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Super Summer Camps!
Posted on Tue, March 25th, 2008
Written by: Jennifer Farnsworth, Parent Pages Writer
email: cdparentpg@aol.com
It is hard to believe that summer camp sign-ups are already here. Around the Capital District many organizations, schools, and clubs are announcing their summer line ups that include a wide variety of dates, hours and activities. From music to sports to simple recreational summer, camp time is right around the corner.
If you are looking for a sports-based camp, Sportime is Schenectady is a great option. Camp Coordinator Wendi Steffke said that this year they are offering the highest-level of tennis instruction in the Capital District.
“Our tennis camps are for ages six to 16 and includes intra-club matches and tournaments for all levels,” said Steffke.
She said they are also offering a “Cross Training Sports Academy” that will benefit all young athletes no matter what they currently are involved in. Steffke said that they are finding that children are forgetting about the basics of fitness and general athletic training. The cross training campers will receive speed and agility training and take part in special fitness classes, including kickboxing and low impact aerobes. They will earn strength training and exercise regimes that will help them keep fit throughout their entire lives. These campers will also take part in a sampler schedule that will include racquetball, floor hockey, flag football, basketball and soccer. It is a great way to introduce children to different types of sports that they have never been exposed to.
Sportime can also offer campers access to swimming, racquetball, a computer room, soccer fields, a basketball court and of course tennis. Their facility also lets them accommodate any type of weather so your children will be kept occupied rain or shine.
Their multi-sport camp for ages 3-5 offers kids an introduction to a variety of sports to give kids a chance to experience age appropriate sporting equipment. There will also be swim lessons as well as arts and crafts.
Steffke said new to the line up of programs this year is the extended day options that allows parents to drop off kids as early as 7:30 a.m. and pick them up as late at 5:30 p.m. You can contact Assistant General Manager Wendi Steffke at 356-0100. Or visit tier Web site at www.sportimeNY.com.
If you are looking more for a drama or arts camp there are a variety of options in these areas. Drama, dance and music camps have grown in popularity and you do not need to travel far to be a part of the action.
Drama Kids International of Albany offers camps for ages six to 11 throughout the summer. Director Deanna Stickles-Bach said they aim to increase acting abilities through improving on verbal communication skills, all while have loads of fun.
The camps take a balanced theater approach to cause kids to act quickly on their feet by using critical thinking skills. Stickles –Bach said they do this by incorporating speech by working on fine tuning articulation and projecting voices. Basic movement skills are taught to children through acting out short plays. Camps run all day during several weeks over the summer, with a different theme each week.
One theme is based on classic storybook characters and includes a mask-making workshop. The workshop is a great way to incorporate an arts and crafts aspect to the camp. The masks are then used at a performance at the end of the week that is put on by the campers. Another theme is puppetry that Stickles-Back said is always popular.
“The children love to not only use the puppets but to create them as well,” said Stickles-Bach. Camps are held throughout the region including locations like Clifton Park and Colonie. You can learn more by visiting their Web site at www.dramakids.com.
Now, more than ever, parents are looking for creative ways to keep their children active. The World of Dance teaches everything from hip hop to tap and ballet to jazz. Their summer camps teach skills to children who have limited or no dance experience, as well as students are studying to make dance a vocation. They offer 4 week-long camps.
The "Dance, Dance, Dance!" program is for children ages 4 and older and caters to both kids who have never danced before and are iching to learn the latest moves to show off to their friends, and children who have studied dance. Campers are placed in age and experience appropiate classes for part of the day, and create crafts, play games and just have fun and make friendships for the other part of the day.
"All kids love to dance," said Danielle Cuzdey. "Dancing is a fun way for kids to keep fit, it teaches them coordination and teamwork in a fun environment."
For children who are serious about dance, the "Dance Intensive," a three-hour session that is included in the camp, or may be taken separately, incorporates strenght training, flexibility, leaps, turns and dance combinations. The sessions help dancers hone their skills and learn new moves.
"Most dance studios take a break over the summer," Cuzdey said. "It is hard for dancers to maintain their flexibility and skills if they don't dance for two or three months. The summer camp keeps them in shape, plus they can work on skills they may not have accompished yet."
With more than 50 years of experience between The World of Dance co-directors, they have taught a two-time world tap dance champion, a student who is currently dancing on London's equivalent of the Broadway stage, a former Miss New York and have won numerous awards for their choreography.
Classes run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday though Friday and before and after care is available. For more information call the studio at 210-7599 or visit the Web site at www.worldofdancealbany.com.
Another great source for summer camps is your local community centers, such as the Jewish Community Center in Albany. The Sidney Albert JCC of Albany has a wide variety of summer camps for ages 3 and older. Camp Coordinator Drew Katz said that the camps run all eight weeks of the summer. He said while many people joining for a week here and there, they also have a core group of families that sign-up their kids all eight weeks.
“As a kid, my family was always here for all eight weeks because we simply loved the programs,” said Katz.
Camp Taf is for children ages 3 to 4 years and entering kindergarten. The camp is based at the Sidney Albert Albany JCC where campers can enjoy two in-ground outdoor pools and one indoor pool used during inclement weather.
There are also athletic facilities including soccer and softball fields and a full size gymnasium, large playground facility and air-conditioned classrooms. The staff includes early childhood teachers and adult camp counselors.
For children in grades one through six, there is Camp Olam at Ce-Da-Ca, which is set in a 100-acre wooded site surrounding a private lake equipped with athletic fields, outdoor basketball courts, and a Ga Ga court. In addition, a ropes challenge course includes multiple low elements and six high. All teens in grades seven through 10, JCC members as well as non-members, are welcome. This water-based camp will include water skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, tubing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, archery, water volleyball, and other sports and crafts.
Camp begins the end of June at Warner’s Lake. Teens are transported each day by school bus to the East Berne site from the JCC on Whitehall Road in Albany. Base Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Teen Camp is run by Josh Blumkin who has 14 years of summer camp experience, two of which were at the Albany JCC as the P.E. Specialist for the Center Camps. This will be the 34th year the JCC Teen Camp has been offered.
For more information, contact Drew Katz, Director of Youth Services at (518) 438-6651 ext. 113 or by email AndrewK@saajcc.org
You can contact cdparentpg@aol.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
Readers had this to say
Nobody has made any comments about this yet... you could be the first. Comment about this article.
Posted on Tue, March 25th, 2008Written by: Jennifer Farnsworth, Parent Pages Writer
email: cdparentpg@aol.com
It is hard to believe that summer camp sign-ups are already here. Around the Capital District many organizations, schools, and clubs are announcing their summer line ups that include a wide variety of dates, hours and activities. From music to sports to simple recreational summer, camp time is right around the corner.
If you are looking for a sports-based camp, Sportime is Schenectady is a great option. Camp Coordinator Wendi Steffke said that this year they are offering the highest-level of tennis instruction in the Capital District.
“Our tennis camps are for ages six to 16 and includes intra-club matches and tournaments for all levels,” said Steffke.
She said they are also offering a “Cross Training Sports Academy” that will benefit all young athletes no matter what they currently are involved in. Steffke said that they are finding that children are forgetting about the basics of fitness and general athletic training. The cross training campers will receive speed and agility training and take part in special fitness classes, including kickboxing and low impact aerobes. They will earn strength training and exercise regimes that will help them keep fit throughout their entire lives. These campers will also take part in a sampler schedule that will include racquetball, floor hockey, flag football, basketball and soccer. It is a great way to introduce children to different types of sports that they have never been exposed to.
Sportime can also offer campers access to swimming, racquetball, a computer room, soccer fields, a basketball court and of course tennis. Their facility also lets them accommodate any type of weather so your children will be kept occupied rain or shine.
Their multi-sport camp for ages 3-5 offers kids an introduction to a variety of sports to give kids a chance to experience age appropriate sporting equipment. There will also be swim lessons as well as arts and crafts.
Steffke said new to the line up of programs this year is the extended day options that allows parents to drop off kids as early as 7:30 a.m. and pick them up as late at 5:30 p.m. You can contact Assistant General Manager Wendi Steffke at 356-0100. Or visit tier Web site at www.sportimeNY.com.
If you are looking more for a drama or arts camp there are a variety of options in these areas. Drama, dance and music camps have grown in popularity and you do not need to travel far to be a part of the action.
Drama Kids International of Albany offers camps for ages six to 11 throughout the summer. Director Deanna Stickles-Bach said they aim to increase acting abilities through improving on verbal communication skills, all while have loads of fun.
The camps take a balanced theater approach to cause kids to act quickly on their feet by using critical thinking skills. Stickles –Bach said they do this by incorporating speech by working on fine tuning articulation and projecting voices. Basic movement skills are taught to children through acting out short plays. Camps run all day during several weeks over the summer, with a different theme each week.
One theme is based on classic storybook characters and includes a mask-making workshop. The workshop is a great way to incorporate an arts and crafts aspect to the camp. The masks are then used at a performance at the end of the week that is put on by the campers. Another theme is puppetry that Stickles-Back said is always popular.
“The children love to not only use the puppets but to create them as well,” said Stickles-Bach. Camps are held throughout the region including locations like Clifton Park and Colonie. You can learn more by visiting their Web site at www.dramakids.com.
Now, more than ever, parents are looking for creative ways to keep their children active. The World of Dance teaches everything from hip hop to tap and ballet to jazz. Their summer camps teach skills to children who have limited or no dance experience, as well as students are studying to make dance a vocation. They offer 4 week-long camps.
The "Dance, Dance, Dance!" program is for children ages 4 and older and caters to both kids who have never danced before and are iching to learn the latest moves to show off to their friends, and children who have studied dance. Campers are placed in age and experience appropiate classes for part of the day, and create crafts, play games and just have fun and make friendships for the other part of the day.
"All kids love to dance," said Danielle Cuzdey. "Dancing is a fun way for kids to keep fit, it teaches them coordination and teamwork in a fun environment."
For children who are serious about dance, the "Dance Intensive," a three-hour session that is included in the camp, or may be taken separately, incorporates strenght training, flexibility, leaps, turns and dance combinations. The sessions help dancers hone their skills and learn new moves.
"Most dance studios take a break over the summer," Cuzdey said. "It is hard for dancers to maintain their flexibility and skills if they don't dance for two or three months. The summer camp keeps them in shape, plus they can work on skills they may not have accompished yet."
With more than 50 years of experience between The World of Dance co-directors, they have taught a two-time world tap dance champion, a student who is currently dancing on London's equivalent of the Broadway stage, a former Miss New York and have won numerous awards for their choreography.
Classes run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday though Friday and before and after care is available. For more information call the studio at 210-7599 or visit the Web site at www.worldofdancealbany.com.
Another great source for summer camps is your local community centers, such as the Jewish Community Center in Albany. The Sidney Albert JCC of Albany has a wide variety of summer camps for ages 3 and older. Camp Coordinator Drew Katz said that the camps run all eight weeks of the summer. He said while many people joining for a week here and there, they also have a core group of families that sign-up their kids all eight weeks.
“As a kid, my family was always here for all eight weeks because we simply loved the programs,” said Katz.
Camp Taf is for children ages 3 to 4 years and entering kindergarten. The camp is based at the Sidney Albert Albany JCC where campers can enjoy two in-ground outdoor pools and one indoor pool used during inclement weather.
There are also athletic facilities including soccer and softball fields and a full size gymnasium, large playground facility and air-conditioned classrooms. The staff includes early childhood teachers and adult camp counselors.
For children in grades one through six, there is Camp Olam at Ce-Da-Ca, which is set in a 100-acre wooded site surrounding a private lake equipped with athletic fields, outdoor basketball courts, and a Ga Ga court. In addition, a ropes challenge course includes multiple low elements and six high. All teens in grades seven through 10, JCC members as well as non-members, are welcome. This water-based camp will include water skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, tubing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, archery, water volleyball, and other sports and crafts.
Camp begins the end of June at Warner’s Lake. Teens are transported each day by school bus to the East Berne site from the JCC on Whitehall Road in Albany. Base Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Teen Camp is run by Josh Blumkin who has 14 years of summer camp experience, two of which were at the Albany JCC as the P.E. Specialist for the Center Camps. This will be the 34th year the JCC Teen Camp has been offered.
For more information, contact Drew Katz, Director of Youth Services at (518) 438-6651 ext. 113 or by email AndrewK@saajcc.org
You can contact cdparentpg@aol.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.
Readers had this to say
Nobody has made any comments about this yet... you could be the first. Comment about this article.