Summer Camps 2011 (Austin, Center, Shady Hollow: renting, daycare, home)

[JERiv]

Ok. My daughter is in Kindergarten, and with Summer approaching, I'm trying to find out what Summer Camps there are out there, and if they're any good.

Trying to do that now so that we can get space for her. I'm assuming if it's really good, it will fill up early. Or does that even happen for Summer Camps???

Are the camps educational or just for fun? I'm ok with either option, as long as it's a very good camp. Kids learn just by having fun, really.

So, any recommendations?

Thanks!

[austinnerd]

There are lots and lots of choices from academic camps to purely fun camps, it just depends on what you're looking for. And yes, camps can and do fill up quickly. We are almost completely done signing up for camps for this year, and my wife starts around Dec to make sure we get into some of the more popular camps. Sorry I can' help much with specifics (my wife handles camps) but you can usually find a decent list of camps in some of the free Austin kids/parenting guides that you can get for free in a lot of places.

I'm sure others can pipe in with specifics, but you may want to give folks a general idea of what types of camps you may be interested in (e.g. horseback riding, general outdoor, robotics, motorcycle riding, running, etc, etc, etc).

[centralaustinite]

Yes, also do you need a camp all summer (for daycare while you work?) or do you just want recommendations of some special interest, one week camps for enrichment? All-day or half-day?

March is a bit late for the very popular camps (Book People, Children's Museum, Nature Center, tinkering camps) but you should still have some time. What part of town are you in?

Austin kids guides and channel 8 have camp guides, so does the Statesman.

[JERiv]

All day camp for all summer long.

I live in SW Austin (Circle C).

Again, I don't have any preferences right now. She'd be 6 years old. So anything age appropriate is cool with us. Open to pretty much anything as long as it is very good quality.

I went to a camp many, many moons ago where all I got was boredom, latrines, and lice. Would rather my daughter didn't have that type experience.

[Papillon Mom]

I have been looking into the YMCA day camps. Not for my kids (don't have any yet) but for a summer job. Looks pretty neat. General day camp with arts, sports, swimming and some field trips.

In the past I have worked for day camps associated with the parks and recreation departments and have always been very happy. The kids have fun and go home exhausted. The YMCA sounds very similar to the programs I have worked at before. I know they have a camp at Baranoff Elementary in Shady Hollow as well as other locations around town and into Buda. May be worth looking at.

[Nicole Dohn]

Did you check Austin International School? They have a language immersion camp, and they are quite impressive! My son went to their summer camp last year, and he loved it! I signed him up again for this summer.
The children go to a different country everyday, learning the country's culture, food, games, crafts, all in the language of the chosen country. I was amazed by the quality and the diversity of activities that they offer. You should check their website: [url=http://www.austininternationalschool.org]Austin International School -[/url]
They are great!