MAKE FRIENDS AT

Children can find activities to suit all their interests at summer camps throughout Lake and Sumter counties

The modern summer camp offers a lot more than s’mores and ghost stories around the campfire. Today’s camps are both indoors and outdoors in a variety of venues, and they cover the gamut of activities from athletics to academics, technology to theater, and science to religion.

Lake and Sumter youth organizations, recreation departments, churches, and schools are busy planning another summer of fun for children of all ages.

Here is a sampling of this year’s summer camps:

Bay Street Players

The theater group offers a day camp through its Young People’s Theatre, the oldest continually running children’s theatre program in Central Florida. Students ages 7-18 learn dance routines, music and lines in performance classes that end with full-scale productions. Dates TBA, 109 N. Bay St., Eustis, 352.357.7777.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake & Sumter Counties

Clubs at various locations will offer eightweek daytime programs from May 30-July 28 for children ages 6-18. The Umatilla Club, for example, participates in the library reading program, swimming at the city pool, mini-clubs for Lego and origami, field trips to bowling, movies, and the ice cream shop, sports and fitness competitions, guest speakers, and Summer Brain Gain, which is fun activities based around reading and S.T.E.M. Cadwell Park, 4 Cassady St., 352.669.1118.

Other locations include:

Teeter Club, Rogers Park, 610 S. 9th St., Leesburg, 352.787.0053; South Lake Club, Clermont Community Center, 3700 S. Highway. 27, 352.394.9840;

Northeast Lake Club, Lifepointe Church, 3551 E. Orange Ave, Eustis, 352.602.4861; Lady Lake Club, First Baptist Church of Lady Lake, 432 County Road 466, 352.259.6916; Spring Creek Club, Spring Creek Charter School, 44440 Spring Creek Road, Paisley, 352.669.3275 or 352.771.5204.

Bricks 4 Kidz

Lego day camps combine fun and education, with model building, games, and challenges specially designed for kids ages 5-12-plus. Each camp is one week long, full days or half days. Two locations: June 5-Aug. 11, First Presbyterian Church of Eustis, 117 S. Center St., 352.357.2833; Dates TBA, Montverde Academy, 17235 7th St., 407.469.2561.

Bushnell

The city has an annual day camp program that runs for six weeks from early June through July. Details TBA, 211 Southland Place, 352.793.3907.

Camp Boggy Creek

A SeriousFun Children’s Network camp for ages 7-16 offers children with serious illnesses and their families a free, safe, and medically sound overnight camp environment. Sessions for up to 150 children include eight separate weeks, each designated for a specific illness or condition. Children enjoy nature trails, fishing, woodshop, tower climbing, morning swims, and evening campfires. June 8-Aug.

16, 30500 Brantley Branch Road, Eustis, 352.483.4200.

Camp Geneva

The day camp has an array of amenities, including a private beach on Lake Geneva that can be used for swimming, canoeing, paddle boating, and fishing, a swimming pool, zip line, archery tag, the “WaterBlob,” a type of trampoline, a low-ropes Challenge Course, lighted ball fields, soccer fields, four-way volleyball court, human foosball, gagaball, a 10,000-square-foot gym with basketball hoops and an auditorium that seats 1,000. May 29-Aug. 4, 36540 Via Marcia, Fruitland Park, 800.598.7013.

Camp Horizon

The overnight camp offers a place of retreat and spiritual renewal for Christ-centered church groups. Two teen camps for ages 13-17 and two junior camps for ages 8-12 are scheduled. Activities include swimming, canoeing, sailing, waterskiing and tubing, archery, rifle range, wall climbing, handicrafts, soccer, volleyball, basketball, games, drama, music, nature, fitness, and Bible study. June 25-July 22, 7369 Sunnyside Drive, Leesburg, 352.728.5822.

Camp La-No-Che

This overnight camp for Boy Scouts ages 11 and older has two Lake Norris waterfront areas with docks, an aquatics program, a climbing wall, two swimming pools, shotgun, rifle, and archery ranges, a health lodge, a baseball field, amphitheater, basketball court, bouldering wall, dance arbor, and the Florida Trail. Adventure expeditions include Big Stump, a 12-foot cypress stump, an Orlando-area attraction trek, Eagle Week, scuba diving, climbing, caving, kayaking, sailing, and trail biking. June 4-July 15, 41940 Boy Scout Road, Paisley, 352.669.8558.

Camp Montessori

This day camp is filled with exploration from art to sports and games to academic work in the Montessori classroom. Families may choose to register for weekly programs, including

Animals Week, Survival Week, Crazy Crafts, and more. For ages 2-12, and campers don’t need to be enrolled at Lake Montessori to participate.

June 5-July 28, 415 Lee St., Leesburg, 352.787.5333.

Caponi’s Cannolis School of the Arts

The school offers training in musical theater and show chorus for children ages 6-17. Summer classes will focus on “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” and include a one-week show chorus class culminating with a showcase performance. June 5-16, 305 N. U.S. Highway 27, Suite D, Clermont, 407.319.3992.

College Bound Champions Academy

UCLA soccer coach Amanda Cromwell hosts this overnight camp for girls ages 10-17 from around the country.

Athletes will be grouped according to their age and ability so they can receive the best technical and tactical instruction from top coaches within individual, small group, and team settings. July 9-12, National Training Center, 1935 Don Wickham Drive, Clermont, 310.206.2269.

Dreamcatcher Horse Ranch Rescue Center

Three day camps for different ages and abilities teach children about safety around a horse, grooming, bathing and braiding, horse anatomy and breeds, riding in English or western disciplines, arts and crafts, and outdoor games like rope the steer, barrel racing and pole bending in weeklong sessions.

June 12-Aug. 4, 10639 Toad Road, Clermont, 407.702.8332.

Easter Seals Camp Challenge

Weeklong fully accessible camps for children and adults with disabilities or special needs. Overnight camp is for kids ages 6 and older and adults of all ages with disabilities or special needs, and day camp is for school-age children with mild to moderate special needs. Activities include zip lining, swimming, archery, dancing, sports, music, and drama. June 11-July 22, 31600 Camp Challenge Road, Sorrento, 352.383.4711.

Eustis

The city’s Recreation Department is hosting two camps, one at its main office and another called Sunset Island. Campers take trips almost daily for swimming, bowling, roller skating, movies, trampoline park, Crayola experience, water slides, parks, ice cream shop, and Bay Street Players. June 5-Aug. 4, main office, 2214 E. Bates Ave.; June 12-July 20, Sunset Island camp, Eustis Service Center, 301 W. Ward Ave. The department also offers oneweek specialty camps for basketball, cooking, flag football, art, and volleyball. Dates TBA, 352.357.8510.

Family Martial Arts Center

Children learn life skills such as discipline, respect, and focus in a positive, supportive environment, all while having fun. Every day is full of games, learning, and activities. No age limit. Dates TBA, 3755 Lake Center Drive, Mount Dora, 352.383.0898.

Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center

Clubs and organizations may book stays at this full-service retreat with two camp areas that can hold up to 260 guests in bunk-style dorms. Open throughout the summer. 39034 County Road 452, Leesburg, 352.483.9800.

Leesburg

The city’s Recreation Department holds sportspecific clinics for children throughout the summer. Dates TBA, 352.728.9885.

Minneola

The Extended Learning Center at Minneola Elementary Charter School has a day camp that explores college and careers, incorporating reading and math skills, sign language, Spanish, crafts, the Presidents Club, science, dance, tumbling, cooking, computers, and scrapbooking. Starbound Performers demonstrate dances, and Young Rembrandts lead drawing classes. June 13-Aug. 17, 320 E. Pearl St., 352-394-2600.

Mount Dora

The city’s Parks & Recreation Department offers KidzQuest Summer Survivor Camp for ages 5-10, and Middle School Mayhem Camp for ages 1114. A free lunch program is available a portion of the summer. May 30-Aug. 4, Mount Dora Middle School, 1405 Lincoln Ave. The department’s British Soccer Camp includes innovative practices and games, cultural education, and character building for ages 3-14. The coaching staff will teach foot skills, fakes, moves, and turns, freestyle soccer, technical and tactical instructions, and small-sided games. June 26-30, Frank Brown Sports Complex, 1245 Pine Ave., 352.735.7183.

Not Just Dance Studio

Theater, dance and music day camps include two separate two-week intensive programs, one for ages 7-12, the other for ages 12 and up, both concluding with performances at Moonlight Theater; a one-week fun camp, including art, music, dance, and drama, for ages 3-6; and a one-week intensive ballet program for ages 7 and up and all skill levels. June 5-Aug. 4, 735 W. Montrose St., Clermont, 352.432.3971.

Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center

Compass Creative Dramatics conducts a weeklong day camp for students entering first through eighth grades. Students work with professional actor/directors on an adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz.” All students are cast in roles.

They also participate in workshops to learn about acting and theatre. The camp culminates with stage performances at The Sharon. June 5-10, 1051

Main St., The Villages, 352.751.7799.

Sumter County Youth Center

Daytime programs for ages 5-17 offer homework assistance and academic enrichment, recreational and social activities, field trips, community service opportunities, Kids College computer lab, arts and crafts, athletic fitness, basketball, and bus service from schools to centers. June-August. Two locations: 841 E. CR 48, Bushnell, 352.568.8722; 406 St. Clair St., Wildwood, 352.330.0067.

Tavares

The Recreation Department’s day camp for ages 5-10 consists of three separate sessions, each lasting three weeks. Each session is themed and action-packed with field trips, activities, special presenters and amazing surprises. June 5-23, June 26-July 14, July 17-Aug. 4, Ingraham Center, 317 S. Ingraham Ave., 352.742.6370

(Recreation Dept.)

Warren Willis United Methodist Camp

This faith-based site on Lake Griffin offers day, overnight, and trip camps for elementary, middle school, and high school students. Activities include zip-lining, tubing, yoga, sailing, crafts, archery, swimming, canoeing, a team-building challenge course, and Bible studies. Trip camps for high school students include canoeing on Suwannee River and Wilderness Week. June 5-July 28, 4990 Picciola Road, Fruitland Park, 352.787.4345.

Young Performing Artists Inc.

The organization’s ninth annual Royal Historical, Enrichment & Art Program provides a safe environment for children while they learn and have fun. Past workshops focused on subjects such as youth banking, baton twirling, visual arts, and AfricanAmerican heritage.

The free program is open to school-age children. Lunch and snacks provided. Tuesdays through Thursdays, June 27-Aug. 3, 9569 County Road 235, Wildwood, 352.748.0260.

YMCA of Central Florida

The Y conducts day camps with themes and activities such as swimming, canoeing, archery, riflery, and arts & crafts, as well as Camp Wewa, a resident camp for children ages 6-14 designed to build new friendships, develop outdoors skills, and teach athletic, camping, artistic, and leadership skills. June 4-July 28, Golden Triangle, 1465 David Walker Road, Tavares, 352.343.1144;