Parks & Rec expands day camp program
MARYVILLE PARKS & RECREATION PHOTO
Maryville Parks & Recreation day campers are shown taking a kayak for a spin at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. This year’s camp is being expanded from a single week to five five-day sessions and one four-day session shortened due to the July 4 holiday. Other new features will embrace out-of-town field trips, including outings to the Kansas City Zoo, Science City and the PowerPlay North amusement complex.
Big changes are coming to this summer’s annual day camp offered by Maryville Parks & Recreation — the biggest being that there’s going to be a lot more of it.
New Parks & Rec Director Aaron Dobson, on the job since February 2016, has announced that the camp is expanding from the single four-day session offered since 2006 to a summer’s worth of five-day sessions beginning June 26 and ending August 4.
An exception to the format is the second week of camp, which will be shortened to four days due to the July 4 holiday. There are six sessions altogether
Dobson said Thursday that parents can send their children to camp for as many sessions as they wish, and that there will be a discount for youngsters who sign up for at least three weeks.
Besides adding sessions, Dobson, who will serve as camp director, has also lengthened the camp day from nine and a half hours to 11 hours, with children arriving at the Maryville Community Center at 7 a.m. and being picked up by their parents anytime between 4 and 6 p.m.
In addition, the camper age range has been extended from 9-12 to 6-12.
Dobson said one of the main reasons for the expansion, both in terms of sessions and hours, is to make the day camp as “family friendly and flexible” as possible.
Having served as recreation superintendent for the City of Rockwall, Texas, before coming to Maryville, Dobson has helped organize similar multi-session camps in the past. He said that experience has led him to believe that offering a long-term summer experience for young people is simply something municipal recreation organizations ought to do.
“Camp should be a staple for parks and recreation departments,” Dobson said. “We want kids to have fun, and we want parents to know that they are leaving their children in a safe place.”
Expanded hours and more sessions mean programming is expanding as well to include weekly local and out-of-town field trips and special presentations.
Planned trips outside Maryville are to include visits to a number of Kansas City attractions, including the Kansas City Zoo, Science City, the PowerPlay North amusement complex and The Springs aquatic center.
Other planned trips, with transportation provided via school bus and a qualified driver, are set for Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and the Bode Ice Arena in St. Joseph.
Admission and activity costs are included in the camp’s per-session fee, but Dobson said parents are allowed to provide their children with extra pocket money if they so choose.
“There are no hidden fees,” he said.
However, only a set number of pre-paid activities at such attractions as PowerPlay are covered by camp tuition. In addition, children are to bring their own sack lunch each day camp is in session.
On the list of local outings, Dobson said, are the Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area climbing towers, the Lettuce Dream hydroponic greenhouses, the Watson 9 youth golf course at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park and weekly swims at the Maryville Aquatic Center.
Activities set for the Maryville Community Center, which will serve as the camp’s home base, will include “kids fitness” sessions, arts and crafts, snack time, team-building exercises, free play and presentations by special guests, such members of the Missouri National Guard and Maryville Public Safety.
Day camp cost is $120 per session for one child and $100 for each additional sibling. Per-session costs for campers signed up for three or more weeks are $110 and $90. Fees for the four-day Fourth of July week are $95 and $75.
Dobson said the maximum per-hour cost for a week of day camp comes to $2.18, which he noted is less than what most parents pay for daycare or a sitter.
In addition to Dobson, the camp staff will consist of part-time Parks & Rec employees and Northwest Missouri State University recreation and education interns.
A total of 40 campers can be accommodated each week, and the anticipated camper-to-staff ratio for a fully booked session is five or six to one.
“I think this is an opportunity that the community is looking for,” Dobson said of the expanded format. “This is going to be a time for our kids to have a great experience that also gives parents a feeling of safety.”
To sign a child up for camp, ask for a registration form at the front desk of the Community Center, located at 1407 N. Country Club Road. Online registration is available at www.maryville.org/pView.aspx?id=53540&catid=506. The day camp website is located at www.maryville.org/pView.aspx?id=53663&catid=506.
