Look No Further Than Your Own Backyard: Summer Options for Kids

Although the calendar says February, it's not too early for parents to look ahead to the 10-week-long summer vacation. Some long for their kids to have a rustic day camp experience, yet "rustic" can have a high price tag when it includes door-to-door air conditioned bus transportation. For every parent who wants their kids to have the security of bonding with a consistent group of kids, there's another who's looking to expose their kids to new and different experiences.
 
While family vacations usually figure into the planning, with the economic downturn, this may be the summer of cutting back the road trips, flights to exotic places and summer rentals down the Shore. Luckily, South Orange has options for children that fit many of the criteria parents think about in making their summer choices, and some are considerably less expensive than their out-of-town counterparts. Many parents prefer to cobble together a summer program from the various local options, complemented with hanging out at the pool. If local options don’t fill out your calendar, think about trading houses with a friend or housesitting as inexpensive alternatives to the "stay-cation."

Note: Pay attention to registration dates. Some programs fill up quickly; others offer incentives for registering early.

• The Adult School's summer program at South Orange Middle School offers over 100 classes to children from first to 12th grade. One- and two-week options run from June 29 – July 24. From one class to a full day of classes, children can make up their own schedules. They travel from class to class with the assistance of "yellow shirts," Columbia High School students who help the program run smoothly. Registration is taking place now, by mail or drop-off. Download catalogue and registration forms from the Web site. Catalogues of classes will be mailed in early March.

• The Village of South Orange offers a number of programs for children and teens.
  • The South Orange Playground Program, available to Village residents only, runs from 9am - 1pm for seven weeks, starting June 29. It's for children aged 4 through eighth graders. Registration begins March 1.
  • Baseball camps in July are open for registration now, and weekly tennis camps will be open for registration soon.
  • No pool manager has been appointed yet, so specific details about registration are not available. However, according to Kate Schmidt, assistant director of recreation at The Baird, the swim team registration is in June, and registration for July swim lessons will be on a weekend in late June. Registration for August swim lessons will be on a weekend in late July.
    

• The U.S. Sports Institute holds a multi-sports outdoor sports camp in Meadowbrook Park in August.

• Internal Drives (ID) Tech Camps offer full-day and extended-day week-long computer and video design camps on campuses throughout the country. ID comes to the Seton Hall campus for its third year this summer for six weeks, starting June 28. Beginner to advanced students, ages 7-17, can take courses in game modeling and design, graphic arts and Web design. There’s an overnight camp for 10-17 year olds. Discounts are offered to early bird registrants, siblings, and those who register for extra weeks or refer a friend.

• The Seton Hall campus is also home to Pirates Sport Camps, week-long programs in soccer, volleyball, baseball, basketball and swimming. Day camps for younger children, night camps for teens and a weekend basketball camp for fathers and sons run from late June to early August. Applications are taken on a first come, first served basis.
  

• The Girl Scout Oval Day Camp in the South Mountain Reservation, named for its oval playing field, is a weekly outdoor camp. Each week has a different nature theme. The camp meets from June 29 to Aug. 14 and is for first to eighth grade girls. There's an open house on May 3, 1:30pm - 3:30pm, at the Oval.