Bensenville Park District summer camps on sale through May 6
It's not too late to score summer savings at the Bensenville Park District's Under the Sun camps. Those enrolling in adventure, sports, discovery and teen camps by Friday, May 6, can save $10 per session.
Under the Sun summer camps are made to cater to children's unique interests. Each day, campers participate in a wide variety of engaging games, projects, crafts and, of course, swim time at the water park.
Camp curriculums emphasize socialization through child-led play which lays the foundation for learning and academic success.
"Camp is all about development through experience," says Lisa Semetko, program supervisor. "All of our activities are based on the concept of child-led play, so kids are developing their social skills and emotional skills; they're out in nature getting to know their environment, and they're just having fun."
The park district offers three camps that run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays for 6-to-10-year-olds - adventure camp, sports camp and discovery camp.
Adventure campers' days are filled with cool crafts, games, new discoveries about their surroundings and nature exploration in addition to swim time.
Sports camps cater to those of all skill levels and focus on fun, good sportsmanship and skill development in hockey, soccer, softball, basketball and volleyball in addition to daily swim time. Discovery campers spend the day exploring historic Fischer Farm with fun adventures Tuesday through Friday each week.
Teen leadership camps allow campers to take on the role of counselor-in-training with a program that emphasizes responsibility, respect and cooperation.
Participants aged 11-15 will play fun games, compete in sports and tackle challenges as a team and will have weekly swim time in addition to leading younger campers in their activities. The camp runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For younger children aged 2-5, the park district offers tot and sunshine camps at the Deer Grove Leisure Center, 1000 W. Wood St. in Bensenville.
Tot camps offer a caring and gentile introduction to the camp experience for 2-year-olds with a new and exciting theme presented each week. Campers meet in the Nursery Room from 9 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and enjoy nature exploration, vegetable gardening, water play and visits to the splash pad on hot days. They also play games, get messy with sensory craft projects and have story time.
"We enjoy outside and nature - we sing, we dance, we play," says Cindy Banazynski, the park district's lead preschool teacher. "It's a lot of fun. We try to engage with nature with our youngest group in a safe way."
The sunshine camp caters to children aged 3-5 and is designed to foster children's growth and independence through exploration, guest speakers, sports, camp songs and playground time in addition to visits to the splash pad. The camps run from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Tiny Tot Room.
"We are outside as much as possible and want to promote the children's love and enjoyment of nature," Banazynski says. "We take turns playing in the sandbox; we run up and down Blackhawk Hill; we can find all kinds of insects. Anything that sparks the children's interest, that's what we want to do."
No matter the camp, all camp counselors are trained to provide a positive camp experience for children. The staff is trained in CPR, AED, first aid and behavior management.
All camps begin Monday, June 6, and each session runs for two weeks. The last session begins the week of Aug. 1.
To reserve a child's place in camp, register in advance at the DGLC with a $25 down payment per session for each child. Each session must be paid in full the Thursday prior to the start of each session enrolled. A pre-camp meeting for campers and parents will take place at the DGLC Thursday, June 2.
Before- and after-camp sessions are also available for children ages 6-15. Before-camp sessions run 7-9 a.m. weekdays and after-camp sessions run 3-6 p.m. Neither these sessions nor tot and sunshine camps are eligible for the early registration discount.
Visit BvilleParks.org/camps for more information about the park district's summer camps. For tot and sunshine camp program information, go to BvilleParks.org/programs/early-childhood-summer-camps.