Summer camps that keep young brains engaged
My nephew Charlie is like many 9-yearolds: When it comes to sports, you name it, he’ll try it.
So when I asked him recently how many sports camps he was going to attend this summer, his response caught me by surprise: none.
What’s he looking forward to once school’s out? Learning cooking basics and creating software applications. Well, those are a couple of skills a kid won’t discover on a dusty soccer field or your typical elementary school classroom.
If you’re looking for summer activities that teach kids about money, financial matters and even career options rather than how to dribble a soccer ball or lay down a bunt, there are plenty of camps across the country. And many still have openings available.
Here are some options:
There are a lot of camps that are STEM and STEAM-related.
STEM is the popular acronym for science, technology, engineering and math, while STEAM adds an art component.
Many colleges and junior colleges offer these types of opportunities for elementary through high school age kids during the summer. The app camp my nephew is attending is sponsored by Mira Costa College in the San Diego area. Its College for Kids camp offers fun-sounding programs such as “Hogwarts School of Wizardry,” “Minecraft Designer” and “Young Jedi Academy.” The weeklong day camp costs $170.
Sur la Table, the cookware retailer, offers several Confident Cooking classes for younger kids and teens at many of its locations around the country.
A weeklong, two-hour-a-day session for kids ages 8 to 12 covers knife skills, measuring and baking, making fresh pasta dough, and sautes and sauces. There’s also a program for teens. Cost: $250.
Young Americans Bank
in the Denver area offers seven Fun-ancial Camp programs for youths who have completed second through sixth grade.
Weeklong sessions include “Money Matters,” which explores money, banking and basic financial skills; “Be Your Own Boss,” which provides tips on getting started in a business; and “Girls Can,” which connects campers with local businesswomen and teaches basics on how to be financially fit. Cost: $235.
Junior Achievement
sponsors camps for young entrepreneurs in many communities around the country. The camps are geared to kids ages 8 to 13. Themes include exploring career opportunities, creating and managing a budget and running a small business. Cost: $250.
Auburn University
in Alabama hosts two weeklong summer camps aimed at creating money-smart kids: Camp iCare, for children ages 6 to 12, and Real Cents, Real Change, for teens ages 13 to 18.
While both camps teach financial ABCs, what stands out is that kids also learn about charity and philanthropic responsibilities. The hands-on learning includes a field trip to a local nonprofit organization.
Camp iCare, which starts July 10, costs $160. Real Cents is a residential camp and costs $650. The summer program starts June 18. Both are run by Auburn’s Cary Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies.
If you’re looking for summer activities that teach kids about money, financial matters and even career options ... there are plenty of camps across the country.