The Arnold Parks and Recreation Department Day camp at Ferd B. Lang Park answers the question of what to do during summer's long, hot days.
“They have stuff planned,” camper Austin Kloth, 11, of Arnold, said with his hair dripping from a recent bit of water fun. “You’re not just sitting there doing nothing, you’re actually doing stuff.”
Doing stuff is what Arnold day camp is all about.
Camp Director Amanda Quayle, a junior studying child development at Missouri Baptist University, has assembled a program jam packed with activities, crafts, games and special visitors, including representatives from the Ronald McDonald House, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, golf instructors, Marines, local police and fire fighters and others.
Campers recently made Mexican birds, Chinese lanterns and origami crafts for an “Around the World” themed week and capped the week off with Olympic games.
“We have nine different weeks, and each week is a different theme,” Quayle said. “It’s a learning environment and a social environment and an active environment.”
Quayle said she looked at other day camps and pulled the best ideas from each into Arnold’s program.
Parks and Recreation Director Susie Boone said, “This is the most creative program in day camp that we’ve had.”
Campers leave Ferd B. Lang park and go to the Arnold Recreation Center for swimming and other activities two days a week. They also use the recreation center on days when the heat index reaches 100 degrees.
“It’s really fun,” said Emily Wohlstadter, 11, of Arnold. “We go swimming, and the counselors are really nice.”
Each session of day camp is three weeks long. The first three-week session began on June 6. New sessions will begin on June 27 and July 15.
The day camps operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Children who have completed kindergarten to 12-year-olds are eligible. Campers are assigned to a counselor each week with other campers in their age group.
Fees for Arnold residents are $60 a week, $165 for a three-week session or $495 for all three three-week sessions. For non-residents the fees are $70 weekly, $205 for a three-week session or $615 for all three sessions.
Pre-camp and post-camp programs are also available for working parents. Pre-camp runs from 7:30-9 a.m. Post-camp is from 4-5:30 p.m. Fees for pre- and post-camp care are $25 per week or $70 per three-week session.
To register, visit the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road.
