As kids are looking forward to summer fun, many Valley parents are looking for enriching opportunities for their children once school is out. The wide variety of summer camp programs all over the RGV is sure to make everyone happy. Some of the offerings for this summer are listed here.
Valleywide Programs
IDEA Summer Day Camp – Camp Rio
Each day campers participate in a wide variety of activities, including sports, fishing, archery, and geocaching throughout the 85-acre camp property. Sessions run Monday through Friday, and camp runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.
Camp Rio is located near Brownsville, but is available to students all around the Valley with bus service from several IDEA campuses. For more information, visit www.ideapublicschools.org/camp-rio/summer-camp.
McAllen Programs
City of McAllen Parks and Recreation
The city of McAllen Parks and Recreation department hosts programs including swimming, dance, taekwondo, sports of all kinds, arts and crafts, and archery. Programs are available at different community centers and parks throughout the city. For more information, go to mcallen.net/departments/parks or stop by any of the community centers.
Musicacademy McAllen – Rock Band Camp/Little Rockers Camp
For students interested in music, the Musicacademy in McAllen offers programs for multiple age groups starting at 4 years old. Students ages 7 and older will learn piano, guitar, bass, and vocals before forming a band and performing for family at the end of the session. Younger students will have the opportunity to learn about rhythm and melody while playing the piano, ukulele, and percussion. Sessions are two weeks long from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, and cost $200.
For more info, visit http://musicademymcallen.com/.
Tipsy Canvas McAllen Kids Art Camp
Children ages 5 to 15 can explore their inner creative side by attending day camp at the Tipsy Canvas. Craft supplies are provided and campers will have a blast doing arts, crafts, canvas, and face painting. Sessions are from 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and cost $135 per week. For more information, visit the Tipsy Canvas website at www.tipsycanvasmcallen.com/kids-art-camp.
First United Methodist Church Fun Days
Starting June 11, camp sessions will take place Monday through Thursday. Each week has its own theme. There is a $35 deposit for each week. The fee is $75 for currently enrolled students and $85 for students that are not currently enrolled in the school. Visit fumcmcallen.com/ministries/fumc-day-school/ for more information.
Harlingen Programs
City of Harlingen Parks and Recreation
Kids have the opportunity to participate in activities such as Ninjutsu, Zumba, dance, sports, and library programs through the City of Harlingen Parks and Recreation department. Stop by Harlingen community centers to get more information or look online at myharlingen.us/page/parksandrec.recreation.
Edinburg Programs
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and Birding Center
Summer programs run from June 26 through July 27. There are different programs for various ages from 1-year-olds up to 12-year-olds.
For more information or to register, call (956) 381-9922.
City of Edinburg Parks and Recreation
For Edinburg residents, the Parks and Recreation Department offers youth classes in folklorico, basketball, karate, tumbling, cheerleading, and much more during the summer months, but slots are limited and filling up fast. For more information on how to register, visit edinburg.recdesk.com/Community/Program.
Brownsville Programs
Gladys Porter Zoo Summer Safari & Starlight Sleepovers
Camps are four days long and start from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and conclude with a Starlight Safari Sleepover. The sleepover part of the camps takes place overnight on Friday and parents and family are encouraged to participate in the sleepover, as well. For more information on prices and dates, view the summer catalogue at gpz.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018_SummerSafari_schedule.pdf.
City of Brownsville Summer Recreation Sessions
The City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department Summer Recreation Program is a safe, fun, supervised program for children. Activities range from indoor and outdoor sports, recreational games, arts & crafts, and more. Sessions are currently hosted at two locations — The Rec Center and Gonzalez Park. Sessions are a week long, lasting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and run from June 11 to Aug. 17. For more information and to register, visit www.cob.us/502/Summer-Recreation-Program.
Mission Programs
National Butterfly Center
The National Butterfly Center in Mission offers three programs all in the month of July: July 9-13, July 16–20, and July 23-27. Each program is one week long from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and the cost is just $25. For registration, please visit the center.
Hands in Art Studio
Kids Summer Camps start May 28 and end June 29. Sign up for single days or whole weeks, and choose between half days or full days. All supplies are provided. Call (956) 605-9393 or register online at www.handsinartstudio.com/product-page/kids-spring-art-camp-full-week.
