School’s out … now what?

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Head off the usual mantra of “We’re bored!” from your children this summer by signing them up for any of the wide variety of summer camps offered from June through August on the Olympic Peninsula.

Day camps and weeklong camps abound and feature enrichment programs from art and drama to science and survival skills. Youths can learn about the area’s marine environment and secrets of the forest. Children will learn new skills, build friendships, develop confidence and character, and discover new interests and passions.

SEQUIM, PORT ANGELES

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula camps and programs

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula offers camps and programing for members throughout the summer. Weekly day camp sessions began June 20 at the Carroll C. Kendall Club, 400 W. Fir St. in Sequim and the Port Angeles Unit, 2620 S. Francis St.

Camps run from 7:45 a.m.-noon each weekday. Cost per child is $65 for the week or $15 a day. Participants must be Boys & Girls Club members. Annual membership dues cost $30 per child.

Each week the camp’s crafts and activities are centered around this year’s theme of “Expedition Through Time.” Each week members are given the opportunity to participate in a field trip.

Parents can sign up children for as many weeks as they want — from one week to the entire summer. Participants receive a free lunch and morning and afternoon snacks as part of the program.

“Many children rely on the school’s free and reduced price lunch program and when school is out they can be assured a nutritious meal at the club. We serve breakfast and lunch daily at both club-houses, to all children under 18, regardless of membership,” said Dave Miller, Kendall Club director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula.

After summer camp wraps up at noon, the clubs are open for general membership until 6 p.m and kick off with a free lunch.

The afternoon is packed with programs to keep youth busy and their minds sharp over the summer. Members can participate in “Brain Gain” Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s enrichment program intending to prevent summer learning loss. This program will run Monday-Thursday engaging youth in project-based learning through discovery creative expression and working towards a common goal.

Other academic opportunities include weekly science activities, reading time, writing time and computer access to “Stride Academy.” The club is excited to offer families an opportunity to enhance academics using this educational software to reinforce learning that rewards success with entertainment and connects members to their peers as they compete in an exciting virtual world.

Health and fitness is infused into daily physical activity instilling teamwork and knowledge of sports. Members will be given gym time, outdoor access and coached in several different sports including Frisbee Golf, increasing their agility and hand-eye coordination; encouraging 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Members can participate in an hour each week exploring anatomy and creating a personal wellness plan thorough our “Kids Take Heart” program. Also available to members are the Garden Club, Running Club and What’s Cookin,’ the club’s program to teach food preparation and meal planning.

Each week there will be a field trip taking children out on adventures normally not available to them, including a Seattle Sounders soccer match. Teens will resume their weekly trips to Lake Crescent on Thursdays. Weeklong camps are offered for golf, tennis and pickleball.

For more information on summer programming and camps or to register, stop by either club, call 683-8095 in Sequim or 417-2831 in Port Angeles or visit www.bgc-op.org.

IN SEQUIM

Dungeness River Audubon Center camps

The Dungeness River Audubon Center in Sequim will offer its popular Summer Nature Camp and Girls in Science again this summer, plus has added Survival Camp to its two-day camp selection that includes Builders Camp and Nature Ninjas Camp.

• Nature Ninjas!

Learn how to become a “nature ninja” in this two-day camp. Participants will practice techniques of “blending into” the woods by mastering camouflage and sneaking skills. Fun games and activities will have campers exploring the ins and outs of Railroad Bridge Park, getting dirty and having a blast. The camps, for youths 7-12, are from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 27-28; the cost is $90.

• Builders Camp

For students that love to build and create, this is the camp! Build bridges, towers, airplanes, boats and more. Fun games, activities and competitions revolving around creating and building will have campers exploring the ins and outs of Railroad Bridge Park. The camps, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., are June 30-July 1 for campers ages 7-12; the cost is $90.

• Girls in Science!

Brilliant women have made invaluable contributions to science throughout the years and Girls in Science! is a three-day camp for girls ages 7-12 that gets them excited about math and science — or builds upon the enthusiasm they already have toward those fields.

The camp is from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. July 11-13. Cost is $120.

This camp will immerse young girls into the fantastic world of science. Through fun and interactive experiments and activities, they will explore grade-level appropriate topics in biology, chemistry and physics while being introduced to women in scientific careers within the community. In addition, the camp will focus on collaboration and confidence building through teamwork exercises.

• Survival Camp

A unique opportunity for campers to experience some of the living and survival skills practiced by distant ancestors. Youths will spend each day out in the woods learning how to find food, water, warmth and shelter through a variety of fun games and craft activities. The camps are from 9 a.m. 3 p.m., Aug. 8-9 for campers 8-12; Cost is $90.

To learn more or register for camps, visit www.DungenessRiverCenter.org/summer-camps.

• Summer Science Camp

This camp is set for Aug. 15-18 for children ages 8-12. Each day of camp is from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Cost is $150 per child, per session.

Participants explore Railroad Bridge Park and investigate the Dungeness River’s wide variety of plants, animals and insects. Emphasizing on fun, campers will learn about floodplains, ecology, geology, river dynamics and the Railroad Bridge.

A variety of hands-on activities that include science investigations, games, arts, crafts, hikes, and water play will allow youths to understand and enjoy the natural world. Registration is limited to 20 children, so early registration is strongly suggested.

Olympic Nature  Experience camps

Olympic Nature Experience will offer several outdoor camps this summer.

• Way of the Woods Summer Camp

This camp is from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. July 25-29 and is for campers ages 7-12 at the Dungeness Recreation Area, Voice of America Park, Sequim. The cost is $165.

Children will create their own unique nature experience to include animal movement and language, learning how to read the forest, navigating wild spaces, camouflage and various primitive skills like shelter and fire-building and making cordage.

Children will be taught how to use tools and tend fires safely, how to lost-proof themselves in the woods and how to find and purify water. To end the camp, parents are invited to attend a special celebration the children will create through the culmination of their skills.

Children must bring their own backpack with an extra change of clothes, water bottle and substantial lunch with snack. They should be prepared to get dirty, crawl through brush and hike up to 3 miles in a day.

• Tribe Camp

This camp is from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Aug. 2-4 in Agnew near Lazy J Tree Farm. The cost is $80 and the camp is open to ages 3-12, however, children must have completed a previous Olympic Nature Experience drop-off program. Through multi-age play and adventure children will build on the skills and knowledge they previously developed. Younger students will have the advantage of older role models while older children will be able to practice leadership and mentoring to younger students.

To register for any of the camps, visit www.dungen-essadventureclub.com.

Olympic Theatre Arts teen workshops

• Olympic Theatre Arts, Sequim, is accepting applications for its newly adopted program called “Musical Theatre Intensive for Teens.” The workshop focuses on “Finding Your Voice,” “Acting a Song,” “Dance Basics,” “Improvisation” and “Audition Coaching.” A professional musical director, Broadway singer and actress, and modern dancer are among the instructors. Rehearsals integrate singing, acting, staging and choreography to produce musical numbers. After two weeks of training as a company, the students and staff will present an informal performance to invited audiences.

Former participant Christie Honoré, who is now a drama major at Vassar College, noted, “I can honestly say that this experience prepared me in ways I could have never imagined for the ‘real world’ of theatre. I regularly draw on knowledge from the audition workshop and acting exercises for my current auditions and roles.”

In addition to group activities, attendees receive individual coaching and benefit from discussions of confidence building, discovering and fine-tuning their talents, and communicating their own stories.

The workshop is open to teens ages 12-19 and will run daily from 9:45 a.m.-4 p.m. for two weeks from July 25-Aug. 5. The workshop will be held at the Olympic Theatre Arts Center, 414 N. Sequim Ave., where lunch will be provided by Sequim’s Pacific Pantry.

Enrollment is limited to 20 students and the cost is $475, with flexible payment options available. Registration forms are available online at olympictheatrearts.org or by calling or visiting the OTA business office at 683-7326 from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

IN PORT ANGELES

Adventure Camp

This summer, get a jump start on kindergarten at First Step Family Support Center’s free Adventure Camp. Register now for Adventure Camp, a program specially designed to help children prepare for kindergarten. The camp day is structured much like a kindergarten classroom, where children will be able to learn and practice skills they will need to be successful. Only 24 spaces are available. The camp is for three hours each day (two sessions: morning includes lunch and transportation if needed) Monday-Friday, Aug. 1-16 at First Step Family Support Center, 323 E. Sixth St.

The skills taught and practiced in camp are listening, following directions, self-control, and basic academic knowledge. The teacher focuses on colors, shapes, letter sounds and numbers, while engaging the children in play, choice time and art projects. The camp is for children entering kindergarten in the fall.

To register, call Rhonda at 457-8355.

Feiro Marine Life Center

Port Angeles’ Feiro Marine Life Center and NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary team up to engage youth to investigate, explore and get inspired by what is found in the ocean during Junior Oceanographer and Marine Tech summer camps.

Junior Oceanographer half-day sessions for youths ages 5-6 are scheduled for June 20-23 and Aug. 15-18, while full-day sessions for ages 10-12 run June 25-28 and for ages 7-9 will be held June 27-30.

Older youths (ages 13-15) can sign up for Marine Tech camp. This summer camp provides hands-on projects and technology integration with activities such as building underwater harbor cameras, designing remotely operated vehicles and creating time-lapse videos using digital cameras and editing software. The camp will take place July 11-14. (A similar camp for ages 10-12 from July 18-21 is full and there is a waiting list.)

Cost for full day camps (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) is $150 and half day camp (9 a.m.-noon) is $100. Discounts are available for members. Scholarships also are available.

Call the Feiro Marine Life Center for more information at 417-6254 or visit feiromarinelifecenter.org.

Juan de Fuca Foundation Discovery Arts Camp

The Juan de Fuca Foundation once again will offer a one week integrative arts camp this summer. Campers will love the activities offered in drama, creative movement and visual arts which explore the theme — Art and the

Human Machine. It’s all about gadgets and gizmos, time travel and exploration and exploration of the past and into the future!

The camp is from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. July 11-15 at Jefferson Elementary School, 218 E. 12th St., Port Angeles, for ages 7-12. Fees are $120 for non-JFFA members and $100 for JFFA members. Financial assistance is available.

Instructors Sarah Tucker (Drama), Anna Pederson (Creative Movement) and Cathy Haight (Visual Arts) bring with them decades of experience in their field of passion. The week culminates in a special performance by the campers for their parents and friends.

For information and an enrollment form, see jffa.org under the EDUCATION tab. For other questions, contact Carol Pope at 457-5411 or carolpope@jffa.org.

Mt. Olympus Boy Scout camps

• Crazy Cub Science

Cub Scouts are encouraged to grab their lab coats, safety goggles and their beakers and join lots of other boys for an exciting fun-filled week of science.

In addition to the activities Cub Scouts expect, with shooting sports, archery, songs and skits, Cub Scouts will enjoy learning about science in a Scouting environment.

The camp is at the Fairview Grange in Port Angeles from 3:30-8 p.m. July 19-22 (registration 3 p.m. July 19). This is a BSA-sponsored camp open to all boys entering grades 1-5.

New this year is the Tag-Along program for sisters of campers who also are entering grades 1-5. Tag-Alongs will do the same fun activities in a sisters-only group.

Register using the registration packet you can obtain at www.seattlebsa.org/Camping/Day-Camp.

Cost is $90, scholarships are available. To register, contact camp director Anne Kanters at 683-8708 or akanters@olympus.net.

NatureBridge

“Adventures in Science,” a summer day camp which will be held at NatureBridge on Lake Crescent Aug. 1-5, is available to all Clallam County students, currently in grades 5-7.

This a new offering at NatureBridge, made possible by the Port Angeles Education Foundation and the Ben Phillips Fund. Trained NatureBridge educators will facilitate adventure and exploration in one of the most beautiful settings in the world … Olympic National Park. Campers will explore ONP, hike and canoe, design their own scientific investigations, collect data and present their findings, and participate in group challenges and team building.

First year introductory rate is $150 per week (with scholarships readily available). The camp provides trained NatureBridge educators to facilitate adventure and exploration; lunch and snacks; scientific tools; rain and field gear; and a NatureBridge hoodie upon program completion.

The camp is on Lake Crescent at 111 Barnes Point Road west of Port Angeles and the start/end times are coordinated with Clallam Transit.​

Register at https://naturebridge.org/olympic/adventures­science­summer­day­camp.

For questions or more information, call Hannah Merrill, program manager, at 360-928-3720 ext. 12 or 360-460-0901.

Olympic Peninsula YMCA

Day camps available at the Olympic Peninsula YMCA are offered each week from June through August in Port Angeles.

Day camps are offered for children in grades K-6, with a variety of sport, hobby and art themes alternating each week. Some of the most popular camps are geocaching, archery, trailblazers hiking club, beach explorers, LEGO madness, tennis, young architects, dance, painting and mixed media art.

The Y’s summer day camps are designed to encourage creativity and exploration.

Classes run Monday-Friday, with morning offerings (9 a.m.-noon) and afternoon offerings (1-4 p.m.).

Full-day enrollment options, with morning and afternoon camps also are available. The weeklong classes cost $75 for YMCA facility members or $95 for community members. Specialty camps are available at an additional cost.

To register for camps, stop by the Olympic Peninsula YMCA at 302 S. Francis St., Port Angeles.

You can call the Y at 452-9244 or visit olympicpeninsulaymca.org for more details.

Drama camp will be offered for three weeks beginning July 11 and culminating with a performance the weekend of July 30. Drama camp is available to ages 8-16.

Port Angeles Fine  Arts Center

Summer Shakespeare Drama Camp is designed to help children develop confidence, creativity and important life skills while immersing themselves in the incredible world of Shakespeare.

Using props and costumes from the Fine Arts Center’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” children will explore different characters and learn the meaning behind Shakespeare’s words.

Throughout the week, drama games, stage terms and character development will be covered with a play for friends and family performed on the last day.

The camp is led by instructor Sarah Tucker, who taught at last year’s Shakespeare Drama Camps and the Fine Arts Center After School Drama Clubs, as well as for The Juan de Fuca Festival Discovery Arts Camp and Forte’ After School Clubs.

There will be two drama camps and both are from 9 a.m.-noon. The first for ages 6-12 is Aug. 8-12 and the second for ages 13-17 is Aug. 15-19; both are at the Campfire Clubhouse, 619 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles. The cost is $100 per camper.

Secure your space today by going to www.pafac.com to register and pay online. If space is still available, payments in check or cash will be accepted first day of camp. Sorry, no credit card payments the day of camp.