Going camping: Area day camps, youth activities offer plenty of fun for summer

By Sage Merritt

Published: June 17, 2008

Bright and early on Tuesday morning, a group of children gathered on the front lawn of the Woodrow Wilson Museum in Staunton, holding brightly colored ribbons attached at the top to a tall, wooden pole.
“One of the most important things that Victorian children would do was celebrate the seasons,” said Ellen Abernethy, museum educator with Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. “One of the biggest celebrations that they had was the maypole.”
The young participants in the Presidential Library’s Journey into History Camp get to spend this week immersed in the world of Victorian-era Staunton, learning about how children their age would have lived during 1837-1901. Before the maypole dance on Tuesday, “P.T. Barnum’s Circus” entertained the campers. On the last day of the camp, participants will get to come dressed as a historical figure of the Victorian era.
“We want the kids to know that you don’t need to have expensive toys to have a good time,” said Abernethy. “If I have one child who leaves here and is interested in history, I’ve done my job. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them. It gives them a chance to delve into something they might not get in school. What we do here is take Woodrow Wilson’s life, and every summer we try to look at something that was happening during his life.”
Journey into History Camp is just one of many day camps and other opportunities for summer fun available through a variety of area museums, arts centers and community organizations, many still offering registrations for their programs.
The Waynesboro Recreation and Parks Department will give kids the opportunity to experience the great outdoors this summer.
Interested families can sign kids up for activities like tubing, canoeing, laser tag, hiking, caving and more. An outdoors professional will guide the activities, ensuring the safety of all involved.
“We’re trying to get kids out of their houses,” said Thomas Jones, program coordinator for Recreation and Parks. “We want them to get outside, come down to the Rec department and have a good time.”
The Waynesboro Recreation and Parks Department will also host weekly gatherings for kickball, football and dodgeball. Kickball will take place on Tuesdays from 1-3 p.m. at the Ridgeview Park baseball field; flag football will take place on Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m. in Ridgeview Park; and dodgeball will take place at Rosenwald Community Center gym every Thursday from 1-3 p.m.
“We want to get kids outdoors and show them that there are things other than technology,” Jones said.
Waynesboro Recreation and Parks Department is also offering Camp Summer Fun, a state-licensed child-care program for elementary-aged children. Kids enrolled in the camp will play games, make crafts and go swimming, among many activities.
For more information on any of the activities offered by the Waynesboro Recreation and Parks Department, call 942-6735 or visit http://www.waynesboro.va.us/recreationprograms.html.
The Staunton Recreation and Parks Department will also host a day camp for children, Summer Playground 2008. Children will participate in activities specifically tailored for their age group and take part in learning activities with contracted professional instructors, including archery, knitting, tennis and cooking.
“There are things that set us apart from other camps,” said Jennifer Jones, superintendent of recreation for Staunton. “We hire an all-adult staff, a diverse group. We are in the parks, not a school institutional setting. The kids can enjoy the parks, the duck pond, the lake, the pool, the disc golf course that all the kids love.”
There are a few spots still available for Summer Playground 2008. For more information or to register, visit http://www.staunton.va.us and click on “Recreation,” or call the Parks and Recreation offices at 540-332-3945.
The Shenandoah Valley Art Center in downtown Waynesboro will host its third annual Summer Art Camp, instructed by Berkley Glen Elementary teacher Lindsay Evans.
The camp will take place from July 28 through Aug. 1. For more information, visit SVAC at 126 S. Wayne Ave. or call 949-7662.
The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton will host two camps later this summer, “It’s Natural” from June 23-27 and Summer Enrichment Camp from July 7-11. For more information about those camps, visit http://www.frontier.virginia.gov/education/summer_camps.php or call 332-7850.