Summer Camps: Day Camps for Every Interest

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Photo courtesy Academy of Musical Performance, Photographer Bruce Feagle

It’s time to get your summer camp plans solidified – and the desert is chock full of amazing options. This list doesn’t include every program out there, but it lists camps to satisfy just about every interest, location and price range. Many of these camps offer need-based scholarships; for that you should inquire within.

GENERAL INTEREST DAY CAMPS
The biggest day-camp players in the valley are the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Desert Recreation District, and the City of Palm Springs.

The Family YMCA of the Desert at Civic Center Park in Palm Desert offers three weekly day camp programs for kids 6-12, June 12th-August 21st. They cost $165 per week and run Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Each week, they run three programs from this list of titles: Adventure, Sports, Legos, Dance, Jedi Training, Splash, Dodgeball, Slime, Hero Quest, Art, Nerf, Girl Power, Harry Potter, Hot Wheels, Comic Con, and Cake Decorating. Info: (760) 341-9622 or www.ymcaofthedesert.org

The Desert Recreation District offers a variety of youth summer and after-school programs serving kids from Palm Desert and Thousand Palms all the way down to Mecca and North Shore. You can learn more at their summer camp fair on Saturday May 11th from 11a-2pm at Bagdouma Park in Coachella. There will be free hot dogs, kids activities, face painting, Tae Kwon Do and ballet demos, and more. Their summer day camp serves kids 5-14 with sports, crafts, and games and costs an average of $110 per week or $290 for three weeks. Last summer they served more than 1700 kids. Public Information Officer Noelle Furon adds, “One of the biggest benefits to the kids is the opportunity to be social with their peers in a safe, fun environment while potentially learning new skills. For those youth that are a little older, we offer programs such as Leaders in Training, which helps them develop leadership skills and teaches them the importance of contributing in their communities, which is a win for everyone!” Info: (760) 347-3484 or www.myrecreationdistrict.com/activities/camp-and-after-school

Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley offers a more relaxed program at their clubhouses in La Quinta, Mecca, Indio and Coachella. The costs is nominal and no child will be turned away for lack of funds. The program provides free breakfast and lunch and the kids can choose from a game room, a computer room, and a sports area. In addition they go on a number of field trips to the pool, the Living Desert, and more, and they offer STEM and robotics programs. They also offer scholarships or deep discounts to attend sleepaway summer camp at the Pathfinder Ranch and several church camps.Info: (760) 836-1160 or www.bgcofcv.org. The Palm Springs location has similar programming for the west Valley. Info: (760) 327-1304 or https://apps.bgcps.org/

The City of Palm Springs runs a day camp for elementary and middle school kids that costs just $82-$102 per week for middle schoolers, and $82 per week for a full day of fun for younger kids Info: (760) 323-8272 or www.palmspringsca.gov/government/departments/parks-recreation/summer-camp

Another popular option is the Summer ZooCamp at the Living Desert in Palm Desert. Their program teaches kids 4-12 about natural habitats, exotic animals and more. The classes start on June 18th and run Monday-Friday, 8am- noon. It costs $186 per week for members and $216 for non-members. Registration for non-members opens May 1. Info: (760) 346-5694 or www.livingdesert.org

Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage offers a three one-week day-camp sessions for kids K-5. They take place June 10-28, with half day and full-day programs. They cost $150 per week for half-day, $300 per week for full-day, or $800 for all three weeks, full-day. Info: (760) 328-0861 or www.pvs.org

SPORTS
If your kid loves to play soccer – one good option is the Desert International Soccer camp. The programs run June 21st through July 17th and take place at Cerritos Field in Sunrise Park in Palm Springs and at Freedom Park in Palm Desert. The Tiny Tykes program for 3-5 year olds costs $98. The half-day program for kids 5-14 costs $149. Info: www.challengersports.com

Volleyball players will want to check out the Aztec Summer Volleyball Camp at Palm Desert High School. The 2-day camp for kids ages 6-12 June 14-15 from 10am-1230pm and costs $70, which includes a t-shirt. You don’t have to be a student at PDHS, but tryouts for the PDHS team is on the 15th. Info: https://goo.gl/jCS9zA

If you want to keep cool, kids can learn to ice skate at Desert Ice Castle in Cathedral City. Their summer camp program costs $630 per week, which runs for five one-week sessions and includes unlimited freestyle sessions and daily group lessons.Info: (760) 464-3836 or http://deserticecastle.com/summercamp/

Basketball enthusiasts may want to check out the one-week basketball camp run by US Sports at Shadow Hills High School. It takes kids 8-14, runs July 15-18 and costs $295. Info: www.ussportscamps.com/basketball/nike/nike-basketball-camp-shadow-hills-high-school

The First Tee in Palm Desert offers a summer golf day camp June 17-Aug. 16th, that only costs $50 per week for current members, $75 for new members. Registration begins May 20th for existing members, and May 27th for new members. Info: (760) 779-1877 or www.thefirstteecoachellavalley.org.

MUSIC, THEATER & DANCE
Desert Theatreworks in Indio offers their KidsWorks Summer Musical Theatre Camp for kids 6-19. It normally costs $600 but it is FREE for elementary, middle and high school students who apply for a waiver via the Elite Academic Charter School, which is funded by Elite Academics, a California public charter school. Kids learn acting, singing and dancing for the stage from 22 qualified instructors at the Indio Performing Arts Center. The half-day program starts June 17th.

Lance Phillips-Martinez, artistic director of Theatreworks and program director for Kidsworks, says most other theater programs cater to affluent families, but this one is different, adding, “This is a very special educational summer program. Students learn singing, dancing, acting, camaraderie and leadership. There is a real sense of family with our program. Each participant gets to be part of an actual live theater production at the end of camp that is fully produced, including lights, sound costumes, etc. Most importantly, we teach them the craft of acting for the musical theater.”

Kids 6-8 will take on the show Winnie the Pooh Kids, campers 9-12 will do Frozen Jr., and students 13-19 will take part in the show Newsies. Info:(760) 980-1455 www.kidsworks.org

The Kids Camp at the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs is now in its 23rd year. They teach kids 6-17 all about acting, singing, dancing, make-up, set design, props, costuming, stage combat and improv, culminating in a performance at the end of camp. Kids also take field trips to the McCallum to see live performances. It runs M-F from 9am-4pm June 10 – July 20 and costs $150 per week. Info: 760-323-5123 or www.palmcanyontheatre.org.

For your aspiring rock star, there’s the Academy of Musical Performance summer camp. It’s a three-week program that runs July 8-27 in Palm Desert. Budding drummers, guitarists and vocalists ages 11-18 get group music lessons and then begin to write songs and perform with 4 rock band lineups, with a public concert on the last day. AMP was created four years ago with a grant from GoldenVoice, the company that puts on Coachella, but has since become a standalone nonprofit. Kids have to audition to get into the program – the next ones are May 4th and 11th. Will Sturgeon, AMP’s executive director, says the program fills a void because “there’s a serious lack of contemporary music education in school, so if they are interested in playing in a band, this is the place to be. We’re looking to build the next generation of the Coachella Valley music scene.” The program costs approximately $999 and runs from 10am-5pm M-F. Brass players can apply for the Steve Madaio scholarship, named after the legendary desert trumpeter who passed away in January. Info: (760) 537-5267 or www.ampcv.org.

If dance is your child’s passion, dance camps can be found through several dance studios. Dance with Miss Lindsay is offering weekly camp sessions with different weekly themes in their Palm Springs studio. Info (760) 413-6931 or www.dancewithmisslindsay.com.

ART CAMPS
The Desert Art Center in Palm Springs offers one of the best deals in town – with summer art lessons for kids ages 12-16 that are practically free! It only costs $20 and that money is refunded if your child shows up at all four lessons within one of three sessions, which take place from 1-4pm on the first four Saturdays in June, July and August. The students learn drawing, ceramics, collage, printmaking and create multimedia projects, guided by expert artists. The center is at Frances Stevens Park on North Palm Canyon Drive. John Woody, director of the DAC middle school projects says, “In this particular area there seems to be very little in-school art instruction for middle schoolers. Sometimes people are interested in art and need an outlet. Kids are in these classes with like-minded students and teachers, and they find success that they may not find elsewhere. We’ve seen shy children come in and just blossom.” Tel: (760) 323-7973 Website: www.desertartcenter.org

Younger kids from kinder-sixth grade can combine art with fun activities at the summer programs at the Children’s Discovery Museum in Rancho Mirage. Info: (760) 321-0602 or cdmod.org/Summer-Discovery-Camp-2018

Elementary-school age kids can take part in the Art Camp at the Palm Springs Art Museum. They have two locations – with weekly sessions June 25-29 and July 2-6 at the Palm Springs Art Museum and July 9-13 and July 16-20 in the museum’s Palm Desert location. Registration opens May 1st and they offer early-bird registration discounts up to 50 percent if you register online through May 31st.Info: (760) 322-4800 or www.psmuseum.org

In the east valley, kids can sign up for week-long sessions at the Old Town Artisan Studios in La Quinta. Classes run June 17th – July 26th, with a week off for the 4th of July. Classes are from 10a-1pm Monday-Friday, with separate classes for kids 7-11 and 12-16. The sessions cost $250 per week. Kids learn acrylic painting, paper collage, mixed media collage, quilling (which involves gluing paper strips to create 3-D pieces of art), plus sewing, weaving, tapestry, macramé, ceramics, fused glass and paint-your-own pottery. Coletta Herbold, studio coordinator, says “Kids get to release their creativity. We are shaping hearts and minds through art.”Info: (760) 777-1444 or www.oldtownartisanstudios.org

Each year the Coachella Valley History Museum in Indio hosts several summer art camps for kids 8-14. They run 9am-11am June 24-July 12 and cost $50/week. Info: (760) 342-6651 or www.cvhm.org

ACADEMIC CAMPS
College of the Desert Middle School Robotics Camp is FREE to attend for students entering 6th-88h grade, with sessions in Mecca, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Indio and 2 at the mall in Palm Desert. 8am-noon M-F. Registration begins May 14th. Info: (760) 776-7420 or www.collegeofthedesert.edu/community/pace/Pages/Events.aspx

The University of California at Riverside Palm Desert campus is offering several one-and two-week-long STEM Discovery camps for kids in grades 3-6. There is also a video game design program for kids in grades 7-12. Starts June 25. Info: www.extension.ucr.edu/page/52/ExpandingHorizons

SMaRT Education at the Palm Springs Air Museum runs a series of different one-week STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts and math – summer camps. Serving kids 6-18 years old. Starts June 24. Kids learn robotics, programming, engineering concepts, scientific exploration, digital media, animation, and video game design. $150 per week. Info: (760) 848-4822 or www.desertrobotics.com/summer-camps.html

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
At 123 Farm Camp at Highland Springs Ranch & Inn in Beaumont, kids learn about growing organic vegetables, collecting eggs, feeding cows, pigs, llamas and lambs. They get to create farm-to-table meals. Past camper Eavan Gilhuly says “The best part was growing what was in our food, cooking it and then serving our parents later that week.” The camp serves kids 6-13 and will have an open house to promote the camp on Saturday May 11th. The day-camp program runs July 8-26 and costs $375 per week. Info: www.123farm.com/farm-camp.html

The Coachella Valley Horse Rescue offers a program called Horsinalities 101. It takes kids ages 6-18 and runs 8am-12pm. It costs $300 per week. Starts June 17th. Info: (760) 880-8954 or (760) 808-6279 or www.cvhorserescue.org