SIGN UP FOR SUMMER CAMPS

By Sarah Gish
(Author of The Summer Book: A Guide to Houston Day Camps and Classes for Kids and Teens)

Summertime is a great time for kids, a nerve-wracking time for parents. It’s also a time for kids to explore their passions and to learn new things. And it’s a perfect time to reconnect with nature and escape from the metal, glass, and wooden confines of the classroom. But exploring nature in Houston in the summertime sounds worse than visiting the dentist for a root canal! But believe it or not, Houston offers several camps for kids that help them touch the earth – and not all of them are hot and sultry. However, since many of these camps do have a portion of their learning outdoors, slather on the sunscreen, hand the kids their hats, and make sure they bring bug spray and water. After all that, it’s time for fun in nature!

The Armand Bayou Nature Center has “EcoCamp” for 4- 13 year olds that offers a variety of exciting activities and learning opportunities using the Nature Center as a living laboratory. Activities may include fishing, seining, canoe rides and pontoon boat rides. These camps are in June, July, and August.

Artist Boat offers “Eco-Art Summer Camp Adventures” on waterways near Houston for kids 10 years old and up. Artist Boat is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and preservation of coastal margins and the marine environment through the disciplines of science and art. The camps involve kayaking and vessel tours that combine art, science, and personal encounters with nature. For more information, log onto Artist Boat’s website.

The Downtown Aquarium offers a nice, indoor “Sea Safari Camp” for kids 6-12 years old. Kids can explore different habitats and learn about their animals in a hands-on, fun way. Kids can explore places presented in the Aquarium, including a Louisiana swamp, a rainforest, and the Gulf of Mexico. Camps are offered July 10-August 4.

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center has “Nature Trekkers” for kids 5-12 years old. They’ll tromp around in one of the coolest, covered natural habitats inside the city limits. This 155-acre nature sanctuary is used by staff naturalists as a “living laboratory” to lead children in hands-on outdoor experiences, including more than 5 miles of nature trails that contain forest, pond, wetland, and meadow habitats. For cooler learning, kids will go into The Discovery Room inside the main building. Camps are offered June 4-August 3.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science offers “Xplorations Science Adventures” for kids 4-13 years old – and has branched out beyond Hermann Park to the Woodlands and Sugar Land. Kids will enjoy a week of science adventure with more than 60 different camp topics from dinosaurs to DaVinci, magic to malacology, or chemistry to catastrophes. Sign up for these camps early as they fill up quickly; they are offered May 29 through August 17. For more information, log onto the Museum’s website.

The Houston Safe Boating Council offers “Camp W.A.D.E (Water Activity Day Events)” in Clear Lake Park. The camp provides hands-on instruction and safety skills for several different water sports, including sailing, kayaking, motorboating and PWC’s, in a day camp setting for persons aged 13 and up. Camps are offered June 16-18 and July 18-20.

Moody Gardens in Galveston offers “Pyramid Kids Camps” in which children will explore the lush, tropical rainforest or discover what lurks beneath the ocean waves in these educational, interactive camps. Part of the fun will be learning what it’s like to be a keeper for the animals at Moody Gardens. Kids will explore animal training, enrichment, exhibit requirements, and help prepare food diets for the animals in the Rainforest and Aquarium pyramids. The camps take place from June 4 through July 27 and are for kids 3-13 years old.

The Nature Discovery Center in Bellaire offers a “Summer Science Camp” for kids 5-10 years old. Their camps will actively engage kids in the study of habitats and humans as kids study “Amazing Anat-o-me”, “Oceans of the World”, “Superhero Science”, and “Desert Dwellers”. The camps are offered June 4 through August 10.

Texas A & M University at Galveston offers “Sea Camps”, which are week-long residential camps for kids 10-18 years old and “Sea Campus Kids” day camps for kids 6-11 years old. A day’s activities at Sea Camp might include touring a sea turtle head start facility and then trawling from the 42′ Research Vessel Earl L. Milan. Kids might then explore a salt marsh and have the opportunity to see numerous species of birds and fish, as well as shrimp and crabs. The camps are offered in June and July. For more information, log onto Sea Camp’s website.

The Weather Research Center has a new home in the Museum District at 5401 Caroline. They offer “Weather Camps” for kids 5 years old and up. Meteorologists have developed an exciting curriculum using computers, activities, games, demonstrations and experiments to fill the day. Camps are offered June 12 through July 28. For more information, log onto the camp’s website.

Editor’s note: Sarah is the mother of two boys who test out many summer camps every year. THE SUMMER BOOK is an annual guide to Houston day camps and classes for kids 4 years old and up and teens. It includes information on approximately 200 organizations. The camps are divided by “arts”, “religious”, “educational”, and “sports”. The book also includes information on which camps are free or offer scholarships and a chart detailing amenities of each camp. For more information on the book or to order a copy, see The Summer Book’s website.