Now that school is out for most of central Indiana, are you scrambling to find enriching activities for your children this summer or just anything that does not involve sitting in front a screen all day?
It happens to all of us. So here is a procrastinator’s guide for those of you who may need some last-minute help finding a summer camp spot this year.
Camps with multiple locations
Parks around the city offer summer options for children of all ages. The weeklong camps focus on a range of topics, from trail stomping to mural painting to theatre to good old-fashioned summer camp.
The YMCA of Greater Indianapolis has 14 summer day camp locations across central Indiana. These camps include traditional camp or Discovery camp, held at schools or churches across the city for kids to participate in STEAM activities.
The Indy Summer Learning Labs is a five-week free or low-cost summer learning program for incoming first through ninth graders across Marion County. Students will get help with math and reading from licensed teachers while participating in fun activities in the afternoon. Locations include schools, churches and community organizations across Marion County.
At Your School, summer day camps
The At Your School program is known for its before and after school programming, but it also provides summer day camps at five schools across central Indiana. Kids will participate in enrichment programming such as field trips and other outdoor activities while focusing on academic subject areas like literacy and STEM subjects through different interactive activities.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis
The Boys & Girls Club runs summer camp from June 3-July 19 this summer for kids between the ages of 5-18. The day camps cost $50 per child for the entire summer, which includes meals and snacks every day. Kids will participate in sports, arts and crafts, cooking lessons, performing arts andoutdoor playtime.
Downtown camps
This free day camp is for kids ages 14-18 who want to learn more about all things tech. The camp runs from June 24-28 and is held in the Salesforce Tower building downtown. Teens will build skills and knowledge ranging from topics like AI to collaborative working. No prior knowledge of technology is needed.
Indiana Repertory Theatre Camp
There are still some spots left for the camps the IRT hosts, including stage combat and intro to playwriting. The IRT offers sessions for students ages 8-15, as well as mini camps for students ages 5-7. The IRT also has half-day or full-day workshops for high school students.
While many of these popular camps have already sold out, the museum still has openings for some of its weeklong programs, which focus on topics ranging from time travel to 3-D art to animals and more.
There are still some spots left for the Indianapolis Zoo’s three and five-day camps for kids ages 5-14. Kids will learn about wild animals and what it takes to have a career in conservation. Prices vary.
Marian University Summer Camps
Marian University is offering a variety of camps this summer for kids of all ages. The camps range from healthcare camp where high school students try hands-on experiences related to the healthcare profession, or INnovation through Engineering Camp, where students learn and create projects revolving around engineering.
Freewheelin’ hosts weekly summer camp programs for kids ages 8-18, which include activities, games and of course bike rides. Participants in the programs will be taught basic bike mechanics and also how to ride on the streets safely.
Northside and Hamilton County Camps
Arts for Lawrence, Summer Art Camp
Arts for Lawrence still has some availability for two of its four week-long day camps for kids ages 6-12. Each day, kids will participate in visual arts classes, including painting and pottery, and then spend the afternoons in performing arts classes.
Hamilton County Parks still has some spots open for their Strawtown Koteewi Park summer camp sessions. The week-long sessions include outdoor activities such as fishing, aerial adventures, archery and canoeing.
The JCC Indianapolis has day camps for kids in grades K-9 and a counselor-in-training program for 10th graders. Camp days run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and kids do activities like games, nature studies, arts and crafts and swimming. Non-JCC members can participate in the camps.
Indy Art Center summer art camps
There are still spots left at some of the week-long art camps hosted by the Indy Art Center for kids ages 4-18. Kids can participate in the camps at the Indianapolis or Fishers locations and will becomg familiar with various art mediums such as pencils, paints, pottery, plaster, pixels and much more.
Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.
Caroline’s reporting is made possible by Report for America and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of the reporter’s salary during their time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder. To learn more about how you can support IndyStar’s partnership with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Still need to figure out summer camp plans? Check out these options
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