Column: Summer camp for kids

What do you have planned for your kids this summer? It's a question a lot of parents are asking, and in asking around, I found some fun and educational things available.

Boys & Girls Club of Nevada has a wonderful open campus program that gives you lots of flexibility for summer schedules. Any boy or girl between the ages of 7 and 18 can join for a fee of $10. Then you can sign up for special events and pay a separate fee for each event. Boys & Girls Club provides free breakfast and free lunch, and you do not have to be a member to receive them. Club-wide events include summer barbecues, carnivals, water fights and talent shows. Swimming, Skate Trak, Sand Harbor, Boomtown and Wild Waters are just a few that are available.

There are separate interest groups within the club such as Little Explorers, Garden Club, Sierra Ranger, Wild World of Science, Computers and Rod and Reel Club. The older teens have their own schedule of events that also includes Leaders in Training for teens who help with the younger children.

Boys & Girls Club is worth checking out, especially if you have a variable summer schedule.

Carson City Recreation has its own program for kids that is extensive and varied. This is a bit more structured and has check-in and check-out methods of tracking the kids. The summer schedule is separated into single weeks. You can register your child for one week or all nine weeks of the summer.

The program includes Kinder Kamp for kindergarten kids, Kick Back Kamp for first through fourth graders, Summer Loafers for fifth and sixth graders and Trailblazers for seventh and eighth graders. All programs are geared for the age of the kids involved. They take trips on Thursdays and Fridays. You can get more information and sign your child up in the gym office in the community center.

The Brewery Arts Center also has summer classes for kids that are singular and creative. Pottery, arts and crafts and painting are a few. Check with the center for their full schedule of summer classes and the ages required.

Western Nevada Community College offers summer classes for the older teen. For information, you can check their summer catalog or call the college direct.

Experience has taught me that a summer schedule for a child is both more enjoyable for the child and the parent if it is full of different events and is constantly changing and if the child is kept busy and active. Spend some time planning the summer for your child. It can make the summer time off happy for everyone. All of these programs I have suggested have the advantage of being able to work around your vacation schedule as well as your work requirements.

Jerry Vance is certified by the American Council on Exercise and teaches fitness at the Carson City Community Center and for the American Lung Association.