KIDS, GRAB YOUR GEAR AND CAMP WITH THE CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT
Two Camp Programs Offer Kids Opportunities to Explore the Great Outdoors
Release Date: 04/23/08
This summer, the Chicago Park District is offering kids an opportunity to go camping with two programs: Urban Campers, for children ages 9 -12 years, and Under Illinois Skies, for children ages 10 - 13. Both programs teach children to discover the importance of nature and participate in environmental recreation.
“These camps allow children to connect with nature while teaching them about the importance of it which is essential today in a time when signs of Nature Deficit Disorder are prevalent in the community,” said Peggy Stewart, Manager of Environmental Programs. “In conjunction with Chicago Wilderness’s Leave No Child Inside initiative, the Chicago Park District offers its residents an opportunity to connect with nature through a wide variety of outdoor education programs such as these.”
Registration is required. For more information and to find out the cost of the camping programs near you, call 312.742.4915. The following are a list of dates and locations for the outdoor, overnight camp programs offered to kids:
Urban Campers
•Gompers Park, 4222 W. Foster Ave.; June 23-June 27
•Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr.; June 30-July 3
•South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr.; July 7-July 11
•Humboldt Park, 1400 N. Sacramento Ave.; July 21-July 25
Children ages 9-12 years old explore the wonders of camping and have fun in the great outdoors right in their local park. Urban Campers is a weeklong program running Monday through Wednesday from 10 am to 2 pm and culminating in an overnight campout from 10 am Thursday to 10 am Friday. Activities include canoeing/kayaking, fishing, environmental games, and more.
Under Illinois Skies
•Gompers Park, 4222 W. Foster Ave.; June 30-July 3
•Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr.; July 7-July 10
•South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr.; July 14-July 17
•Marquette Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr.; July 14-July 18
•Marquette Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr.; July 21-July 24
•Humboldt Park, 1400 N. Sacramento Ave.; July 28-July 31
Children ages 10-13 years old who are ready for the next level of camping. Under Illinois Skies campers spend Monday from 10 am -2 pm in a local park. On Tuesday morning, campers depart the host park and journey by bus to DuPage County’s Blackwell Forest Preserve in IL for a camping experience lasting through Thursday morning. Participants will engage in canoeing, fishing, archery, and more.
Leave No Child InsideChicago Wilderness, a group of more than 220 public and private organizations working together to protect the Chicago region’s natural spaces, help conserve the diversity of plants and animals and enrich local residents’ quality of life, last year launched Leave No Child Inside initiative which is a multi-year plan with the ultimate goal of fostering generations of children that care enough for nature to protect it. Richard Louv's 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, calls attention to the role of nature in healthy child development. The book has mobilized groups across the country into a nationwide movement dedicated to reconnecting kids and nature.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529