For preoccupied parents, summer and its challenge of keeping the kids busy during the day can arrive as quickly and unexpectedly as a massive wave crashing down at the beach.
You have been warned. Here it comes.
And here is some help in the form of local camp suggestions to keep the youngsters occupied.
Club Scientific
If you find your budding mad scientist concocting liquid formulas in the bathroom sink or building his or her own creations with scraps from the garage, this may be the place to encourage that creativity without having to clean up the consequences. These science-based camps take a whimsical and hands-on approach to fun and learning and can include experiencing what it’s like to be a veterinarian, playing pirate while diving deep into oceanography or activities such as creating your own video game. Those who attend Camp Grossology whip up yucky stuff like simulated snot. Camp Robot Inventor finds young ones breathing life into their own robots. Lego-themed camps are new this year and available for all age groups. Sessions last five days, and they take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Camps are available throughout June and July, and suitable for ages 4 to 14. Half-day camp options are available for 4- and 5-year-olds. Camp locations include Peachtree City, Marietta, Canton, Decatur, Atlanta, Roswell and Alpharetta.
$235 per session; $199 for half-day camps. Camp Little Robot Inventor, Camp Robot Inventor and Advanced Camp Emergency Vet each include a $45 lab fee. Club Scientific. 678-880-6460, http://clubscientific.com.
Atlanta Rocks
This sprawling indoor gym with 12,000 square feet of rock climbing space keeps kids climbing like Spider-Man throughout the summer. Camp sessions are open for all skill levels and from age 8 to 16. Newbies learn how to tie safety knots, strap on a harness, perform correct belay procedures and basic climbing techniques. More experienced climbers have a chance to improve footwork and balance and take their performance to the next level. If your child doesn’t have his or her own equipment, no sweat. The registration fee includes the use of climbing shoes, a harness and the belay device. The five-day camp sessions take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and parents can choose from six different camps weekdays throughout June, July and the beginning of August. Kids who can’t attend the entire five days can drop in one day at a time for $60 each. Special afternoon sessions, dubbed Summer Rocks, are available for kids ages 5 to 17 from 2 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
$250; $240 for each additional sibling. Summer Rocks: $30 per day; $25 per day current campers; $120 five days; $100 five days for current campers. Atlanta Rocks, 1019 Collier Road N.W., Suite A, Atlanta. 404-351-3009, www.atlantarocks.com.
Alliance Theatre Education’s Puppet Camp
This camp is a new addition to the ArtsVibe Teen program at Woodruff Arts Center. Local puppeteer and puppet builder Scottie Rowell, one of the minds behind Puppet Camp, describes it as “camp meets master class.” It’s geared toward rising ninth- through 12th-graders interested in pursuing puppetry performance. Campers get a hands-on opportunity to learn how to manipulate puppets including hand and rod puppets. Professional puppeteers lend their hands by stopping in and sharing their knowledge. Students not only get a heaping helping of performance technique, but also get a chance to build their own puppets, which they take home.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 17-21. $399. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-4700, http://alliancetheatre.org/en/Education/Acting-Classes/Drama-Camps/Puppeteering-grades-9-12.aspx.
Camp Kingfisher
The Chattahoochee Nature Center is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its day camp, which blends old school outdoor camp action with interactive environmental education. The activities are custom created for kindergartners to ninth-graders. Kids will learn and sing camp songs, paddle in canoes across the on-site ponds and have plenty of opportunities to swim. Older campers experience all of that and more, including a chance to dig a bit deeper with programs on science, leadership training and more. Both one- and two-week sessions, which take place weekdays, are offered from May 28 through Aug. 9.
$328-$410 for one-week sessions; $624-$780 for two-week sessions. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055, www.chattnaturecenter.org/camp-kingfisher/.
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