Imagine your power bill for the summer with all the kids watching TV, playing video games, listening to music and visiting the refrigerator for food and drinks almost every minute of the day.
Kids staying at home, is what parents would prefer most of the time.
The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Sports and Recreation and the Division of Youth Services have just realized that while moving ahead with the Annual Day and Sports Camp.
One of the agency’s preventive programs and a means to promote healthy living among kids, the youth camp will give children age seven to 13, a lot of things to do for almost one month.
Yesterday, the DYS and the Sports and Recreation wrapped up in a meeting yesterday all the activities for the first week of the camp which will be from July 14 to 21.
Kids will be taught how to weave coconut leaves, do sand painting, face painting and create arts stuffs out of recycled materials.
They will also have the chance to learn how to write a song as DYS invited island musician, Yobei Parker to perform live in the camp and mingle with the children.
Thelma Torres, DYS’ volunteer coordinator, said in an interview after their meeting at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym conference room that the children’s works will be displayed in the Arts Council Galleria for its annual exhibit from August to September.
Torres said all the activities in the first week of the youth camp are part of their “education through arts.”
From July 22 to Aug. 1, the children will start with their sports activities, which include soccer, tee ball, track and field, volleyball, golf and basketball.
Parents still have the chance register their kids until July 11.
Torres said they originally set the deadline last Tuesday but due to the increasing number of parents calling their office, they decided to extend the deadline to give the children the chance to join the camp.
Aside from saving energy and promoting kids well-being, the camp Torres said also gives the parents the opportunity spend time for themselves and do some house works they had always failed to do, like repairing roofs, sinks and so on.
Torres said the camp is one of their means of promoting healthy families in the community.
Once the camp starts, the drop off time for the kids at the Ada Gym will be at 7:30 a.m., and the pick up time will be at 11:30 a.m.
Parents are welcome to pack up snacks for their kids.
Meanwhile, Torres said close to 100 children have already been registered for the camp.
Children will be grouped according to age and will engage in variety of sports, leisure, health, fine arts and other fitness activities, all coed.
To reserve a slot for a child, parents or guardian must fill out a registration form and pay one time non-refundable fee of $5. Only the first 200 children who registered will be accepted.
Registration forms can be picked up at Gilbert C. Ada Gym office and Division of Youth Services at the Capital Hills House No. 1340 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. For more information, please call 664-2510.
For more information please contact Thelma Torres at 664-8657.
