Though summer is officially months away, now is the time to register for summer classes and camps for kids.
This edition of Neighbors contains our annual Summer Camps Guide, a huge array of camps and classes to keep children challenged and happy all summer. From forensics to football, party planning to paleontology, Web design to wild animals, there's a camp or class on just about anything your child might be interested in.
We've tried to make it easy for you. Today's list groups some camps by theme, and some by camp provider if that provider offers a large number of camps, such as Discovery Place.
And this year, our list is searchable online at www.charlotte.com. You can search our camp database by county, camp type, major camp providers, age range and month.
If your priority is finding full-time child care, you might find searching by dates or age range most helpful. If you want your kids to try a new hobby, or spend their summer sharpening math skills or playing a favorite sport, you can search by camp type or camp provider to narrow your choices from among the hundreds offered.
Experts say that summer vacation is the perfect time to let children try new things they may not have the chance to experience during the school year.
"Summer camps provide students with opportunities to enhance social skills and build positive, lasting relationships with others," said Mint Hill Middle School Principal Denise Watts. "Additionally, camps and classes can allow adolescents to pursue special interests and further their talents in specialized areas. It is very important that parents seize the opportunity to expose their children to these experiences that can positively impact them now and in the future."
Just remember to keep some free time in the schedule to allow kids to wind down and recharge from 10 months of school. Experts also say it's important for children to have some unstructured time to play -- especially outside.
"Children need lots of outside vigorous play," said Sandy Newnan, chairperson and instructor of the Wachovia Early Childhood Education Program at Central Piedmont Community College. "They have a lot of energy they need to burn off and they need to be outside to get that connection with nature. Outside play helps with cognitive, physical, social and emotional development."
Newnan says parents also need to be careful not to stuff their children's schedule.
"Don't schedule children from dawn to dusk every day, all summer long," Newnan said. "They become dependent on that schedule and don't think ahead. They can't be creative."
She says if parents work to balance structured activities with free time and place an emphasis on getting their kids outside as much as possible, everyone will be happier and the summer will be a success.
Worried about cost?
The American Camping Association Web site, www.acacamps.org, lists some ways to make summer camp more affordable.
• Ask camps what financial assistance is available. Many camps offer some sort of aid or scholarship.
• Ask camps if they offer special discounts such as reduced pricing for early registration, full-season enrollment, or sibling discounts.
• Ask about the camp's refund policy, which can vary greatly.
• In planning a budget for camp, determine what's included in the enrollment fee. Is lunch included? Extra cost for field trips? Transportation? Extended care?
• Day camp can be tax-free. The IRS allows an income tax credit of dependent care expenses, which may be applied to day camp expenses. Visit the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov, for details about the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
• Find out whether costs are covered by your dependent care flexible spending account.
