Relocating in Summer/looking for Summer Camps

Check out Dallas Child Magazine. They usually have a list of activities and camps for kids of all ages.

A.,
Check out www.aroundtownkids.com. They have ALL the summer camps posted on their website by city - Frisco, Allen, McKinney and Plano. It is a GREAT website for everything, but I particularly love it for summer camps.

Plano Sports Authority is fantastic! My children (now 13 & 11) have gone there for years and LOVE it. Even though my son is very athletic & my daughter is not, there is something fun for both of them. We use the "flexi-pass" option so we can just drop off whenever. Their website, http://www.psaplano.org/ has more info.

Welcome home although Atlanta is a great city. VBS at Stonebriar Community Church is June 16-20. They're not registering yet. There's a new art studio open called Kids N' Art that is doing summer camps T-Th for $99 if you sign up by March 31. There's Frisco Gymnastics Center where you can go as many weeks as you want. Pump It Up has camps. You can also look at the website aroundtownkids.com and it will give you a list of all the camps in the area.

Hope this all helps! C.

A. - where in Dallas do you plan to re-locate? I live in East Dallas and can recommend several camps if you live close by.

Hi, A.!

My 7 year old daughter goes to DeGroot Learning Center in Plano (located near the intersection of Coit and Park). It is a small montessori school, and she has loved it. In the summers, they swim (they have a pool in the back, and the kids participate in both regulated and free swim time), they go bowling, they go roller skating, and at the end of the summer they go to Hurricane Harbor for a day ending with a sleepover. This will be her fourth summer camp there.

It is a great environment - second generation family owned; the teachers are wonderful and everyone seems to have soooo much fun.

They are probably going to start summer camp sign up soon, so you shouldn't have any problems getting your sons in!

Good luck!

Little Harts has 10 summer camps. Here is a link:
http://www.littleharts.com/summer/

Allen ISD has some fantastic summer camps that are run by teachers. I am not sure if Plano ISD or Frisco ISD has them too, maybe someone here can tell you. In any case, Allen is not far from where you are looking to move. (Allen is great too!!)
Allen ISD camps start registering in March/April, so if you are interested, keep an eye on their website.
I have 7 and 4 yo boys as well, and we really enjoyed the camps.

The best camp ever is Sky Ranch (www.skyranch.org). It is a Christian based camp and the kids become Sky Ranchers for life. When my son (now 24) was about 6, the other kids on his sports teams were starting to go to Sky Ranch. He went the next year and dearly adored it. When I took him the first time, I wanted to stay too! The cabins are nice and they are situated on a private lake. There is horseback riding, archery, riflery, swimming pool, waterslides, zip line over the water, the Blob (big bouncy air blob that sits on the water and the kids bounce on it and then into water), canoeing, sailing, ski-do, soccer, volleyball, arts and crafts, etc. I could go on and on. My son become a sky rancher for life. Not only did he go every year, then he wanted to stay for 2 weeks. Finally, he became a junior counselor and loved it. They have a small daily devotional. All ages do things together and then they do things in age groups. It is a wonderful experience and he still has friends that he made at camp. They will send you a DVD and info if you contact the website. Your 4 year old is probably too young to go, but he can go visit on pick-up day and see the excitement for himself. Then he, too, will want to go. They also have a New Years Eve Camp, which is usually for 2-3 days. It gives parents an opportunity to spend New Years together without worrying about the kids. The camp is in Van, TX (just east of Canton on I-20). I can't say enough about this place! If you have any questions, email me.

I would highly recommend Camp Deer Run. It is in East Texas about 1.5 hours from the metro. It is a church camp. They have one week and two week programs. My sister worked there for several years in college after going throughout middle and high school. She has lifelong friends that she still keeps up with as she went with a group of them to college. They have annual reunions. I am continually impressed with the kind, christian staff they recruit.

L.

my reccomendations are for VBS at Christ UMC in Plano and camp cimmarron/kiddie camp through the city of Plano. I have worked many summers at the latter, and the kids always seem to have a great time in the "great outdoors (aka a large park)."

There are a lot of great programs, like Young Chefs Academy, Capers for Kids, the Dallas Zoo, etc. Try going to www.gocitykids.com. In this site, you can find all types of camps in your local area for your kids. Good Luck!

Something to consider for them when they get a few years older is Camp Fern in Marshall, TX, which is NE Texas. Awesome! But I think 7-yo is about the youngest they do. www.campfern.com ###-###-####. My son loved it. After the first summer, he practically lived the year for the next summer when he could go back. He went there for 3 summers when he was 7, 8 and 10. Family-owned and long-established (my grand-mother remembers a friend going there when SHE was a little girl - that would be in the 1930's!). They know what they are doing & how to give a child awesome experiences!!! I think they even have scholarships.

Btw, do you need a good mover? I highly recommend Mighty Movers to get you here from GA. They moved us here from out of state and they were great! Their # is ###-###-#### ask for Brian, the owner.

Welcome home!

Hi A.! I have a wonderful camp in the Piney Woods of East Texas called Camp Huawni! I personally know the owners and their families and have gone and worked there as a counselor myself several years ago. It is a great place with loving people and wide open spaces! The people who own it are wonderful Christian people! It has four different sessions ranging from 1 week to 2 weeks. Now, I do know that a four year old is not old enough to go. If you want more information, please go to their website www.camphuawni.com You will not be disappointed!!!

TLC has a great camp and for your 4 year old, they get them ready for kinder as well....It is on Democracy in Plano.

Hello and welcome to our area,

Just a quick note...Most all of the public schools host summer camps that are put on by the teachers employed at
that school. It gives them a summer job and they are relatively creative and inexpensive. If you know what area you will be moving to you may want to do it at the school he will attend. It will give him a chance to meet some kids he may be in school with. You can call the school and they should be able to send you a list of camps.

There are alot of options in this area. I don't think you'll have any trouble.

Check out Around Town Kids http://www.aroundtownkidsfrisco.com/ they have lots of good info. You should also check with Frisco Fun at friscofun.org.

A.,
We have summer camps at my church. You can get all the information at www.firstmethodistplano.org. There is VBS, Kids Arts and Music Camp, and specialty camps called Cowabunga camps. I hope this helps.

I can not help you with camp information my kids are still little. I am a real estate area and work both Frisco and Plano, let me know if you are looking for someone to help you find your new home.

Thanks
M. Jones
Keller Williams- Team Fitzpatrick
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Hi A.!! Try looking up www.creativekidsprograms.com and click on summer camps. I swear it is not just because I am the co-owner, but it is the BEST summer camp. We have three locations. Thanks and welcome to the area!

A.,
I have two boys also, 11 & 12 yrs old. When they were younger they went to the day camp at YMCA in Plano on Tennyson Dr. It went all day and they canoed, did archery, went swimming, etc. You can sign up by the week.

I'm a real estate agent, let me know if I can help you find a home in an area with great schools!
N. Markham
Keller Williams
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Hi A.,

My daughter has gone to Plano Day School for 4 years now. They have a great summer program that includes academics as well as field trips once a week.

Infinite Bounds Gymnastics also offers summer camps that sound like fun. Haven't tried it yet (logistics are tricky for us), but have heard great things about it.

Good luck with your move!

L.

We have our outdoor recreation day camps on Lake Grapevine. Campers come from all over the mettoplex - here's our website - www.AdventureTeamKids.com

Our activities include Archery, Target Shooting, Kayaking, Swimming, Fishing, Nature Walk, Orienteering, Geocaching, Arts & Craft projects, Team Building Games, and more.

Typically the ages are 5-13, but we had a number of 4 year olds last summer and have a few signed up for next week's Spring Break Camp. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We'd LOVE to have your boys join us for some good old fashioned outdoor fun!

Last months Dallas Child magazine listed lots of different camps starting this summer. Here is the website, maybe you could get a back copy or maybe it's also in this months article. http://www.dallaschild.com/issuelist.asp?month=2&year...

Try the City of Plano Park & Rec Leisure Catalog. They have fantastic things for summertime activities. Hope you enjoy living in Dallas area.

The city of Plano has a great parks and rec. program in the summer. Go to www.planoparks.org. The summer catalogue will be out in a few weeks. Also try planoymca.org. They have lots of great summer programs too.

I sell real estate in the Plano/Frisco area so let me know if I can be a resource for any information you may need (utilities, schools, etc.)