By Megan Conklin
I will admit it. I read a viral, trending article on social media about how to give your kids an “Honest-to-Goodness 1970’s Summer” and I jumped on the bandwagon. The article reminded parents about how good we had it when we were little. How our parents let us run wild in the streets all day long and come home dirty, tired, and hungry around dinner time.
“Oh my gosh,” I thought, “I do overschedule my kids. I do helicopter parent. I should be letting them have unstructured, unsupervised creative play time every single day – like all the other ‘free range parents.’”
So, I did not register them for any camps. I did not make plans. I vowed to ignore all four of my children all day long, all summer long, just like my parents before me.
It seemed too easy at first – and happily inexpensive! We played, fought, ate. Repeat.
It was a fun way to start out the summer, and it really did remind me of my childhood. However, the ignoring bit didn’t work out too well – they kept asking for food. Every twenty minutes or so in fact. ‘Round about mid-July, I realized that I would pay just about any amount of money to have my kids busy at a summer camp for at least one week.
Free range parenting has its place, and an enriching, exciting, summer camp where you, the parent, are completely absent for a few hours a day is pretty amazing as well. Hooray for balance!
Please enjoy the following list of wonderfully fun, last minute summer camps in Thurston County:
Olympia Family Theater
Aug 4 – 8: Play a Part! Rehearse and perform a show in one week (ages 8-14)
Aug 11 – 15: Growing Up Olympian! Create a show about you (ages 7-14)
Aug 18 – 22: Put on a Play! Put a spin on a fairy tale (ages 7-13)
Contact Information:
(360) 570-1638
(re)Fabulous You – Creative KIDS Camps
Aug 11 – 14: Hand Sewing Camp (ages 6.5-11) and Teen Sewing 101 – Sew Fab Design (ages 13-18)
Aug 15 – 16: Tween Sewing (ages 9-12)
Aug 18 – 20: Hand Sewing Camp (ages 6.5-11) and Tween Sewing (ages 9-12)
Aug 25 – 28: Tween Sewing – Doll Class (ages 9-12)
Contact Information:
(360) 489-1852
http://refabulousyou.com/creative-kids-camp/
Blackhills Football Club Summer Program
The Blackhills Football Club is providing a soccer training and small-sided games program for kids ages 4 – 8.
Train on Tuesday nights and play games on Thursday nights throughout August
Contact Information:
Beth Munn, bmunn@comcast.net
Registration information can be found here.
Hands On Children’s Museum
HOCM is the go-to resource for summer camps. Here’s what is coming up in August.
Aug 4-8: Bookworms (ages 3-K)
Aug 11-15: Bugs & Butterflies (ages 3-K)
Aug 25-29: Up, Up, and Away (ages 3-K), Shadow Play (ages 3-K), and Special Effects Video (Grades 1-4)
Contact Information:
(360) 956-0818
http://www.hocm.org/summer-camps/
Lacey Parks and Rec
Aug. 4-7: Multi Media Fine Arts Day Camp (ages 5-8)
Aug. 11-14: LEGO® Gears and Gadgets 9am-12pm (ages 6-9)
Contact Information:
(369) 491-0857
Registration information can be found here.
OTown Future Soccer Stars Camp
The program runs August 4 – 6 at Olympia High School.
Preschool Age: 4‐5 years old 9:00 a.m. ‐ 10:00 a.m.
For kids ages kindergarten through sixth grade, the camp runs from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Kids are grouped by age.
Contact Information:
Sandy Kelly at (360) 556‐7167
South Sound YMCA Summer Excursions
All excursions are suitable for kids ages 5-12
August 7 – Gameworks (Departs from Tumwater Hill and Chambers)
August 11 – Tacoma Rainiers Game (Departs from the Downtown Y)
August 19 – Overnighter at Camp Bishop (Departs from Tumwater Hill and Chambers)
Contact Information:
(360) 753-6576
http://www.southsoundymca.org/Child_Care/Camps/Summer_Camps.htm[AR1]
NOVA School Summer Camps
The NOVA School Summer camp runs August 4 – 8. Camp options include Rock & Roll for girls, ZENDoodling, and Rock Band.
Contact Information:
Phone: (360)491-7097
http://www.novaschool.org/index.php/summer-camp
Tumwater Parks and Recreation Summer Camps
Jet-Setting Summer Day Camps (ages 5-12) happen at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School in Tumwater.
Aug 4 – 7: Destination: India – Field Trip: Ocean Shores
Aug 11 – 14: Destination: Australia – Field Trip: Wild Waves
Contact Information:
(360) 754-4160
Registration information can be found here.
Youth Sports Camp at the Valley Athletic Club
Children who participate in the Valley Athletic Club’s Summer Youth Sports Camp get to swim, play and participate in a variety of athletic activities.
Aug 4 – Aug 29: Full and half day sports camp options available (ages 6-13)
Contact Information:
(360) 352-3400
