Youth Camps Provide Summer Fun

By Shereen Oca
Staff Writer

For many children, summer is an endless afternoon of bike rides, swimming pools, beach trips, camping and more. Given so many options, however, deciding what to do with so much free time can be difficult.

That’s why many organizations throughout the city are conducting camps where children can learn more about a school subject or hobby, participate in a favorite sport or just hang out and play all summer long.

The Department of Parks, Marine and Recreation will offer day camps at several sites from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting June 16 through Aug. 22. Campers must be between the ages of 5 and 12. The locations are: El Dorado West, 570-3225; Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 570-4405; Pan American Hi Five Sports Camp, 570-1660; Silverado, 570-1675; Stearns Champions, 570-1685; and Veterans, 570-1695.

The city also has two specialized camps. Pee Wee Camp, for children ages 5 to 8, will be at Wardlow Park, 570-1705. There also is a Music and Arts Camp for burgeoning performers at Whaley Park, 570-1710.

Cost is $75 per week, except for the Music and Arts Camp, which costs $80 per week. Extended hours are available, and field trips are an additional cost. Call to register.

For those who want to spend the summer on the beach, the Recreation Department offers water-themed day camps at the Belmont Plaza Pool starting June 16.

Children between the ages of 5 to 8 who attend the Belmont Junior Aquatics Camp can engage in games, crafts, swimming lessons and canoeing. In addition, budding marine biologists, between the ages of 9 through 12, can attend the Bayshore Marine Biology Camp, which includes sailing, kayaking, swimming and environmental activities.

For both camps, hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are 11 one-week sessions that end on Aug. 29. Camp fees are $140, and extended hours are available for an additional cost.

Teens 13 to 17 years of age can learn the basics of windsurfing and sailing from noon to 5 p.m. at the Bay Club Teen Camp. There are 10 one-week sessions ending on Aug. 22. Cost is $100 per week.

On the other hand, teens who have visions of becoming a camp counselor can learn about child development and obtain CPR certification at the Counselor-In-Training Camp. The three-week camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday starting Aug. 4. Cost is $420.

The Belmont Plaza Pool is at 4000 Olympic Plaza. For more information, call 570-1888.

Officials at the Long Beach Unified School District have coordinated a free, drop-in program open to all school children up to the 12th grade (kindergarten must be completed). Themed “Wild Animal Safari,” the five-week program runs from Monday, June 23, to Friday, July 25, and children can participate in craft-making activities, field trips, sports games, barbecues and more.

Although the number of participating schools roughly dropped by half —from 21 to 11 — due to recent budget cuts, the activities offered at each site will not be affected, said Jodi Metz, administrator of school recreation at the Long Beach Unified School District.

“It’s motivated us to make it better,” said Metz of the budget cuts. “We’re excited to have the 11 programs.”

Reductions in funds did result in staff cuts, but supervision at the remaining schools will not be affected, Metz added. The school district received a grant that allowed more staff to be hired.

The following 11 schools are participating: Barton, Cubberley, Fremont, Garfield, Henry, International, Longfellow, McKinley, Muir, Riley and Tincher. Hours for the program are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, however, call for individual site times. It does not provide custodial care, and participants are recommended to sign up on the first day, June 23. For more information, call 997-8333.

California State University, Long Beach, also is getting into the swing of things by offering several educational and athletic programs.

Children who want to brush up on their basics in a wide range of subjects ranging from math and computers to public speaking and art can do so at Academic Enrichment Camp. Kindergartners through eighth graders can attend either of the two sessions from June 23 to July 18 or July 21 to August 15. It runs from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday and costs $475. To learn more, call 985-2570.

Budding wordsmiths will be able to fine-tune their craft at the Young Writers’ Camp, which is open to first- through 12th-graders. Two sessions are available. The first is from 8:45 a.m. to noon June 30 through July 18, and the second from 9 a.m. to noon July 21 through Aug. 8. Cost is $350 for the first student, $325 for the second and third and $325 for faculty and staff. To register, call 985-8664 or visit www.youngwriterscamp.com.

Students between the ages of 9 and 15 enrolled in the Young Artists’ Camp can explore a variety of media such as painting, printmaking and sculpture. It takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. from Aug. 4 through 22 and costs $350. Registration begins June 1. For more information, call 985-4387 or e-mail youngartistcamp@gmail.com.

CSULB also offers a Young Scientists’ Camp for those who wish to explore the world in a more pragmatic sense through activities and hands-on experiments. Available only for third- through fifth-graders, the camp takes place from 8:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 11 through 22 and costs $275. For details, call 985-4801 or go to www.youngscientistscamp.com.

There also is a program devoted to children with special needs at CSULB called Camp Nugget. There, children can swim, play sports and games, and more. The session runs from 9 a.m. to noon, June 23 through July 18 and costs $300. For more information, call 985-7969 or visit www.csulb.edu/programs/apa online.

This summer marks the 24th year the Long Beach Playhouse will be offering its Summer Youth Workshop. Aspiring thespians between the ages of 7 and 13 will be able to participate in music, dance and acting workshops every day. Classes are from 9 a.m. to noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, beginning June 30 and running through Aug. 1. Cost for the five-week session is $250. For details, call 494-1041, ext. 501 or visit www.lbph.com.

Another camp geared toward the arts is the Campamento del Arte at the Museum of Latin American Art. Designed to help raise bilingual artists, the four-week camp will teach children ages 6 to 12 about Latin American and Caribbean culture and art. Classes in music, dance, studio art and more will be taught in both Spanish and English.

Classes are from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, from July 21 through Aug. 15 and can be paid for weekly ($200 for museum members, $225 for nonmembers) or in full ($700 for members, $800 for nonmembers). For more information, call 216-4185 or go to www.molaa.org.

A variety of camps also are available for the young athlete.

Two tennis camps will be available for players who wish to learn the fundamentals of the game or perfect their ground strokes. The Peter Smith’s Long Beach Tennis Camp will take place at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, 438-8509, and Kevin Garrett’s Westcoast Tennis Camp will be at the El Dorado Park Tennis Center, 425-0553.

Both locations offer beginner to advanced juniors camp for children ages 6 to 17. PeeWee camp, for children 4 to 7 years of age, will be available at the Billie Jean King site. It will run from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, from June 16 to Aug. 29. Cost is $160 per week or $35 per day. For details, call either site or visit www.longbeachtennis.com.

The 49er Camp at CSULB will offer a range of sports for children, including basketball, soccer, archery and bowling. There will be two four-week sessions starting June 23 and July 21. Tuition is $485. Campers must be between the ages of 5 to 12.

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