If your child loves bugs and dirt, hikes and canoe rides, and building boats out of twigs and magnolia leaves, these five outdoor summer camps are worth considering.
Truly Living Well Summer Camp in Atlanta
At Truly Living Well Summer Camp, each day begins with songs, chants and feeding chickens. Daily lessons focus on composting to save the Earth, planting seeds, designing garden beds, art in the garden and an endless array of other fun farm activities. Now located at the corner of Lawton Street and Sells Avenue, two blocks west of Morehouse College, this year the camp is featuring "An Eco-hood Does Good!" during its afternoon clubhouse time, where campers become designers, planners and engineers of the future by constructing miniature sustainable communities. They will also contribute to building out the new site with small installations like the music wall, a spiral herb garden and vintage bathtub garden. Campers harvest lunch foods and enjoy farm-fresh plant-based lunches daily. Serves ages 6-12. Camp fee for two-week sessions: $375. For more information, go to http://trulylivingwell.com/programs/summer-camp. 678-973-0997.
Dunwoody Nature Center
Featuring 22 acres, the Dunwoody Nature Center allows campers to revel in the great big outdoors and learn about the importance of the Chattahoochee River. Hike along the Wildcat Creek and listen to bullfrogs croak and plop in the water. Use a magnifying glass to look for organisms in the water and then determine the temperature of the creek at various depths. This is a camp where kids make boats of twigs, magnolia leaves and other natural materials, and then put them to the test in a creek. Full-day camps for rising kindergartners and kids up to 12 years of age. Half-day camps for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. May 31-Aug. 18. (Some weeks offer only half-day camps.) Cost: $150-$290. Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody. http://dunwoodynature.org/Summer-Camps.
Camp Kingfisher at the Chattahoochee Nature Center
A Chattahoochee Nature Center tradition since 1993, Camp Kingfisher has provided an unforgettable camp experience. Kids hike, swim, see wildlife, canoe, investigate, craft and more. Activities and science themes encourage personal growth, teamwork and environmental stewardship in campers. For kids from the ages of 4 years old to rising ninth-graders. May 31-Aug. 5. Free extended care available 8-9 a.m. and 4-6:15 p.m. Price: $334-$444/week. For more information, go to http://chattnaturecenter.org/camp-kingfisher/dates-rates-and-basic-camp-information/.
To register, call 770-992-2055 ext. 222, or visit www.chattnaturecenter.org/camp-kingfisher.
The Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell
Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC)
Fill your days exploring nature, chasing bugs and critters, unearthing cultures past, programming Lego EV3 robots, re-enacting the life of a Civil War soldier, playing a gallant knight from medieval times, fine-tuning your outdoor survival skills, performing a play, zipping through the tree canopy, and much more.
Camps vary according to age and are available for children ages 2-13. With camps full of fun, engaging activities, and (don't tell them) educational material, campers will enjoy themselves and discover something that they love about the Environmental and Heritage Center and better yet, the world around them. For more information or to register, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org. Camp prices vary depending on the specific camp but range from $65 to $250.
Camp season at the EHC begins May 31 and ends on Aug. 5. Camps run each week. Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center, 2020 Clean Water Drive, Buford. www.gwinnettEHC.org.
Adrenaline Climbing Summer Camp
For kids ages 7-13, each one-week program is jam-packed with field trips full of fun and outdoor climbing adventures at Currahee Mountain and Mount Yonah in North Georgia. Other activities include tubing down rivers, hiking to waterfalls, and stand-up paddle boarding. One- and two-week programs. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; $250 per week. Adrenaline Climbing, 460 Brogdon Road, Suwanee. 770-271-1390, www.adrenalineclimbing.com.
MORE: A guide to dozens of summer camps in metro Atlanta
