Summer break is just around the corner, but it can feel like anything but a vacation for parents who don't know yet what their kids are going to do all season. If you're new to Houston and not sure where to send your kids for safe, educational summer fun, don't despair. Houston Apartment Insiders is here to help you find your perfect family-friendly apartment, and we'd like to point you towards other great family resources, too. Our beautiful city has plenty of great summer camps and activities for kids. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Children's Museum of Houston always has a variety of events and activities for families with young children. Help your kids discover the fun of active learning with exhibits on the science of buildings, how water works, computers, brain teasers, action hero training, and more. At their Gear Up for Summer event, May 26-June 1, you can enjoy performances and family activities while learning about everything the museum has to offer this summer—for just $8 a day.
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is always a great family destination. This 155-acre non-profit nature sanctuary, complete with a variety of wildlife habitats and nature trails, includes a Nature Center with interactive science exhibits available year-round. And from June 6-August 12, the Arboretum & Nature Center offers fun, educational nature camps, as well as art camps and yoga camps, for kids aged 5-12.
Space Center Houston, the official visitor's center of NASA's famous Johnson Space Center, offers space-oriented science exhibits year-round, and summer camps for kids and teens aged 4-14. In Space Center Houston's day camps, kids are divided into age-appropriate groups to learn about space through exhibits and hands-on activities designed just for them.
The University of Houston runs math, science and computer camps for kids aged 6-17, and two engineering programs—one for girls entering 8th through 12th grades, and one for boys and girls entering 12th grade. If your child is interested in computers and technology, you'll also want to look into the computer camps from ID Tech, which are held on the University of Houston campus.
YMCA of Houston offers day camps for kids aged 3-17 at locations throughout the Houston area, designed to suit almost every interest. There are teen-only camps with fun trips and weekly themes, including environmental activism, team competition, health and wellness, rock band practice, and visual arts. There are sports camps for nearly every interest, and specialty camps for dance, theatre arts, science, ropes courses, and even cooking.
Kidventure Camps offer the classic camp experience, with lots of old-fashioned outdoor fun. They offer day camps for ages 3-13 at several locations in Houston, the teen-focused LEADS Program for ages 12-15 at the Houston Raquet Club, and the two-week Safari Overnight Camp for ages 8-14.
Commanders Teen Volunteer Program, led by Volunteer Houston, will get your teens off the couch and out in the community, where they can make a real difference. The program teaches older kids (aged 13-17) community leadership skills while they participate in classroom activities and service projects for local non-profits.
Posted by Melanie Belasco Levy on 05/19/11
