KIDS/SNEAK PEEK : TOOT A HOST OF HORNS OR DRAW A VIOLIN BOW.

Byline: - Nancy Hewitt

Come one, come all to the last Musical Circus of the season at 9 a.m. Saturday in Pasadena.

If you're a youngster 12 or under, this is a wonderful opportunity to ``play'' instruments, including clarinets, oboes, violins, trumpets, cellos and more, under the tutelage of junior and senior high school students, as part of this ongoing Pasadena Symphony program.

The older students will answer questions and teach the younger ones how to hold and make sounds with the instruments.

After the hands-on experience, children will be treated to a musical program in the Gold Room of the auditorium.

This free event is held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St. Information: [phone].

All aboard!

If you're a train lover age 3 to 8, come to Pages Books for Children and Young Adults Inc. at 11 a.m. Saturday to hear train tales and more.

Ride the rails with storyteller Shari Sack and enjoy books such as ``The Little Engine That Could.''

A $5 preregistration fee reserves space and can be applied to the purchase of any train book, toy or tape.

The bookstore is at 18399 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. Information: [phone].

Rites of passage

Come explore objects and ceremonies that mark the Jewish rites of passage in Skirball Cultural Center's Life Cycle Gallery at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Children ages 7 and older are invited to use their senses with this hands-on tour of the gallery and will work with artist Ruth San Pietro to create a personal wimpel - a fabric Torah binder made to celebrate a child's birth.

The Skirball is at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. Fee is $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers. Registration: [phone]; general information: [phone].

Rain-forest life

If you've ever been curious about the rain forest and its many mysteries, here's an opportunity to learn all about it.

On Tuesday, local retailers will begin carrying a new video produced by National Geographic called ``Rain Forest: Heroes of the High Frontier.''

Watch environmentalist Nalina Nadkarni and her colleagues make their way to the top of the rain-forest canopy to get a closer look at the inhabitants of this wondrous part of the world.

Marvel at flying snakes, the rare woolly opossum, the slow-moving sloth and the giant harpy eagle. Suggested retail price for the hourlong video is $19.98, and it is available at Musicland, Costco, Borders and the KCET Store of Knowledge.

Chef for a day

If you're a youngster age 7 to 12, and you'd like to learn how to cook, here's a one-day class designed just for you.

Beginning at 10 a.m. June 19 at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey, young chefs will be given a Ritz-Carlton apron, chef's hat and recipes, a tour of the hotel kitchen and a safety lesson.

Then they will learn menu planning, recipe preparation and food presentation. The class ends with the young cooks preparing a three-course lunch that they will enjoy in the restaurant.

Cost of the three-hour class is $50. Other classes will be offered Aug. 7, Sept. 18, Oct. 30 and Dec. 11. The hotel is at 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey. For reservations and additional information: [phone], Ext. 5121.

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Photo: Children can get a feel for a variety of instruments - with no experience necessary - at the Musical Circus program.