Cellist Bruce Walker, an associate professor at Columbia Basin College, was one of the coaches at the Pipestone Music summer camp in 2022.
Options cover wide range of interests
Summertime, and the living is easy … if you can get your kids into the summer camps that make working (not to mention sanity) possible.
Few communities of this size boast as wide a range of summer camp offerings for kids as the Methow Valley. From art to fly fishing to archery to wildlife research, there are myriad opportunities for children to learn, play and grow in summer camps.
Because at least 15 local organizations offer at least one summer camp — and some offer six weeks’ worth — figuring out your child’s summer schedule used to be logistically tricky.
But in an effort to better serve the needs of local families, several years ago a consortium of leaders devised a way for Little Star Montessori School to coordinate the Methow Summer Camp Calendar, which serves as a clearinghouse listing for most (but not all) of the summer camp offerings in the Methow Valley.
Camps range from mainstays offered by organizations like Little Star, Classroom in Bloom, and The Merc Playhouse to newer programs like Red Umbrella Designs’ art camps, Coral Farms’ farm camps, and Home Range Wildlife Research’s wildlife biology camp. Some, like Methow Recycles’ Camp Remake provide a juxtaposition of Methow Valley priorities — i.e., recycling plus fashion, resulting in a “trashion” camp. Others, like Methow River Camp, immerse older children in the outdoor wonderland of a Methow Valley summer.
Dedicated teams
At the heart of each of these summer camps is a dedicated team or organization, some of whom have been leading their particular camps for years — or decades, like Methow River Camp’s Dana Visalli.
Former Little Star Montessori teacher and artist/designer Baylie Peplow said of her Red Umbrella Designs summer camps, “The chance to offer summer art camps this year feels like perfect full-circle, mysterious Methow magic.” Peplow was approached by some Little Star alumni, now in college, who wanted to collaborate with Peplow on art programs for kids.
More full-circle serendipity came in the form of a donated venue: the barn at Wild Plum Farms, which has served as a home for art camps many times over the years.
Peplow said, “I get to utilize the strengths, infrastructure, and experience of my business, while these college students (some of whom are majoring in art, design and education) get real world experience and guidance as they design curriculum, manage a group of younger students, and work a sweet summer job.”
Classroom in Bloom Executive Director Kim Romain-Bondi talked about what she loves about the school garden camps. “[Our] camps share creativity and garden skills with different nature-based themes each week. The spirit of these camps comes from cooperative games, creative artistic activities, community service projects, and made-from-scratch snacks,” she said.
A partnership
Methow Recycles Programs Manager Jessica Kelley reports that Methow Recycles is partnering with The Confluence: Art in Twisp for Camp ReMake: Trashion Edition. Each week the camp will focus on making upcycled costumes and outfits from a different material (paper, metal, or plastic), and the kids will show off their creations in a trashion show at the end of the week — a pint-sized version of the annual Trashion Show fundraiser that The Confluence will hold in June.
“Thanks to support from both The Confluence and the Winthrop Kiwanis, Camp ReMake is free to children enrolled in the Methow Valley School District, and only $75/week for others,” Kelley said. “Week 2 is already full, but we have a few spots left in Week 3 (July 3, 5-7) and approximately 10 spots left in Week 1 (June 19-23).”
Families interested in faith-based summer camps can sign their K-6th graders up for Vacation Bible School (VBS), June 19-23. Churches throughout the Methow Valley partner to bring VBS to life for all children interested in attending. Registration will open soon at www.mvcommunitycovenant.com. Direct questions about VBS to ccctwisp@gmail.com.
At press time, there was still space in most summer camps, except for The Merc Playhouse drama camp, one of the Camp Remakes, and the Methow Valley Riding Unlimited horse camps. Methow River Camp typically fills within minutes of registration opening and is quite likely full by now as well.
Registration information for Little Star Montessori School, Classroom in Bloom, Red Umbrella Designs, Bush School, Coral Farms, Methow Valley Riding Unlimited, Methow Recycles, Home Range Wildlife Research, Challenger Soccer Camps, and Pipestone Music summer camps for kids can be found here: https://littlestarschool.org/summer-camps.
