“Ah, mom and dad, there’s nothing to do.”
Kids, don’t try that line on your parents. Between arts, sports, science and outdoors camps and activities, you can pack your schedule with something to do almost every day starting this weekend. While some overnight camps can run $300 and more, scholarships are available from most organizations offering camps. Drop-in fees for some programs, like the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Knee-High Naturalist, are as low as a $2 donation. Homer Wilderness Leaders also offers day trips on a sliding scale from $10 to $40.
Popular camps are offered again this summer, like Pier One Youth Theatre — a program that has been going on long enough that former campers sometimes return as teachers. New this summer is a twist on the Homer Council on the Arts Bluegrass Camp. Homer-grown musician Andrew Vait, now living in Seattle, returns to teach a rock-pop section of the music camp.
Visiting Homer for the summer? Are the grandparents here to spend some quality time with those precious grandchildren? Some programs are geared toward families of all ages, like the Discovery Labs and guided nature walks at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. The Discovery Labs have already started with the Junior Birder labs held during the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival May 9-12. The labs are designed to appeal to kids age 3 and adults age 80 and older, said Jessica Ryan, education coordinator for the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, the state agency running the labs.
“It’s extremely informative, but it’s fun, too,” Ryan said.
Another summer favorite are the day programs at the Carl Wynn Nature Center on East Skyline Drive, which has been offering junior naturalist programs since the 1990s. With its trails, covered outdoor education areas and spectacular vistas, it offers immersion in nature a short drive from town. Day programs also are set up to give parents a little time off from kids.
“If parents come to town and want a couple of hours to have lunch and get their kids to play, they can go to one of those programs and play, get outside and learn something,” said CACS office manager Melanie Dufour.
CACS also has longer overnight camps at its Peterson Bay Field Station and day activities at its Spit Kids program at the yurt near the harbormaster’s office.
“I can’t go outside. It’s raining.”
Oh, and kids, don’t try that excuse, either. Like Alaskans say, “There’s no bad weather, only bad gear.” Most outdoor programs are rain or shine and participants expected to dress for it — even if you wind up wearing a snappy trash-bag poncho.
Theater and music camps are indoors, and the Homer Community Recreation programs keep running through the summer with lots of evening gym time for sports like basketball, ping-pong and the ever popular pickle ball.
“We’ve got a lot going on,” said Community Recreation Director Mike Illg. “We’re just continuing what we’ve been doing over the past 10 years.”
Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.
SUMMER YOUTH CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES
Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies
Wynn Nature Center Summer Youth Programs
Mile 2.5 East Skyline Drive
www.akcoastalstudies.org
Starting June 15 10:30-11:30 a.m. Fridays:
Knee-high Naturalist Program, ages 2-4
Starting June 18 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays:
Bio-kids: Art and Nature, ages 5-8
Starting June 19 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays:
Trackers, ages 8-11
Starting June 20 1-3 p.m. Thursdays:
Budding Botanist, ages 8-12
July 23-26:
Junior Naturalist Summer Camp, ages 9-12,
Wynn Nature Ctr & Peterson Bay Field Station
Aug. 5-9:
Marine Mammal Mysteries, ages 9-15, Peterson Bay Field Station
July 3-13:
Teen EcoAdventure Camp, ages 12-15, Peterson Bay Field Station,
Grewingk Glacier camp out, Farmers’ Market
June 28-30, July 19-21:
Family Camps
June-August 1: 4 p.m. daily:
Yurt on the Spit, Harbormaster Ramps
Creatures of the Dock tours
Homer Community Recreation
www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/recreation
Homer High School and other locations
4-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays:
Open basketball, children and adults
6-8 p.m. Wednesdays: Volleyball
6-8 p.m. Monday-Thursdays, Weight room
6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Ping Pong
6-8 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays,
Homer Education and Recreational Complex: Pickle ball
Bruins Basketball Clinic
Homer Council on the Arts
www.homerart.org
235-4288
Homer Music Camps
Offered by Bluegrass Camps for Kids and Andrew Vait
June 17-21:
Bluegrass camps, ages 6-18
Rock-Pop camps, ages 12-18
June 24-27:
Rock-Pop camps, advanced and adults
Circus Arts Camp
Christian Community Church gymnasium
with Morgan Langham and Daniel Sloan of Roustabout Circus.
Aug. 12-16:
Three camps for ages 6-8, ages 9-14 and ages 10 and older (aerials)
Aug. 16, 7 p.m.:
Roustabout Circus performance
Homer Public Library
Hazel Avenue
www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/library
235-3180
Homer Soccer Association
Coach Tommie Carlin-Schauer
www.homersoccer.com
West Homer Elementary School
May 28-Aug. 9 (week off July 4)
11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays, Thursdays:
Little Feet Program, ages 3-6
Recreational League
Tuesdays
1-2:15 p.m., 6-8 year olds
2:15-3:30 p.m., 8-10 year olds
3:45-5 p.m.,10-12 year olds
Games/Scrimmages
Wednesdays and Thursdays
1-2:30 p.m., 6-10 year olds
3-4:30 p.m.,10-12 year olds
Times to be announced:
Competitive soccer for older players
Homer Wilderness Leaders
Ocean Drive and FAA Drive
399-HOWL (399-4695)
June 11-Aug. 20
Noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays, Sundays:
HoWL Day trips, ages 8 and up
June 13-Aug. 22
Noon-5 p.m., every other Tuesday,
Edible Harvest Series, ages 10 and up
June 20-Aug. 15
Noon-5 p.m. Thursdays:
Xtreme Adventure series
May 23-Sept. 15;
Multi-day expeditions check online for more information
Kachemak Bay Research Reserve
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center
www.islandsandocean.org
June 17-Aug. 4
Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays:
11 a.m.: Guided walk
1 p.m.: Ranger talk
3 p.m.: Alaska Geographic film or talk
Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays
1-3 p.m. Discovery Lab
Saturdays
11 a.m., Guided walk
Pier One Theatre
Youth Theatre Camps
www.pieronetheatre.org
With Casey Parrett, Heather (Reichenberg) Benz, Kathleen Gustafson, Adella Sundmark
235-7333
May 27-June 4:
Theatre Play, ages 5-7
June 3-13:
Stories on Stage, ages 8-10
June 10-29:
Youth Theatre Skills Conservatory, ages 10-14; performances June 28, 29.
July 1-Aug. 10:
Summer Production, ages 10 and up
Throughout Pier One season:
Technical Theatre, ages 10 and up. Performances: Aug. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10
Pop Warner Football
popwarnerhomer.com
July 15, 5:30 p.m:
First practice, Homer Middle School
