School’s out! What will the kids do this summer? For families living near or visiting the Estero Bay, the city of Morro Bay has choices, and sign-ups are open on the city’s website.
Morro Bay city Recreation Supervisor Heather Salyer-Frith noted that youths and families can choose from specialty day camps for sports such as surfing, basketball and soccer, as well as a Kids Camp and drop-in activities at Rockies, the home of the Morro Bay Teen Center and Skate Park, along with the Junior Lifeguard program.
“We are very fortunate that the city of Morro Bay and the Recreation and Parks Department value the importance of quality out-of-school time for children and teenagers,” Salyer-Frith said.
Those who are interested can register for the programs online at www.morro-bay.ca.us.
The Junior Lifeguard program is a collaboration between Morro Bay and Cayucos, with two three-week sessions of beach activities starting June 25 and July 23.
Kids ages 9 to 17 discover lifelong friends, fun and skill development at Morro Rock or the Cayucos Pier.
Divided according to age groups and skill levels, they learn ocean safety, environmental awareness, first aid, rescue techniques, surfing and paddle boarding, beach games and physical fitness.
And, because “some kids aren’t available all three weeks or they come in to visit Grandma for a week, we created a hybrid Junior Lifeguard program called Beach Camp,” Junior Lifeguard coordinator Herb White said.
That one-week camp is professionally supervised and designed for kids age 8 through their teen years. Participants learn to surf, boogie board, and enjoy beach activities such as dodgeball, Frisbee and kite flying. They also learn about beach safety. Camp sessions begin June 18, July 16 and Aug. 13.
Salyer-Frith supervises Kids Camp for children entering first through sixth grades.
The day camp experience offers trained high school and college students leading activities in science and nature, games, creative expression, crafts, drama and music, field trips, including swimming at Hardie Pool and park playtime.
Kids Camp and Kids Club are held adjacent to Del Mar Elementary School, with registration offered by the week.
“The community and the Morro Bay Foundation help fund our programs,” city Recreation Director Joe Woods noted. “We added a half-mile beach marathon to the 43rd annual Brian Waterbury Memorial Rock to Pier six-mile event on July 7. Rock ’n Around the Pier invites 200 participants to a 12.1-mile walk or run on the beach with a one-mile loop around a Morro Bay park to benefit our sports programs.”
Reach Judy Salamacha at judysalamacha@gmail.com or 801-1422.
