By: Amanda Kennington, Healthy Community Schools Coordinator
Every summer, kids look forward to attending summer camps. They get to spend time with their friends (away from mom and dad) and the camp is usually based on their particular interest. According to ymca.org, there are 15 benefits of summer camp for youth: Develops lifelong skills, promotes independence, makes time for play, teaches teamwork, teaches resiliency, provides fun screen-free activities, encourages a connection with nature, fosters growth, builds self-esteem, supports healthy living, nurtures friendships, teaches kids to respect differences, keeps kids intellectually engaged, promotes growth in a safe environment, and gives children a sense of purpose.
The three traditional district high schools host summer camps that are run by their head coaches. These coaches understand the importance of community. The camps align with the district’s core values but also provide future talent for the students’ zoned high schools. This is an extremely important piece to a successful high school program, and it is highly recommended that all young athletes take part in a summer camp.
Lauren Siple, City of Baytown Athletic Programs Coordinator said, “We are looking forward to a fantastic Summer! Baytown Parks and Rec at the Community Center is offering an all summer long camp for youth ages 8-12. It’s called Camp WannaHaveFun. The hours are from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and includes a light breakfast, 2 snacks, a weekly trip to Calypso Cove and a weekly field trip. Each week there will be different activities such as sports, games, arts and crafts, cooking and painting.
Also offered this summer will be some individual and group music lessons, advanced painting classes, swim lessons, Wade Into Wetlands Summer Science Camp, lifeguard opportunities, Youth Summer Track, Youth Tennis Sessions, Wetlands Center Guided Field Trips and more!
Visit https://baytown.org/1002/Calendar-of-Events to see all upcoming Summer activities.
The City of Baytown is proud to provide these amazing opportunities to our youth and we look forward to watching them grow and have fun!” Whether a child attends camp in the district or through the City of Baytown Parks and Recreation department, providing a safe outlet that nurtures a child’s interest is key!