Summer is here and that means that in no time at all your kids will be out of school. The turnaround from kids being ecstatic to get out of school to going stir crazy from boredom is quicker that you might think, so investigating some options for occupying your kids’ time this summer now may pay dividends in June and July. Parents in the Baltimore County area around the Towson and Perry Hall areas may want to take notice of some of these great summer activities to keep kids active and entertained for the duration of their vacation.
The Camps
- Snapology
- Camp Rock
- Coppermine
- White Marsh Rec. Council
Snapology
Ages
4 – 14
Dates
July through August
Details
Snapology is a STEM and STEAM focused initiative proposing a slightly off-kilter thesis on education: children are meant to learn through play. Snapology uses familiar building toys like Legos and K’Nex along with technological resources like computers and tablets to in essence disguise their true educational goals. The idea is simple but effective; trick someone into thinking they’re not learning and you can teach them anything. Snapology offers a wide curriculum of classes teaching everything from basic science and engineering concepts to full-on robotics and game design courses. If you have a child enamored with videogames, imagine how excited they’ll be to make their own! Not only that, but they’ll also be learning valuable skills which will aid them far past this summer.
Price
$80 – $165
Camp Rock
Location
1607 Cromwell Bridge Road Parkville, MD
Ages
4 – 12
Dates
June 11th to August 24th
Details
Camp Rock is a Baltimore-located day camp. Each week of the camp’s summer curriculum is organized around different theme, such as arts and crafts, camping, space, and the Olympics. This constant variation keeps kids engaged and interested. Education-minded parents will also be happy to hear that Camp Rock offers a whole week dedicated to the development of campers’ STEM skills. Camp activities include nature trails, water activities, swimming, games, crafts, performing arts, and organized sports. Camp Rock also offers speciality classes in swimming lessons, culinary arts, horsemanship, martial arts, creative movement, music, gymnastics, and sports training. Why not see if the self-proclaimed “best day camp in Baltimore is for you?
Price
$210 – $300 per week, price package details can be found here.
Coppermine
Location
Main facilities are located at 1400 Coppermine Terrace, Baltimore, MD, full facility listings can be found here.
Ages
3 – 14
Dates
Varies by camp, full list of camp topics and dates is available here.
Details
Coppermine operates a total of seven athletic facilities in the Baltimore area, where they offer a variety of summer sports programs for kids of all ages and skill levels. Baseball, basketball, football, rock climbing, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis are just part of the programs on offer here, which even includes a specialty program that will teach your child how to ride a bike. Moms and Dads tired of pushing your child again and again only to see them wobble and fall should take heed, your days of disinfecting scraped knees may be over at last.
Parents with more strictly educational concerns need not fret either, Coppermine is offering a slate of science-oriented classes ahead of introducing a proper science camp to their program lineup for the first time ever this year.
Price
Varies by camp.
White Marsh Recreation Council
Location
9033 Honeygo Blvd, Perry Hall, MD
Ages
Kindergarten through 6th grade
Dates
Imagination Station runs from June 25th to August 17th
Details
White Marsh Recreation Council operates a variety of summer camps in everything from football and basketball to volleyball and jump-rope, most of which only run the space of a week. This may seem counterintuitive to a parent seeking to ensure their kids don’t spent the entirety of their summer vacation indoors staring at one screen or another, but it may be a blessing in disguise. Convincing a child to sign their whole summer away to a camp of some kind or another is a battle no parent wants to fight, and no one wants to be the parent showing up on day one with a fighting, screaming child who clearly doesn’t want to be there. Smaller camps such as these are a way you can trick your kids into getting active one week at a time. After all, what’s one week? Summer is practically an eternity to them.
Of course, parents in need of a more traditionally-structured summer-long day camp would so well to consider White Marsh’s annual “Imagination Station camp, held in Honeygo Regional Park in Perry Hall. This camp includes arts and crafts and daily nature walks along with a full slate of other activities to interest and enrich your child this summer.
Price
Imagination Station is $185 per week.
Of course, whatever camp you decide to send your child to this summer should also be their camp. Kids are more likely to engage, grow, and learn when they feel like an active participant in the process and not just a parcel to be shuttled around from educator to educator. Sometime parents really do know best, but even if you’re fairly certain this is one of those times, remember this is the vacation they wait all year for, and pick the summer camps and programs that work for both of you.
