It’s coming. (Cue the theme music from Jaws.) The days you used to long for as a child but now face with harried and bewildered dread. Summer days. The kids are out of school. Now what?
You and your family can confidently take on the summer, because there is a wealth of camps, exhibitions, classes and day trips available that will stimulate, educate and thrill your family. This collection of summer fun possibilities will appeal to your explorer/musician/designer/astronaut. We promise.
Anthropology
The International Museum of Cultures, Dallas, 214/708-7406, internationalmuseumofcultures.org
Who doesn’t want a cultured kid? The Museum of Cultures engages elementary through high school students with day and weekly camps. Art Explosion gives campers guided artistic expression, while weekly camps in July immerse campers in different ethnic traditions.
Archery
Texas Archery Academy, Plano, 972/379-7651, texasarcheryacademy.org
Quicker than you can say Katniss Everdeen, register your child for archery. Not so much because it will become a life-and-death skill, but because he can learn accuracy, hand-eye coordination and discipline. All equipment is supplied, and children 10 and up can sign up.
Aviation
Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, 214/350-3600, flightmuseum.com
For children from first through 10th grade, Frontiers of Flight offers a four-day Aero Lab that includes a tour of DFW Airport; a Rocket Lab that allows kids to launch their own model rocket; or an Aviator’s Workshop where they get to build a powered model airplane.
Ballroom Dancing
Arthur Murray for Kids Dance Studio, multiple locations, 972/702-9660, arthurmurray.com/arthur-murray-dance-studios-texas
You caught your twins mimicking William Levy on Dancing With the Stars, and they would have fetched at least a 25. Foster that talent at Arthur Murray Dance Studios, where kids ages 5–15 can learn ballroom and other dancing.
Baseball
Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, 972/726-4377, texas.rangers.mlb.com
The Texas Rangers have batted up their share of awesomeness lately. Now Rangers Ballpark has a new feature to let kids get in the game: an air-conditioned Kids’ Zone equipped with rock walls, a ball pit, a 25-foot baseball bat slide and baseball-themed interactive games.
Basketball
Harlem Globetrotters/24 Hour Fitness, 800/641-4667, Ext. 146, harlemglobetrotters.com
You can’t teach them how to dunk, but you can send them to the senseis of slam-dunk. The legendary Harlem Globetrotters have partnered with 24 Hour Fitness to bring summer skills clinics (shooting, dribbling, passing) to fans ages 6–14.
Circus Classes
Lone Star Circus School, Farmers Branch, 214-206-1449, lonestarcircus.org
If your 7-year-old teeters across the back of your couch pretending it’s a high wire, it might be time for Circus Camp. A one-week training session in June will have your budding performer trying everything from the trapeze to juggling to clowning.
Conservation
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, 254/897-2960, fossilrim.org
Fossil Rim gives your eco-conscious kid the chance to put his or her values to work. There are two camps available, for ages 7–10 and 11–17; campers learn what goes on behind the scenes in a conservation center. The camps are either one-day or three-day experiences.
Fencing
Lone Star Fencing Center, Dallas, 214/558-7789, lonestarfencingcenter.org
So, your child’s been swashbuckling since she could wield a spork against her furry foes, much to your chagrin. Let her hone her fencing skills, and be rewarded for them! Classes are available for children as young as 8 years old. The cat will thank you.
Fossil Digs
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Mineral Wells, 940/328-7803, mineralwellsfossilpark.com
Make getting a little dirt on their hands educational as well as fun; take the kids for a fossil dig. The Mineral Wells Fossil Park is open daily from 8am–dusk, admission is free and you can take home all the fossils you excavate. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, bug spray and wet wipes, as you’ll be in a low-shade area.
Horses
Storybook Ranch, McKinney, 972/369-0874, storybookranch.com
Storybook Ranch was established in 1887, so you can trust that these folks know a thing or two about teaching your young ones how to ride a horse. Camps are held from early June through the end of August for kids 6–13. All experience levels are accepted, and classes are available for children with special needs.
Money
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Fort Worth, 817/231-4000, moneyfactory.gov/tours/fortworthtxtours.html
Time for a little show-and-tell: As in, you’ve always told your kids you’re not made of money, now you can show them. Take a tour with your currency aficionado any weekday during business hours in June and July. Maybe they’ll finally believe you when you tell them money does not actually grow on trees.
Robotics
American Robotics Academy, multiple locations, 281/599-7626, roboticsacademy.com
How can you resist class descriptions like, “Can a little modern technology help the crusaders break into the castle of the evil Baron and destroy his army of barbaric soldiers?” The American Robotics Academy sharpens the mechanical brilliance of your child through hands-on learning.
Rock Climbing
Canyons Climbing Gym, Frisco, 214/872-2992, canyonsclimbinggym.com
Sometimes your wild ones are metaphorically climbing the walls with seemingly limitless energy. Why climb walls metaphorically when they can literally go climbing? At Canyons Climbing Gym, kids ages 6–14 can go to a weeklong morning camp where they learn climbing technique, how to belay and team-building skills.
Rowing
Dallas United Crew, Dallas, dallasunitedcrew.org
Dallas United Crew, the largest club team in Texas, has 10 years of turning landlocked youth into strong rowers. Your middle-schooler can learn to race 60-foot carbon fiber racing shells across White Rock Lake with eight other boat mates, receiving guidance from experienced coaches. Their summer camp is designed for would-be rowers with little to no prior rowing experience.
Songwriting
Oil and Cotton, Dallas, 214/988-9189, blog.oilandcotton.com
Your little lyricist never could sleep well when you sang "Rockabye Baby." And can you blame her? I mean, “Down will come baby/cradle and all.” Here’s a chance for her to remix those creepy words or create a new song all her own. Oil and Cotton’s four-day songwriting camp is open to children ages 7–13, and kids will write lyrics, form bands, then write, rehearse, record and perform a single.
Sailing Classes
North Texas Sailing School, Rockwall, 972/771-2002, northtexassailing.com
Junior Sailing classes are just a bag lunch and a life jacket away. Certified instructors work with your child ages 7–17 for eight weeks to teach sailing fundamentals and proper boat handling technique. North Texas Sailing School is the oldest in Dallas and is located on Lake Ray Hubbard.
Surfing
Adrenalina FlowRider Surf Ride, Plano, 469/366-0110, adrenalinastore.com
We may live in a land-locked city, but a little thing like being ocean-challenged won’t get in the way of learning how to surf, thanks to Adrenalina in The Shops at Willow Bend. This intro to surfing is definitely for the daring, indomitable youngster, since the learning environment is in a glass cube in the middle of a sports store.
Superhero & Pirate Training
Pump It Up, multiple locations, 972/792-9663, pumpitupparty.com
So your little ones want to be Avengers or Jack Sparrow for their birthday, huh? Turns out that’s totally possible, and not just on Halloween. Throw a party complete with treasure hunts and maps, or superhero training where kids get to defeat evil villains. Just make sure your little hero is 34 inches or taller.
Workshops
homedepot.com, lowesbuildandgrow.com
Your son is a pint-sized DIY expert. Remember when he super-glued the dog bowl to the floor so that Fido could eat without shuffling across the kitchen? Yeah. At Home Depot and Lowe’s, DIY meets a safe, instructive and free environment so your child can make a craft and take it home. Both stores offer programs on Saturday mornings for kids ages 5–12.
