Staying engaged during break
City provides safe, fun activities for kids
Take a peek inside the Porterville Heritage Center during the three-week winter break from school, and you’d see what students might consider a dream come true — a day full of recess, crafts, activities and no schoolwork.
The Winter Day Camp is offered by Porterville’s Parks and Leisure Department during the weeks of winter break every school year, and provides a secure environment where children ages 5 to 12 can spend the day participating in supervised activities.
Esaun Jefferson, 10, enjoys all the different activities the camp offers.
“I like this better than school because we can do all kinds of games, drawing, and painting, and we can go outside. It’s just fun here,” he said.
For working families, the camp keeps kids active and engaged during the break, and provides a structured alternative to idle time at home.
Parents can enroll children for an entire week full of entertaining activities from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fees are $85 for a week of full day camp, $55 for half day, and $20 for full day drop-ins if space is available.
Dare Quatacker, coordinator of the Heritage Center, said that while the camp’s hours of operation are handy for households with working parents, grandparents also rely on the camp as a healthy outlet for energetic grandchildren.
“With the majority of kids we have right now, Grandma’s in charge of them and they don’t know what to do with them, so they’ll come and sign them up,” said Quatacker.
Thursday afternoon was a typical day at the camp, as 10 children of all ages played games like line tag, dodgeball and ‘shark attack’ in the facility’s gymnasium.
Campers also do a craft project every day. Wednesday’s project was a festive hat and whistle for New Year’s Eve.
“We want it to be like a real camp environment,” said recreation lead Kelly Davis. “I like working with the children. I want to be a teacher, so it gives me good experience. They’re really sweet, but you have to be patient, especially with the stubborn ones who don’t want to play.”
For recreation lead Laura Magana, who also works with children in Summit Charter Academy Lombardi’s Recreation After School Program, the key to a successful day of Winter Day Camp is to keep children moving and adopting the right mental attitude.
“We try to use their energy so they’re not just sitting around. If we have an activity that involves less movement they start to feel like the day’s going by slower,” said Magana. “I’ve also learned that you have to be a child yourself and interact with them or else they’re not going to want to participate.”
Magana said the camp also gives children the opportunity to meet new people and interact with a variety of age groups, which might not happen during school.
Some campers, however, still prefer the comforts of home.
“I’d rather stay at home because I have a Nintendo Switch set up and a Kindle,” said Caiden Welling, 7. “I do like it better than school though, because at school the only fun thing is recess.”
Part of Porterville’s Parks and Leisure Department, the Heritage Center offers a variety of youth programs throughout the year, including a Summer Day Camp, children’s library and a preschool.
They also operate a Youth Center for children ages 10 to 18 that is open from 3 to 7 p.m. during school and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during school breaks.
Those interested in Winter Day Camp must register their children in person at the Heritage Center, 256 E. Orange Ave. in Porterville.