MOUNTAIN AREA – It’s summer camp time! Perhaps you’re one of those parents that already have the family’s summer camp experience completely organized already. If not, you may be the type who’s walking happily down the street and is suddenly thunderstruck by the maddening thought: school is almost out and the kids want stuff to do!
The first kind of people can pat themselves on the back, and the rest of us… read on:
Oakhurst Boys & Girls Club (BGC) – BGC offers a nine week Summer Session starting Monday, June 15 and ending Thursday, August 13, from noon to 6 p.m. for youth ages 6-18. BGC is closed one day a month for furlough, as well as during some of the holidays. According to BGC Unit Director Peggy Decker, the Club’s summer schedule includes nine weekly themes, 16 field trips, barbecues, Book for Bikes Reading Program, sports and tournaments, in-house movies, and lots of action-packed fun for all. Pricing for the Club summer program is $100 for nine weeks. Field trips cost extra and are on a first come, first served basis with sign-ups a week in advance. See Oakhurst Boys & Girls Club online and Oakhurst Boys & Girls Club on Facebook. Call (559) 642-4600.
Vision Academy of the Arts offers three camps with three different themes in three weeks, held at Oakhurst Elementary School. Camp this year runs the weeks of June 15 – 19 with a Pirates theme. June 22 – 26 is Pirates Hidden Treasure, and June 29 – July 3 is all about the Broadway Beat. Camps are open to students going into grades 2 through 8 in the fall, and run Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or half-day mornings or afternoons. Each theme is one week long, culminating in a show for parents and friends on Friday at 5:15 p.m. The cost for full course is $150, while half day is $80. Payment plans and partial scholarships are available. The fee includes professional instruction in Art with Rita Adams, Musical Theater with Jackie Byers, Band with Shirley Lay, Guitar with Kirk Moulin, Writing with Monika Moulin, Dance with Elseanna Skowronski, and a T-Shirt! Students are required to bring a bag lunch. Snacks are available for .25 cents. Recorder, recorder book and singing books are available for an extra cost. For more information visit the Vision Academy of the Arts website or phone Jackie Byers at (559) 683-7071. Copies of registration are available at the Oakhurst Branch Library.
Summer Music Camp for grades 5-12 at YHS starts Wednesday, June 10 and runs through June 19 for students in grades 5 -12 from any school or town. Organizers say students from Bass Lake Schools can start Thursday, June 11 since their last day of school is June 10. The YHS Music Camp is for mostly for middle school and beginning HS players. “Brush up on musical skills, meet new friends, have fun with music and be prepared for the fall season,” reads the flyer. The session concludes with an “All Camp” mini concert and Barbeque. Email Fmarquez@yosemiteusd.com or by calling Yosemite High School at (559) 683-4667, ext. 243. Cost is $60 for 8 days of instruction from 9 a.m. to noon.
YHS Band Camp for YHS Band students starts Monday, July 27 and goes through Friday, Aug 7.
Mountain Youth Theatre is doing a Summer Drama camp for grades 1 – 9 the weeks of July 6 – July 17. Cost $130. Times 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Dance, acting, singing, costumes, crafts, drama games, outside games, and farm animals to see. At the end of camp, participants will present “Alice in Wonderland.” For more information contact: Terry Anderson at 559-877-6506, or email MYT.thumbelina.players@gmail.com
All Youth Sports Camp at YHS – Yosemite High School’s Athletics Department offers an annual All Youth Sports Camp. This year, it runs Monday – Thursday, June 15 – 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on campus at YHS. Sports include football, volleyball, tennis, golf, water polo, soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, track, swimming, pep and cheer, and wrestling. The registration fee is $105 and the camp is available to students in 3 – 8 Grades. The fee includes lunch, snack, fundamentals in sports, a swim cap, awards, a T-Shirt and tons of fun! For a copy of the registration form, visit the YHS website.
Future Badger Football Player Skills Camp is July 21 – 23 says Coach Erik Peterson.
GCT (Golden Chain Theater) Kids Summer Workshop – GCT now offers a three week kids’ summer workshop for young actors ages 8 – 14. It starts on July 6 and runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., culminating in a show on July 25. The cost according to GCT organizers is $125.00 for the first child and $100 for additional children. Registration due by 6/27/15. “The Fairy Tale Network is a television network that needs to improve its viewership ratings with exciting new programming. The three mice working as creative consultants for the studio each must come up with a story idea to pitch to their new chief, the Cat. And they need to pitch their ideas fast before they become a fancy feast! They retell the well-known tales of Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Pigs, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but now with new, unexpected twists.” Register online at Fairy Tale Network on Facebook, or email Sarah Persson, or pick up a form at GCT (Golden Chain Theater).
Children’s Museum of the Sierra is open all summer long and sponsors special events, starting with a Carnival for kids on Saturday, June 13th from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children’s Museum of the Sierra on Facebook. Most events are free with membership to the Museum. Family memberships are $75 per year and sponsorships are available. Contact Children’s Museum of the Sierra for more information or phone (559) 658-5656.
Oakhurst Branch Library offers a Summer Reading Program and other activities throughout the season. This year’s children’s and teen theme is Read to the Rhythm. Children’s programs take place on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and the Teen program takes place on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. Contact Oakhurst Branch Library for more information.
North Fork Branch Library offers a Summer Reading Program with Children’s time on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m., and Teens on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Contact North Fork Branch Library for more information.
Children’s Summer Reading Program — 4 yrs to 4th grade
Wednesdays – June 17—July 29 at 2:30 pm
*(special schedule for July 22nd)
June 17: Multicultural Music from Around the World with Don Obrien
June 24: Musical North Fork with Chuck Thrapp
July 1: NO PROGRAM
July 8: Mr. Bubble Man!
July 15: Music with a Kiddie Beat with Oklin Bloodworth
July 22: Didgeridoo Down Under *(start time @ 4:30 pm)
July 29: Let’s Make Music! Stations
Teen Summer Reading Program — 5th to 12th grade
Wednesdays — June 17 to July 29 at 4 p.m.
*(special schedule for July 22nd)
June 17: Guitar Lessons with Mr. Samuelson and Friends
June 24: Guitar Lessons with Mr. Samuelson and Friends
July 1: NO PROGRAM
July 8: Guitar Lessons with Mr. Samuelson and Friends
July 15: Guitar Lessons with Mr. Samuelson and Friends
July 22: Didgeridoo Down Under *(start time @ 4:30 pm)
July 29: Drum Circle with Mr. Cicoletti
Visit www.maderacountylibrary.org
Community Dance and Theater in Coarsegold has three weeks of camp to delight and entertain: Extreme Survivor Camp from June 22 – June 26 is an overnight camping adventure for ages 8 and up. It’s $200 for a 5 day, 4 night experience. Kids will be put into teams to compete in endurance challenges, relays, and “Fear Factor” type challenges. Organizers ask that parents and guardians please make sure kids are ready for a week long overnight adventure without you. Next up is Ballet/Lyrical/Improve/Pre-Pointe Camp, running June 29 – July 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with different levels by age. The cost is $100 for the week. It’s billed as a wonderful world of dance instruction focusing on proper ballet technique, turns, jumps, pre-pointe, and learning to create and move to the music. Also features a Friday Field Trip to the Island Waterpark. Finally Community Dance and Theater offers Energy Explosion Performance Camp from July 6 – July 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for ages 5 and up. It’s $100 for the week. Organizers say this camp is a whirlwind of the arts, and invite all youth performers to join in the opportunity for creative performance of personal work in an outdoor venue. Theater skits, music jam sessions, songs and dance routines in preparation for an Afternoon of Performing Arts on the last day. Contact them by phone at (559) 642-6555 or email Community Dance and Theater.
Yosemite Dance Company offers classes for all ages, including tap, jazz, hiphop, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, mommy and me, creative movement, Irish, cheer, strength and stretch, and ballroom. Summer session runs from July 13 through August 22, open Tuesday through Saturday in Oakhurst. Class prices depend on the duration on the class and run from $60 – $90 for the entire 6 week session. No registration fee this summer. Located at 40356 Oak Park Way, Suite H. Phone at 559-683-2242, email yosemitedancecompany@gmail.com, or visit Yosemite Dance Company on Facebook.
Calvin Crest offers Discovery Day Camp as an opportunity for local kids ages 5-10 (entering K-5th grade) to have outdoor adventures at 5,000 feet. Discovery Day Camp will run from 8:30- 2:30, according to camp schedules, Monday through Friday, under the supervision of a caring and experienced staff. Days are packed full of activities incorporating singing, music, art, science, local history, games, and hiking. Pricing ranges from $105 per week for the first child, $75 per week for the next.
