Camp alexander offers activities on school holidays

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By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)

Friday, September 26, 2008

Camp Alexander will offer “School’s Out” camps for Emporia school district children whose classes have been dismissed for in-service days, holidays, and other weekday times that classes are not scheduled.

“Anytime that school’s not in session, we are,” said Sara Shaw, executive director of Camp Alexander. “And that is so that parents don’t have to work so hard to find day care, a baby-sitter, don’t have to worry about leaving kids home by themselves.”

The first camp will be on Oct. 10, when the Emporia school district’s first-quarter ends, and Oct. 13, when there will be no school and teachers will have a half-day work day. The Emporia children also will have no classes on Oct. 17, while their parents attend parent-teacher conferences.

The day camps will be open to children 5 through 14 years old and will include an assortment of age- and season-appropriate activities.

Camps also may be available to youngsters from North and Southern Lyon County districts, if there is interest. Those districts’ days off do not coincide with the Emporia district’s calendar.

“I’m sure we’ll be doing some hiking, some archery, some outdoor games, possibly some boating if it hasn’t turned off too cold,” she said. “Then, of course, an arts and crafts and maybe an outdoor cooking event as well.”

Specific activities will depend on the ages and interests of the youngsters.

“If we end up with a bunch of 5-year-olds, they may not want to do activities like archery and hiking,” Shaw said as an example. “We kind of adjust the activities to the age level.”

The camps will run on all of the Emporia district’s days off, including the days between Christmas and New Year’s Days.

“We have so much fun at camp when it’s nice and cold and wintry,” Shaw said, mentioning sledding when snow is available. “We have a blast.”

Snacks and beverages will be provided as part of the $17 per day enrollment fee, and participants will need to bring sack lunches.

People who do not register early will pay an additional $5 per day.

“If they don’t pre-register at all and just drop in, just show up at camp, it’s going to be $10 additional,” she said.

At least 10 children must be registered in order to hold the camp, Shaw added.

A rate increase may be considered for camps after Feb. 1.