It’s that time of year again. Time for thousands of parents across the nation to face the seasonal dilemma of what to do with the kids during summer break. Every age group has its own challenges for camp needs. The itty bitties want fun, the littles want variety, and the bigs just need to be ejected from the sofa and their iPhones surgically removed.
Lucky for you (and me) there’s a whole slew of summer camps on the Art&Seek calendar right now — so many in fact, we decided to create a special summer camp theme for easy access. Here are just a few noteworthy highlights.
STAGE
You’ve probably known for years about the kid-friendly shows at the Dallas Children’s Theater, but did you know about their academy classes? This summer your budding thespian can pick from a boatload of classes that offer everything from musical theater to costume design. Best of all there’s a performance at the conclusion of the session so Junior can show mom and dad everything he’s learned. The classes are taught by DCT professional artists and are broken down by specific age/grade level.
Breitling Youth Theater in Garland is also offering summer camps for kids ages 3-15 bitten by the acting bug. You have your choice between half-day art, music or dance camp, or for really big fun you can opt for one of their theater production camps. “The Wizard of Oz,” “Frozen,” and Peter Pan” are some of the shows kids can participate in, and best of all, everyone gets a part.
Theater kids rejoice! Dallas Theater Center’s three-week SummerStage Camps are back! Under the direction of professional teaching artists, students receive intensive training in playwriting, musical theater, acting, or theater production. All students who participate in the camps are included in DTC’s acting talent pool, with audition opportunities throughout the season. The camps are for kids ages 9 to 17 and start the week of June 3 so don’t wait to sign up.
MUSIC/DANCE
You want Junior to learn the piano, but sadly he’s not as enthusiastic as you like. Get your kiddo jazzed about the piano this summer at Piano Explorer Camp at Parker Piano Studios. The 5-day camp is designed for kids ages 6-8 with no prior piano experience. Campers will learn key names, note values, fun chants, beginning pieces and will actually be excited as they learn the piano in a fun, energetic group environment. The camp starts on Monday, June 4 and is from 9 to 11 a.m.
Tiny dancers can make their dreams a reality at Arts Mission Oak Cliff’s Ballerina Dreaming camp. During the one-week camp kids ages, 4-6 will learn technique, create ballet-themed crafts, learn about famous dancers and ballets, take part in a mini photo shoot, and last but not least, learn choreography for an end of the week presentation.
For those who want to jump it up a bit with some cool moves, Arts Mission Oak Cliff also offers a Hip Hop Pop Star camp. Kids 7-10 will learn hip hop technique, make a music video just like Nickelodeon’s Lip Sync Battle Shorties, brush up on the history of hip hop, and also learn choreography for a presentation for family and friends
ART
Keep the creative juices going this summer with one of Oil and Cotton‘s sensational summer art camps. There’s something for just about every age group and interest. A good one to check out is the Dinosaur Art Camp. Students ages 5-12 will create paper-mache dinosaurs. a three-frame comic on a hand-painted t-shirt, construct a T Rex skeleton collage and sculpt texture fossils in clay. These camps sell out quickly so be sure to secure your place quickly.
In Denton, Wildflower Art Studio’s Art+ Nature camp will help kids get closer to the outside world through journaling and real-life observations. Campers in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade will fill a journal with found objects in nature and then draw, paint and collage their own unique works of art. Each artist will bring home a collection of their very own artwork at the end of the week and will receive a personalized sketchbook to continue their nature Journaling practice throughout the summer.
Art Room’s Designing Like the Masters camp will delve into the basic principles of design like balance, movement, and repetition by studying famous artists from the past and present. Campers ages 7-12 will create masterpieces inspired by artists such as Keith Haring and Chuck Close.
Students 8-18 can learn what it takes to make a movie at the Movie Institute’s Kamp Hollywood. Campers, or “Indies” as they are known at camp, will learn acting, editing, shooting, and screenwriting. They’ll also get to pitch ideas, do location scouting, and do stunt training in this week-long session. The camp ends with a graduation and a screening of the film they created for family and friends.
SCIENCE
Kids who are crazy about molecules should definitely check out WorkChops’ Think Like a Chemist camp. Besides making slime and putty, campers will experiment with dry ice and chemical reactions. This smart chemistry summer camp includes lots of cool take-home items, too, like waves in a test tube, tie-dyed clothing, and the highly coveted Vortex Tornado Bottle toy.
Future astronomers and rocketeers in 5th and 5th grade can explore the solar system and the universe at Frontiers of Flight Museum’s Intergalactic Science camp. With the help of S.P.O.C (Space Portal Odyssey Capsule) a.k.a. the museum’s portable planetarium, campers will construct scale models of our solar system and to create a star map. They’ll also have the opportunity to view the Sun through a solar telescope, construct launch a single stage rocket and much, much more.
It’s full STEAM ahead at Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area’s Robots In the Wild camp. In case you didn’t know, STEAM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics and your child will get plenty of all that during this outdoor adventure camp. There will be traditional LLELA summer camp activities like hiking, insect netting, and pond exploration, but as an added bonus robotics and other indoor STEAM activities will happen during the hot part of the day.
NATURE
Itty-bitties in pre-k and kindergarten can go wild about animals at the Dallas Arboretum’s Creature Feature camp. Each day, campers will take a closer look at the animals who call the Arboretum home. They’ll investigate where the animals live, how they survive and what makes them unique. Hands-on explorations, games and nature safaris in the garden will reveal the secret lives of squirrels, lizards, turtles and more.
For campers who love the great outdoors, Camp Cedar Hill at the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center at Cedar Hill could be just the ticket for fun in the sun this summer. Kids 6-11 can spend 8 weeks exploring the canyon through art, technology, animal encounters and more. Other experiences may include special guests and off-site trips to the local pool. You can sign up for just one week or all 8. Best of all, these are all-day camps (8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.) and extended care is available.
Kids ages 5-12 can experience the wonders of nature at the Heard’s Camp Kestrel. Campers will explore the Heard’s 289-acre sanctuary as they learn about winged predators, how to keep the Lone Star State clean, and our amazing local Blackland Prairie ecosystem. At the camp’s conclusion, there will be a traditional end-of-the-week celebration.
Check out Art&Seek’s Summer Camp Theme for even MORE camps.
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