April 19, 2024

YMCA Day Camp offers engaging program

By DENISE CASKEY

Southern Prairie YMCA staff member Allison Queener, center, works with Mason Wilson, left, and Bailey Wilson as they try out a new circuit board at the YMCA in Creston. The Wilsons are in the Y's after-school program, and this program, as well as the summer day camp, will now feature robotics and circuit kits, thanks to a grant secured by the Y in mid-September. (CNA file)

Southern Prairie YMCA is bringing back its popular Summer Day Camp beginning June 4.

The camp will offer engaging, fun activities for children throughout the summer, including swim lessons, field trips and STEM activities.

“Swimming lessons are build into the camp fee,” said Hannah Jaegers, SPYMCA youth programs coordinator, “and are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 9:30 a.m. They have open swim every afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. We have a net and things like so they can do water volleyball, we have a little basketball hoop, and then we have, I call it our little baby pool. We do have boats but they have to have a staff with them on the boats.”

Jaegers said the field trips planned will be to local businesses in order to utilize the trolley. Ideas for trips include the Southwestern Community College agricultural test plot and farm, Creston News Advertiser and one of the vet clinics. She also said that field trips to local businesses where parents work, may also be a possibility, but staying local was important because of the trolley.

There are a couple new additions to camp programming.

Jaegers said this is the first year they’re implementing a reading component to the program, even if it means simply reading for an hour a day.

“We do have a robot that we got from a grant,” she said, “so they’ll be doing a little bit of work with a robot.”

Children participating in camp will need to bring lunch from home, but snacks and water will be provided by SPYMCA.

“We ask that you bring brown bag style lunch as long as it’s not a microwavable meal,” Jaegers said. “We do provide a healthy snack at 3 p.m. and then we provide water bottles. We ask that parents bring lunch and that they feed them breakfast. We do understand that getting them out the door in the morning is a big deal, so if they need to eat breakfast here that’s OK. We just ask that they get breakfast, whether it’s a Pop Tart or something.”

For child safety and to comply with ACA accreditation standards, the number of children will be capped at 30, so Jaegers recommends signing up sooner rather than later because spots are filling up fast.

The cost to attend SPYMCA Day Camp depends on the number of hours. For example, a child spending 30 to 40 hours a week at camp will be $130 per week, or $26 per day. With the average cost of daycare being roughly $900 a month in some places, SPYMCA Day Camp is an affordable alternative. If a family has more than one child attending, the cost for subsequent children goes down.

Families participating in the camp must be members of the Y, but if they are not before signing up, they can purchase a 3-month membership that will make their children eligible to attend. For families who might need financial assistance, SPYMCA does offer help through a scholarship program. Check with a staff member for more information.

Hours of SPYMCA Day Camp will coincide with the hours of operation, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“We’re going to run camp around the four core values of the Y,” Jaegers said. “Honesty, care, responsibility and respect.”