If you're like me, you're probably in denial about the whole thing, but as I find myself just about ready to flip to June in my calendar, I have to concede that summer is coming up awfully fast.
Which means that local parents will be looking for things for their kids to do this summer - so I thought I'd start pulling together a list of some options in Burnaby. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so feel free to send me any of your own additions ([email protected]).
But, to get you started, here are a few Burnaby summer highlights:
* City of Burnaby parks, recreation and cultural services: As always, the city has a host of offerings for kids of all ages, ranging from dance, art and music camps to nature clubs, outdoor adventures, golf camps and mutli-sport camps. Camps run at parks and facilities all over the city and offer a host of week-long options for kids from age five to 17. The city's summer Activities for Kids brochure gives you the week-by-week breakdown - pick it up at leisure facilities or see it online through www.burnaby.ca/camps.
* Simon Fraser University: The offerings are also plentiful at SFU, where kids can take part in sport camps, recreation camps, outdoor adventure camps, aquatic camps, educational camps and more. Camps run from ages five to 18, with a wide range of half- and full-day options throughout the summer. See www.sfu.ca/camps/summercamps.html for all the details.
* Burnaby Village Museum: The museum once again offers a host of Heritage Adventure Camps throughout the summer, with a different theme each week. Kids can enjoy A Little Girl's Life, Back to Nature, Fun With Food, Toy Adventure, Outdoor Escapes, Kids Around the World, A Young Lady's Life and Apprentice Week - camps are geared for ages five to seven, six to nine, or eight to 12, depending on the week. Check out www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca for the whole schedule and registration details.
* Wildlife Rescue Association: The Wildlife Rescue Association introduces kids to wildlife through educational games, interpretive nature walks and practical crafts. Camp themes include Avian Adventure, Wildlife Rescuing, and Cougars, Coyotes and Bears (Oh My!). They're geared for ages six to eight and nine to 12. Camps run Tuesdays through Fridays, and parents have an option to sign up for one, two, three or all days of the four-day weeks. Check out www.wildliferescue.ca for details.
* Staccato Studios: Staccato Studios offers a Rock Starz Camp for ages nine and up, where kids learn the basics of jamming with other musicians while learning the fundamentalsl of chording, drumming and singing - ending with a recording session and a personalized CD. Students must have at least two years of training on their specific instrument. The week-long camps run July 7 to 11, July 14 to 18, July 21 to 25 and July 28 to Aug. 1, running 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Check out www.staccatostudios.com/summer_camp.
* Artspace: This Burnaby creative arts centre offers summer arts camps for four-and five-year-olds, five- to 10-year-olds and tweens. They cover topics such as architecture, art exploration, cartooning, musical theatre, mixed media sculpture, hip hop, painting and drawing, theatre and more, with various half- and full-day options. See all the details at www.artspaceforchildren.com.
* Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre: The Nikkei Centre offers a Manga! Kids' Day Camp from July 7 to 11, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. It's a week of experiences in Japanese culture, with a special focus on the comic illustration form of manga. It's for nine- to 12-year-olds of all backgrounds. Check out centre.nikkeiplace.org/summer-day-camp/ for all the details.
* Canlan Ice Sports: Burnaby 8 Rinks offers a variety of sports camps, including hockey, ringette, tennis, "ultimate stick" (covering hockey, broomball, lacrosse, sponge hockey and more), soccer, extreme ball, Olympic Spirit and more. Check out all the details at www.icesports.com/burnaby8rinks/camps.aspx.
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Got an idea for Family Ties? Do you have another summer camp idea? Do you know of something happening of interest to local families? Email Julie, [email protected].
