Summer camps are a go at Metro Parks

AUDREY ZIMMERMAN, Camp & Special Events Coordinator

‘Twas the morning of camp signup, when all through the Metro Parks
Not a staff member was sleeping, all up while it was still dark;
The kayaks and bows were stowed in the barn with care,
In hopes that summer and our counselors soon would be there.

The campers were working hard in their desks at school,
While camp cookouts and crafts were sounding more and more cool;
And parents at their computers with their mouse at the ready,
Had just settled in for the 8am registration rush – steady!….

Registration for our 2018 Metro Parks Summer Camps is now open. A full listing of the camps can be found by following this link: tiny.cc/mp-camps. We invite you to register online or by giving us a call at 614-891-0700.

We offer two styles of camp for you to select from to ensure you find a camp that best fits your camper. Our popular Traditional Day Camps are for campers entering grades 1-3 or 4-6 and offer a less-structured agenda, more free time for exploration and camper interest-based activities. They also include before and after care (at no additional charge), which makes fitting drop-off and pick-up into a busy schedule a breeze. These camps will be offered at four Metro Parks this summer – Highbanks, Scioto Grove, Homestead (with a new addition of two days at nearby Glacier Ridge) and select weeks at Blendon Woods. Beginning June 4, these camps will run weekly through August 10.

We also offer Nature Adventure Camps: age-specific camps that include many of the same fun and recreational aspects of our Traditional Day Camps and are for campers ranging in age from preschool to Grade 9. These camps offer a more detailed agenda with age-specific themes and activities and regular camp hours. Who’s the Foulest of Them All?, Park PASSIONers, Wee Wanderers, and Metro Parks Explorers and Beyond are just a few of the themes you could choose from. Be sure to visit the link above for more information about park locations and dates.

We all have our favorite parks and know your campers do too, but if a particular section of camp you were interested in is full at your first choice of park, we encourage you to explore the other locations offered. All of our Metro Parks have something beautiful and unique to offer and to keep it convenient for our camp families, all of the parks hosting camps this summer are a less than a 25-minute drive from Columbus.

On the Metro Parks Summer Camp team, our goal is to send your campers home with muddy shoes and smiles on their faces, while introducing the next generation of explorers, independent thinkers and world-changers to the wonders of the parks we have the privilege of serving. Your campers will spend their week hiking, fishing, creeking, playing games, making friends and learning about the natural world. We truly can’t imagine any better way to spend the summer and hope you’ll join us.

…And after the mad rush of camp sign ups and forms,
We powered down our computers, knowing our jobs are far from the norm;
Because in just a few short months of prepping and planning,
Our parks will be full once more with campers, far-spanning;

Not too far off are the days of sunscreen, muddy shoes aplenty;
“What’s this bug? This plant? Guess how many fish we caught?! How many? TWENTY!”
And at the heart of it all, our amazing campers will play,
Molding the future of this planet, this world, in their hands like clay