As the school year ends, it’s the same question every year: What are we going to do with the kids this summer? For parents who work, it’s the annual quest to find the perfect camps and activities to create a fun experience that manages to keep kids on track with their learning. No matter what your little one’s passion, there’s something that will fire it up during the months of June and July.
Overnight Camps
Being that we are in one of the hottest cities in the US, overnight camps for Phoenix kids usually take place in the mountains of Prescott or Flagstaff. Whether a national organization, such as Boy Scouts of America, or a regional group, such as Journey: Opportunities for Leaders of Tomorrow, there’s an overnight camp for your child.
Most overnight camps are designed for kids ages 8–18, with the older campers transitioning into leadership roles as counselors in training, or CITs. Typically, you can expect campers to learn general outdoor skills, including archery, fishing, shooting, swimming, geology, stargazing, hiking, and camping. Overnight camps typically last one week, although you could certainly stack experiences to have them occupied for a number of weeks.
Look here (http://www.kidscamps.com/camps/arizona-overnight-camps.html) for overnight camp ideas.
Day Camps
In the Valley of the Sun, day camps are abundant. From just a couple of hours a day to full 8 am – 6 pm experiences, children as young as kindergarten can get in on the action. Dance, theater, sports, nature, and academic camps are all over town, so parents can mix and match to find the perfect environment for their school-aged children to learn, laugh, and grow.
The type of experience your child will have at day camp will depend on what you choose. Most of the museums and the Phoenix zoo offer day camps, as do a number of for- and not-for-profit organizations. Do you have a budding artist? Try the Phoenix Art Museum. For a future engineer, Play-Well Teknologies offers LEGO-building camps.
Look here (http://www.phoenixsummercamps.org) for day camp ideas.
Daycare Camps
While day camps are built around specific ideas, daycare camps are more about providing care first and activities second. Since daycare camps take place in daycare centers, schools, and local organizations such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, they offer longer care times than most day camps, making them the perfect alternative (or supplement) to day camps.
Most daycare camps offer a schedule of activities for the older children in their care, including field trips, movies, swimming, and themed days or weeks. Check directly with your local childcare facilities to learn more about daycare camps.
Staying Home
If you are a stay-at-home or work-at-home parent, you may choose to keep the children home with you this summer, either for all or part of the two-month break. This time can certainly include stints in overnight or day camps, family vacations, and field trips to local activities. But if you’re like most parents, you won’t want to schedule every single moment with activities that cost money; after all, you’re not Julie from “The Love Boat.” So there certainly will be down time when the kids are playing with friends, watching TV, playing board games, swimming, or grabbing their iPad or game console.
Extra Fun
Regardless what your plans are for your children this summer, why not add a little extra excitement into the mix? Plan a pool party with a few friends just because. Organize a trip to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix with some other parents on a weekday and avoid the crowds (or be brave and “adopt” a couple of the kids’ friends for the day). Rent an inflatable water slide and obstacle course and invite the neighborhood kids. Host a dive-in pool party with an inflatable movie screen. The possibilities are limitless!
If you have kids home with you this summer and run out of things to do, White Knight Party Rentals can help. We have all of the party essentials you need to turn “I’m bored” into “You rock, Mom!” Contact us at 602-277-2789 to speak to one of our party professionals.