Summer Camp at the Apple Store – FREE!

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Did you know that Apple stores across the nation offer summer camp workshops for kids 8-12? Registration opened yesterday for these free sessions where campers work to create a film – first they create a story board, then shoot their own footage and create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and use iMovie to put it all together. Camp ends with a “Film Festival” where campers debut their masterpieces.

During the school year, the Apple stores offer Field Trips for K-12 students and teachers who can visit their local Apple Store to use Macs and iPads to work on class related projects. My second-grader’s class went to the store at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks for a field trip this spring. The kids teamed up to make a film, and every student came home with a (too-big but super cool) T-shirt and a USB drive with his or her movie on it. Here is the movie my son made with his friend:

And here is an example of a Field Trip that took place this spring in Santa Monica, recorded by KTLA Los Angeles tech reporter Rich DeMuro:

The free workshops take place in 1.5-hour sessions over three days. The Oaks store still has room in their 12 scheduled sessions of Apple Camp, so sign up soon! Visit the main page to learn more.

Summer Camp By Camp Agoura Hills is 50% Off!

This is the best deal in town, folks. If you are doing last-minute shopping for summer camp consider this. Half day camp at Reyes Adobe Park, MWF, all summer, only $12.50 per day. The counselors are young and full of energy, and they are trustworthy. My kids have gone to programs with the Rec Center since 2010, and we love it. They’re not even paying me to say this!

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Summer Camp at Catalina Island

Summer camp can be a luxury for some families, a necessity for others, and a legend for the rest of us. When we first moved to Agoura Hills and took a look at some of the offerings around us, I was jealous. Archery, daily swimming, movies, crafts, games, and delicious homemade meals? Sign ME up, never mind the kids!

Now I am a work-at-home parent, and the kids’ schedule takes priority over everything else. Translate that into: I’m not working much, so there’s no need to send my kids to summer camp, aside from the sanity break I will need after a week of two little boys arguing with each other about everything from who gets the blue cup to who gets to press the cross walk button on the street corner.

Last year a friend of mine sent her kids – all three of them – to sleepover camp for seven weeks. 

I know!  When she told me this, my head swam with all of the wonderful things I could do in seven weeks at home with no kids around. I could take a bath! I could reorganize everything! I could go see movies, or paint the bedroom, or sleep in more than one morning in a row!

I dream of this happening someday when my kids are old enough to stay away from home for longer than a sleepover. Catalina Island Camps is close enough to us that it’s easy to bring the kids and pick them up at the end of their term, but far enough away – a ferry ride, even – that it feels exotic and oh-so-grownup. A chance to be independent while also bonding with their cabin mates from all over the country and counselors would be an enriching experience for my boys. Plus, they would have the chance to snorkel, ride a zip line, learn how to sail or rock climb, and participate in a community that has nothing to do with their parents.

Since CIC is priced accordingly, affording the best facilities and staff – and safety – for now it’s just a dream. Meanwhile, my kids will attend the half day camp at the Reyes Adobe Mission which is run by the Agoura Hills Park and Recreation department. The boys know and love the counselors there, and the cost is reasonable. We all get a break from each other, and the kids get physical activity and they learn something, too.

What are your summer camp plans for your children?

This post is an entry into a raffle for a 2-week camper stay at CIC. If I win, I will give the session to a lucky reader in a future giveaway.