MARCH 11, 2010 ISSUE
Summer Camps for Kids
Register Now!
The High Country experienced its first hints of spring this week, and that’s your cue to sign your kids up for this year’s summer camps. Registration has already begun for many camps, and they fill up fast.
The camps are divided into two categories: outdoors and summer learning. However, many camps in both categories include both outdoor and indoor activities. For the sake of space, athletic camps are not included—contact ASU or your local parks and recreation department for more info on athletic camps.
OUTDOORS
The Riding Company Summer Day Camp
June 7 to August 12
Contact: 828-260-6628, www.horseridingcompany.com
The Riding Company invites children ages 8 to 17 to participate in its summer day camps in Banner Elk. Activities include fundamentals of horses, tack use and care, Western-style riding lessons, arts and crafts, nature classes, games and more.
Each four-day session will be from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and includes all snacks, lunch, equipment, art supplies and instruction. The cost per session is $400 per camper, with sibling and multi-week discounts.
Blowing Rock Parks and Rec Summer Day Camp
June 14 to July 30
Contact: 828-295-5222, www.townofblowingrock.com
Registration for Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation Summer Day Camp started March 1 for Blowing Rock taxpayers, and open registration starts on Monday, March 15. Activities include arts and crafts, canoeing, hiking, fishing, mini-festivals, cookouts and more.
The camp is open to rising kindergarteners (at least 5 years old with daycare experience) through 6th graders. The taxpayer rate is $40 for rising kindergarten and 1st graders and $50 for 2nd through 6th graders. The non-taxpayer rates are $95 and $110, respectively.
Camp UREC
June 14 to August 6 (dependent on Watauga County Schools end date)
Contact: 828-262-2100, www.camp.urec.appstate.edu
Located on the ASU campus, Camp UREC is open to rising 1st through 8th graders. Camp UREC explores all aspects of recreation through sports, fitness, outdoors and traditional camp activities. Camp is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Registration begins Wednesday, April 14, and continues through the entire summer. Click to the website for cost information. Discounts are available for multi-week signups.
Valle Crucis Summer Camp
June 15 to August 7
Contact: www.vallecrucissummercamp.com
Valle Crucis Summer Day Camp is a traditional family-owned Christian camp for boys and girls ages 6 to 12. Activities include drama, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking, arts and crafts, swimming, fishing, campfires, sports and other activities. The cost per weeklong session is $425 for the first child, $400 for the second child and $375 for the third child.
Western Youth Network Summer Day Camps
Dates TBD (dependent on school end dates)
Contact: 828-264-5174
Watauga County’s Western Youth Network will host four or five weeks of outdoor day camps that will last from about 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The camps are open to rising 6th through 9th graders and will heavily center around experiential learning in an outdoor setting designed to strengthen self awareness, leadership and social skills.
Campers can sign up for as little as one week or for all sessions. Transportation will be provided for those who qualify for assistance. Slots are available on a first come, first serve basis, and priority is awarded to students already enrolled in WYN programs.
Summer Adventure Camp
Dates TBD (depending on school ending date)
Contact: 828-264-9511
The Watauga County Parks and Recreation Summer Adventure Camp will take place for seven weeks this summer, with specific dates yet to be determined. Campers can attend one week or as many weeks as they want. Each week has a different theme. The summer adventure camp includes physical activity, arts and crafts, swimming and a field trip every week.
The camp is for rising 1st through 7th graders. The cost is $85 per week, and registration has already started.
Fun in the Sun Camp
Dates TBD (depending on school ending date)
Contact: 828-264-9511
The Watauga Parks and Recreation Fun in the Sun Camp takes place at Hardin Park School and is open to rising 1st through 7th graders. The camp will take place for six weeks this summer, with specific dates yet to be determined. Campers can attend one week or as many weeks as they want.
The camp features many different activities and a field trip each week. The cost is $75 per week, and registration has already started.
Avery County 4-H Summer W.O.W. (Wonderful Opportunities Waiting)
Dates TBD (depending on school ending date)
Contact: 828-733-8270
W.O.W. is a licensed summer day camp for boys and girls ages 5 to 13 (children must have completed kindergarten). The program operates from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day at Newland Elementary School and features a variety of trips, activities and swimming.
This summer’s emphasis will be exploring Avery County people and places. Breakfast, lunch and snack are included in the $25 registration fee. The program will begin shortly after school ends.
Holston Presbytery Camp
June and July
Contact: 828-898-6611, www.holstoncamp.org
Holston Presbytery Camp is located on Wildcat Lake, just one mile up Hickory Nut Gap Road from Highway 184 near Banner Elk. The summer camp program has been going strong since 1959. Holston offers two programs throughout June and July: a weeklong residential co-ed camp for children and youth ages 8 to 17 and a day camp for ages 10 to 13.
The camp provides opportunities for canoeing, rock climbing, backpacking, camping, campfires, outdoor cooking, Bible studies, evening worship, arts and crafts, kayaking, zip line, fishing, orienteering and much more. Call or click to the website for specific dates, programs and costs.
Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center Earth Camp
Session I: July 5 to 18; Session II: July 23 to 28
Contact: 828-964-1473, www.buffalocove.com
The Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center presents Earth Camp 2010, a wilderness adventure program. Session I is for ages 12 to 17 and costs $1,400. Session II is for ages 8 to 12 and costs $500.
The camps offer experiential education in the lessons of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, including traditional earth skills, campcraft, woodslore, woodworking, archery, backpacking, low-impact camping and river canoeing.
High Country Hospice Camp Sunshine
July 12 to 14
Contact: 828-295-3926, www.highcountryhospice.org/camp.html
High Country Hospice’s Camp Sunshine, a free three-day camp for children ages 5 to 12 grieving the death of a family member or loved one, is now accepting applications for campers, volunteers and counselors. The camp will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. Camp is held in Ashe, Alleghany and Watauga counties. Preregistration is required.
4-H Camp
July 25 to 30
Contact: 828-264-3061, www.nc4h.org/centers
Watauga County 4-H will escort a group of 8- to 14-year-old campers to Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center. The center is located above Greensboro in Rockingham County, near Reidsville. You can reserve your spot with a $100 deposit and have until June to save up for the rest of the fee, which is $265 more.
Camp Rainbow
All Summer
Contact: 828-963-4680
Camp Rainbow is a weekly camp for girls and boys sponsored by the Eastern Star Chapters of NC and located in Foscoe. Activities include field trips, gem mining, swimming, playing putt-putt, crafts and an Outward Bound certified ropes course. Cost is $280 a week.
SUMMER LEARNING
4-H Super Summer
All Summer
Contact: 828-264-3061, www.watauga.ces.ncsu.edu
These workshops are designed to offer fun and educational activities and introduce youth ages 5 to 12 to 4-H topics. Registration opens in May, but a list of dates and topics is available at the Watauga County 4-H office.
Mountain Pathways Summer Sessions
May 31 to August 13
Contact: 828-262-5787, www.mountainpathways.org
The Mountain Pathways School, located at 453 Howard’s Creek Road, provides children between the ages of 4 and 10 with a wealth of experiences, activities and projects.
Montessori-trained teachers will present lessons to help children engage in hands-on learning activities that expose them to science, practical life skills and sensorial explorations. They also explore nature and engage in a variety of art projects, games and special classes. Special guests present onsite lessons and entertainment for the campers.
Camp hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day; after-camp care is from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $150 per week and $25 per week for after-camp care.
Anatomy & Physiology Camp
June 13 to 19 Girls Only, July 4 to 10 Girls and Guys
Contact: 828-265-4101, www.anatomycamp.com
Held on the ASU campus, this camp enables 9th through 12th grade students to better understand human anatomy and physiology with hands-on experiments, labs and assessments.
Anatomy and Physiology Camp is especially geared toward students interested in careers such as medicine, physical therapy, physician's assistant, dentistry, nursing, biology, exercise science, sports medicine, chiropractic, athletic training, nutrition, forensics, etc. The camp fee is $1,500 and includes lodging and meals. A girls-only camp takes place June 13 to 19 and a co-ed camp takes place July 4 to 10.
Camp Broadstone Residential Camps
Two-Week Sessions: June 13 to 25, July 4 to 16 and July 18 to 30
One-Week Sessions: June 13 to 18, July 4 to 9 and July 19 to 23
Contact: 828-963-4640, www.campbroadstone.com/summer.php
Nestled in beautiful Valle Crucis, Camp Broadstone’s residential camps provide current 4th through 9th grade academically gifted students an opportunity to experience a blend of enrichment classes, adventure and traditional camp activities designed to encourage and foster intellectual, social and physical growth.
Classes may include science, nature, arts and crafts, music, drama and cultural studies. Adventure programs include canoeing, group problem solving, high ropes, hiking, Alpine tower and climbing wall activities. Older campers participate in a four-day trip that combines camping, hiking, rafting and cultural activities.
One-week sessions are $975; two-week sessions are $1,800 for 4th through 6th graders and $1,900 for 7th through 9th graders.
Mary’s School Summer Camps
June 14 to August 6
Contact: 828-297-5045, www.marysmontessori.com
Mary’s School Summer Backyard at Mary’s School in Boone will provide nurturing fun for kids ages 2 to 5, and The Global Village is a program at Mary’s School for elementary children (rising kindergarteners through third graders). The camp will explore the seven continents through art, music and special visitors, and the kids will be outside in the woods every day. Creek shoes are required.
The camp will run from June 14 to August 6. Full-day, half-day and extended-day sessions are available. Fees run from $48 to $121 per week. The extended-day session is $20 more per day.
Camp Broadstone Day Camps
June 21 to July 30
Contact: 828-963-4640, www.campbroadstone.com/summer.php
Day camp is similar in many ways to the residential camp; day campers will participate in a sampling of the same adventure programs and enrichment classes as residential campers. The day camp is for current 3rd through 5th graders.
Each of the six one-week sessions has its own theme. Because each week will be a new adventure, campers are welcome to register for more than one session. Cost is $250 per session.
Forensic Science Camp
July 21 to 24, July 28 to 31
Contact: 828-262-8718, www.camps.appstate.edu/academic/forensic.php
At ASU’s Forensic Camp, campers will get the opportunity to investigate a suspicious arson, detect and classify fingerprints, identify unknown drugs, compare trace evidence using a microscope and detect gunshot residue just like professional investigators.
The camp is available to students in grades 9 through 12. Register early by Wednesday, March 31, and receive the discounted price of $459. Regular registration is $484. Each session is limited to 24 participants. Participants must have either their science teacher or counselor email a recommendation to eldrethmr@appstate.edu for them to attend this camp.
Watauga Arts Council Summer Arts Camp
June 21 to 26
Contact: 828-264-1789, www.watauga-arts.org
The Watauga Arts Council is now accepting registration for its Summer Art Camp taking place at Blowing Rock School. Campers will rehearse and present the production Robinson Crusoe to the community, as well as participate in storytelling, music, movement, visual arts and much more. Camp is open to all rising 1st- through 10th-graders. The registration fee is $175 for the first child and $150 for each additional child. Scholarships are also available.
Pizza Adventure Week
June 28 to July 1
Contact: 828-264-3061, www.watauga.ces.necsu.edu
This camp sponsored by Watauga County 4-H is for ages 6 to 10 and takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. The cost is $60. Explore local sources of food as you collect ingredients for pizza. Make pizza and have other food fun. See a cheese factory, dairy and other farms, a grain mill and more.
ASU Camp Invention
June 28 to July 2
Contact: 828-262-2530, www.pathways.appstate.edu
ASU will host Camp Invention, a weeklong interactive science day camp that fosters inventive thinking skills, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. Camp is open to all current kindergarten through 4th grade students.
Campers will power robotic creatures, explore the connection between bubbles and lightening bolts and help save avatars by rebuilding a virtual world. The camp fee is $195 before March 31 and $238 after that date for community members. Children of ASU students or employees pay $195 through April 19. Fees increase to $250 for everyone after April 19.
Math Camp
July 12 to 15
Contact: 828-262-2530, www.camps.appstate.edu/academic/mathcamp.php
Math Camp is for rising 6th through 12th graders. Similar to a sports camp, teams are coached by an ASU student. Camp consists of hands-on activities, graphing calculators, computers, competitions, group interaction, prizes, snacks and magic tricks that introduce algebra word problems. Also, real world problems will answer the question, "What is math good for?"
Located on the third floor of ASU’s Walker Hall, Math Camp takes place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. each night. Cost is $120 per student, and space is limited to 120 campers.
Twelve Math Camp participants will be invited to participate in an Extended Math Camp from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. during the camp at no extra charge. For more info about Extended Math Camp, call Doug Jones at 828-262-2862.
LEAD Camp for Girls
July 12 to 16
Contact: 828-264-3061, www.watauga.ces.ncsu.edu/content/WataugaLEAD
LEAD (Leadership, Environment & Agricultural Discoveries) is a science day camp for limited resource rising 7th and 8th grade females. Hands-on science and outdoor adventures will make it a week to remember. Space is limited. The class meets from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Scholarships will cover all but $20 of the fee, which is due by May 14.
Art Day Camp: From Trash to Puppets
July 12 to 16
Contact: 828-262-3017, www.turchincenter.org/register
In this workshop for kids ages 6 to 12, the Turchin Center partners with the Elkland Art Center to provide a rich arts experience that builds community while creating art. Regular household items will be used as the material to create puppets. The final project will include a puppet show for family and friends on the last day.
The workshop takes place at the Turchin Center’s Family Education Wing from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. The cost is $150 for Turchin Center members and $200 for nonmembers.
Viva Mexico!
July 19 to 23
Contact: 828-262-3017, www.turchincenter.org/register
This Turchin Center program for ages 8 to 12 is designed to encourage creativity and stimulate imagination through museum activities, art appreciation and exposure to ancient cultures.
Participants will have an opportunity to learn about contemporary Mexican artists and their media, look at past Mexican artists and delve into the mysteries of the Mayans and Aztecs by looking closely at their architecture, art and culture. Participants will create a work of art that reflects the works of these ancient civilizations.
The workshop meets from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. each day in the Turchin Center’s Family Education Wing. Cost is $50 for Turchin Center members and $75 for nonmembers.
Be a Super Hero...or a Super Shero!
July 26 to 30
Contact: 828-262-3017, www.turchincenter.org/register
This Turchin Center workshop for ages 7 to 12 will begin by looking at images of "super humans" and talking about the qualities that make a person super. Participants will then draw their own Super Hero or Super Shero, giving special attention to the clothes required to perform heroic deeds. Then the transformation will begin as students paint clothes, capes and create papier maché masks, helmets, goggles, collars, armbands and such. The workshop will conclude by drawing a comic strip.
The workshop meets from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. each day in the Family Education Wing. Cost is $60 for Turchin Center members and $80 for nonmembers.
Animal Studies Camp
Session I: June 21 to 25, Session II: July 26 to 30
Contact: 828-262-2530, www.pathways.appstate.edu
Two sessions of the Animal Studies Camp will take place at ASU this summer. Session I is for rising 1st through 4th graders; Session II is for rising 4th through 6th graders. Camp will take place from 1:00 to 5:15 p.m. each day. The program base is the Rankin Science Building on the ASU campus. The camp fee is $145 for each session. Campers will spend time in lab classrooms and outside.
Students will have the opportunity to examine salamanders, lizards, snakes and turtles; study live and preserved mammal specimens; research water quality; and explore the inhabitants of Kraut Creek.
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