RICHARDSON – Kids around Richardson are having fun, while learning and exercising at one of the handful of camps that started this week. The Summer Camps are made available through the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“The benefits children get by participating in our camps, they are able to first and foremost, have fun. They are also able to meet a plethora of new friends. A lot of these kids don’t go to school together and so they are able to meet new people, interact with new kids and connect,” said Channing Montgomery, Recreation Coordinator.
There are four summer camps taking place, Kinder Camp for kids ages 5 and 6. Elementary Camp and Playground Camp, which are open for ages 7 to 11, and Teen Camp for teenagers ages 12 to 15. Each camp is filled with activities that promote health and wellness and lessons the youth can implement beyond camp.
“A lot of the other benefits that they are able to grow from, personally, is being able to grow within the village, respect, responsibility, integrity, empathy. We try to install all these values to the children so they will able to grow and develop into our community as great professionals,” said Montgomery.
Although the camps are filled with four times more kids this year compared to 2020, safety protocols are still in effect. Kids wash their hands after every activity and before they eat. They also learn about personal bubbles where there’s less contact with one another.
Each camp provides different activities, from storytime and arts and crafts to field trips, and swimming. There’s also plenty of video games for teens.
Camp counselors, most returning staff and some who were past participants, help supervise. Each of them, passing along the knowledge and experience they learned while at camp.
There is a waiting list for Kinder, Elementary, and Playground Camps. Enrollment for Teen Camp is still open.
Richardson’s Parks and Recreation Department offers Camps through the year.
Visit www.cor.net/camps for more information.
