Sign up soon for popular summer camps

Summer is coming quickly and in less than three weeks children throughout the county will be tossing aside their school books and embarking on new adventures in a variety of summer camps.
Currently, most of the camps scheduled during the summer still have vacancies but children and their parents need to act quickly because openings are filling up fast. The options for camp range from agricultural based camps to educational camps and sports camps.
Ashley Elgin and Kaci Daniel at the Virginia Cooperative Extension Orange 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 6-9 for children ages five to eight. The cost to register for the camp is $25-30 per child, due by June 30. To register, contact Daniel at the extension office, 672-1361.
Therapeutic Adventure Camp of Orange (TACO), formerly known as "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 12-16 from 9 a.m. to noon daily. Volunteers are needed for side-walking. To volunteer, or if you know someone between nine and 19 years old with a disability who would enjoy the camp, contact Elgin at the extension office, 672-1361.
Returning for the second 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 22 or July 23. According to Daniel, the camp coincides with the Orange County Fair and is a good way for non-4-Hers to learn about animals and agriculture. Children interested in the camp need to register two weeks prior to camp.
According to Daniel, several 4-H one, two or three-day worshops are also in the works, including a workshop on manners and etiquette, canning and food preservation, fair preparation and possibly sewing. No dates have been set for the workshops but more can be learned by calling the extension office or visiting http://ocva4-H.blogspot.com. Registration fees will be based on materials costs. Register for any of the camps being offered by the 4-H this summer by calling the extension office at 672-1361.
The popular 4-H Junior Camp at Front Royal is already booked for the summer. Hundreds of eager youths from Orange will visit the camp June 13-17 for a week of arts, crafts and outdoor adventure.
Montpelier is also offering children an opportunity to attend exciting and educational camps. Mud Camp, the very popular annual day camp which teaches children about the natural world, will be offered June 14-18 for rising third and fourth graders and June 21-25 for rising sixth and seventh graders. The cost of camp is $120 and children are encouraged to sign up as quickly as possible because the camp fills up fast.
Montpelier is also offering Gilmore Camp, which will operate from July 5-9 for rising fifth, sixth and seventh graders 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. The cost of camp is $150 and includes lunch, which campers will cook daily.
Special Summer Fun Wednesday one-day camps will also be offered at Montpelier, June 30 through the end of July. Classes include body building, using human rulers to rebuild the historic Montpelier street, and flights of fancy.
To register for any of the camps being offered at Montpelier, contact Christian Cotz, Montpelier Manager of Student and Family Programs, at 672-2728 ext. 401 or ccotz@montpelier.org.
For those looking to get crafty during the summer, the Arts Center in Orange is offering a variety of weeklong youth art camps, including two in cooperation with Grymes Memorial School-Puppet Camp and Art & Nature Camp. Participation is open to children ages 5 to 12 and is not limited to Grymes students.
Puppet Camp will be held July 26-30, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Camp will allow children to take center stage as a puppeteer while learning the ins and outs of theatrical performance, teamwork and playwriting. Camp will begin with an introduction to puppet theatre and end with a performance. In between, campers will rotate through classes in puppet craft, music, theatre and set design. The cost of camp is $320 per camper and registration is due by June 15.
Art & Nature Camp is scheduled August 2-6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Campers will learn about arts and science through creating an exhibit of nature-based art while exploring the environment. The cost of camp is $320, due by June 15.
To register for either of these camps, contact The Arts Center In Orange at 672-7311.
The Arts Center will also be offering week-long summer workshops including delicious art, painting, watercolors, pen and ink and acting. For more information and a complete list of everything being offered by the Center this summer, call 672-7311.
In addition to the two camps held in cooperation with The Arts Center In Orange, Grymes Memorial School is offering the Summer Fiesta de Art and Spanish day camp. The camp will be held June 28 through July 1 and is open to rising first through fifth-graders. Campers will experience a week of fun while learning about art through a variety of Hispanic cultures. The cost of camp is $100 which includes all supplies. For more information, contact Grymes Memorial School at 672-1010.
Children interested in acting and theatre will enjoy the Four County Players Summer Camp. According to theatre manager Pam Edelman, this one-week camp will operate July 12-16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to 75 students entering first through ninth grade. Campers will learn about improvisation, movement, direction, character building, voice and technical aspects while learning how to be actors and actresses. At the end of camp, campers will perform in a variety show for parents and guests. To register, contact Edelman at 832-5355. Camp fills fast. Volunteers are also needed to serve as interns. Interns can be anyone entering 10th through 12 grade. Interested persons should also contact Edelman.
Children looking to hone their soccer skills this summer can do so by attending British Soccer Camp. The camp, which features a distinctly British style, offers participants a chance to learn new skills as well as interesting facts about Britain. The camp is being offered by the Orange Parks and Recreation June 28 through July 2 at Orange County High School. 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 $113 per child, due at least 10 days prior to the start of camp. Camp is also available from 9-10 a.m. for children ages 3-4 at $72 per child and from 10:15-11:45 a.m. for children 4-5 at $88 per child. Registration can be done online at www.challengersports.com or at the Orange Parks and Recreation Office at 146 Madison Rd. For more information, call 672-5435.
Check out the coming events section in the Orange County Review for information about additional summer camp opportunities as they become available.