It won't be long until school will be out for the summer but just because children won't be in the classroom doesn't mean they can't still learn and have fun while doing it.
Registration is already under way for the slew of summer camps that will be held in the region. Some will focus on art or history, while others allow children to participate in a wide variety of activities, from movie making to swimming.
The Marietta Family YMCA will be offering two different camps, one being Camp Caterpillar for children ages four and five and the other being Camp W.I.L.D. (wellness, imagination, learning, determination), open to those who are entering grades one through nine. Camp W.I.L.D. will be held at Marietta Middle School.
Darla Van Horn, the Y's child care director, said registration for the camps began about two weeks ago, and already, about 30 kids are signed up for Camp W.I.L.D. and about 15 are signed up for Camp Caterpillar.
"We definitely have more space (in both)," she said.
During Camp Caterpillar, which will begin June 6 and end Aug. 19 and take place at the Y, there will be a different theme every week. They include "Let's get physical and still be safe," "Let's go exploring" and "We're all wet."
Fact Box
Some local options for summer camps/
activities
Sensational Summer Camp; Ely Chapman Education Foundation Center, 403 Scammel St., Marietta; 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 6-Aug. 19; ages six (or completed kindergarten) to 14; $75 weekly tuition ($5 discount for siblings).
Betsey's Learning Tree Summer Camp; Betsey Mills Club, 300 Fourth St., Marietta; 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, May 31-Aug. 19; ages five to 12 (must have completed kindergarten); $85 weekly member rate, $95 weekly non-member rate; $20 daily member rate, $24 daily non-member rate; $40 registration fee.
Summer History Camp; The Castle, 418 Fourth St., Marietta; 9 a.m to 3 p.m., June 20-24; children entering grades three, four and five; $30 per child, per day or $125 for the week.
Summer Art Camp; Riverside Artists Gallery, 219 A Second St., Marietta; July 11-15; ages eight to 11 participate from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for $60; ages 12 and older participate from 12:30 to 3 p.m. for $75.
Kids Klub summer camp; Salvation Army, 136 Front St., Marietta; 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., May 31-Aug. 19; children entering kindergarten through senior in high school; $40 per child, per week.
Camp Invention; Washington State Community College, 710 Colegate Dr., Marietta; 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., June 13-17; children entering grades one through six; $225 base price.
Camp Caterpillar; Marietta Family YMCA, 300 Seventh St., Marietta; 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., June 6-Aug. 19; children ages four and five; call 373-2250 for rates.
Camp W.I.L.D.; organized by Marietta Family YMCA and held at Marietta Middle School, 242 Seventh St., Marietta; 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., June 6-Aug. 12; children entering grades one through nine; call 373-2250 for rates.
Ten questions
to ask when choosing a
summer camp
What is the camp's philosophy?
How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff?
What about return rates? The American Camp Association (ACA) says at most camps, 40-60 percent of the staff returns. If the number you're given is lower, ask why.
What's the ratio of counselors to campers?
How old are the counselors? The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.
What medical staff work at the camp and what backup facilities are nearby?
What is the camp's approach to discipline and how does the camp handle conflicts between campers?
What does a typical daily schedule look like? Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.
Will the camp be transporting the children?
Ask for references.
Source: www.greatschools.org
"It's a non-napping camp for that age group where they have a campy type atmosphere like they'll have at the middle school but for their age group," Van Horn said.
Kids who attend Camp W.I.L.D. will have an opportunity to take trips to the Columbus Zoo and COSI, and they'll also collaborate with the kids in the Ely Chapman Education Foundation Center's camp to paint giant maps on concrete.
"When they do the geography weeks, they'll paint a map of the U.S. at the Ely Chapman building and when we do world geography, we'll paint a map of the whole world here at the YMCA," Van Horn said.
Van Horn said the Y's Camp W.I.L.D. campers will team up with the Ely Chapman campers for a total of four weeks.
The Ely Chapman's Sensational Summer Camp will kick off June 6 and end Aug. 19. It is open to children ages six (or those who have completed kindergarten) to 15.
"The biggest thing we're focusing on is every week on Friday there will be a special event the parents and guardians are invited to," said Alice Chapman, chairwoman and founder of the Ely Chapman foundation.
For instance, at the end of the camp's science week, a science fair will be held and at the end of arts and crafts week, there will be an arts and crafts festival.
Chapman said in addition to the map painting projects, the center will also team up with the Y's camp for an Olympic-themed activity.
"It will be not just be track and field and swimming but also academic olympics and artist olympics," she said. "Everybody is good at something so everybody will have a chance to participate."
Those who participate in the Riverside Artist's Gallery's summer art camp will have a chance to work on a variety of different art activities.
The camp will be held from July 11 to 15, with children ages eight to 11 attending from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and kids ages 12 and older attending from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
"For the younger kids in the morning, we'll be doing bookmaking and glass mosaic and a real fun project is they're going to get to make some gourd art," said Betsy Cook, a member of the gallery.
Cook noted that the gallery has held the camp for about 10 years, but it was not held last year due to the gallery's building on Front Street in Marietta being destroyed by a fire.
"We're very happy we can offer it again," she said.
