WINK SMART: The free card that unlocks a summers-worth of free activities for children and adults

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Lee County library cards unlock access to free summer programs, cultural passes and digital resources that can keep kids entertained without costing parents a dime.

Several libraries are hosting programs for children, teens and even adults throughout summer break.

The Fort Myers Regional Library's calendar has a packed July full of different events and programs. For example, next week's calendar shows a live reading performance for children surrounding geology and fossils, arts and crafts to create dinosaur eggs, even a Dungeons and Dragons game for adults.

Users can click through the different library branches to see which events are happening near them.

Library cardholders can also visit local attractions for free by checking out cultural passes from select library locations. Those passes are on a first-come, first-serve basis. A list of places accessible for free with a library card can be found at the bottom of this article.

Beyond children's programs and museum passes, library cards provide access to free Wi-Fi, access to printers, free classes and thousands of e-books and digital magazines. These resources serve both children and adults looking for entertainment or educational materials.

There is a cash charge for printing. Black & white is $0.10 per page. Color is $1.00 per page. Print jobs can be sent from a public access computer in the library or from offsite.

Click here to sign up for a library card.

The library system's summer offerings give families budget-friendly options to keep kids engaged during the break from school.

• Edison and Ford Winter Estates
• Mound House
• Wonder Gardens
• Florida Repertory Theatre
• Alliance for the Arts
• Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium
• Pure Florida
• Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium
• Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center
• C'mon! Golisano Children's Museum of Naples