Publisher’sNote

Summertime is quickly approaching (YAY!), and kids will be looking forward to everything that comes with it. Swimming, riding bikes with neighborhood friends, chasing fireflies, and roasting marshmallows by the campfire, just to name a few. Remember your childhood and how it felt to have months of freedom away from the classroom. Kids today feel the same way when summer arrives. However, after only a few short days of sleeping in and playing until dark, you might hear the most dreaded sentence of the summer, ”I’m bored, and there is nothing to do!” We all know it’s coming, and the best thing is to arm yourself with a list of great summer camps and activities.

In this month’s edition, you will find local and regional summer camp programs featuring sleep-away camps, day camps, fine arts, sports-related, STEM, and so much more. With so many to choose from, you might find several camps to sign them up for. Or, maybe this is the first year that your daughter has shown an interest in attending a camp. Trying different themed weeks will help her explore areas she may not know she likes. She may even be ready for a week in a cabin with other campers, where each day is a new experience. But are you ready for her to pack her backpack and head into the woods without you? This can be the most challenging part.

Adventure is out there, and she is ready to go, but are you ready? Thinking about our children spreading their wings and trying new things can be stressful. If you are nervous about this summer of new explorations, check out our feature article, 10 Surprising Things I Learned After Sending My Child to Camp. It will help you reframe how summer camp will look for your children. Instead of the dread and worry that may come with them sleeping away for the first time, consider all the first-time experiences they will have and how much it will help them grow. The author suggests that there will be times when your daughter will struggle without you there. Maybe she did not like the camp dinner most nights or could not get her arts and crafts to look like she imagined, but she was growing in those learning moments. Also, they will make so many memories and lots of new friends. You might hear about this camp week all year long as they reminisce about their favorite summer week!

If your little guy is not quite ready for sleepaway camp, there are many local camps from which to choose. For example, he might enjoy a week at Auburn’s Best Summer Camp, where he will explore martial arts, tumbling, and fun field trips. Or, maybe he would like to learn about theatre and all that goes into stage performances with Auburn Area Community Theater. This year, they are taking the theater to different settings like outdoor parks and Telfair Peet on the AU campus. Another excellent day camp can be found at Kreher Preserve & Nature Center, where kids will get back into nature and explore in the fresh air.

Plan a summer packed with camps to explore and activities to keep their boredom away and their minds and bodies always learning and growing. From one parent to another, happy campers make happy children and summers to remember.

Kendra

kendra@auburnopelikaparents.com

Lee

Auburn Opelika Parents Magazine is founded on the principle that parenting is an exciting, diverse, challenging, and significant role in our community. Auburn Opelika Parents Magazine is a community advocate for families and the parenting process.

Publisher Kendra Sumner

Kendra@auburnopelikaparents.com

Editor

DeAnne Watson

Contributing Writers

Kristi Bush, LSW

Tanni Haas, Ph.D.

Rebecca Hastings

Dr. Jordan Jensen

Gabriele Jones

Works of Wonder Therapy

Cover Photography

Keightley Garnett

Simple Joy Photography www.simplejoyphoto.com

President Jason Watson

Director of Sales

Justin Sumner

(334) 209-0552

Ad Design

Tim Welch

Web Content Manager

Scott Davis

Tropic Falls is the tropical getaway with something for everybody! One ticket includes unlimited thrills on 23 theme park rides, from our signature Rollin’ Thunder coaster to the kid-friendly Crazy Mouse— plus every kind of fun on the water! Tropic Falls features the largest indoor water park in the region, complete with convertible roof and, opening soon, adjacent outdoor wave pool and surf simulator! Plan your trip and get tickets now at VisitOWA.com!

THRILL, THEN CHILL.

by Works of Wonder Therapy www.worksofwondertherapy.com