Ah, summer camps–the crowning joy of summer break!
There is no activity my kids look forward to more than summer camps. And I look forward to them as much as the kids. While I always want my children to spend at least a week experiencing the glories of nature in a church or 4-H-type camp, that still leaves several weeks of summer vacation to fill with some sort of constructive activities for our kids.Paducah culture to the rescue!
There are so many options available in Paducah that a child could stay busy every week of summer break. Preregistration is required for most camps, so check websites and businesses for specifics.
Paducah Life is featuring Adventure by Bike Camp in this edition so enjoy a more detailed view of this new addition to Paducah’s camp in the full article. The camp, coordinated byBikeWorld and Paducah Parks, lasts all week and includes stops at Paducah landmarks and historic sites, accompanied by talks and lessons. The kids eat at a different locally-owned restaurant every day and log about 80 miles for the week. The $100 fee includes meals, snacks, and entry fees to local establishments. There will be two camps offered this year. For ages 10 and up.
Carson Center Broadway Workshop
This workshop duplicates the theatre experience a child in New York City would receive. Mary Katz searched long and hard to find the right professional theatre workshop so Paducah-area kids would have the same training as their big-city counterparts, but for a fraction of the cost. This theater intensive is led by Marc Tumminelli, who directs musical productions in NYC. Many of his students are currently in Broadway productions or have been accepted to highly competitive theatre programs. This is the 5th year our Paducah kids have been able to receive professional theatre training from people working on Broadway orin touring productions. Cost is$325 with some scholarships available.
MHT camps are so magical that an entire show can be cast and rehearsed in two weeks, culminating in a full production complete with costumes and set! These camps typically don’t last all day, but kids have lines, songs, and blocking to learn outside of the class time, so they stay busy. And each child is guaranteed a part! This year, 1-6 graders can make science connections in The Environmental Show while rising 3-11 graders can experience a Broadway classic in The Music Man. New this year is a week-long Broadway Bootcamp music revue. Creative drama for ages 4-6 is also available. Costs vary by camp and scholarships are readily available.
Paducah Symphony Orchestra “conducts” a music camp in June for grades 4-12. Students can choose a high school or middle school vocal, orchestral, or band ensemble to participate in, and then choose additional elective classes to learn about everything from fiddle and drum circle to theory and improvisation. There’s also a beginning strings class. The week will end with a Showcase performance. The cost for early registration is $125.
Harmony Road offers camps for ages 4-7 and junior camps for 8-12 year olds. These camps follow a theme, such as a Jungle Safari or Trip to the Mountains, and combine singing, playing and making instruments, crafts, snacks, and dancing. Cost is in the $100 range.
WKCTC
No Boys Allowed and Boys Only STEM camps
These two camps expose middle and high schoolers to occupations in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The week is full of classroom activities, field trips, and talks with area professionals. These camps are only $75 per week, which includes breakfast, lunch, and a snack, but the groups are limited to 20 each.
If your older kids are about to push you off the deep end, let them take the plunge instead and send them to Underwater Camp or Aviation Camp at WKCTC. Costs from $170-195.
Your younger kids can go to a host of other science camps at WKCTC: Hooked on Science, The Magic of Minecraft, Lego Camp, Tynker with Coding Camp. There’s even Brick Pi Robotics camp for the high schoolers.
In addition to the science camps, WKCTC offers several sports camps for under $75 and the Paducah School of Art and Design offers a two-week Pre-College Summer Art Program for high schoolers for $375.
Research has shown that educational or enrichment activities in the summer are a major factor in helping kids stay on grade level or even move up before school resumes in the fall. So do your kids and yourself a favor and find a way to keep their minds and bodies active this summer.
