South Florida Finds ~ Summer Camps

Summer is almost here!  No more classroom, no more books, no more....well, you get it.  Teachers are excited to relax and unwind and recharge their batteries for the next school year, parents are excited to not have to argue about homework for a few months, and kids are excited to relax and have fun with their own agendas.

What kind of summer do you have planned?  Are you a stay at home parent who likes to be the "director" of your child's summer, or are you a working parent who needs a place for your child to be entertained and taken care of at summer camp?

As a teacher, I'm off, so my summers usually consist of relaxing for a couple of weeks and then the fighting begins.  My kids just seem to need a break from each other for a while.  So we like to put them in camp for a couple of weeks sporadically throughout the summer.  They are far apart in age that they are never in the same group, therefore they actually miss each other during the day so they play better in the afternoons.  (Not to mention they actually miss me too....so we all win!)

Here is a list of some South Florida summer camps:

*Zoo Miami ~ Zoofari Summer Camp
Ages 4-13 (Kindergarten-8th grade)
$195/week  $175/week for members
At Zoo Miami, the kids get close encounters with the animals at the zoo, educational themes that revolve around animals both tame and wild, visits and presentations from the zookeeper and Banfield Pet Hospital FutureVets program, arts & crafts, and water play.  Themes are based on the age groups' level of interest.

*Fit2Play, Green-It-Up Summer Camps
Ages 6-14 
$40-$90/week (financial assistance & scholarship available to those who qualify)
Miami-Dade Parks in partnership with University of Miami Health System offer this camp to teach children the fundamentals of living a healthy lifestyle through nutrition, fitness and exercise.  They also learn the health benefits of going green through recycling, water conservation, and other eco-friendly behaviors that help the planet.

*Miami Stone Crabs Lacrosse Camp
Kindergarten-12th grade 
$200 before May 8; $225 before June 8; $250 June 9-10
This is a one week camp from 3pm-7pm for boys and girls to learn the fundamentals of lacrosse.  Players must provide their own equipment.

*Miami Dade College Kids/Teen College Summer Programs
Ages 7-17
Approx. $110 per class
Miami Dade College offers a wide variety of summer classes for youth including dance like ballet, hip hop and zumba; etiquette courses; varied sports like soccer, tennis and golf; acting; cartooning; photography; and robotics using LEGOS.  

*School of Rock
All ages
$499-$999/week
Rock N’ Roll boot camps are 5 days of learning music, playing music, fun, band bonding and performance! Throughout the week kids go from zero to a full set of songs and performance at a local all ages venue. Group rehearsal, music trivia, song casting, one-on-one attention from all-star instructors, gear education, and band-related activities are all aimed at helping kids learn a set of songs and be totally ready to rock them by the end of the week. Whether you play drums, sing, shred guitar or bass or play keyboard -- you’ll have a blast.  


There are SO many choices at different venues throughout Miami for many age groups and for any budget.  

What are your summer plans?

 
Alexis