Wet ’n wild water week kicks off
♦ Camp Anthony day camps sponsored by Parks & Rec run through the week of July 30.
Wet ’n wild water week kicked off Monday at Camp Anthony with a bevy of bathing-suited kids cavorting on the soccer field in Garden Lakes.
Camp director Erin Cape of Rome-Floyd County Parks & Recreation said 60 children ages 5 to 12 were signed up this week. The all-day camp runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the Anthony Recreation Center, 2901 Garden Lakes Blvd.
“It’s a smaller group because of the Fourth of July holiday, I think,” Cape said.
Campers started out the day with breakfast and some arts-and-crafts in the center. After lunch, they changed into their suits and headed excitedly to the field, where Cape and counselors Kat Tracey, Stephvon Faust and Ridge Painter had brought hoses, sprinklers and bubble machines.
As one group of kids clustered around the rotating sprinkler, another group grabbed a hose dotted with colorful mininozzles and began spraying each other. Shrieks of joy rang out as others danced and ran through the wall of bubbles wafting from several machines.
Faust briefly tried to organize water balloon relay races but the campers begged to grab them for a fight and he laughingly gave up the baskets.
“No attacking girls,” 10-year-old Braden Marshall declared with an impish grin.
Then he lobbed his balloon at Kelis Morgan, 10, and ran — the dripping girl gleefully chasing after him with the two she held
in her hands.
Cape said the counselors have water activities planned all week, including a giant slip-and-slide and foam fun.
There are four weeks left in the Camp Anthony summer program, each with a different theme. The cost is $120 a week per child, although Parks & Rec offers sibling discounts and a partial-payment scholarship for low-income families.
Cape said they’re averaging 60 to 80 kids a week and, so far, they’ve been able to welcome everyone who signs up.
“Last week we had 100 campers, though,” she said. “I may have to start putting a cap on it.”
Activities, crafts and games each week focus on a central theme, with Wednesdays featuring a field trip to a nearby attraction.
For the week of July 9, it’s a hike to Martha Berry’s House of Dreams, in keeping with the theme of Rocky Mountain High. During the week of July 16, dubbed Welcome To The Jungle, they’ll go to the Chattanooga Zoo.
Campers will explore the cultures of other nations during We Are The World week beginning July 23. The summer program wraps up the week of July 30 with We Will Rock You, featuring music, karaoke and talent shows. Fridays are spent at the Northside Swim Center.
For more information or to register, visit rfpra.com/ camps or contact Cape at 706-291-0767.