The school year is stressful for parents and kids, and come summertime, everyone deserves a break. Three months of video games and TV are a tempting distraction, but there are better options to keep young minds occupied. Local summer camps give your children a chance to learn new skills, prepare for higher learning and supplement their schooling with hands-on activities and memorable experiences.
Oklahoma City Community College’s College for Kids
OCCC offers two different College for Kids programs to Oklahoma City Public Schools students, both with open enrollment. College for Kids at the OCCC Capitol Hill Center, 325 SW 25th St., offers math, science, art and engineering classes taught by English Language Learner (ELL) teachers who can also accommodate Spanish-speaking students. The program is designed for students entering grades three through eight, and class sizes are limited to 20 students. Classes run June 4-29 and July 9-20. College for Kids at the FACE Center, 6500 S. Land Ave., offers theater, science, art, math and technology classes and more June 4-July 27. Visit occc.edu/summercamp.
Science Museum Oklahoma Summer Camps
SMO offers eight weeks of weeklong educational camps for children from preschool age (4-5 years old) to sixth grade. Subjects include gardening, space exploration, chemistry and more, with some camps drawing inspiration from pop culture favorites such as Star Wars, the Harry Potter series and The Magic School Bus. The series runs June 4-Aug. 3. The museum is located at 2020 Remington Place. Call 405-602-6664 or visit sciencemuseumok.org/summer-camps.
Living History Summer Camp at the Rodkey House
Now in its second year, this summer camp presented by Edmond Historical Society teaches children age 6-12 about life in the early days of Edmond. This year’s theme is Transportation and Communication, and activities include making tin-can telephones and using Morse code, making jewelry and setting type in a printing press. The camp runs July 10-26 at Rodkey House Event and Education Annex, 410 S. Littler Ave., in Edmond. Call 405-340-0078 or visit edmondhistory.org.
Farm Camp
Children age 6-10 can learn about life on the farm at five-day camps in session June 4-29 at 4C Ag Service, 18750 NE 122nd St., in Jones. Activities include caring for goats, chickens, horses, ducks and other farm animals; learning to grow and harvest herbs, fruits and vegetables; and collecting eggs. Call 405-990-7791 or visit 4cagservice.com.
Rock and Roll Camp for Girls
Self-identified girls age 8-17 can learn to play instruments, form bands and write and perform original songs at this camp taught by female instructors, which runs July 16-21 at SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St., and culminates in a July 21 live performance. Visit rcgokc.org.
Camp Pride
The first camp of its kind in the state, Camp Pride welcomes LGBTQ+ and allies age 8-18 to a safe, supportive environment where they can learn new skills, participate in outdoor activities and make new friends. The camp runs July 5-7 at Camp Fire Green County, 706 S. Boston Ave., in Tulsa. Call 918-592-2267 or visit tulsacampfire.org.
Young Company Theatre Camp
Presented by Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, this camp offers students age 13-18 hands-on, interactive instruction on performing the Bard’s works, covering voice, vocabulary, line memorization and other topics. This intensive weeklong camp running July 9-13 leads up to a live performance at Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St. Call 405-235-3700 or visit oklahomashakespeare.com.
