Summer fun: Camps, tot lots, programs planned for area children

Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News
·6 min read
Kids from last summer's Sports Sampler camp at the Arthur Lesow Community Center are shown. Fishing was one of the sports featured during the week-long camp. Sports Sampler is one of seven camps to be offered this summer at the center. This year, Earl Schramm, an employee of Monroe County Opportunity Center/Opportunity Center, will teach the fishing portion of the camp.

After finishing a successful volleyball career at Ida High School, Ryleigh Eyler is passing on some of her skills to younger players.

Eyler will host a new volleyball session at the Monroe County Opportunity Program's Sports Sampler camp. Sports Sampler, led by Coach Devyn Kennedy (Coach K), will be held the week of June 26 and also will cover fishing, golfing and flag football. It's just one of several camps that will be offered this summer by MCOP.

A new MCOP camp offering will begin weekly from June 19 through Aug. 11 at the Arthur Lesow Community Center, 120 Eastchester St. There is no camp the week of July 3. Camps run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Admission is free. Children ages 7 and older are welcome. Maya Falls is the summer youth coordinator.

Participants from last year's Young Authors Camp at the Arthur Lesow Community Center are shown. This year, Young Authors Camp will be Aug. 7-11 at the center.
Participants from last year's Young Authors Camp at the Arthur Lesow Community Center are shown. This year, Young Authors Camp will be Aug. 7-11 at the center.

Other camps offered at the center will be the recently added Kidpreneur and Young Authors Camps as well as Healthy and Fit Camp, Art with Ms. Amy, Discover Monroe Week, Young Authors Camp and Down for the Culture Week.

“’Down for the Culture’ brings in different ethnic groups from all around the county to talk about their culture,” Nicki Eyler, outreach and marketing specialist for the Monroe County Opportunity Program and the Opportunity Center, said.

The ALCC camp season will conclude with the annual End-of-Summer Bash at Labor Park and Splash Pad.

To learn more or to register, visit facebook.com/opportunitycenteratalcc.

Several other summer camps, tot lots and other youth programs will be offered to area children this summer.

• After many years, the Monroe Community Players is bringing back its youth summer camp.

“Dr. Seuss Summer Theatre Camp” will run from June 19-30 at the Players’ space at the Mall of Monroe and will ends with a theater performance.

Students entering fourth through eighth grades will learn about acting, costume design, dance, makeup, scenery design, construction and music.

“Campers will be involved in every aspect of the production, from design to performance,” Sue Sacks of the Players said. “Our goal is to give our youth the opportunity to explore the different components of theater, develop the art of the theater and to perform in an original Dr. Seuss-themed production."

Sacks is the director of the program and will teach dance and staging. Also helping at the camp will be: Val Jonas, makeup and costume design; Jim Abb, set design and construction; Anne Self and Sylvia Brockman, theater games; and Amanda Brockman, music and voice.

The cost is $200 a child, which includes a T-shirt and daily snack.

“Part of our mission is to educate, and camps are a good way to introduce young people to theater and develop their creative skills,” David P. Wahr of the Players said. “The goal is always to have fun and to learn new things. We look forward to seeing new faces in our theater and helping to train the next generation of Community Players."

To learn more or to register, visit monroecommunityplayers.org or call 734-241-7900.

• Monroe County Community College is offering 30 summer camps on its main campus, 1555 S. Raisinville Road.Children in middle school and high school are welcome.

New this year are camps on drawing, painting/printing, 3-D sculpture, digital scrapbooking and a Lego Master Design camp.

Returning are camps on cooking, computer-aided design, metrology, guitar, photography, art, sports, fitness and VEX robotics.

Fees range from $29 to $129. Registration is due at least a week before camp begins.

For a list of options, visit monroeccc.edu/summer-camps or call 734-384-4127.

• The Monroe Family YMCA offers Summer Day Camp and several youth programs, including sports classes. The Y’s summer session runs June 14 through Sept. 2. Scholarships are available for those with financial need.

To learn more, visit monroefamilyymca.org.

• River Raisin Centre for the Arts, 114 S Monroe St., is offering two summer programs for area children.

Two sessions of Summer Theatre Arts Camp have been set. Camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily June 19-23 and June 26-30. A demonstration will be presented after each camp on the stage of the River Raisin Centre for the Arts.Children who have completed firth through 11th grades are welcome. Attendees will learn about stage direction, blocking, choreography, movement exercises and conditioning. Drama and acting lessons and vocal music and coaching also will be offered.

Three sessions of Princess Ballet also will be offered to children ages 4-7. Sessions will run June 20-22, June 27-29 and Aug. 1-3.

For more information, visit riverraisincentre.org or call 734-242-7722.

• The popular SurvivorKids Day Camp is returning to the Knabusch Math & Science Center, 6670 Waters Edge Drive.

Attendees learn basic survivor skills, such as building a shelter, fishing, tracking and animal and plant identification. To learn more, visit tinyurl.com/MPSCommEd.• St. Mary Catholic Central High School, 108 W. Elm Ave., is offering a lineup of 11 camps in its 2023 Summer Youth Sports Camps. Sessions run from June 12 through the end of July.

Camps include: basketball, softball, wrestling techniques, co-ed soccer, lacrosse, baseball, girls wrestling, volleyball, football and co-ed tennis.

Sessions meet at various area locations, including St. Charles Church in Newport, Munson Park, SMCC and Stoneco Fields.

For more information or to register, email Kyle McElvany, director of summer camps, at kmcelvany@smccmonroe.com or visit smccmonroe.com.

• Monroe Public Schools is again offering its Specular Summer Semester. Many program are offered for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. To learn more or to register, visit tinyurl.com/2xav2z8c.

• The Monroe County Library System will begin its children's summer reading program in June. The program offers prizes for reading books and special program and activities at the branches.

To learn more, visit mymcls.evanced.info/signup/calendar.

• The city of Monroe Tot Lot program runs from June 19 through July 28.

Activities such as painting, crafts, games and music are offered from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. No program will be offered the week of July 3. Breakfast and lunch is served daily by Sodexo.

Children ages 5-12 are welcome. Children younger than 5 may attend with an adult.

Tot Lots will be at offered at several city parks: Boyd Park (Harrison Street), Greenwood Park (Greenwood Avenue), Labor Park (Second Street), Munson Park (North Custer Road), Manor Park (Donnalee Drive) and St. Mary’s Park (West Elm Avenue).

Tot Lots are offered by the Opportunity Center at the Arthur Lesow Community Center. For more information, call Anthony Hoskins at 734-241-4313.

To report other summer camps or upcoming events, email events@monroenews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Summer camps, tot lots, programs planned for Monroe County children