Summer is a time for fun and discovery, a time to explore new things and new limits. For those who are under age, it is up to parents to provide opportunities for adventures.
Since 2001, the Souris Valley Museum has been a tourist attraction in Estevan, for not just community members, but visitors and their families as well. The museum has increased its staff during the summer in recent years, to provide the youth in Estevan with several opportunities to learn and discover.
The museum has co-ordinated several morning and afternoon day camps for ages three to 15. Starting on July 2, and going until Aug. 23, there are nine different camps.
Starting at ages three to five for three days at two hours a day, is Little Time Travellers. This camp is set up to get our younger youth interested in history, by jumping into a time machine to the time of dinosaurs, pioneers, and then Estevan in the past.
From ages five to eight is Dinosaur Camp, which is the most popular of the day camps for obvious reasons. During this camp kids will learn about the dinosaurs that roamed the earth, gain an understanding of fossils and more.
From ages six to 10 there are several camps; Pioneer Day Camp, History Hunters, Fact or Fiction, Around the World, Mystery, and Eat, Live and be Happy.
And last but not least, from ages nine to fifteen there is Film Camp. In this camp, children will learn about the different types of movies, old Hollywood stars, and are given the chance to become directors themselves.
“The best part of these camps is getting kids excited about history, because some kids don’t realize how interesting it is,” said director-curator, Mark Veneziano.
Registration costs are $30 for Little Time Travellers, and $50 each for the other camps. Registration is now open. Parents have the option to register kids for the whole day, depending on which camps the kids are interested in. There is a supervised lunch hour provided for kids that are registered in both morning and afternoon camps, but youth must bring a lunch. To learn more about each of these camps, and when they occur, visit the Souris Valley Museum’s Facebook page.
Veneziano said, “My personal favorite camp is the Mystery camp. I can’t wait to see the kids solve crime and mysteries!”
The summer day camps provided by the Souris Valley Museum represent one small portion of the educational fun it offers. There is always family events too.
