Creative Summer Camp Activities for Children in the DFW Area

Enjoy the Arts - Learn Crafts, Cooking, Theater, Dance, and Music at Camp

Summer looms ahead as the school year winds down. Parents are starting to plan summer activities, and hopefully giving their kids some say in the choices. The long summer days present a challenge for full-time working or for stay-at-home parents. The question is how to keep the kids occupied and out of trouble, and yet let them be children. Over scheduling will burn out the youths and parents alike as they race from activity to activity. Summer is a time to be bored, to sit and stare at a bug or a butterfly, to loll in a hammock, or to read a book by choice. However, in this go-go world, one must constantly be achieving something. So, to offer some fun summer challenging activities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and to avoid Camp Poison Ivy, here are some creative suggestions depending on a child's interests.

Arts & Crafts:

Adventure in Art Camps is offered at Fretz Park Recreation Center, 6950 Belt Line (www.fretzpark.net or 214-670-6203). For ages 6 to 13, the four-day sessions costs $100 and includes supplies. Students will explore watercolor, oil, and acrylic painting, as well as learn about silkscreen, charcoal, and aspects of drawing.

Art and Clay Camps is sponsored by the Craft Guild of Dallas, 14325 Proton Road (www.craftguildofdallas.com or 972-490-0303). The one-week sessions for ages 4 to 13 costs $125 to $150 along with supply fees. Students will be hands-on with clay, printmaking, bookbinding, and jewelry making.

Bedford Parks and Recreation/Art is in the mid-cities at the Bedford Boys Ranch. (www.ci.bedford.tx.us or 817-952-2323). For ages 6 to 13, the one week sessions cost $100 and offer watercolors, acrylics, oils, silkscreen, and charcoal exploration.

Coppell Parks and Recreation offers a similar program as Bedford. Check www.ci.coppell.tx.us or call 972-304-7077.

NasherKids Summer Camp for ages 6 to 12 is held at the Nasher Sculpture Center in downtown Dallas. (www.nashersculpturecenter.org or 214-242-5100). This unique camp teaches children about sculpture and also discusses architecture. For $150, field trips include tours of all of the Arts District museums.

Cooking Camps: