June 04, 2009
‘Dawg Days at the Rec’ offers fun for kids, families
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- You don’t have to travel to distant locations to find summer fun for kids and the whole family. Dubbed “Dawg Days at the Rec”, there is a full schedule of cool happenings from Recreational Sports and Services at Southern Illinois University Carbondale that you can enjoy.
Dawg Days at the Rec actually features numerous camps and programs for children and adults. They include: Multi-Sports Camp, the all-new Activ-i-TEEN camp, Theater Camp and Speed Agility Quickness camp. Other programs offered are: Youth Recreation, Youth Tennis, Youth Martial Arts, Youth Dance, Youth Swim, Youth & Family Fun, Kidz Rec, Kids on the Move, Pee Wee Tennis, and four ballet sessions for various ages and skill levels.
Media Advisory
Reporters, photographers and news crews will find many opportunities for good photographs, stories and video at SIUC’s Recreational Sports and Services summer camps and programs. To arrange coverage, contact Sally Wright at 618/453-2511 or Gary Tisdale at 618/453-1225.
The Multi-Sports Camps give children ages 7-11 a chance to participate in wide variety of activities and no two days will be alike. Kids can bowl, fish, swim, paddle boat, climb the rock wall and much more under the watchful eye of trained and experienced staff. There are actually five sessions of the camp: June 22-26, June 29-July 2, July 6-10, July 13-17 and July 20-24. The camp runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Drop-off and pickup is at the Recreation Center’s Alumni Lounge. The cost is $120 for children of SIUC students and center members or $150 for other children. The price for the camp scheduled for June 29-July 2 is $96 for student members and $120 for non-members since it’s just four days.
There are two chances for youths ages 12-15 to participate in the brand new Activ-i-TEEN camp. Sessions are June 29-July 2 and July 6-10. The camp is 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. The fun includes swimming at the center’s pool and at Little Grassy Lake, pontoon boat riding, kayaking, climbing the rock wall, taking the fitness challenge and lots more. Participants also will learn to build a fire without matches.
The cost is $128 for children of students and members and $150 for others the first week since it is a four-day camp, and $160 for student/member kids and $190 for others the second session. The price includes activity fees and transportation to Touch of Nature Environmental Center.
Theater camp offers two sessions: July 13-17 and July 20-24 at Quigley Hall Auditorium. Sessions run 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. It’s a chance for kids ages 7-11 to learn about stage and set building, costuming, make-up, voice projection and improvisation. Each week wraps up with an original performance by campers and parents are welcome to attend. The cost is $120 for children of SIUC students or center members and $150 for other children.
Speed Agility Quickness camp is a performance enhancement camp for youths in grades 7-12. Certified personal trainers staff the camp with sessions in the pool and elsewhere at the center and at McAndrew Stadium. The camp is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, June 8-19, from 8 a.m. until noon. The cost is $75 for children of students or members and $125 for other kids.
Camp organizers suggest dropping off participants about 15 minutes before the camp starts and picking them up about 15 minutes after it ends. Participants should bring sack lunches. The camps each provide two snacks and drinks each day. There’s a $10 discount for the second child within the same immediate household participating in the all-day camps.
Kids Rec camp is June 22-July 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for ages 7-12, with each week focusing on a different activity. Kids on the Move is June 22-July 21 as well for ages 3-6. It offers organized games and activities, crafts and swimming. The cost of each camp is $120 for member kids and $150 for other children.
Youth Tennis is 10:30 a.m. until noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 14-30, for ages 7-15 at the tennis courts. There’s also Pee Wee Tennis for ages 4-6 from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 14-30, helping the little ones learn tennis basics and improve. The price for each tennis camp is $35 for member children and $50 for non-member kids.
Youth Aikido is 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 23-July 30, for ages 7-15 at the center’s martial art room. Aikido is a martial art form with physical and spiritual components. The camp is $35 for members and $50 for others.
Youth Swimming meets at Pulliam Pool on Saturdays, June 20-July 25, except July 4, for ages six months to 18 years. Classes are 10-10:45 a.m. or 11-11:45 a.m. The cost is $30 for members and $40 for others.
The summer also offers a variety of ballet classes, all meeting in the center’s dance studio. Children’s Ballet for kids ages 4-7 meets Monday and Wednesday from June 22 to July 29 with classes running 10-10:45 a.m. Dancers will learn the basics of the dance and terminology. Children’s Advanced Ballet meets 11 a.m.-noon on Mondays and Wednesdays, June 22-July 29. Kids ages 7-12 will enjoy learning classical ballet barre, floor combinations and various techniques. Each camp is $55 for member children and $70 for others.
Two sessions of teen/adult ballet focus on different skill levels. There is a beginner/intermediate class meeting 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and an intermediate/advanced ballet class meeting 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, from June 23 to July 30. Ages 12 and older are welcome. The cost is $70 for members and $85 for others.
The whole family can enjoy the center’s First Time Family Campout June 27-28. If you’ve never camped out before, here’s the chance to see what fun it can be. Set at Giant City State Park, participants will enjoy hiking, learning about nature, making a meal over the campfire and much more. Anyone is welcome although children must be 5 or older to participate. The cost is $35 per family for members or $50 for others. There will also be a mandatory pre-trip meeting at 7 p.m. June 24.
To qualify for the student rate, the parent or guardian must be taking at least three credit hours during the summer semester. You can find more information about the camps, along with the registration form, online at www.reccenter.siu.edu. Just click on “Dawg Days at the Rec.” You can also call 618/453-1277 for details.