Patch Picks: Five Superior Summer Camps

-       Do you have an aspiring Oscar or Tony winner at home? Georgia Ensemble Theatre will put those talents to good use! Actors, singers and dancers will get the chance to hone their craft and showcase their flair for the dramatic in an environment that enhances their self-esteem. The academy enlists a staff of working professionals to coach the kids and build upon their natural instincts, so this isn’t your run-of-the-mill production – this is the real deal. Age specific camps are available for 4-year-olds through rising 2nd-graders and then 2nd-graders through high school. For more information call 770-641-1260 x232

-       Kids are naturally imaginative, so the spring break and summer camps at My Clayground in Sweet Apple Village are the perfect outlet for all that creativity. Using various artistic mediums like clay (as if the name didn’t give it away!), glass, paint and more, kids will get the chance to let the creative juices flow! Camps are open to ages seven and up. Parents may book the week (10 a.m.-12 p.m. daily) for $175, or choose which classes their child will participate in for $35 each day. All supplies are included in the cost. Call 770-998-2983 for more information.

-       You name it and the Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Department probably has a camp for that. The city offers a wide variety of camps for all ages this summer, including athletic camps, visual art camps and more abstract camps, such as fort building, manners, history and circus camps! Basically, it doesn’t matter if your child is into everything or one very specific thing, the city’s Recreation and Parks department has you covered! Call 770-641-3760 for registration information.

-       The Chattahoochee Nature Center’s Camp Kingfisher is perfect for that child who never ceases to find the wonder in nature – bugs, mud and all. Through a hands-on approach, CNC offers adventurous outdoor activities that lead to environmental education experiences for kids. The camp of course revolves around Atlanta’s own natural wonder: the Chattahoochee River. It’s open to children from Kindergarten through 9th-grade. For more information call (770) 992-2055 x222.

-       Adventureland 2011 is not your typical drama camp. But then again, The Red Door Playhouse doesn’t do typical. Each week throughout the summer, the playhouse focuses its camps on a different place (ie. coral reef, funny farm, etc.). Depending upon the “location” of the week, Adventureland students will write an original play, create their own characters, design scenery and costumes pieces, make a movie of their show and perform their play for an audience on the final day of camp. See, not your typical drama camp. The camp is divided into two age groups: 5-8 year olds and 9-12 year olds. For more information e-mail info@reddoorplayhouse.com or call 770-649-9994.