JCC summer camp offers much

Date: 4/17/2013

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Jewish Community Center (JCC) offers camp for all ages and is open to the public and accepts NEFW.

The Springfield JCC is unique in that it offers the best general day camp in addition to specialty camps for youth ages 4 to 15. For children ages 2 and older, the JCC offers a well-rounded camp program with red-cross swim instruction, sports, tennis, arts and crafts, music, outdoor adventure and rock climbing.

So what makes Camp JCC general camp so special? The staff! From junior counselors in high school and senior counselors in college and beyond, including adult unit heads for each age group and specialists to a camp director who is now in her 19th summer directing the JCC Summer Camps, they all make sure to create a safe, nurturing, fun-filled, enriching camp for each individual.

A unique game that is becoming more popular each summer but has been at the JCC as long as there has been camp is an international dodge ball game named Ga Ga. Last summer, with two new outdoor Ga Ga courts, the campers enjoyed playing Ga Ga daily during choice times and with their camp group. Camp isn't just for childcare, it is an enriching social, emotional and skill based program. In order to make it affordable and attainable, the JCC Summer Camps accept NEFW and for families in need they can apply for an adjusted rate.

Some children like to focus on a specialty, such as, drama, outdoor adventure, building, crafts, visual art, cooking, yoga, sports and more. The JCC offers premium specialty camps for a variety of age groups. Registration gears up in the spring because specialty camps and some general camp groups tend to fill up. The JCC now with its own low ropes course, zip line and indoor rock climbing wall is offering Outdoor Adventure Camps for two age groups: grades three to five and grades six to nine. These small group camps will offer adventure experiences both on-site and off-site.

One-week cooking and art specialty camps for youth entering third to eighth grades allows for the participants to be in their specialty half day and general camp half day.

The one-week Tennis clinic is a full day program instructed by tennis pro for youth in grades five to nine who want to improve their skills and practice tournament play.

Superstars for ages 4 to entering second grade and Center Stage Drama Camp for youth entering third to eighth grade, offers a specialized theatrical experience where these actors can act, sing and dance in addition to learning skills through theatre games and activities.

Center Stage Drama camp (a three-week program) will perform Honk Jr., the great musical based on the story of the Ugly Duckling. Superstars depending on enrollment will perform "Jungle Book" or "Winnie the Pooh" this summer in this one week camp.

Always a big hit at JCC is the "Jack the Builder" camp for youth ages 4 years to entering second grade. Campers sand, help build and paint a wood project, build with straws, Lego bricks, and cardboard blocks and as a group builds a large fort in which they can play. Craftastic also for this age group fosters creativity and allows campers to create! By the end of this one week camp, these young artisans have made many arts and crafts projects and have had the chance to mess about with art as well.

Back by request this summer is "Princess Camp" where everyone can be a Princess each day as they use crafts, stories, music, movement, scavenger hunts and dress up. In addition to day camp, Camp JCC knows that some campers want to get away for a five-day, four-night overnight camp experience with extra special programs, nice air-conditioned cabins, banana boating, trapeze, bungee trampoline and more.

Where can parents find an overnight camp experience for their third to ninth graders where their campers are able to get to know the counselors the first week and then travel with them the second week to overnight camp? The answer is the JCC. The groups bond week one with day camp experiences and week two, they go to Club Getaway in Kent, Conn. This program fills each summer because nothing is better for a first overnight or repeat overnight camp excursion.

The JCC Summer Camps Open House will offer a taste of camp and tours at the JCC on April 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A camp raffle, crafts, games, bounce house and more will get everyone excited for the summer.

For more information and space availability, contact registrars Elaine and Deb at the JCC 739-4715 or for program information, contact Camp Director Amy Kimball at the JCC or at akimball@springfieldjcc.org.

For all the JCC Summer Camp offerings download a camp brochure on www.springfieldjcc.org and keep up with the summer camp news on facebook/JCCSummerCamp