With school officially out, the Cabrillo Recreation Center, located at 3051 Canon St., is hosting a variety of activities to keep local youths busy this summer.
The annual “Summer Daze Camp,” an extensive summer program for children ages 5 through 12, begins June 23 Mondays through Fridays from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The camp has activities for three separate age groups: 5-7, 8-9 and 10-12.
“Summer Daze Camp” was founded 11 years ago by camp director Walter Heyward and includes sports, arts and crafts, games, field trips and other activities.
“The field trips we have scheduled this summer are ‘Sesame Street Live,’ movies, MCRD [the Marine Corps Recruit Depot], a ventriloquist show, the San Diego Zoo, the nature center/boogie boarding at Ocean Beach, Knotts Berry Farm, Knotts Soak City, Stephen Birch Aquarium, Miramar Speed Circuit, Legoland and the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus,” said Cabrillo Recreation Center director Ruby Houck. “We are able to get about two or three field trips per week.”
Houck’s role in the “Summer Daze Camp” is to create and seek activities for the program and then assess them to make sure they fit well with the needs of the children involved the program.
There are 16 counselors/volunteers participating in the camp. Each has had background checks and has been fingerprinted to ensure the safety of the children.
“When the camp is full [in enrollment], we put kids on a waiting list and then we hire more staff,” said Houck. “We work with each of the parents’ individual needs and schedules. We have a lot of kids here for one week on and then one week off.”
The cost of the camp is $110 for five days, $90 for four days, $70 for three days, $50 for two days and $40 a single day.
For more information, call (619) 316-7552.
Other current and upcoming youth activities at Cabrillo Recreation Center include:
“¢ Art classes, “Itty Bitty Artists,” on Tuesdays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. For more information, call Courtney Wise at (619) 255-8885.
“¢ Coach Mike Rogers’ Tennis Academy on Fridays from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Rogers will also have a tennis camp for kids ages 7-14 Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.
“¢ Soccer and T-ball on Saturdays at Cabrillo Field from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call (619) 226-8888.
“¢ Coach Briscos’ weekly sports camp, which includes football, soccer and basketball, from 9.a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays for ages 4-14. For more information, call (619) 212-2678.
“I am always amazed with our staff because they aren’t here to make extra money,” Houck said. “They want to be here and make it the best camp possible. We have a low-cost, high-quality care program. That is my job and my passion as well.”