“You’re not going to watch TV all summer!”
Friday, April 28, 2006
“I’m bored.”
If you have a child—or were one once—you recall that exhausting summertime refrain. But don’t sweat. In the coming months, parents can take solace in hundreds of camps and family activities in the greater Baton Rouge area. Junior may be picturing uninterrupted X-Box nirvana, but he’ll love you later for exposing him to blacksmithing, Italian food and culture and the value of pitching in at the Food Bank.
For day camps, look to area churches and synagogues and those stalwart camp providers, BREC and the YMCA. The East Baton Rouge Parish Library System features everything from baby story time to summer reading programs. And a new manual from the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators’ rounds up 105 field trips appropriate for schools, groups, and families (see sidebar).
Here are a few noteworthy options to keep your favorite young person’s gray matter from going soft.
Louisiana Arts and Science Museum
Irene W. Pennington Planetarium
100 South River Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 344-5272
Out-of-This-World Astronomy Camp
This four-day camp is a crash course in astronomy and star-gazing. Kids will make their own telescopes, learn about the phases of the moon and come away knowing how to tell time like the ancients—by the stars. Get a free t-shirt and learn how far it is to the edge of the known universe.
Ages: 8- to 10-year-olds
Dates/Times: June 12 through 15, 9 a.m. to
12 p.m.
LASM also makes for great day trips. Check out large format films like Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure, the child-friendly Discovery Depot and Science Station, which exposes young people to everything from animal tracks to electricity.
Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to
4 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Volunteens
Volunteer! Baton Rouge
460 North 11th St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 343-8270
A great way to get at your teenager’s compassionate side is to enroll them in a week’s worth (or more) of volunteer work with Volunteens. Volunteer! Baton Rouge’s longtime program places around 400 young people in group projects each summer. Kids can choose the type of service project that appeals to them most. Options include the Food Bank, area nursing homes and children’s day camps. Sign up by May 15.
Ages: 7th through 12th graders
Dates/Times: One week sessions (sign up for as many as you like), June 5 through July 24
Locations and times vary according to service projects.
Young Chefs Academy
7970 Jefferson Hwy., Ste. E
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(225) 928-2022
Camp Can-I-Cook
The recently opened Young Chefs Academy specializes in turning young people on to the joy of cooking. Its summer mini-camps feature three days of culinary how-to, kitchen safety and fun. Each of seven sessions showcases a different theme, from preparing camp-out fare to cooking from the garden to the cuisines and culture of France and Italy.
Ages: 6 to 14
Dates/Times: Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sessions held during weeks of June 6 through July 25, except week of Fourth of July.
Community School for the Arts
The Shaw Center for the Arts
100 Lafayette St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
For information:
The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge
(225) 343-8558
Summer Arts Camp
The year-old Community School for the Arts features multi-disciplinary arts instruction throughout the school year and summer at the Shaw Center. At the Summer Arts Camp, local artists and instructors teach classes in mixed media, drama, creative movement and performance poetry. Day trips include the Shaw Center’s LSU Museum of Art and the LASM.
Ages: 6 to 14
Dates/Times: June 5 through June 16, June 26 through July 7, July 17 through July 28
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., extended hours available
LSU Continuing Education
177 Pleasant Hall
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-1520
(225) 578-6325
Camp Challenge
Narnia Mania, the Culture of Mexico and Advanced Play with Clay are some of the more than 100 classes offered through Camp Challenge. The LSU Continuing Education summer camp is designed for curious children with a B average or better in school. Classes are fun and interactive, and they deepen participants’ exposure to the arts, math, science, language, history and culture.
Ages: Preschool to 6th grade
Dates/Times: June 19 through 22, June 26 through 29 and July 10 through 13, 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Westminster Elementary School
In addition, for more than 25 years, Continuing Education has featured extensive summer youth enrichment programs such as the Kindergarten Readiness Camp and the Youth Academy, which help students prepare for school in the coming fall. High schoolers can enroll in SAT/ACT prep. And, there are all sorts of themed day camps such as Game Design, Mysteries and Mindbenders and the Mugworts School of Enchantment—a draw for Harry Potter fans.
Ages, times and dates vary. Please see
doce.lsu.edu/youth/youthprograms.html or call (225) 578-6325.
LSU Burden Research Plantation
Rural Life Museum
Essen Lane and I-10 (1.5 miles
after you enter grounds)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
(225) 765-2437
Rural Life Apprentice Program
The Rural Life Museum is known for making a trip to Louisiana’s past engaging, and its summer apprentice program brings to life the average 19th century Louisiana farm. Area craftsmen teach young people about blacksmithing, candle-making, weaving and other activities of daily life. Each fall, many apprentices return to showcase their skills at the Rural Life Museum’s Harvest Days.
Ages: 4th through 8th grades
Dates/Times: June 19 through 23, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
BREC
Baton Rouge Parks and Recreation
3140 North Sherwood Forest Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA 70814
(225) 201-1298 to register
BREC features hundreds of day camp opportunities for children throughout East Baton Rouge Parish including the Farr Park Equestrian Camp, the Baton Rouge Gallery Camp for Aspiring Artists, Independence Park Theatre Performance Camps, instructional tennis and swimming camps, nature camps at the Bluebonnet Swamp, Baton Rouge Zoo summer camp and more. At zoo camp, children ages 7 to 9 learn about animal behavior and conservation through interactive games and animal encounters in themed weeklong sessions throughout the summer.
Ages and dates vary. Registration is now open.
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