Boca Raton's week starts tonight with the soft opening of a new city space for children and families of all abilities at Patch Reef Park, and it ends next Friday with the city handing out free native plants to residents at Wildflower Park. In between are a beginner paddle on the Intracoastal, a pool party with a pumpkin dive, a foreign film morning and a Halloween night with live animals at the Children's Science Explorium.

Community Accessibility Program opening, Friday, Oct. 23

The city's Community Accessibility Program, known as CAP, holds its soft opening and ribbon cutting from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at Patch Reef Park, 2000 Yamato Road. CAP is a new space for inclusive and adaptive recreation, with sensory-friendly activities, family support programs and community events for children and families of all abilities. Tonight's opening includes tours of the facility, vendor-led activity demonstrations and tables from community resource groups. Admission is free. Details are at myboca.us/PatchReefCAP, and the program can be reached at 561-367-7034.

Monster Mash, Sunday, Oct. 25

The Swim Center, 21618 St. Andrews Blvd., hosts a free Halloween pool party from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, with games in and around the water, face painting and food trucks. The pumpkin dive starts at 1 p.m. sharp: swimmers search the pool for pumpkins filled with surprises, and a special pumpkin wins a special prize. Participants must be comfortable in the water without a parent.

Intro to Kayaking at Gumbo Limbo, Sunday, Oct. 25

Earlier that morning, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., runs Intracoastal Adventures, a kayaking class for paddlers who want practice before tackling winding mangrove trails. The group stays in the shallow water along the edge of the Intracoastal and learns about the mangrove and estuary ecosystems along the way. The cost is $20 for residents and $25 for non-residents, life jackets are provided, and the class is open to adults and children 7 and older, with each child under 13 paddling with a parent or guardian. Paddlers must be able to get in and out of a kayak on their own. Advance registration through the city's WebTrac system is required, activity number 155425.

Senses of Cinema, Wednesday, Oct. 28

The Willow Theatre, 300 S. Military Trail, screens a subtitled, award-winning international film from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as part of its four-week Senses of Cinema series. Film expert Shelly Isaacs introduces each film and leads a discussion afterward. Tickets are $12 for residents and $15 for non-residents, for ages 25 and older.

Creepy Crawlies at the Chickee Lab, Friday, Oct. 30

The Children's Science Explorium, also at 300 S. Military Trail, holds a Halloween evening outdoors in its Chickee Lab for children ages 5 to 12, with creepy-crawly animal ambassadors, nature-inspired crafts, snacks and costumes. Sessions run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. The price, which covers one child and one adult, is $10 for residents and $12.50 for non-residents, with extra adult tickets at $3. Preregistration is required.

Wildflower in Bloom plant giveaway, Friday, Oct. 30

Starting at 5 p.m., the city hands out free one-gallon native plants and wildflower seeds at Wildflower Park, 551 E. Palmetto Park Road, along with information on Florida-friendly landscaping. It is a walk-up giveaway for City of Boca Raton residents only, first come, first served, one plant per household, with second plants offered if any remain after everyone has received one.

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