Local parks offer summer camps

by Anne Louise Bannon

Summertime and the living is not so easy if you have school-age children and work outside the home. Altadena’s three parks, however, will host several different day camp programs for local children.

“It’s convenient for the parents to go to the facilities close to their home,” said Alejandro Miranda, Park Supervisor at Farnsworth Park. “You can drop the kid off and pick him up.”

Programs provide a full range of activities, including sports, computers, cooking, arts and crafts and fees also include field trips to a wide variety of theme parks and attractions, including Knott’s Berry Farm and Raging Waters. Free snacks and lunches are also available at all park programs for children under 18 between June 23 and August 8.

Each park has a slightly different program.

Loma Alta

The park features several different programs, including a night-time family program and a part-time Tiny Tots program for children ages 3 to 5 that runs Monday through Thursday, from either 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. to noon. In addition, there’s also an extended camp program.

“That will take us all the way to the first week in September,” said Penny Daniels, Recreation Services Supervisor for Loma Alta and Charles White parks, adding that the program allows for different school schedules. “We service the charter schools and the private schools.”

Dates: June 2 to August 8, extended camp available from August 11 to September 5

Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 to 12 years for regular summer camp, ages 13 to 19 years for the teen programs.

Fees: $75 per week, per child. Teen activity prices vary

Contact: 626-398-5451 or 5452 or register at the park

Charles White Park

Daniels said that the program at Charles White is somewhat more limited than at the other parks, partly because the facilities at the park are more limited.

“It’s normally about 24 kids, that’s the limit because they’re in that trailer out there,” Daniels said. “It is air-conditioned.”

In addition, that camp goes on fewer field trips. But the camp still offers sports, outdoor cooking classes, swimming twice a week as well as arts and crafts.

Dates: June 2 to August 8 (there may be extended camp if more than 10 children are interested).

Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 to 13

Fees: $25 per week, per child

Contact:  626-398-2073, or register at the park office

Farnsworth Park

“It’s all the activities you do at summer camp,” Miranda said about his program.

Those activities include outdoor sports, computers, reading, swimming, field trips and arts and crafts.

Dates: June 2 to August 15

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ages: 6 to 13 years

Fees: $70 per week, per child, plus a $10 registration fee

Contact: 626-798-6335 or register at the park