#Newsflash | Time to Register for Summer Camp!
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Summer camp slots are filling up quickly this year, but a few Queens options remain for parents who act fast…Now!
Queens Theatre’s Show Stoppers is back in person this year. The program facilitates young thespians as they create and perform an original, pocket-sized musical in just two weeks. Working with professional teaching artists, youngsters go through the entire process of creating a musical play from auditions to writing and rehearsing. Then they perform on the Mainstage at 14 United Nations Ave. S. in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Show Stoppers is open to all and no experience is needed. Acceptance is on a first come-first served basis, and auditions for roles take place after the play is written.
Queens Zoo
In another part of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens Zoo will organize small-group summer camps.
The age groups include 18 months to Three years; Pre-k; First to Second-grade; Third to Fifth-grade; and Sixth to Eighth-grade. For the youngest group, the one-hour programs begin at 9:30 am or 11:am, Monday to Thursday. The other ones are 9 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday. (There’s an extended care option with play, activities, and exhibition visits until 5 pm.)
Here are the options.
Toddler Time June 20 to June 24, Animal Senses
Toddler Time July 5 to July 8, Home for Animals
Kinderzoo June 27 to July 1 and Aug. 15 to Aug. 19: Sense Like the Animals Do
Kinderzoo July 11 to July 15 and Aug. 29 to Sept. 2: Where the Wild Things Live
Kinderzoo Aug. 1 to Aug. 5: Animal Superheroes
Week of Wildlife June 27 to July 1 and Aug. 22 to Aug. 26: Zoo Academy
Week of Wildlife July 18 to July 22 and Aug. 29 to Sept. 2: Animals Like Us
Week of Wildlife Aug. 1 to Aug. 5: Wild Animal Music
Zoo Explorers Aug. 8 to Aug. 12: Animal Mysteries
Zoo Explorers July 18 to July 22 and Aug. 22 to Aug. 26
Junior Scientists July 25 to July 29 and Aug. 15 to Aug. 19: Conservation Scientists
Alley Pond Environmental Center
Another great option is the Alley Pond Park Environmental Center, whose programs combine science, nature, and the great outdoors.
APEC educators lead weekly, themed sessions that include hands-on activities, trail walks, literacy, nature games, and live animals.
Here are the options.
Summer Science Squad Entering first to third grades, Mondays-Fridays, 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
Week 1: Insect Science, July 11 to July 15
Explore insects and their impact on everyday life.
Week 2: Nature Detective Science, July 18 to July 22
Learn to read nature signs and look for clues along the trails.
Week 3: Mason Jar Science, July 25 to July 29
Explore one of the world’s smallest science labs.
Week 4: Wonder Women of Science, Aug. 1 to Aug. 5
Learn about five inspiring female scientists.
Week 5: Superhero Science, Aug. 8 to Aug. 12
Look at superheroes to learn from their amazing powers.
Week 6: Wildlife Science, Aug. 15 to Aug. 19
Learn about animals and their adaptations for survival.
APEC Pioneers Entering fourth to sixth grades, Mondays-Fridays, 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
Daily sessions include physical and mental games, STEM challenges, experiments, and literature, as well as time with APEC’s animals and hikes.
Week 1: Biomes and Biodiversity, July 11 to July 15
Explore biomes and learn how they support the world’s vast array of species.
Week 2: Wacky Wildlife and Animal Olympics, July 18 to July 22
Understand animal adaptations and superpowers.
Week 3: Engineering and Thinking Green, July 25 to July 29
Focus on thought-provoking STEM challenges.
Week 4: Beautiful Birds, Aug. 1 to Aug. 5
Discuss the dazzling adaptations birds employ to thrive in nearly every environment on Earth.
Week 5: Our Living Planet, Aug. 8 to Aug. 12
See just how active the world is…in the skies, on the surface, and down in the deepest depths.
Week 6: The History of Us, Aug. 15 to Aug. 19
Travel from the first single-celled organism to dinosaurs to ancient mammals to humans.
Kindergarten Kids Entering Kindergarten, Mondays-Fridays, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Each weekly program focuses on a different topic and has live animal guests. Activities include children’s literature, hands-on activities, and development of math skills like sorting, comparing, and graphing.
Week 1: Animal Senses, July 11 to July 15
Learn how animals use their senses to survive in the wild.
Week 2: Animal Classification, July 18 to July 22
Explore and compare different vertebrate groups, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
Week 3: Weights and Measures, July 25 to July 29
A variety of STEM challenges to develop understanding about length, size, speed, and more.
Week 4: Ornithology, Aug. 1 to Aug. 5
Explore feathers, beaks, eggs, and nests while learning about bird species.
Week 5: Colors in Nature, Aug. 8 to Aug. 12
Nature is filled with a rainbow of colors providing camouflage, serving as warning colors and beautifying the world.
Week 6: Animals and Habitats Around the World, Aug. 15 to Aug. 19.
Learn about the diversity of animals and their homes.
APEC is located at 224-65 76th Ave. in Oakland Gardens.
Images: APEC