Sending the kids to summer camp

With a little more than one month of school left in the 2017-18 school year, it’s a perfect time to nail down summer camp plans. Is your child interested in sports, art, science, nature or animals? There’s a camp out there that fits all personalities, ages, interests and incomes. The Post-Record has compiled a list of summer camps in Camas-Washougal — as well as a few popular camps from the Portland/Vancouver metro region — to help local families find the perfect fit for their child. Camas Community Education Summer day camps for children entering kindergarten through sixth grade will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 21 through Aug. 30, at the Jack, Will and Rob Center, 2041 N.E. Ione St. Half day and full day options are available. Children will have access to an outdoor track and soccer field, as well as inside and outside play areas, iPads and arts and crafts. Camas Community Education will also offer summer camps that focus on art with Elida Field, "Chefs in Training," drama and music, sewing, Star Wars, stop-motion animation, chess and self worth for girls at various Camas schools. There will be Lego and science camps, as well as sessions that focus on math, reading and writing, robotics, engineering, biotechnology, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, wrestling and martial arts and raising chickens and rabbits. The cost for the day camps is $45 per day or $200 weekly for more than five hours; and $30 per day or $140 weekly for five hours or fewer. Families may pay the first day of the week or pay online in advance. To register, call 360-833-5544 or email Shauna.Johnson@camas.wednet.edu. For more information, visit camascommunityed.org. Camas Parks and Recreation Camas Parks and Recreation has a variety of summer camps for children of all ages June through August, including four Busy Bees preschool summer camps for ages 3 to 5 years (campers must be able to use the restroom independently) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, starting with a bug-themed camp from June 26-28 and including a "camping at the lake" camp from July 10-12, a "Superhero Training Camp" July 24-26 and a "Goodbye Summer" camp Aug. 14-16. The fees for each separate preschool camp is $60 for families who live in Camas and $75 for families who live out of the city. The camps meet at Lacamas Lake Lodge, 227 N.E. Lake Road, Camas. To register, or for more information, visit register.cityofcamas.us or call 360-834-5307. The city's Shape NW summer camps offer adventures for children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The pre-K through third grade camp is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with free before-care starting at 7:30 a.m. and paid after-care until 5:30 p.m.), June 20 through Aug. 31, at Scout Hall in Crown Park, 621 N.E. 15th Ave., Camas. Themed weeks include sports, shark week, anime, two field trips, stars and stripes, olympics, farm2table, dream catchers, life sports and a "kids' choice" week. Fees range from $119 to $189 per week, depending on the camp, with an "unlimited summer fun" option that includes every camp for $1,299. A Shape NW camp for older students in fourth through eighth grades is offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with free before-care starting at 7:30 a.m. and paid after-care until 5:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, June 20 through Aug. 31, and includes hiking, kayaking, wilderness and outdoor science, urban adventures and a Friday "kids' choice" camp. The fees for this camp begin at $179 per week. The "unlimited" option costs $1,399 for every week of summer camp. Register online at www.shapenw.com or call 360-834-5307 with questions. The city also offers UK elite soccer, Kidz Love Soccer and Imagination Yoga camps. Tennis camps, for beginners, intermediate and advanced, will be held Monday through Friday, from June 25, through Aug. 24, at Evergreen Tennis, 5225 N.W. 38th Ave., Camas. To register, call Camas Parks and Recreation at 360-834-5307 or visit register.cityofcamas.us. Camp Windy Hill Now in its ninth year of offering creative day camps for children, Camp Windy Hill will have seven sessions this summer -- Awesome Animal Art, Outer Space Adventures, Fairy Wonderland, Puppet Playhouse, Circus Arts, Toy Inventor's Workshop and Fun in the Sun: Dinosaurs. Each session, for children ages 5 to 11, includes creative art, nature exploration and outdoor play from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday, on five acres overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, northeast of Washougal. Extended care is offered from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and from 2 to 3 p.m., for all camps. Submit your application and fee by June 1 and the cost is $130 per camp. After June 1, the fee is $140 per camp. The cost includes all materials and a daily snack. Campers should bring a sack lunch and drink. For more information or to register, visit campwindyhill.com. For questions, call Kathy Marty at 360-977-8032 or email kathy@campwindyhill.com. Columbia Dance Center Children ages 3 to 9 are invited to explore music, art and a variety of dance styles from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Monday, June 25, through Friday, June 29, at Columbia Dance Center, 1700 Broadway St., Vancouver. A fast-track ballet technique camp for dancers, age 9 and older who have completed at least two years of ballet, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 23-27. Columbia Dance Center will offer a two-week summer intensive camp for intermediate and advanced dancers ages 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Aug. 6-17. An adult dance workshop, for ages 18 and older, will feature a ballet technique class and choreography from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 18-22. For more information or to register, call 360-737-1922 or visit columbiadance.org. Macaya Soccer Camp Now in its 15th year, the Dan Macaya soccer camp will offer sessions for boys and girls ages 5 to 13, from 9 a.m. to noon, July 23- 27, at the Prune Hill Sports Park, at the intersection of Northwest 16th Avenue and Northwest Brady Road in Camas. All skill levels are welcome. Campers will learn new soccer skills and touch up on fundamentals such as dribbling, passing, shooting and defending. Coach staff are local college soccer players. The cost is $90 before July 15, and $100 after July 15. The cost includes a T-shirt. To register, visit macayasoccer.com. Questions regarding training can be directed to Macaya at macayasoccercamp@hotmail.com. Oregon Museum of Science and Industry The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland offers hundreds of summer camp options for all ages that include everything from backpacking and exploring coastal and desert environments to learning about fossils, geology and astronomy. The museum also offers opportunities to go rafting and participate in wilderness survival activities. OMSI is located at 1945 S.E. Water Ave,, Portland. For more information, visit omsi.edu/camps-and-classes. To register for any of the summer camps, call 503-797-4661 or email register@omsi.edu. Piano Expressions Studios Piano Expressions Studios will present three summer music camps for children ages 6 to 18 in Camas, Washougal and Vancouver. All skill levels are welcome. "Road Trip USA Summer Camp" will celebrate the diverse music and composers from the U.S. June 25-29. The campers will "travel" throughout America to discover various styles of music and learn and review music fundamentals. The "World Adventure" camp is July 16-20. Participants will learn and review musical concepts through games, activities, crafts and science projects. "Mystery on Musicians' Island" will feature games, activities and crafts Aug. 13-17. The island themed camp will allow participants to celebrate the love of music and the tropics. Each camp costs $140 and has a limit of 20 students. For more information, call Brenda Lance at 541-805-5706. To register, visit piano-expressions-studio.com/summer-camps-2018. Treesong Nature Awareness and Retreat Center Nature Adventures day camps will include storytelling, art, movement, singing and nature awareness activities. Treesong Founder and Executive Director Michelle Fox says children gain a deeper connection to community and nature through the summer camps. Nature Adventures day camps for children ages 4 to 8 will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 23-25. A fairy adventures day camp, for ages 4 to 8, will feature nature connection and appreciation, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aug. 6-9. The cost of this camp is $130, with full payment due by June 1. A camp for ages 11 to 16 will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 22-24, with an overnight on Aug. 23. The cost for this camp is $270 and includes dinner and breakfast. Full payment also is due by June 1. Artist and professional photographer Marlene Cowan will lead a one-day "Wild at Art" day camp for ages 6 to 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, July 30, at Treesong This camp includes drawing and craft activities, as well as songs, games, stories and a nature walk. Treesong Nature Awareness & Retreat Center is located at 41 Tree-ific Drive W., Washougal. To register, call 360-837-8733 or email treesongnatureawareness@gmail.com. For more information about the camps, visit treesongnatureawareness.org. Washougal Community Education & Recreation Brickzone and Washougal Community Education & Recreation will provide a summer camp experience from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 25 through Aug. 17, at Brickzone, 2213 "E" St., Washougal. Activities include Lego engineering, painting, Minecraft, playing water games, making "unicorn slime" and creating Harry Potter friendship bracelets. The cost is $175 weekly for the first camper and $160 weekly for each additional sibling, and includes 30 hours of camp and all materials. A daily fee, for six hours of camp and all materials, is available at a cost of $40 per day, per camper. Members of the Washougal High School (WHS) girls' and boys' tennis teams and coaching staff will lead the instruction for students going into third through sixth grade, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., July 9-12, at the WHS tennis courts, 1201 39th St., Washougal. The tennis camp will be held for students going into seventh through ninth grades from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 9-12, also at WHS. Tennis camp costs are $40 per student and $35 for each additional sibling. A boys' basketball camp for students entering the fourth through sixth grades will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, July 23-26, in the WHS gym. The cost is $65 per camper. The basketball camp for students going into grades seven through nine is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m., July 23-26, at WHS. A girls' basketball camp for students in third through ninth grades will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 25-28, in the WHS gym. The cost is $125 per camper and includes lunch and a T-shirt. For more information or to register for any of these camps, call 360-954-3040 or visit www.washougal.k12.wa.us/community-education-and-recreation. Zoo camps Summer camp activities at the Oregon Zoo include games, tours, stories, songs, animal visitors and take-home art projects. Campers will also try out scientific technologies such as thermal imaging, temperature and light sensors and video microscopes. Banfield Pet Hospital veterinarians help children explore animal-related careers and teach them about veterinary care and responsible pet ownership during the wildlife careers and creature care camps. Many of the camps' activities will occur in the zoo's new education center, which features a nature-themed play area, species conservation lab, insect zoo and classrooms. The Oregon Zoo is located at 4001 S.W. Canyon Road, Portland. For more information or to register, call 503- 226-1561 or visit oregonzoo.org/camps.

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