Kids' Summer Camp Guide

When it comes to your children, one size never fits all. Whether you're raising a budding starlet or a future rocket scientist, our summer camp guide will help you and your family pick the right camp for your child.









ARTSY KIDS
Broadway Bound Children’s Thaetre
Let your child’s inner-star shine with a variety of week-long camps (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.) appropriately themed with spectacular performance genres: theater arts, music, dance, comedy, show tunes or drama. Superheroes Unite allows children to tie on a magic cape and discover their superpowers. Or how about bopping to the beat with Hannah Montana Dance Mania? A colossal assortment of mini-musical revues, like Mama Mia or Hairspray, provides the ultimate combination of song and performance; and if a behind-the-scenes approach if more your forte, try masks and makeup camp. The week will culminate with a short performance for family and friends.
Where: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Eligibility: All campers must be 6 years old and up
Cost: Each camp session is priced at $250
How to register: Camps begin the week of June 22 and run through the week of August 17. Register online at broadwaybound.org/olliver-wiz; 206.526.5437

Seattle Children’s Theatre
With a variety of more than 208 one-day or week-long camps and classes, it’s certain that your child will find the perfect program to let loose with their creative juice! Enroll in a traditional theatre class inspired by the great works of Shakespeare or voice your improv spirit in the Treasure Trunk Theatre. The Explorations in Theatre and Science program is offered in partnership with the Pacific Science Center. Hang out with a few furry creatures in All the World’s a Zoo, offered in partnership with the Woodland Park Zoo.
Where: 201 Thomas Street, Seattle
Eligibility: Offered to children ages 3 ½ and up
Cost: Costs vary
How to register: Session begin the week of June 15 through August 24. Register by phone 206.443.0807 or online sct.org and make sure you have the number and title of the classes you wish to join.

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Eastside Summer Dance Workshops
Become poised and graceful while having tons of fun as you dance. The Children’s Division offers a Creative Movement/Pre-Ballet program that includes one hour of dance, an hour of arts and crafts and a snack break. Priced at $220, these week-long sessions with themes like Cinderella and Swan Lake are offered in the morning (9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) or afternoon (12:30 p.m.-3 p.m.) beginning the week of July 6 through August 18. The Student Division offers classes in ballet levels 1-5 running July 6-24, Costs vary.
Where: The Francia Russell Center, 13440 NE 16th Street Bellevue, WA 98005
Eligibility: Ages 4-15; 4-year-olds must turn 5 by December 31, 2009. For ages 8-15, non-PNBS students require an audition
Cost: Children’s Division sessions are $220 each; costs vary for student division
How to register: Print, fill out and mail in the online registration form pnb.org/pnbschool/workshops.html or call 425.451.1241 with additional questions.

Richard Hugo House: Scribes Summer Creative Writing Camps
With a pen and paper in hand, fantasy comes to life in the minds of adolescent writers looking to explore the realms of creative writing. Sign up for an intense two-week session (Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.) of writing with 20 students guided by two professional writers. But don’t expect to spend the entire two weeks inside, trips to neighborhood art museums and local parks are planned to allow the students to gain a writer’s perspective. And get ready for hands-on activities like making hand-made books with resources provided by Seattle Book Arts. Community readings will be held the last Thursday of each session (July 30 or August 13).
Where: 1634 11th Ave. Seattle
Eligibility: Students from 7^th to 12^th grade
Cost: Costs vary
How to register: Registration requirements can be found online hugohouse.org/classes/scribes/ and applications are due by April 15 with in-person interviews to follow April 20-30. Applications may be mailed in or e-mailed to margotcase@hugohouse.org. Dates for students in 7^th and 8^th grade are July 20 – 31 while dates for students in 9^th-12^th grade are August 3-14. 


ADVENTEROUS KIDS
DragonFire Pirate Day Camp
Put on your eye patch and grab your sword as you get ready for a pirate adventure of a lifetime. This four-day camp (Mon.-Thurs., 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) offers seven sessions to choose from beginning the week of June 22 and running through the week of August 3. Campers will engage in a new pirate-themed activity each day like wooden dagger making and a treasure dig. Established in 1987, this program knows how to show each little pirate a good ‘ol time with fortune telling and on-stage pirate action. Be warned: waiting lists can be up to a year long, so be sure to sign up early (as in, register your three-year-old now).
Where: Maury Island portion of Vashon Island
Eligibility: Campers must be going into 1^st grade (age 6) through going into 5^th grade (age 10).
Cost: $650 per session
How to register: E-mail jchobot@aol.com or call 206.463.3944 to obtain a registration packet


ENVIRO KIDS
Carkeek Environmental Learning Center’s Carkeek Park Earth Keepers Day Camp
Leave no stone unturned when exploring the natural wonders of the earth in this environmentally conscious camp. Choose from eight, week-long sessions (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.) with different themes like the Incredible Time Machine, which looks at the diverse human history of this area. Or fine tune your natural instincts in Survivor Island where you’ll learn the basics of wilderness survival and how to get by on natural resources.
Where: 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd., Meets outdoors at Picnic Shelter #2 (near the play area).
Eligibility: For ages 6-12 (children must have completed kindergarten)
Cost: Costs vary
How to register: Camps begin the week of June 22 and run through the week of August 10. Registration forms can be found online seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/CarkeekPark/camp.htm; NOTE: enrollment forms (also found online in registration brochure) must be submitted before registration. For additional questions call 206.684.0877

CIRCUS BOUND
ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts
For those who love clowns, acrobatics, magic and brightly-colored costumes, this action-packed week (Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.) of camp will train you like a member of the circus. Do the Loco-Motion is one of the three varieties of sessions for campers who want to learn to juggle, the basics of clowning and object manipulation (yoyos, rings, spinning plates) – and of course, a few magic tricks. To explore movement through dance, sign up for Let’s Get Physical and bust a move in tap dance, break dance and mime. This session also provides instruction in stage combat, costumes, make-up and slapstick comedy. And for those who are a little more audacious, AcroBalance & Clowning teaches the basics of floor aerobics and balance, which are a must when you’ll be moving on to stilts, the unicycle, a rolling globe and aerial arts.
Where: Teatro ZinZanni Spiegeltent, 222 Mercer St.
Eligibility: Campers must be between 8 and 16 years old
Cost: Costs vary
How to register: Download an application online zica.zinzanni.org/camps.htm or call 206.802.0011 with any additional questions; application deadline is June 1. Sessions begin the week of July 6 and run through the week of August 10.


NEIGHBORHOOD CAMPS
Boys + Girls Club of King County
If you’re looking for a local summer camp where kids can learn and play with other campers from their own community, the Boys + Girls Club is the place to be. With locations scattered throughout King County, children have the opportunity to participate in sports, adventure, enrichment and science and technology in what feels like their own backyard. They might even make a few new friends in the neighborhood! Check out the club nearest you for additional information.
Where: North Seattle, 8635 Fremont Ave. N, 206.436.1850; Ballard, 1767 NW 64^th, ballard-bgc.org; Mercer Island, 2825 W Mercer Way, mipositiveplace.org
Eligibility: Children ages 3-18


WEIRD SCIENCE
Pacific Science Center’s Camps for Curious Minds
When science and imagination combine, it results in an overload of adventure that’s wacky and educational. The Pacific Science Center had teamed with the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center to provide a monstrous list of summer camps. Project Toymaker allows kids to create toys that spin, fly, bounce and wind. After hypothesizing the outcome of their creations, they’ll put them to the test and watch in amazement. Trade lives with a Superhero as you build a Batmobile and construct a sticky, human-sized spider web in Peter Parker’s chemistry lab. Camp times, Costs and date vary, visit pacsci.org/camps_workshops/Summer_Camp_09_Brochure.pdf for more information.
Where: Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N or the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, 1625 118th Ave. SE, Bellevue (depending on camp)
Eligibility: For children in kindergarten through 8^th grade
Cost: Costs vary
How to register: Register online pacificsciencecenter.org or by phone 206.443.2925; early registration discount ends April 30

Woodland Park Zoo
For children who love animals and are curious about how they play a part in our environment, join the Woodland Park Zoo five-day summer camp and choose from four different ways to explore the wild! Study animal behavior and investigate how they learn things. Become a wildlife conservationist and discover all we can do to help the environment from recycling bottles to pushing for a change in laws. Or discover a world of animal architects and analyze their creations. Camps begin the week of June 22 and run through the week of August 24. Times and Costs vary.
Where: Zoo entrances – 5500 Phinney Ave. N. (West), 750 N. 50^th St. (South), N. 59^th Ave. (North)
Eligibility: For children ages 3-12
Cost: Costs vary
How to register: Register online by downloading the form at zoo.org/educate/classes_camps/zooper_day.html or call 206.548.2424


FOOD LOVERS
Cooking from Scratch:
Tom Douglas, the chef who’s brought you such favorites as Lola, Palace Kitchen and the Dahlia Lounge, presents “Cooking from Scratch”, a new line of cooking classes created especially for kids. Each class will take kids through the process of making their favorite meal and teach them ways to make it healthy and preservative free. Most classes include a trip to local producers where kids can see where their ingredients come from and what goes into making them. Sign your little chef up for one of the four one day classes (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) including “The Best Hamburger Ever”, “Mac’N’Cheese”, “Pizza”, or the deceptively healthy “Fruits, Vegetables, & Ice Cream”.
Where: Palace Kitchen, 2030 5th Ave.
Eligibility: For ages 8-12 (though Douglas offers camps for adults)
Cost: $30
How to register: Classes begin June 20th and run every two weeks. Register by e-mail: lorettad@tomdouglas.com or by phone: 206.448.2001.


Alexis Morley contributed to this article