Believe it or not it’s already that time of year again. Summer vacation is quickly approaching and it’s time to start planning. Growing up, my summer vacation was waking up early, so I didn’t miss any of the fun.
Bike riding, ice cream trucks, playing in the sprinkler, going to Kenosha’s awesome pools (at Anderson Park and Washington Park) and the splash pad near HarborPark. Kickball and baseball. Hide and seek, ghost in the graveyard with the neighborhood kids until the streetlights came on.
Even with all these fun activities, it was still easy to get bored and that always led me to shenanigans that ended up with me in trouble.
Here are some options to keep the kids busy, stimulated, and happy this summer. Day camps, overnight camps, classes, and clinics are offered.
(Please note: some of these will fill up fast so don’t put off registering until the last minute!)
The Kenosha Public Museum offers a plethora of fun camps June through August including a Dinosaur Field Camp, Making Art Camp, Engineering Camp, Archaeology Expedition Camp, Wizarding World Camp, Backyard Nature Camp, and a three day Pokémon camp. There are two age categories for registration: age 5-6 and ages 7-10. A three day cooking camp is available for ages 10-12; Pasta, Spring Rolls, and Pizza are covered. There is also a three day Dungeons & Dragons camp for teens.
Boundless Adventures, the outdoor aerial park, offers full and half day camps. All campers aged 10+ will have access to the entire course. Kids under ten will be able to access the “blue” course. There’s a strict age minimum of 7 years of age. The price includes two Boundless Adventures T-shirts.
Boundless Adventures invites you to their Camp Open House: We can't wait for our first Open House event to showcase our summer program on May 11th, from 1-4pm. We've got a lineup of fun activities planned for the kids and will have staff on hand to tell you all that you need to know about our program! Our rates are going up May 15th, so come check us out and finalize your summer plans!
There are many drop-off camp programs for specific age groups at Pringle Nature Center. Kids ages 5-10 will enjoy nature crafts, hikes, games, and other exploration activities at Bristol Woods Park. These activities take place primarily outdoors in the forest, prairie, and wetland/pond habitats of Bristol Woods. Summer camp "weeks" are each 4 days in length (Tuesday-Friday, 10 am-1 pm), specific to one age group.
Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum is offering Space Camp and Nature Camp. Camps are led by experts in their fields. Each session is limited to 12 participants to ensure safety and individual learning. Two separate, identical sessions are held in the evening for Space Camp; for ages 8-13. Nature Camp is held across multiple days. Topics are Tadpoles (ages 6-8), Pollywogs (ages 9-11), and Bullfrogs (ages 12-14).
Enjoy a safe and fun time on the water! The Kenosha Community Sailing Center offers sailing courses for all ages. Sail in a small sailboat in Kenosha’s harbor while learning the importance of water safety and appreciation for the water. Courses start in June.
The Kenosha YMCA offers Summer Day Camp from 6:30am to 6:00pm. The registration fee includes a camp t-shirt, a healthy breakfast, lunch, snack, transportation, admission for most field trips, recreational swimming, and rock climbing. Financial assistance is available. Weekly themes include Spirit Week, Zootopia, A League of Their Own, Splashtastic, Prehistoric Express, and more.
Actor's Craft 7th Avenue Theater & Acting Studio offers summer acting camps, July through August. Available are:
Ages 6-11: Creative Drama, July 8-12
Ages 10-18: Professional Acting Intensive, July 15-19
Ages 10-16: Theater Games and Improv, July 22-26
Ages 10-18: Professional On-Camera Close-Up Scene Study for Kids and Teens, July 29-August 2
Kenosha Kingfish Baseball offers the Kids Club. This program is free and available to the first 2,000 entries only, ages 5-14 and includes 4 Ticket vouchers for the child, kids club t-shirt, $10 team store gift card (child only) and VIP field access for Kids Club Night, June 10 (must be wearing t-shirt.)
Perhaps your kids are interested in bike racing at the Washington Park Velodrome. On select dates, a Track Clinic is being held. The three-hour clinics will introduce the track bicycle, velodrome basics, proper track etiquette, group riding skills, and mock racing. No race bike racing experience is needed, but the minimum age to participate is 9 years old.
Introduce your kids to golf – or further encourage their interest in golf! Junior Golf Clinics for ages 7-17 are offered at Brighton Dale Links and Petrifying Springs Golf Course starting in mid-June and run for six weeks. There’s also a fun and competitive league for kids: the PGA Junior League. Brighton Dale Links offers 13-and-under or 17-and-under PGA Junior League teams. The entry deadline is Friday, May 19 or the first 48 players.
Lakeside Players is offering the Kids Theater Intensive: Spongebob the Musical at Rhode Center for the Arts this summer.
Long story short, there are options to keep the kids entertained this summer. Act now to get them registered!
