Summer may feel far away, but now is the time to plan for which camps your child will attend this summer. Summer camps -- both overnight and day camps -- are enrolling students now.
The upcoming at St. Thomas School, 8300 NE 12th St., Medina, on Saturday, Feb. 5, is a great way to learn about many of the programs available in a few hours. The fair is sponsored by ParentMap magazine and takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Some of the Bellevue-area resources that will be participating in the fair include Dizzy’s Tumblebus and Bus Stop, the Little Gym, Bellevue Parks and Community Services and the .
When checking out summer camps, keep in mind there are several options. For older children, there are week-long overnight camps. summer camp and retreat center on Lake Sammamish in Bellevue is a favorite nearby option for week-long, overnight camps. Campers enjoy many activities including watersports.
You can also choose day camps, where campers are dropped off before you go to work and picked up afterwards. Samena Swim and Recreation Club in the Lake Hills neighborhood of Bellevue offers a popular summer day camp program that includes time in their two pools everyday.
The Pacific Science Center offers popular science and nature-themed summer camps at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center in Bellevue.
For horse lovers, Becka Knapp offers full-day, three-day horseback riding camps in Snoqualmie. You can contact her at circlebranch6@gmail.com to receive a flyer with the camp dates. Also in Snoqualmie is the acclaimed all-day nature camp program SummerWinds.
If you have a child younger than 7, a full-day camp may be too much for your child to handle. Consider half-day camps. If you need all-day child-care coverage, perhaps enlist grandparents or a babysitter to spend the morning or afternoon with the child. There are half-day options for camps at a reasonable cost available through Bellevue Parks and Community Services. The and also has a number of great half-day and full-day summer camp options.
If you have a preschool-age child, half-day camps at the might be a good option. The museum located in Factoria offers several camps for potty trained kids as young as 3 in a variety of themes include dinosaurs, art and creative movement. Members receive a discount and early registration is encouraged.
As with many things related to parenting, your best source for referrals for a good camp often is other parents, coaches and teachers.
So if your child is already participating in a sport, ask his or her coach to recommend a summer camp. If you know your child likes art, ask his or her art teacher for recommendations. Kids also like going to camp with their friends, so see if you can coordinate with the parents of their buddies so they will get to attend camp with a friend. That also has the benefit of making it easier to arrange carpools for day camps.
