Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself. Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.

Last week’s Junior on summer camps was very popular. It seems as though finding fun, stimulating activities for the kiddos during the summer break is a universal problem among parents.

No doubt this is definitely a topic worth repeating. So without further ado, here’s our second installment of camps extraordinaire. To make it super easy-peezy I’ve sorted the camps into categories.

Art

Learn about Asian without leaving home. Photo: Crow Collection of Asian Art

Children can experience Asian without ever leaving Dallas at the Crow Collection of Asian Art’s ARTcation Summer Camps. During the session kids are immersed in the rich cultures and art of Asia through yoga, art-making, and cuisine. The week-long day camp is taught by local contemporary artists. Session 1 is for kids ages 6-8 and Session 2 is for older children ages 9-12.

Camps can be hard to work into busy summer schedules, especially if you’re planning a trip to Wally World. Oil and Cotton is offering a Kid’s Art Class  perfect for  for travelers. The class is made up of 11 sessions which can be taken any Tuesday or Wednesday from June 8 to August 22. Campers can makeup missed classes by doubling up some weeks. Sudents work in a variety of art mediums as they experience hands-On Art History, a curriculum designed to introduce students to the history of art through materials, techniques, and fun projects. In Summer Studio, students come when they can, working at their own pace to research a few favorite artists, create sketches and color studies, then finish a large painting on canvas.

Come do the Monster Mache at Geppetto’s Theater. Photo Le Theatre de Marionette

Kids interested in architecture and urban planning should check out Destination Dallas Summer Architecture Workshop. Teens in grade 9-12 can go behind the scenes with architect and educator Peter Goldstein for in-dept tours of the Nasher Sculpture Center and other architecturally significant structures throughout the city. Throughout the program, students will complete a series of projects designed to develop their drawing, model making and creative problem-solving skills. Registration is open until June 19 for this camp that meets the week of July 6.

Not to play favorites, but I really love the Monster Mache camp at Le Theatre de Marrionette. Paper mache is used to create rod and string puppet characters. Ogres and aliens are the order of the day, but artistic freedom is highly encouraged as your Junior Geppettos learn all about puppetry styles in this beginner level camp.

Theater/Music

Breitling Youth Theater  in Garland is offering week long camps for your little thespians.  Campers participate in a story dramatization, using costumes and props to act out the stories. The camp culminates on Friday with a short performance for friends and family. There are several half-day and and full-day story book style camps to choose from. My favorite is the Prince Edward and the Dragons camp for kids ages 5-12.

Run away with the circus this summer. Photo: AT&T Performing Arts Center

No camp fire is complete without a strumming guitar. Your little camper can learn the finer points of pickin’ and how to play and write camp fire songs at the Greater Denton Arts Council’s  Guitar Camp. Kids can explore the basics of the accoustic guitar, including how to play melodies, bass lines and chords. You can bring your own guitar, or if you don’t have one, no worries, one will be provided for you.

If you’re wanting something REALLY unique, check out the Cirque Dreams KidsTime Summer Camp at the Wyly Theatre.  Kids ages 10-16 can run away and join the circus without leaving home at this circus camp  taught by Cirque Dreams performers, teachers, and circus arts experts. As an added bonus, Cirque Dreams will consider one or more campers as potential performers to join the cast of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy when it performs the weekend of June 19 – 21, 2015 at the Winspear Opera House. Hurry and sign up because enrollment is limited to 50 campers.

Nature and Science

The Bob Jones Nature Center in Southlake is pulling out all the stops with their weekly Wet & Wild Camps. Children 5 -11 can explore everything from minnows to grizzly bears as they learn all about how humans and wildlife are integrally connected. Camp highlights include, Weekly visits from a special guests such as the Ft. Worth Nature Center and Rapture Centers, guided hikes, experiments, and art in nature. You can sign up for one week or for the whole summer. There’s also a 1/2 day camp available for 3-4 year-olds.

Get dirty at the Texas Discovery Gardens. Photo: Texas Discovery Gardens.

Teens in 9th through 12th grade can find out what it takes to be an animal keeper, veterinarian, or a trainer at the Dallas Zoo’s Career Camp. Campers will go behind the scenes and meet zoo professionals, who will teach then all about the specifics of their careers. Zoo lovers will not only get to spend time in their favorite place, but will gain valuable hands-on knowledge from the experts.

Little Kiddles ages 3 to 5 are going to love getting their hands dirty at the Texas Discovery Gardens Budding Botanists Camp. They’ll get to learn everything about plants while tending to their very own mini garden. Kids in the 4th and 5th grade won’t the From Land to Sea with the Children’s Aquarium Camp. They’ll spend 3 days at the Texas Discovery Garden learning about all the creatures that live in the gardens, and then spend 2 days at the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park exploring the underwater world. Best of all, this camp includes a sleepover on Thursday night at the aquarium.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer. She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 10-year-old daughter, Rose. Tell us about your ideas for quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at tpowell@kera.org.