New Albany-Floyd County Parks Department offers specialty camps for kids

By CHRIS MORRIS
Chris.Morris@newsandtribune.com

June 11, 2009 01:24 pm

— There are many things to do at Sam Peden Community Park, like walking, playing tennis, basketball and soccer.
But for eight children enrolled in the New Albany-Floyd County Parks & Recreation Nature Camp, the park has been used for something else this week.
On Monday, the group went on a scavenger hunt with their two leaders — Ashleigh Holcomb and Alli Hilles. They were searching for some goodies left behind by nature.
One little camper found a four-leaf clover in the first 20 minutes. The group also came across a Robin’s egg.
“They got real excited about it,” said Hilles, a student at Ball State who is home for the summer. “I like it when they get excited and tell stories about what they saw. They get so excited about nature.”
“There are so many things for them to see here [at Community Park],” Holcomb said. “They were so impressed by that.”
The Nature Camp is the first of four specialty camps hosted by the parks department this month. The camps are for children, ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 13, and last from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Upcoming camps include Arts & Crafts, June 15-18; Sports, June 22-25; and Outdoor Adventure, June 29-July 2. The cost is $40 for one child and $30 for each additional child from the same family. There are still openings for the three remaining camps.
Parks Director of Recreation Kathy Wilkerson said this is the fourth year for the camps. She said parks officials wanted to offer specialized, half-day camps since other organizations and facilities have full-day camps.
“We realize a lot of parents have to work now and a lot of kids have to go to daycare,” she said. “We like these camps because they are just half-day, so the kids can really enjoy them.”
The instructors like them as well, especially the outdoor activities. The two also will lead the other three camps.
On the final day of the camps, the group goes on a field trip. Today, the campers will be visiting the Louisville Science Center.
“I would have liked them,” Holcomb, a Purdue student, said if she was one of the campers. “I always enjoyed going out and doing things.”
“I always like nature,” Hilles said. “I like doing arts and crafts.”
Hilles said the students get to take home a bag of goodies each day — from nature or arts and crafts — to show their parents.
During next week’s camp, Randy Rayl, a local artist and retired educator, will spend a day with the students doing different types of art.

SO YOU KNOW
• To register for a camp, sign up for programs or find out what is being offered by the New Albany-Floyd County Parks Department, check out its Web site at www.nafcparks.org or call 812-948-5360.

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