Huqouq Al-Faransiyya. Telephone: 7947679 /7941012.Heliopolis Branch: 27 Sabri Abu Alam St. Telephone: 4193857. Recommended readings:Cairo: The Family Guide, by Lesley Lababidi, the American University in Cairo Press. 292 pages, price LE60. An excellent Cairo guide for families with children. Organised by city areas. Each section contains an overview of history, detailed guide to activities and places of interest with maps and plans.

Recommended Web sites:

www.cairokids.comIt is probably the only Egyptian site that deals with kids health, culture, entertainment and education. A whole section is dedicated to kids outings and excursions.