Kids Camp is In Session at the Saline Rec Center

School's out. That means Kids Camp, for kids ages 5-12, is now in session at the Saline Rec Center.

Each week, Recreation Supervisor Sunshine Lambert and group of counselors lead kids on a fun-filled and educational trek. Last week, the theme was "whimsical delight." On Tuesday, they planted a garden filled with tomato and pepper plants and other flowers and vegetation. While one group worked in the garden, another looked for worms to help provide nutrients for the soil in the garden plots built lasy year by Saline Kiwanis Club. Later in the week, the kids helped build a compost container. And, to tie it all in, their weekly field trip was to Matthaei Bottanical Gardens.

"It's summer, so we have a lot of fun. But we do try to sneak in some learning," said Lambert.

Each week, Kids Camp explores a new theme. This week, the theme is "The Land Down Under" and the kids will take a field trip to Rolling Hills Water Park. In two weeks, with an Arctic theme, the kids will lace up the skates at the Ann Arbor Ice Cube.

Most of the time, however, is spent at the and Tefft Park.

Each weekday, parents drop their kids off before 7 a.m. By the 6 p.m. pick-up time, the kids have had a long, eventful day. Besides themed activities and field trips, Kids Camp features nature trails, tennis, sand volleyball, disc golf, soccer, softball, gym activities, arts and crafts, ping pong and daily dips in the pool.

"We do a lot of physical activity. But not everyone loves sports. So we mix it up," Lambert said.

Cost of the program for one child is $165 a week for members or $195 for non-members. Parents who register their children two weeks in advance can receive a $15 discount. The Rec Center also offers $15 discounts for each additional sibling who enrolls in the same week of camp.

Lambert said the prices compare well with typical day cares and, she said, the programming and facilities can't be beat.

"We know it can be expensive, especially when you've got more than one child. But we try to work with families where we can," she said.

Lambert said the number of children in Kids Camp is on the rise after after dropping for a couple years.

"When the economy turned and Pfizer closed and all that bad news came in, our numbers dipped. A lot of families just couldn't afford it. So we've dropped our prices as much as we can. We're seeing the numbers back where they were," Lambert said.

Lambert said Kids Camp typical serves between 50 and 60 children a week. It had dropped to as low as 25 a week.

Each day, dids are placed in groups of no more than 10, based on their age. Each group is led by a trained senior counselor who is assisted by a junior counselor. All staff are trained in CPR and other basic rescue training, have undergone background checks and have completed a 30-hour training program.

For more on Kids Camp and Saline Parks and Recreation programming, visit www.cityofsaline.org/parks.