Creative Summer Camp Activities for Children in the DFW Area

Summer looms ahead as the school year winds down. Parents are starting to plan summer activities, and hopefully giving their kids some say in the choices. The long summer days present a challenge for full-time working or for stay-at-home parents. The question is how to keep the kids occupied and out of trouble, and yet let them be children. Over scheduling will burn out the youths and parents alike as they race from activity to activity. Summer is a time to be bored, to sit and stare at a bug or a butterfly, to loll in a hammock, or to read a book by choice. However, in this go-go world, one must constantly be achieving something. So, to offer some fun summer challenging activities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and to avoid Camp Poison Ivy, here are some creative suggestions depending on a child's interests.

Arts & Crafts:

Adventure in Art Camps is offered at Fretz Park Recreation Center, 6950 Belt Line (www.fretzpark.net or 214-670-6203). For ages 6 to 13, the four-day sessions costs $100 and includes supplies. Students will explore watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting, as well as learn about silkscreen, charcoal, and aspects of drawing.

Art and Clay Camps is sponsored by the Craft Guild of Dallas, 14325 Proton Road (www.craftguildofdallas.com or 972-490-0303). The one-week sessions for ages 4 to 13 costs $125 to $150 along with supply fees. Students will be hands-on with clay, printmaking, bookbinding, and jewelry making.

Bedford Parks and Recreation/Art is in the mid-cities at the Bedford Boys Ranch. (www.ci.bedford.tx.us or 817-952-2323). For ages 6 to 13, the one week sessions cost $100 and offer watercolors, acrylics, oils, silkscreen, and charcoal exploration.

Coppell Parks and Recreation offers a similar program as Bedford. Check www.ci.coppell.tx.us or call 972-304-7077.

NasherKids Summer Camp for ages 6 to 12 is held at the Nasher Sculpture Center in downtown Dallas. (www.nashersculpturecenter.org or 214-242-5100). This unique camp teaches children about sculpture and also discusses architecture. For $150, field trips include tours of all of the Arts District museums.

Cooking Camps:

Cooking Camps for Kids at Central Market in Fort Worth is designed for ages 5 to 17. (817-377-9005). Kids are arranged by age group and the price is $35 for a two hour session. Learning cooking math, measuring, organization, and nutrition, the sessions includes Soda Fountain Fun, Island Cooking, Kitchen Science and other kid-themed programs.

Culinary Camp at Suze restaurant on Northwest Highway is for kids age 3 to 18. (214-350-6135) The one-week sessions cost $300 and offer an in-depth cooking experience with an emphasis on health and nutrition.
Junior Chef Camp at the Gaylord Texas is for the older youth ages 11 to 16. The one-day sessions at the Ama Lur Restaurant in Grapevine (www.gaylordtexan.com or 817-778-1000) costs $90 and includes a full luncheon for students and parents. Students go from setting tables to serving and cooking a three-course luncheon.

Kids in the Kitchen Camp for ages 8 to 12 is held at Super Suppers of Frisco (www.supersuppersfrisco.com 214-618-8277). For $55, the daylong session is spent on full meal assembly for four entrees. Along with kitchen safety, kids put together recipe books, and learn to make kid snacks.

Theater, Film, and Video:

The following listings offer children aspects of the art of drama - whether it is acting, singing, dancing, directing, or production skills. Each offers various sessions or workshops and some require auditions. There is a ham in every child and these camps can get the creative juices flowing. Parents still yearning to "put on a show" can indulge in some stage door preening. Check the websites listed or call for information.

Actors Conservatory Theatre in Lewisville. 972-353-2720
Camp Casa 2006 Fort Worth www.casamanana.org 817-332-2272 ext. 141
Creative Arts Theatre and School Arlington www.creativearts.org 817-861-2287
Dallas Summer Musicals - School of Musical Theater www.dsmschool.org
214-969-7469
Flower Mound Production Camp -www.fmpat.org 972-724-0727
Movie Star Camp - Addison www.margomanning.com 972-239-2882
Teatro Dallas Youth Summer Theater Program www.teatrodallas.org 214-689-6492

Dance and Music:

"Gotta sing, Gotta dance". For kids with a lot of energy, dance camp may be the answer to harness some poetry in motion. Tumbling, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, drill team, or creative movement offer aspects one can explore. In regards to music, from broadway tunes to rock �n roll and from playing an instrument to singing, the music camps will have kids humming a happy tune. Review the following listings and get your kid stretching body and soul to music.

Dallas Power House of Dance - www.dallaspowerhouse.com 972-960-2484
Dance Arts for Kids - www.flamencodallas.com 214-366-9557
Pop Star Camp - www.danceada.com 972-727-1455

Camp Jam - Motto is "No Canoes - Lots of Rock" www.campjamusa.com
800-513-0930
Children's Chorus of Dallas Summer Singing Camp www.thechildrenschorus.com
214-965-0491
Cross Timbers Youth Orchestra Instrument Camp - www.ctyo.org 972-658-4227

Whether it is the art of crafts and cooking or the arts themselves - theater, dance, and music, summer camps offer a wider range of activity than most kids see during a school year. Summer art camps can open new doors for a child or reinforce their inherent skills. While a kid still needs to be a kid, it is good to stimulate the senses and broaden a child's horizons. In between, running, biking, and swimming, the summer camps in this article offer some food for the soul. Investigate and choose the right one for your child.