You guys totally ROCK! I think the YMCA on Irving Park is my choice. Thanks for all your replies. I love Mamasource!!!
YMCA - I love the one on Lincoln, north of Belmont. Also there are park district programs that go till 6:00 pm. Some go till 3:00 pm and then you sign up seperately for before or after care. You might need to look around at a couple of different parks. The park district website allows you to look up by zip code. There are a lot of other good camps (private and more expensive).
Hi D.,
I live just west of you, Harlem - Irving area. I send my daughter (she's 5 1/2) to a place in Elmwood Park called Picket Fence. It is a daycare/school, however they have a summercamp program. You may think Elmwood Park is too far to go, but it really is only 10 minutes away from you. I love this place for many reasons. Thay are located in what is called "The Circle". They are directly across the street from the pool, library, fire station and only 2 blocks from the park. During the "summer camp" they go swimming every Tues & Thurs, go to the park every day and they even go on field trips to the movies once a month!
I can't say enough good things about this place!
Their # is ###-###-####.
Check it out, your son will LOVE it there!
The park district is VERY reasonable, I'm not sure what ones you have up by you but mine is full day and is around $320. I'm not sure if the have after care (they should) but the summer admission is not that long. The BEST deal was the Y. It was a long day and was the most reasonable full day camp I have come across and the admission was longer it was around $2100 per summer. Brickton Montessori, west of you (?) also has a full day summer camp, my full time working mom GF used it for years. You can google all of them easily. Advice- admission is in full swing for camps now, you need to inquire as soon as you can.
The Entertainment Project is running a full day (8:30 - 4) theater camp for 5-12 year olds ad is using the facilities at Gordon Tech. They are running three 3-week sessions- at the end of each they put on a production (this year is Wizards Academy, Mulan, and Robin Hood).
Not a typical day camp, but it sounds like a blast. My 5 year old has friends that have done it and will be starting this year.
You might want to try Old Town School of Folk Music- they have a number of different camps, at different times of the day, and they are great! Good luck!
I highly recommend the YMCA on Irving Park. Also for the past 3 years my daughter had attended the full time camp at the jycs, located at corner of grace and Sheffield.
You might want to check out daycare facilities near you. Several of them do 'summer enrichment' programs for kids like your son who need full-time care only during the summer.
Hi D.,
Check out www.kidwinks.com. In the Services section, there are 80 summer camps listed. If you become a kidwinks member, which is free, you can then sort those 80 camp listings in order of distance from your house. Here's the link to the camps: http://www.kidwinks.com/events/index.asp?SECTION_ID=6&....
While you're at kidwinks, check out the Kids Eat Free calendar and the Events calendar. Another benefit of membership is you get the weekly newsletter with ideas for what to do with your kids over the upcoming week. You also can get email reminders of upcoming events. All free.
J.
If you've decided on YMCA, a friend of mine likes Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles on Touhy near Caldwell.
There is another GREAT place on Irving, just west of Harlem called Jolly Fun House. They are a k-8 school with afterschool care during the school year, but during the summer they have day camp. They have their own busses to take kids swimming and on TONS of field trips. Another friend of mine raves about them. I believe their hours are 6am to 6pm.
Finally, Jefferson Park has extended camp, but they don't start until 9am. If that is not a problem, check online for more details.
M.
I know that Concordia Avondale Campus (2 locations: one at 3855 N. Seeley near Irving Park and Damen and one at 3300 N. Whipple near Belmont and Sacramento) has summer camps. They are open from 7:00-6:00 and do lots of fun activities/field trips with their summer camp kids. They have a website www.concordia-avondale.org and they work on a sliding scale tuition, which is nice. I'm not sure if the locaiton will work out for you or if they still have spaces avaialble, but thought I'd send it your way in case you work downtown.
Good luck!
