At some point, when you have school-aged kids, you’ll be told that they’re on break. Yup, no school and you have to figure out what to do with them during the day. Taking a month off of work isn’t an option for most of us. Thank goodness for day camps! There are a number of camp options across Reno, and I recently had an opportunity to check out Kids University at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Kids University’s specialty is week-long STEAM-based camps (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) for kids. Admittedly, my first instinct was that this would feel like school when kids are taking a break from school. They were excellent at simultaneously teaching and having fun. As a parent, it made me feel great that during the break my kid could be having a great time and learning, too. They do an incredible job of sneaking learning into very fun camp environments.
Kids University Camp Options
What’s more, there’s an incredible variety of camps offered. I dare to say, there’s something for everybody. When I explored these camps in the winter, there was a more limited variety, and they all sounded amazing. So, I decided to check each one out for a little while and I was immediately jealous that I didn’t have these opportunities as a kid. There was Witchcraft and Wizardry 101 (Harry Potter), Jedi Academy (Star Wars), Mischievous Math camp, Kids U Zoo, and Supercharged Science camp.
When I checked in on the Supercharged Science camp, they were building bottle rockets out of 2-liter plastic bottles, that we fired high into the sky.
Mischievous Math Camp was possibly the most approachable and fun I’ve ever seen math – the staff was able to make a game out of learning. Kids were laughing, having fun, and being creative, using math as their medium.
When I dropped by Kids U Zoo, there was a half dozen therapy dogs in the room. The kids and I were learning about the dogs, but also petting and hugging them! Try to tell me that’s not an awesome day at camp. If your kid loves animals, this is much more than puppies.
And then there Jedi Academy. As an amateur Star Wars nerd and raising a couple of Jedi fans myself, I instantly knew my boys would love this one. They not only learned about Jedi ways and Star Wars, they played games to prove they were worthy of advancing from Padawan to Jedi master by the end of camp. There was even a formal Jedi graduation ceremony.
The kids in Wizard Camp seemed to be having the most fun of all. When I first dropped by, they were having a head-to-head spell battle – a test of their learning. They wrapped up the camp with a spirited game of Quidditch. Of course, we were a bit short on flying brooms and golden snitches, so they played on the lawn on the south end of campus.
Kids University Summer Camps
Soon, you’ll be looking at Summer camps for your kids, and I highly recommend you check out Kids University. Take a look at the list of camps – I feel confident that they offer something your son or daughter would be passionate about. Here’s a quick sampling of what’s being offered: Coding from Scratch, Exploring Pirate Island, Adventures Through Middle Earth, Choc-A-Lot (cooking with chocolate), Kids in Space, Jedi Academy, and dozens more (82 camps)! I wasn’t kidding – they’re sure to offer something that your kid would LOVE.
To find out more, or to get your kids registered, you can visit the Kids University website. Summer camps run from June 11 – July 27. I hope you find something perfect for your kids.
