Back in the day when my parents said, “Go play” I went outside, found my friend Franchelle or LaShawna and rode my bike around the neighborhood until the sun went down. Today when I tell my kids “Go play,” they think I mean go turn on the TV, put on their iPod headphones and pop in a video game or movie.
While I work from home and my kids are getting older, I am always looking for summer programs that will keep them busy and active for the summer. Sports and activity camps can give them a chance to:
- Try a new sport in a less competitive, short-term session (this was the key to my daughter trying basketball last year.)
- Learn from local coaches who know the rules of the game but also know how to make it fun.
- Just play! Camps often include water gun fun, silly games and messy mayhem — things this working mom can’t take a break to do on most days.
Luckily, I’ve found that there are plenty of great camps in Indianapolis. Here are a few that my kids have enjoyed (Note: I live on the west side of Indy, so these have a west side slant to them):
Ben Davis High School summer camps. Ben Davis has mostly one-week, 2-hour camps for all ages in basketball, football, softball, golf, swimming and more. Last year, my daughter did basketball camp here and learned some basic skills. In the fall, she asked me to enroll her in a basketball league for the first time. Most camps are about $40.
Cardinal Ritter High School camps. Cardinal Ritter has several camps for kids in grades 3-8. Their camps are weeklong camps, a few hours a day. Price tag: $25 per camp. They have basketball, football, track and more. My son enjoyed learning from the real high school football coaches and watching the high school team practice.
St. Richards, The Orchard School and Park Tudor camps. It takes me an hour just to read through their summer catalogs. These camps have got a little bit of everything and include half-day and full-day options with prices ranging from about $115 to $200 a week.
The Westview Healthplex, IUPUI, Indy Parks, and the YMCA have camps that sound like so much fun I wish I could enroll in some of their camps WITH my kids! Alas, I don’t have the time or money to do that.
I am always open to finding something new I think my kids will like. Any great camps you think I should add to my list to check out this summer?
Tags: Indianapolis summer camps, Indy Parks, kids fitness, summer camps, YMCA Indianapolis summer camps
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My kids aren’t quite old enough for this yet- Teagan is on the verge- but I definitely want my kids to experience the summer camps at Conner Prairie! I’ve had friend have their kids attend and the kids have an AWESOME time and come home physically exhausted from being so busy all day! http://www.connerprairie.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Special-Events/Summer-Day-Camps.aspx
sounds like some great camps!
Keep Rockin It!
I bought a family pass to the Ritter Camps at an auction this Spring. We’ll be taking advantage of as many of them as we can.
Thanks for sharing this info. I will be looking into some of these.
As director, I have to identify Jameson Camp as one to add to your list of great camps for parents to consider. We are an awarding -winning, accredited camp located on 100 acres of woods and meadows on the far westside of Indianapolis. Given the FitCity connection, readers may interested to know that we offer a special Wellness summer camp session for children and we provide a real focus on fun, fitness and character -building throughout all our sessions. People should visit our website to learn more; http://www.jamesoncamp.org.
Thanks!