Our Voice: Summer brings opportunities for kids

This is the last week of school for hundreds of Tri-City area students, and by the end of the month even more will have left their desks behind.

But just because they get a break from homework doesn’t mean they should get a break from learning. Kids who spend too much time on screens are wasting opportunities to try something new.

We are fortunate in the Tri-Cities to have many community organizations that offer all kinds of great activities to keep kids busy in the summer and introduce them to new hobbies.

A good first step is to check out the park and recreation websites of Pasco, Richland and Kennewick. Swimming classes are extremely popular — as they should be. With our heat, kids are going to want to cool off in the water and they need to know how to swim.

But beyond swimming lessons, there are some other really unique classes being offered and summer is the perfect time to try them.

Do your kids like to play with light sabers and toy swords? There’s a fencing class offered in Kennewick they might just love. Have they learned to roller skate? Richland has partnered with the Richland Rollarena Skating Center to teach lessons. What about lacrosse? It’s a sport that is catching on, and kids can learn all about it Pasco.

There are also dance and cheerleading camps, youth choir and band camps. For kids who like to draw and paint, there are several art programs being offered in the community, as well as the Allied Arts Association in Richland. And for young performers, the Academy of Children’s Theatre in Richland is offering acting classes.

The summer reading programs at the Mid-Columbia and Richland libraries are always worthwhile, and both also provide story times, craft sessions and other events throughout the summer for kids of all ages. The best part is these activities are free.

For parents who work full-time, finding child care in the summer can be a challenge. The YMCA of the Greater Tri-Cities and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties both offer all-day camps for kids, and scholarships are available. These programs keep the kids active and away from too much screen time.

The Boys and Girls Clubs also offers week-by-week classes at its Music and Art Center site in Kennewick. Kids can sign up to design video games, work with Lego robotics, learn digital filmmaking and improve their photography skills.

At Columbia Basin College in Pasco, middle-school age kids can learn how to create a game app on android phones and tablets. For high school freshmen and sophomores, CBC’s free Exploration summer camp gives them a chance to find out what college is like, but without the homework.

And at Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland, the Cougar Discovery Summer Academic Camp is geared for high school students who want to learn about different college majors. Those include: engineering (civil, electrical or mechanical), computer science, nursing, business administration, elementary education, digital technology and culture, environmental science, humanities, social sciences and psychology.

Becky Chamberlin, WSU Tri-Cities director of summer session and continuing education, said this is a new program and is designed to give high school kids a chance to figure out what career path they might want. Many kids don’t even know what job opportunities are available and this will give them a head start on their career search, she said.

There are so many other things to do in the Tri-Cities, that what we have mentioned is just a sprinkling. Too many kids spend their days in front of screens when they could be using their summer break to enrich their lives with new experiences.

On Thursday, we will publish a list of summer camps and programs in the Tri-City Herald and at tricityherald.com. Be sure to check it out.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 2:22 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Summer brings opportunities for kids."