2001 Kids' Summer Fun Guide

Science & Nature

FUTURE KIDS Put the power of computers in kids' hands and watch them rule the world! Camps boast alluring themes like PokenFun (as in Pokémon), space station, Harry Potter, robotics, and lots more. A preschool introduces computers in two-hour camps. Ages: 4-14. May 29-Aug 9. Far West and West Lake Locations. 346-8020. www.fkaustin.com.

GIRLSTART TECHNOLOGY CENTER Girls rule! Especially when they are encouraged to explore robots, microscopes, environmental science, math, engineering, and technology. Through the weeklong summer camps, girls tackle and master such typically "boy" territory as physics (when they develop their own amusement park with rides), forensic science, Web design, and money management. Ages: 9-14. June 4- Aug 3. Girlstart Technology Center, 608 W. 22nd. 916-4775. www.girlstart.org.

MAD SCIENCE Teaching kids the wonders of science for good, not evil. If only Poison Ivy (aka Dr. Pamela Isley) had attended these camps, Batman and Robin's life would have been a whole lot easier. Ages 7-12. June 5-Aug 4. Locations from Austin to Georgetown. 892-1143. www.madscience.org:8080/austin/home.html.

ID TECH CENTER Get your kid in college way ahead of the pack! Kids can participate at this high-tech summer computer camp, part of a nationwide program in prestigious universities including our hometown UT. Novices and experienced programmers welcome. Weeklong camps, low student/teacher ratio. Ages: 8-17. July 8-Aug 17. UT campus. 888/709-TECH. www.internaldrive.com.

AISD AND ACC have joined forces to create a series of summer camps that will make your child S-M-A-R-T. Kids get a chance to take classes developed by such higher institutions as the Smithsonian which prepare them for being E/R doctors, actors, or astronauts. Each subject has three age-specific levels of participation. June 5-30, Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm. Call 223-7593 for a list of schools and registration information. www2.austin.cc.tx.us/wcell/kidz_kollege.

SUMMER WONDERS Smarty pants. Smart aleck. Smart guy. Wise guy, even. Sometimes name-calling is really flattery. Sounds like some kid you know? This program for gifted kids entering pre-K through eighth grade can delve into subjects from endangered species to math through a "Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder" model. Two-week sessions, June 11-July 20, Brentwood Elementary, 6700 Arroyo Seco. 346-7039. www.summerwonders.org.

GIRL SCOUTS -- THE EDGE Thought scouting wasn't edgy? You clearly haven't heard about the technology program with classes for all skill levels. Math, science, art, and music are brought together to help girls do things like animate a video or create a cool Web site. For scouts brownies to seniors, weeklong sessions. 453-7391x146. www.girlscouts-lonestar.org.

AQUATIC STUDIES Southwest Texas University is making good use of all that water they have down there -- just take a look at this day camp. Participants will study surface water, groundwater, and microscopy with plenty of hands-on experience. The San Marcos River is just waiting for tiny hands to collect invertebrate animals for study and play. A trip to Aquarena Springs and a ride on the glass-bottom boats is also included in this two-day camp. Call for dates and times: 245-2669.

LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER Unfortunately, only two sessions are still open here. Kids 7-9 can attend the Mother Nature's Picnic camp (July 17-19) in which campers discover Mother Nature's food-making abilities -- from the bees to the cacti. Habitat Helpers camp (July 24-26) is designed for kids 10-12 and explores the different habitats in the world around us. Campers travel to different animal dwellings and learn about their need for shelter and food. 292-4200. www.wildflower.org.

ORGANIC GARDENING SUMMER CAMP The only TDA-certified organic school in Texas, Ronda's Montessori Garden reminds us that it takes a garden to grow a child. This particular garden has mulberries, strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers, corn, and okra, not to mention the flowers and 11 different kinds of basil. The better for the kids to make their own sweet basil, rosemary, and peppermint soaps. 4300 Mt. Vernon. 707-8635.

NATURE'S TREASURES Community Education provides a camp that incorporates objectives of the Texas Essentials Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the TAAS into a creatively challenging, physically active curriculum. Indoor/outdoor activities, arts, field trips, and swimming are included in the nature-themed weeks. Ages: grades 1-6. May 28-July 13. Five north and two south locations. 414-2871. www.communityeducation.org.

WILD BASIN WILDERNESS PRESERVE Summer in the wilds and you don't even have to leave the city! Weekly camps unearth mysteries about the preserve with sessions on fossils, Bee Creek, birds, and all of the preserve's treasures. Ages: grades 1-6. May 29-July 27. Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, 805 Capital of Texas Hwy N. 327-7622. www.wildbasin.org.

AUSTIN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM is gearing up for its annual summer "Ology" camp series. Kids get to see what it's like to be an ichthyologist, biotechnologist, culinologist, and many other "ologists" for a few weeks. Morning camps delve into the mysteries of cooking, building construction (the museum is downtown, you know), and theatre through games, singing, and play. Ages: 4-6. Full-day camps visit a police station, blast off a rocket, and hang out with fish. Ages: 7-11. Camps begin May 28. 201 Colorado. 472-2499. www.austinkids.org.

4-H CAPITAL PROJECT Two camps cover the earth and skies this summer: a "Fish and Fun" camp that includes daily fishing and other aquatic activities, and the "Blast Off for Fun" with model rockets, solar car, and aerodynamic fun. Ages: 9-13. Fish and Fun: June 18-22, Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Bergman. Blast Off: July 16-20, Martin Jr. High, 1601 Haskell. 473-9600. www.co.travis.tx.us/departments/extension_agent.htm.

AUSTIN NATURE & SCIENCE CENTER What's the best nature oasis in center city? Where do the fox and the owls and kids play? Right in Zilker Park lies the Austin Science and Nature Center, which offers camps featuring themes from animals, prehistoric Texas, water study. Full-day camps offer daily swimming at either Deep Eddy or Barton Springs and an all-day field trip. Half-day camps for 3-6 year olds, full-day camps for 5-12. 13-16 year olds can sign up to be counselors-in-training. May 29-Aug 10. 301 Nature Center Drive. 327-8181. www.ci.austin.tx.us/nature-science/.

TEXPLORERS! Texplorers! is a new half-day program from the Texas Memorial Museum of Science and History. This is where experiments are conducted, objects and artifacts are investigated, and local environments are explored, all for the delight and edification of your budding scientists. Four different camps available, with two sessions for each camp. Ages: 8-12. Fantastic Fossils: Campers make fossil molds and casts and learn about paleontology (with a focus on Texas prehistory). June 25-29 or July 30-Aug 3. Crossing Cultures: an investigation of archeology and Texas Indian cultures, during which the kids create some Texas rock art. June 11-15 or July 16-20. Natural Texas: This camp will explore Texas wildlife and natural environments and analyze how plants and animals are adapted to their surrounding regions. June 4-8 or July 9-13. Exploring the Earth: Campers travel to a common Austin rock formation and learn about the rock cycle as they investigate the common minerals that impact our daily lives. They'll also learn about the meteorites that impact our daily planet! June 18-22 or July 23-27. All camps meet at the museum, 2400 Trinity, UT campus. $100 per week ($80, museum members). 232-5509. Registration available online: www.utexas.edu/depts/tmm/education/programs/.