MORE CAMPS FOR KIDS
Here are a couple of other camps (with slots still available as of press time) worth considering:
Camp Truly Living Well Farming Camp
Held in the heart of the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, each day begins with songs, chants and feeding chickens. Daily lessons focus on making worm-rich soil, planting seeds and connecting with the land through fun farm activities. This camp caters to children ages 6-11. There is also an advanced camp — Young Growers Super Camp — for kids ages 12-14. This camp is designed for young people who are interested in learning more about growing food in cities. Camps with slots available include weeks of June 15-19; July 6-10; and July 20-24. $375. For more information, go to http://trulylivingwell.com/programs/summer-camp/ or call 678-973-0997.
Cooking camp
Young Chefs Academy — with three locations in metro Atlanta (Marietta, North Druid Hills and Sandy Springs) — is once again dishing up a summer of culinary adventures, helping kids learn their way in the kitchen. Kids will learn how to safely chop, dice and slice — while whipping up everything from homemade gelatos and pastas to Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Skewers. The menu and activities vary at each location. Some camps are designed for kids as young as 3, while other camps are aimed at older kids (11 and up) with more experience. Cost ranges from $180 to $350 depending on age, program and franchise. Camps are held from now through mid-August. For more information and to register, go to www.youngchefsacademy.com.
Children can be relentless when it comes to begging for a new pet. Please, please, pretty please with sugar on top.
But whether a child is clamoring for an adorable puppy or a sweet little kitten, parents know that sometimes their children just aren't ready for the big responsibility. For parents concerned about their child's readiness to care for an animal, or those who simply want to satiate their child's desire to interact with adorable furballs, PAWS Atlanta has a special camp — PAWS Atlanta Pals Camp for young animal lovers. PAWS Atlanta, located in the Decatur area, is one of the area's few no-kill shelters.
Metro Atlanta offers a wide variety of camps — from circus camps to language camps to Lego camps. Many families see summer as an opportunity to learn a new hobby, try a new sport, volunteer, even get a jump-start on geometry. And at the PAWS Atlanta Pals Camp, children get the chance to spend a week of their summer with their favorite furry friends — while learning key responsibilities of pet ownership.
Open to children ages 8-13, the PAWS Atlanta Pals Camp is offered in four, one-week-long sessions in June and July for $250 per week, per camper.
Each camp day (which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) includes hands-on activities with dogs and cats, including giving dogs a bath or taking them on a walk, or simply playing with dogs and cats. While all of the animals at the shelter must pass a temperament test to determine suitability for adoption, staff will carefully choose the dogs and cats participating in the camp: They will be a good mix of ages and sizes, and be comfortable around children.
Children will also take lessons on humane treatment of animals and workshops with veterinarians and other animal experts, including a dog trainer who uses positive training methods, an attorney who prosecutes animal cruelty cases and a wildlife rescue expert.
Nancy Longacre, executive director of PAWS Atlanta, said the camp started last year as a pilot program, and they decided to expand the summer camp this summer.
The shelter has plenty of education efforts, including a website and a newsletter, Longacre said, but “we decided let’s do something for kids out there who really love animals and to address — what does it really mean to be a responsible pet owner. We want to educate people about responsible pet ownership so there will be fewer homeless animals.”
Longacre said the animals have not yet been selected in part because there’s a good chance they will be adopted out before the camps begin. But as she considered the dogs at the shelter, she thought about “Jillian,” who is a 7-month-old Lab mix and is blind.
“She would be a candidate for teaching kids about how animals can also have special needs, and she can have a long, healthy life but clearly whoever adopts her will need to be sensitive to her needs,” she said.
All of the dogs and cats that participated in the camp last year have since been adopted. Not surprisingly, some of them went home with the kids in the camp.
Bailey Wagner, a 9-year-old animal lover who has a soft spot for cats, eagerly went to the camp last year to learn more about animals and what it’s like in the day in the life of a professional who works with cats and dogs.
She didn’t come home with any new pets (her family already has five dogs and a loving but mischievous, green-eyed cat named Pearl). Her family also fosters rescued cats and dogs.
Even so, the camp deepened her appreciation for animals — especially cats. And she is doing the camp again this summer.
“My favorite part was spending time with kitties,” said Bailey, who lives in Snellville. “Sometimes you might think (cats) are ordinary, but they are good friends to talk to and nice to have around.”
The camp will be held the following weeks: June 15-19; June 22-26; July 13-17; and July 20-24. For more information and to register, go to www.pawsatlanta.org.
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