Calling all campers...

Summer is nearly upon us and next week, children throughout the county will be tossing aside their school books and embarking on their own adventures in a variety of summer camps.
While most of the camps scheduled during the month of June are full, there is still time for children to get registered for July and August camps. The options range from sports camps to agricultural based camps to educational camps.
Ashley Elgin and Kaci Daniel at the Orange Extension Office are operating several different camps this summer for those with agricultural interests.
Cloverbud Day Camp, which features crafts, learning and fun, will be held July 6-10 for children ages five to eight. The cost to register for the camp is $30 per child, due by June 19.
Special Riding Camp is when volunteers come together to provide therapeutic horseback riding and camp experience to children with disabilities. Camp will be held July 13-17 from 9 a.m. to noon daily. Volunteers are needed for side-walking, crafts, recreation and barn duty. To volunteer, or if you know someone between nine and 19 years old with a disability who would enjoy camp, contact Elgin at the extension office, 672-1361.
Something new this year is 4-H Fair Day Camp for children ages five to 10. The camp, which has a $5 registration cost, will be held in two sessions. Children can choose to attend camp July 23 from 1-4:30 p.m. or July 24 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. According to Elgin, the camp aims to get children to the fair and will include scavenger hunts, butter making and crafts. Children interested in the camp need to register by June 19.
According to Elgin, several 4-H one-day camps are also in the works, including: Kids in the Kitchen, which will focus on baking; Career Kids, which will focus on setting career goals and career shadowing; Orange You Glad You Live in Orange, which will showcase some of the things Orange County has to offer; Before the Fair, which will allow participants to create things which they can then submit to the fair; and Eco-ventures, which will focus on environmental issues and greening. No dates have been set for the day camps but more can be learned by calling the extension office or visiting ocva4-H.blogspot.com. To register for any of the camps being offered by the 4-H this summer, call the extension office at 672-1361.
Montpelier is also offering children an opportunity to attend exciting and educational camps. While the popular Mud Camp is already full, Montpelier is offering Gilmore Camp, which will operate from July 6-10 and will allow campers to learn about the life of a newly emancipated family at the Gilmore Farm. Participants will learn about the chores and cooking that the family would have done as well as make crafts and more. To register for the camp, or for more information, contact Montpelier.
For those looking to get crafty during the summer, the Arts Center in Orange is offering a variety of weeklong youth art camps throughout the summer. Some of the options include Art Buffet, which will feature a different theme everyday for a week; Fairyland, which will be all about fairies; Art Camp-Great Artists, allowing participants to travel through time to meet famous artists; and Art Camp-Around the World, featuring work inspired by artists from all over the globe. For more details on these camps and a complete list of everything being offered this summer, contact the center at 672-7311.
Grymes Memorial School is also offering summer camps including two art camps and a music camp.
The adult clay class will be held June 22-23, 25, 30 and July 2 from 6-8 p.m. nightly. The class is open to high school students and adults and will focus on teaching various hand-building techniques with clay. Students will create pots and containers using coils and slabs. The cost of the class is $100 and all supplies are provided. The children's art class will run June 22-25 from 4-5:45 p.m. daily and is open to rising second through eighth graders. The class will explore art through a variety of different mediums with students working primarily with clay and paint, experimenting with new techniques. The cost of the class is $80 with all supplies provided. For more information, contact Grymes Memorial School at 672-1010.
Voice, the Original Instrument-A capella Camp will run June 22 to July 2, Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and is open for students in sixth grade and older. Campers will learn how to choose pop songs that can be easily adapted to a capella arrangements; learn basic a capella song arranging; learn to sing different parts for a capella and perform an a capella selection for a final concert. The cost of registration is $100 per student with a $25 non-refundable deposit due June 15. For more information, email instructor Meredith Berry at berry.meredith@gmail.com.
Children looking to hone their soccer skills this summer can do so by attending Challenger Sports Soccer Camp. The camp, which features a distinctly British style, offers participants a chance to learn some new skills as well as learn interesting facts about Britain. The camp is being offered by Orange County Parks and Recreation. The June date is full but the camp will be offered again August 10-14 at Sweetbriar Park in Lake of the Woods. Children five to nine will attend camp from 9 a.m. to noon daily and children nine to 15 will attend camp from 1-4 p.m. daily. The fee for the camp is $116 per child, due by July 31. Registration can be done online at www.challengersports.com or at the Orange County Parks and Recreation Office at 146 Madison Rd. For more information, call 672-5435.
Those preferring basketball can attend Up Tempo Basketball's Summer Basketball Camp. The camp will be held July 18-19 at the Orange County High School Sports Plex and is open to boys and girls ages eight to 16. Camp will start at 9 a.m. with campers arriving no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and will end at 2 p.m. with all campers being picked up by 2:30 p.m. There will be camp awards and each camper will receive a free Nike camp shirt. The camp staff will consist of Up Tempo coaches and players, OCHS coaches and special guests. The cost for camp is $125 per person to be paid in full by July 1 or $75 if paid in full by June 18. A $50 fee must accompany each application. Checks can be made payable to Up Tempo Basketball, P.O. Box 779, Orange, VA 22960. All applications must be received and paid in full by July 1. For more information about the camp, contact camp director Shannon Douglas at 540-717-0860 or sdouglas2009@hotmail.com.
Additionally, the Orange County High School basketball program is sponsoring a summer basketball camp starting the week after schoo lets out.
According to varsity boys basketball coach Keyode Rogers, the camp is open to boys and girls ages 7-15 and will be conducted at the OCHS Hornet Sports Center 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily June 8-12.
For more information, contact Orange County High School at 661-4300.
Whether hanging out at the fair, learning about an olden day family, crafting or bending it like Beckham, children in Orange County will be able to keep active and entertained all summer long.