Photos provided by: Bartow History Museum, YMCA Grizzard Park, LakePoint and Darlington
Ask nearly any adult about their memories of childhood summer breaks, AND STORIES OF BEING OUTSIDE ON A BICYCLE, EXPLORING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND PLANNING LONG DAYS WITH FRIENDS ARE LIKELY TO SURFACE. Many of us also have great camp experiences that shaped us and helped us move into the next phase of development before returning to school a whole year older and wiser.
Perhaps my favorite was the Summer Reading Program at my local library. I would spend an entire week reading new books, listening to tales at storytime, creating hodgepodge crafts, and eating snacks. I believe it was during that time that I grew a love for words which catapulted me into writing later in life. It was only one week of my summer but one that directly impacted me in a way that changed the trajectory of my path. I am a huge advocate for summer camps that provide an environment in which a child can blossom and grow through their experiences.
Here we present you with some great local summer camp options that promote growth, learning, and development while entertaining the kids.
Bartow History Museum
The Bartow History Museum has a unique offering for ages 6-9. “I feel like our camps are unique because we are taking broad topics and connecting them back to local history,” said Tori Cline, BHM Educator. “We want our camps to be informative, but fun and something that kids are interested in.”
These camps are onsite and run from 9 am-noon, Monday through Friday. Each camp is $115 per camper and registration includes entry into the museum, all crafts and activities, snacks, and a BHM camp t-shirt.
This year they are offering three camps:
Mysteries of History, June 5 – 9
This camp will focus on famous historical mysteries like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, the Bermuda Triangle, the Sphinx, etc. Campers will spend the week exploring/solving the mysteries through crafts and activities.
Camposaurus Rex, June 19 – 23
If the name doesn’t give it away, this camp will focus on the prehistoric past of Bartow County! Campers will learn all about dinosaurs, fossils, and paleontology. We’re even working with our sister museum, Tellus Science Museum, for a possible collaboration with one of their Dino experts. Throughout the week, campers will be working to create their very own Jurassic Park “Dino”rama to show off to their parents at the end of camp!
Folklore & Fantasy Camp, July 10 – 14
This camp will introduce campers to the world of famous folklore, fantasy, and fairytales. They will get the chance to learn about the historic and pop culture aspects of franchises like Grimm’s Fairytales, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars & more!
Anyone looking to register should visit the camps page on the Bartow History Museum website www.bartowhistorymuseum.org/events/category/camps/list/ If anyone should have any questions about camps, they can contact Jordan Duncan, Program Manager, directly at info@bartowhistorymuseum.org
YMCA Grizzard Park
The YMCA is offering a full eight weeks of camp beginning on May 30 and ending on July 28th, with the exception of the week of July fourth. This camp has much to offer kids ages six through 12. With a camp counselor for every ten campers, students are provided close interaction with a positive role model who has been trained to promote their four core values; caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
Campers will participate in small group activities where they will work on projects together. They are also assigned long-term projects and large group activities. During these eight weeks, campers can partake in many activities that might already be of interest to them or something they want to try with the hopes of stretching outside of their normal likes and adopting a love for something new.
Some of these activities include:
Ropes Course
Hiking Trail
Rock Wall
Arts and Crafts
STEM Activities
Daily Reading
Sports/Games
Swimming
Peddle Karts/Bikes
Weekly Special Events
Field Trip Fridays
Community Service
YMCA members can register for $125/week. The non-members’ rate is $150/per week.
Registration can be completed online through their website, www.ymcarome.org/programs/y-day-camp/. Campers can be dropped off between 7:30a – 9:00a and picked up between 4:00p – 5:30p, making this a great camp opportunity for working parents.
LakePoint
LakePoint Sports is well-known for its connection to the sports community and serves athletes in more than 30 sports year-round. Their camp offering, Camp LakePoint, is designed for ages five through 14 and hosts many options that campers can enjoy. “Camp LakePoint is the perfect summer experience for kids of all ages and interests,” said Erika Wyant. “With a wide range of activities and themes, there is sure to be something for everyone. Each week, campers will get sports instruction, themed arts and crafts projects, science experiments, water activity time, and so much more!”
Camp LakePoint offers seven weeks of all-day fun. This year, their themes include Spring into Summer, LakePoint Ninjas, The Great Outdoors, Hometown Favorite, Robots and Rockets, Candyland, and Lost Cities Found. Each of these camps runs from 8a-5p Monday through Friday.
Be sure to also check out their focused camps if you are looking to develop specific sports skills.
Rugby Camp: Utilizing games and activities our expert coaches from Atlanta Youth Rugby will teach newcomers to the sport the fundamentals of rugby including footwork, passing, receiving, support, and defense.
Futsal Camp: Provides you with the same training methods used in Brazil in order to improve the players, allowing them to reach the next level. Players will be divided into groups according to age and skill level and drills will emphasize shooting, passing, and dribbling, as well as 1v1 moves while maintaining a fast pace.
Running Camp: Sessions during each day of the three-day camp include teaching the fundamentals of both cross-country and track & field, and of course, a workout.
Basketball Camp: Designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced youth players. Coaches will lead the players through drills and aim to teach every player new techniques so they can improve their skills and grow their knowledge of the game.
Soccer Camp: Introduction to soccer with skill-based games for all ages 4-10 in a fun, player-friendly environment with a focus on improving individual skills. Skills focused on will include dribbling, shooting, ball control, and passing and receiving.
“Hosting a variety of weekly themes makes it easy for campers to experience different activities for different interests,” said Wyant. “Whether it’s basketball, Futsal, running, soccer, or rugby, LakePoint Sports has the perfect programming to promote an active, technology-free summer full of fun!”
Be sure to check out their camp webpage, lakepointsports.com/camps/.
Darlington
Darlington School offers 15 camp options for its students and community that not only educate and challenge campers but promotes confidence building, caring friendships, and more. Campers increase their capacity for learning, problem-solving, and self-awareness as they participate in sports activities, explore nature, and delve into the world of science.
Camps are offered from May 30th through July 28th and many of the camps offer full-day and half-day options. Here’s a look at what they have to offer.
Football Camp: Boys entering grades K-8 are invited to tackle the fundamentals and learn how to make football a snap. Beyond the fundamentals, campers also learn to be team players, build a strong work ethic, maintain a positive attitude, become self-motivated, and develop leadership skills.
Girl’s Basketball Camp: A great opportunity for girls in grades K-8 to work on the fundamentals of dribbling, passing, and shooting while learning proper positioning for defensive play, the importance of player positioning on the basketball court, and the breakdown of guard and post play offensively and defensively.
Boy’s Basketball Camp: Boys entering grades K-8 are invited to hone their basketball skills and drive home fundamental skills—shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, and defending.
Cheer Camp: Girls ages 4-12 are invited to jump into the fun of cheerleading this summer! Learn tons of new cheers, perform age-appropriate stunts, improve technique, and build your repertoire of moves and formations.
Wrestling Camp: Boys entering grades 3-8 are invited to learn the basics of wrestling, from takedowns to pinning combinations.
Maker’s Challenge Camp: Two concurrent camp sessions are offered during the week. Engineering Challenges will be focused mainly on building robots and computer programming with the Lego Spark and other systems, while Maker Creations will involve creative activities related to physical science, coding, mechanical engineering, design, and art.
All-Sports Training: Campers will be exposed to many of the sports offered at Darlington School as they are coached by our very own staff and Upper School students. Participants will be grouped by age or ability to ensure maximum learning and skill development.
Scholar Quest: Students entering grades 3-5 are invited to stretch their minds through a variety of fun, hands-on activities. Scholar Quest will focus on math in the morning and writing/grammar in the afternoon with a fun field trip on Friday! Each day will be jam-packed full of active learning.
Nature Nuts: Designed for students entering grades 3-7, Nature Nuts provides a unique opportunity for young people to explore ecosystems, discover lab science, and create natural artwork!
Delightascope: Designed specifically for the unique needs and interests of children ages 3-7. Delightascope combines age-appropriate academics and activities to create a fun, stimulating environment.
Camp Darlington: This is a two-session summer camp experience for ages 6-13. Campers will explore the campus through a variety of activities like canoeing, swimming, fishing, crafts, games, and more!
Musical Theater Camp: Open to boys and girls entering grades 3-8 who want to explore their creative side. Campers will spend the day singing, dancing, creating, and having a blast. The week will conclude with a rousing performance of “Seussical KIDS,” in which participants will get to portray some of their favorite characters from popular Dr. Seuss books.
Anyone interested in learning more about Darlington Camps or registering your campers, be sure to visit their website, www.darlingtonschool.org/summer.
