Kicking Off Another Fantastic Summer!
By Sylvia Arias, Program Coordinator

As the school year approaches its end, parents and children look for new and exciting programs to participate in during the summer. To fulfill this need, the city has expanded its summer camp programs to provide space for over 150 children in four different camps. City staff is working diligently to plan and organize fresh activities, field trips, and programs in order to make this summer (our 5th) the best yet!

For toddlers, ages 3 and 4, we offer Camp Tot-Lot. This is a part-time camp, which runs three days a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays) from 9:00 – 12:00 PM. The camp is limited to 20 campers, and is implemented with a ratio of 1 counselor for every 6 campers. The children will be introduced to yoga on Tuesdays, Kindermusik on Wednesdays, and Kidokinetics (an introduction to sports) on Thursdays. The remainder of camp will be spent working creatively on different art and craft projects, and teaching the campers how to interact with their peers, through games and activities. This camp will be based out of Temple B’nai Zion, located at 200 178th Street.

Our largest camp, targeted at youth ages 5 through 12, is Camp SIB. This is a full-time camp, running Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (with before care and after care available at an additional cost). This camp enrollment has been increased to accommodate up to 80 campers, and is also implemented with a ratio of 1 counselor for every 6 campers. These campers will enjoy a wide variety of activities that include going swimming twice a week at the Florida International University (FIU) Aquatic Center, field trips out of the city once a week, and games, sports, art, and music activities held at camp. (For a complete list of the field trips, see the table below.) As in the past, this camp will continue to be based out of the Parish Hall of St. Mary Magdalen Church, located at 17775 North Bay Road.

For the first time, we will be offering a teen camp this summer, for children ages 11 through 15, titled Adventure Camp. This camp will be limited to 20 campers and will have a ratio of 1 counselor for every 10 campers. This is also a full-time camp, which will run Monday through Friday, from 9:00 – 4:00 PM (also with before care and after care available at an additional cost). These campers will be fortunate to enjoy a range of field trips geared for this older age group. They will be going on field trips three times a week, usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. (For a complete list of the field trips, see the table below.) Additionally, on Mondays and Fridays, the campers will take advantage of our coastal location and go swimming at the beach, as long as the rain stays away! The remainder of time will be spent at camp or the park, enjoying different structured games, sports, or activities. This camp, along with Camp Tot-Lot, will be based out of Temple B’nai Zion.

Finally, due to the success of the program last year, we will once again offer our Junior Lifeguard Camp. This camp will be offered the last two weeks of summer, with a specific age group assigned to each week. The camp will run Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM. This camp will be organized and run by city of Sunny Isles Beach Lifeguards. Campers will learn life-saving techniques, beach safety, exercise regimen, radio communications, and much more taught by certified lifeguards. Campers will meet their instructors at the lifeguard stand located in front of Samson Oceanfront Park, on 174th Street and Collins Avenue.

All of these camps are offered by the city of Sunny Isles Beach, Cultural and Human Services Department. Registration for any camp must be done in person at the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center, located at 18070 Collins Avenue. If you have any questions or need registration materials, call (305) 957-1306.

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