When local school children are dismissed for summer vacation, Lake Havasu City’s Department of Aquatics and Recreation offers a variety of activities geared toward younger students through its 2015 Summer Programs.
Available to children 2-15 years of age, several programs have been designed to enhance the summer activities available to Havasu’s youth.

The youngest of Havasu children, ages 2-4 years old, can enroll in the Wee Play in the Gym program. Providing high energy, planned activities including imagination play, puppets and story time, parachute play, dinosaur digs, finger painting and treasure hunts, program activities have been designed for age-appropriate physical movement and motor skills. Intended for parental participation, this program is June 9-30, Tuesdays from 9-10 a.m. and 10:30-11:30 a.m., and is limited to 12 total participants. Cost is $20 per participant, per session and will be at the Aquatic Center in the Relics & Rods Hall.

Available to older children entering kindergarten through fourth grade is the Sunshine Kids Summer Camp, packed full of daily events. These activities include field trips throughout the week, offering swim days at the Aquatic Center, afternoon movies and popcorn at a local Havasu theater, group bowling trips to local Havasu Lanes, Party in the Park afternoons at Rotary Park, followed by a field trip to the region’s Hualapai mountains. Available June-July 24 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, cost for program enrollment is $210 for the first child attending and $165 for each additional child enrolled. Sunshine camps will take place at Jamaica, Nautilus and Smoketree elementary schools, with enrollment offered May 11, on a first-come, first-served basis.

To children entering fifth through seventh grade, Camp Iwannago offers those with adventurous spirits the opportunity to engage in many age-appropriate summer activities. These include swim days at the Aquatic Center, afternoon movies and popcorn at a local Havasu theater, with group trips to local Havasu Lanes and Rotary Park, followed with a field trip to the Aquatic Center for an afternoon enjoying the local water park. From June 15 through July 23 from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, cost for enrollment is $210 for the first child attending and $165 for each additional child enrolled for participation. Camp Iwannago will be located at Lake Havasu High School, with program enrollment offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

For those children interested in enjoying the fun of outdoor summer activities in a clean and controlled setting is the summer’s Youth Adventure Camp. Located at the Aquatic Center, camp activities include the fun of snorkeling, archery, kayaking and the art of healthy cooking. Each session will also include a nutritional cooking and sampling class which focuses on the importance and students’ ability to prepare delicious food as well as eat healthy. Available to children ages 8-15, the program will run in two sessions. Session one will be available June 8-11 from 10 a.m. – noon. Session two will be available June 15-18 from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost for participation is $50 per participant, per session.

Those students interested in sports and entering the third and fourth grades can use their energy to bounce off of the walls while enjoying the 3rd-4th grade Summer Basketball Clinic. Whether new to the sport or a previous player, students will learn new skills as well as sharpen those skills already acquired. An active means to introduce the skills needed to begin their journey into basketball, this program is offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 5- 6 p.m. beginning June 1 through July 8, at the Arizona State University campus gym. Cost for camp registration is $50 per participant.

Older students holding greater experience and understanding of basketball can participate in the 5th- 8th grade Summer Basketball Clinic, designed to provide participants the opportunity to improve on existing skills while introducing new skills required to succeed in future, more competitive school programs. Located at Arizona State University campus gym, Friday scrimmages are scheduled, affording the opportunity for students to test their acquired skills. Offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., June 1 through July 10, the cost for camp participation is $50 per participant.

Registration for all Aquatics and Recreation Summer Clinics and Camps begins on May 11, 8am, with programs holding a limited number of reservations and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited scholarships are also available.

Further information about Aquatics and Recreation Summer Programs can be found at the department’s site online at http://www.lhcaz.gov/aquaticCenter/recreation.html or by contacting the Aquatic Center directly at 928-453-8686. You may also sign up online for the summer programs as well on May 11.