By Polly Keary, Editor
Summer vacation starts out full of promise and plans for most kids, but often within a couple of weeks, parents become accustomed to the refrain "There's nothing to do!"
But nothing could be further from the truth. The Sky Valley is actually jammed with summer activities for kids, and we have complied information on a number of them.
Here is a guide to a whole summer's worth of things for kids to do in the valley in the coming weeks.
Free activities
Daily Lunch and Activities at Frank Wagner Elementary
Starting Monday, any kid of any age is welcome to a free hot lunch at Frank Wagner Elementary School. From 12:15 - 1 p.m., the cafeteria at Frank Wagner Elementary will be open as it has been the last nine years due to a federal grant.
"Children need a healthy lunch even when school is out for the summer. Children are hungry all year long,GÇ¥ said Dana Daniel, director of Monroe Public Schools' Child Nutrition program. "We are prepared to serve from 200 to 500 children per day.GÇ¥
Local groups, including the Monroe Public Library and the East County Senior Center, will provide free activities during the lunch period. Activities often include arts and crafts.
Summer Reading and Library Activities
(For the Sultan Library activities, see the Valley News page)
All summer, the Monroe Public Library has a series of free activities of school age children and their families.
Monday, June 17, at 2 p.m., teens can compete in a Dance Dance Revolution contest.
Tuesday, June 25, at 2 p.m., teens are invited to watch the movie "Rise of the Guardians," eat some snacks and hang out with friends.
Saturday, June 29 at 2 p.m., the Summer Reading Kickoff event will take place at the Monroe Library, with an exploration of fossils, sediments and volcanoes.
Tuesday, July 2 at 2 p.m., kids 5-12 will have fun with trolls, creating a pine cone troll, sneaking into a troll's cave and more.
Monday, July 8 at 2 p.m., teens will have a Tanabata celebration, which is the traditional Japanese star festival. Watch an animated film, make origami, eat Japanese snacks and create Tanabata wishes.
Tuesday, July 9, at 2 p.m. children and families explore dinosaurs.
Saturday, July 13, at 2 p.m., school aged kids can see a live baby kangaroo and learn about kangaroos.
Tuesday, July 16, at 1 p.m., teens learn about healthy dating and relationships, and decorate cupcakes, too.
Tuesday July 16 at 2 p.m., kids 6 and up will have an hour of crafts, stories and music.
Tuesday, July 23, at 2 p.m. school age kids explore how the imagination works.
Thursday, July 25 at 2 p.m., teens play WII games and other video games.
Saturday, July 27, school aged kids learn about birds with the Audubon Society.
Tuesday, July 30 at 2 p.m. school aged kids create dream boards, putting goals and dreams on paper.
Monday, Aug. 5, at 1 p.m., teens watch "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m., kids 6-12 can hear stories of fascinating dogs.
Monday, Aug. 12 at 11 a.m., Summer Crafternoons is an hour-long crafting program for children and families.
Monday, Aug. 12 at 1 p.m., teens can watch "The Two Towers."
Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 2 p.m., children are invited to do puzzles, multimedia activities, and more.
Saturday, Aug 17 at 2 p.m., the Summer Reading Program wraps up with Cap'n Arrrr. Wear a pirate costume and enjoy activities.
Monday, Aug. 19 at 1 p.m., teens can watch "The Return of the King."
Low cost Activities (under $100)
Dubstep Dances at the Monroe Eagles
The Monroe Eagles Club is holding dubstep dances at the Blakeley Street club for teens 16 and up every Saturday through the summer, starting at 8 p.m. and going until 1 a.m. Dubstep is electronic dance music with reggae and South American influence that become popular in England before gaining popularity in the United States in the last decade. The club is currently seeking volunteers to help serve as security.
For more information, call the Monroe Eagles Club at (360) 794-8155.
Little Doves Soccer Camp
This vacation bible school soccer camp is an annual children's and youth event led by Coach Michael Duncan, including music, puppets and soccer instruction, as well as a spiritual message. Open to kids ages 4-12, it takes place Monday, July 15-Thursday, July 18, 8:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and includes breakfast. For more information, call Robin at (208) 891-4608. The camp takes place at the Little Doves Preschool at 202 Dickinson St. The suggested donation per child is $10.
Adventure Soccer Camps
Both Monroe and Sultan will have Adventure Soccer camps this year. The faith-based camps are a project of local soccer coach Matt Raney. Camps are four days long, from 9 a.m. to noon. Soccer players ages 5-12 are divided by age group and learn soccer skills together in a Christian environment. All camp proceeds go to support African orphans of the AIDS epidemic.
Monroe's camp takes place June 24-27 at Fairfield Park on Fryelands Boulevard, and costs $85. Sultan's camp takes place July 22-25 at Mountainview Christian, and is $20.
To learn more, visit www.adventuresoccer.org.
One A-Chord Academy Music Camp
The One A-Chord Academy, a music school offered through the Monroe Community Chapel church, will offer two music camps this summer.
Kids grade 1-12 can learn about music, studying instruments including bass, drums, electric and acoustic guitar, keyboards, as well as singing, songwriting, and more.
Kids grades 6-12 can attend camp Aug. 5-9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $50 per student, and kids grades1-5 can attend Aug. 26-30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $35 per student.
To learn more, visit www.facebook.com/oneachordacademy.
Activities and camps $100 and over
Sky Valley Academy Summer Camps
Beginning June 24 and going through the end of August, Sky Valley Academy Gymnastics will hold a series of week-long summer camps for kids, with each week focused on a different activity.
June 24 the series starts off with a week of parkour and tumbling. Parkour, a hot new fitness trend, is a training discipline that involves navigating a military-style obstacle course, using skills such as vaulting, rolling, climbing, and more.
In July, look for cheer and stunts, hip hop and break dance, gymnastics and a "Warrior Camp," which involves Nerf gun wars and martial arts.
August will repeat all but the last activity.
Each Tuesday of the camps, the kids will go on an outing. Planned outings include a trip to Lake Tye for a park day, ice skating, the Reptile Zoo, a movie theater trip, dart gun wars, arts and crafts, and more.
The camps are available by half-day and full-day, and can be paid for by the week or by the day. Tuition is $125 for a week of half-days, $195 for a week of full days. Paid by the day, each half-day is $30 and each full day is $40. Additional activities are $10.
See www.skyvalleyacademy.com for more information.
Boys and Girls Club camps and 2013 Sports Academy
Kids from kindergarten through high school freshman can participate in a series of weeklong, all-day camps through the Monroe Boys and Girls Club.
Camps start June 17 and continue through August 30.
There are two sets of camps; one for kids grades K-5, and another for teens grades 6-9. Each week a new theme is emphasized. Each week this summer, the younger kids will explore different world regions, including Asia, the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, and more. The last week of camp will focus on the Evergreen State Fair.
The teens' summer schedule includes exploring Monroe, learning about the outdoors, art, science fiction, the ocean, animals and learning about Seattle.
Camps, especially the teen camps, include a wide variety of field trips to places including Jump, Rattle and Roll, the Woodland Park Zoo, Galaxy Theatre, the Ballard Locks, and more.
Camps vary in price from $110-$180 per week. Kids have to be members to attend a camp; membership is $30. Kids can arrive as early as 6 a.m. and must be picked up by 6 p.m.
The Boys and Girls Club also offers a summer sports academy, Monday Through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, with the exception of the first week, which is an all-day swim week. Kids will explore a different sport each week for eight weeks. Sports include swimming, basketball, golf, volleyball, baseball and softball.
Some of the activities are only open to kids of certain ages. The first week is for grades 3-6. The second week is for grades 1-5, and the third for grades 4-8, for example. The academy costs between $140 for swim weeks and $60, with most weeks costing about $80 per child. There is extended care, which allows parents to drop kids off as early as 6 a.m. and pick them up as late as 6 p.m., for an additional $20 per day.
To learn more, visit www.bgscs.org, select Monroe, and then select the line "Summer Camp Registrations Now Open."
Camp Invention at Chain Lake Elementary
Kids in grades 1-6 get in-depth, hands-on experience with geology and geography at weeklong, all-day Camp Invention, held at Chain Lake Elementary School. Kids engage in team activities through four "modules," or areas of exploration. The camp, put on by Invent Now, includes such activities as navigating to treasure caches that include missions directing teams to invent solutions to real-world problems in a variety of countries.
The camp takes place July 22-26 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and costs $220, $215 if registering online. For more information and to register, visit http://inventnow-web.ungerboeck.com/programsearch/moreinfo.aspx?event=7791.
Art Camps and classes at Duvall's Northwest Art Center
Sky Valley parents have given good reviews to the summer art activities held at Duvall's Northwest Art Center.
Kids ages 5-12 can attend week-long art camps from 9 a.m. to noon throughout the summer. Camps include weekly themes such as fairies, magic, candy and dragons.
Camps are $150 per week.
The Northwest Art Center also holds summer art classes for kids. Classes are on Tuesdays and last a month. There are two sessions, one June 25-July 23 and the second July 30-Aug. 20, and cost $85 per session. Other classes include a four-day Manga class, perspective drawing and portrait drawing weekly for kids 13 and up, and more.
To learn more, see www.northwestartcenter.org.
Girl Scout Sky River Day Camp
This all-day camp includes lots of Girl Scout activities, including scavenger hunts, cooking, building campfires, meeting Lulu and Burrito, the two resident donkeys at Fox Farm, and more.
The camp is open to kids K-12 and takes place July 15-19 from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The cost is $120. For kids who aren't Girl Scouts, a $12 joining fee is added.
Skyhawks Sports Camps
Kids 3-12 can develop skill in a wide variety of sports at Skyhawks summer camps, which are held in partnership with the Monroe Parks Department every summer. Camps this year run from June 24-Aug. 9, and include sports such as golf, lacrosse, flag football, Lego engineering, soccer, cheerleading, basketball, tennis and multi-sport.
Some camps are half-day camps, others are full-day. A camp for kids ages 3.5-5 is a 45-minute class. Classes are typically $119 for the half-day classes and $239 for the full-day classes.
To learn more, visit https://www.skyhawks.com/register/.
YMCA camps
There are a large number of camps for kids of a broad range of ages available through the Monroe YMCA. Kids don't have to be YMCA members, but members get a discount on camp prices. It's possible to get a summer-only membership, too. The YMCA offers some financial assistance to families that need it, as well.
Preschool and Kindergarten prep, ages 3-6, $160 per session for full days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., $90 for half days. Extended care is available for $40 per week.
All summer, four-day sessions help kids get ready to begin their education careers. Kids study topics such as bugs, Legos, jungles, the ocean, farm life and more.
Summer Discover camps are for ages 4-12, and run from June 24-Aug. 29, five days per week and include complimentary extended care from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $215 per session for non-members and $190 for members. Week-long sessions explore topics such as how things work, animal life, art, and more.
Half-Day Specialty Camps for a range of ages include activities such as magic, being a princess, musical theater, triathlon and kayaking. Schedules vary. Costs run from $55-$120.
Sports camps for kids 5-12, divided by age and by skill level, include basketball, soccer, floor hockey, football and mixed sports. Camps are half-day and take place at various locations around Monroe. Costs are $65-$90.
A new sports camp this summer, presented in conjunction with the Monroe Parks Department, is a skateboard camp at the skate park at Lake Tye. There are two skate camps this summer, one July 8-12 and the other Aug. 5-9. They are for kids ages 9-12, and cost $160.
Teen Extreme camps run all day from June 17-Aug. 30, and offer kids 11-14 opportunities to do things like art, extreme sports, water activities and wildlife. The camps include field trips, and complimentary extended care is available. Camps are $230 for members, $255 otherwise.
To learn more about the individual sessions, see the schedules. To register, visit www.ymca-snoco.org/camp.
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