The Cape Coral Yacht Club’s School Day Off Adventure Camp attracted 16 children Thursday, the first day. Eight are expected to participate in the camp today, the final day of the two-day event.
Cape Coral Parks and Recreation specialist Mark Hunter said the city started the camp to provide a place for children to go and experience different activities when they are out of school.
He said the camp is not super big, and it allows him the chance to “help the kids fish or work with the kids to play tennis.”
“I can get them to have a good time,” Hunter said, adding that the smaller groups provide him with a more personable, hands-on approach regarding activities.
He said the camp, which is held for children ages 7-12, kicked off two years ago with a summer Adventure Camp.
The camp offers activities like fishing, swimming at the yacht club’s pool, tennis, various beach activities, an afternoon movie with ice cream and field trips during the longer days off of school.
During the longer camps, especially the summer camp, Hunter plans activities to help the children stay cool like taking a trip to Sun Splash Family Waterpark or kayaking.
Children bring their own lunch for the camp, Hunter said, adding that the city provides healthy snacks during the camp.
“We are just there to have fun and give the kids a safe place to have fun,” he said.
On Thursday, one of the many activities the children participated in was learning how to play tennis.
Hunter said they did a warm-up exercise before they started to play, and the lessons included learning how to hit the ball by using their forehand and backhand.
He said about two-thirds of the children have played tennis before.
After they learned how to play tennis, they all participated in a jail break game where they practiced what they learned while hitting the ball over the net.
Robert Pearce, 8, said his first time attending the camp was during the summer.
When asked about his favorite activity, he said swimming in the pool because “you are allowed to go all over the place.”
Alyssa Adame, 11, said it was also her second time participating in the camp.
She said her favorite activity is tennis because “it gets you really fit and makes your muscles strong. You need more practice to play good.”
The next camp will take place Dec. 28-30 during winter break.
Pre-registration is required and can be done by contacting the Cape Coral Yacht Club at 574-0806.