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Kid Stuff
Avoiding the ‘Mom, I'm bored' blues: Out-of-the-ordinary summer fun for young ones
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Business New Haven
6/12/2000
By: Michele Beck
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Maybe you missed the January deadline for signing your kids up for Camp La-Di-Da (summer camp not being exactly uppermost on your mind while you were shoveling snow). Or maybe your kids said they wanted to stay home this summer and just hang out with their friends - only now those friends are themselves going out of town.
Whatever the reason, around Memorial Day parents frequently start to panic at the thought of an unplanned summer at hand.
In fact, this region boasts quite a few interesting, not-your-usual programs and activities for children from toddler age to teenage - activities that will at once stir your children's imagination and get them out from under foot for at least part of the summer vacation.
Note: Although the programs listed here did not have a January deadline, many are full or almost full0. If you and your child are interested in any of these, it is highly recommended that you call as soon as possible.
Sailing Lessons at
Longshore Sailing School
Located in Westport, Longshore Sailing School has been teaching would-be salts to sail for 35 years. The school offers a number of courses for youngsters ages nine to 16. These include regular two-week courses of instruction at levels ranging from basic (“Introduction to Boating and Sailing”) to advanced, as well as four different one-week specialty courses. These include: “Catamaran Sailing,” “Kayak Adventure,” “Junior Wind-Surfing” and “Racing Techniques.” All classes are held weekday mornings or afternoons. The cost of regular courses is $225, of the first three specialty courses, $160, and for the racing techniques course, $190. For particulars, call 203-226-4646.
Maritime Exploring at
the Maritime Aquarium
Children who are too young to sail but love the water will thrill to the “Maritime Explorers” series at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. The aquarium offers a number of two-week programs for six- to eight-year-olds, and at press time spaces were still available in the June 26-July 7 and the July 24-August 4 sessions. Youngsters who sign up will take part in an exciting variety of hands-on marine science activities based on the theme, “Sharks & Fish.” Each session will also include an IMAX movie, beach explorations, and a marine life study cruise aboard the aquarium's research vessel. The programs meet weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The cost of a two-week session is $270. Call 203-852-0700, ext. 206.
Audubon Arts Summer Camps
The Neighborhood Music School on Audubon Street in New Haven runs five-week day camp programs for children that center around the arts. Using creative dramatics as the cornerstone of the program, campers participate in an array of activities designed to encourage self-expression and creativity. These include drama, movement, singing and visual arts activities. Each camper also chooses one of five areas, such as “Crafts Sampler” or “Chorus,” in which to participate in a special activity every morning. Campers are grouped by age, and each group works toward a final performance. Previous projects have been based on Greek and Nordic myths, Italian and French folk tales, and stories by Roald Dahl, Robert Louis Stevenson, as well as stories developed by the campers themselves.
Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is also an Extended Day Option, through which a camper may stay on for additional supervised activities until 5:30. The cost for a five-week session is $1,095, and $65 per week for the Extended Day Option. There are currently openings for nine, ten- and 11-year-olds.
Music, Dance Classes at NMS
For youngsters who may not wish to make the commitment to a full-day camp schedule, yet who have a creative bent, classes or lessons at the Neighborhood Music School may be the perfect summer activity. Program Manager Michelle Maitland points out that summer is actually an ideal time for children to try out a new instrument, since they don't have homework and other commitments competing with practice time. In addition to instrumental instruction, the school also offers a broad array of classes for children of all ages. These include a number of less familiar yet popular options, such as classes in African drumming, swing dancing, salsa, a new tap-dance class, and something called “Vocal Magic.” Taught by jazz singer Giacomo Gates, “Vocal Magic” introduces children to different things they can do with their voice beside sing (such as make sounds that mimic those of various musical instruments). There are even classes which parents can attend with their infants (as young as six months) designed to help parents feel more comfortable making music with their children.
Classes begin the week of June 19 and run for six weeks. Most class sessions are an hour in length, although individualized instrumental instruction is available in 30-, 40- and 60-minute lesson lengths. The cost of classes ranges from $70 to $99, depending on the class. For details call 203-624-5189.
Riding Lessons
Parents who failed to apply in time for the locally popular Camp Katoyah riding program for their daughters who love horses may want to consider riding lessons at Spring Meadow Farm in Milford. Lessons are given on a continuing basis for children ages seven and up at all levels of experience. Parents are asked to sign up for six weeks at a time. The cost of a six-week lesson package (one weekly lesson) is $135. For more information call 203-877-4784.
Discovering Arts, Sciences
at the Discovery Museum
Bridgeport's Discovery Museum offers a wealth of unusual programs that are both educational and loaded with kid appeal. Museum members receive discounts on all summer programs.
Wonder Tots & Summer Adventures: Programs for pre-schoolers and pre-kindergartners help children to develop skills while experimenting with art, crafts, storytelling, cooking and science fun. There are six weekly sessions beginning July 11. Preschool children can attend Wonder Tots one or two days a week (for one to two hours, depending on age) at a cost of $12 per day. The Summer Adventures program for children ages four to five runs three hours each weekday and costs $120 per week.
Space Adventure: A program for youngsters entering grades five through eight. Participants build model rockets, design a space suit for an egg, conduct hands-on experiments, assemble a mini-robot and attend a space science demonstration and planetarium show. The culmination of each one-week session is a simulated space mission to Mars in the Challenger Learning Center. This program will be offered three times during the month of July, runs 9:30-3:30 weekdays for one week, and costs $240.
Girls Rule: This is a one-week science adventure designed by and for girls entering grades five through seven and taught by female instructors. It will take place the week of August 7-11, runs 9:30-3:30 daily and costs $240.
Rocketry: There will be two three-day programs, beginner and advanced, for youngsters entering grades four through seven. Both will be held in August. Beginners construct and launch a model rocket, and those in the advanced session build and launch model rockets of their own design. Each day of each session runs from 9:30-3:30. Cost is $120 per session.
TV Workshop: These two programs (introductory and advanced), held at Sound View Community Media Studios, offer youngsters entering grades four through nine the opportunity to learn what happens behind the scenes of a television production, and to direct, produce and star in a television production. Both the introductory and advanced sessions will be held in August. Each runs for one week, 9:30-3:30 weekdays. Cost is $160 per session.
Wood Construction: This one-week (July 31-August 4) program teaches children from grades K-5 how to use hammers, saws, hand drills and other tools safely. Participants create useful wooden objects, toys and games. The session for grades K-2 runs from 10 a.m.-noon, and grades three to five from 1-3 p.m. The cost of the program is $75.
Robots: This three-day program for youngsters entering grades five through eight explores the field of robotics and gives participants the opportunity to build their own roving machine. The program runs August 1-3 from 9:30-3:30. The base cost is $100, plus an additional materials fee.
This is just a partial listing of Discovery Museum summer programs. For a full listing, and additional information on the programs described above, call 203-372-3521.
Zoo Patrol at Beardsley
The Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport offers a novel camp-like program for children who love animals. During the course of each two-week session, youngsters get to meet animals, talk to animal caretakers and even help to care for an animal, in addition to crafts and other activities. “Campers” attend from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays. There are sessions for children ages seven to 11, and for young teens ages 12 to 15. Older participants help clean up for an animal. The cost is $100 per session ($90 for Beardsley members).
Animal Tales at Beardsley
This free program takes place each weekday during July and August, beginning at 2 p.m. Children from kindergarten and up will be treated to a story about an animal, followed by a craft and a chance to actually meet an animal from the story. BNH
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