Summer is almost here, and for some families that means figuring out what to do with the kiddos during their two-month break. Luckily there are plenty of kid-friendly activities around Acadiana that will surely keep the boredom at bay.

HAPPY CAMPERS

Remember summer camps? Never-ending activities, local excursions, and camp counselors we thought were so cool. Well, it’s time to pack your bag lunches and go to camp!

Tech savvy 

Got a tech-savvy tyke? Code Ninjas offers young electronics enthusiasts (starting at age 5) programs in Roblox development, LEGO robotics, 3D Printing, website and video game design, coding, stop motion animation, and STEM Discovery. At Camp Invention, ambitious innovators will learn how to build a mini-skate park, plan an event and learn how to become entrepreneurs by launching their own pop-up business. Academy of Interactive Entertainment teaches tweens and teens, ages 12-18, how to make video games, animated films, and 3D characters. 

Lights, camera, action!

Is your little one destined for fame? The Music Academy of Acadiana’s three-week camp teaches kids ages 8-17 dance, choreography, music, acting, and scene work. Two live performances will close out the session – Winnie the Pooh and the Addams Family. Wonderland Performing Arts offers one-week camps for ages 5-7 and 8-12, where camp goers learn to sing and act while building confidence. Sign your future Broadway star up for Christian Youth Theater (CYT), week-long musical theater day camps, an overnight teen retreat, and two-week-long summer stock shows. CYT has two locations – Lafayette and Maurice. 

Keep ‘em moving

Kids need to stay active during the summer months. KidStrong’s camp programs build life skills like confidence, teamwork, physical fitness, social skills, good sportsmanship, and more. Professional coaches with child development backgrounds will help your child (ages 4-9) to become strong and independent. Hello Dancer offers full or half-day, week-long camps that will keep your little one moving all day long with leaps and jumps and dance parties (think – Bluey, Activate Dance Mode). It’s non-stop energy at Hangtime TNT (two locations), where aspiring gymnasts learn trampoline and tumbling under first American trampoline Olympic finalist Savannah Vinsant Thompson.

---

KEEP COOL AND KEEP LEARNING

Sure, school is out for summer, but that doesn’t mean your kids should stop learning – especially when there is so much to learn about Acadiana’s rich culture.

Learn about the past

Vermilionville Summer Camp demonstrates the culture and heritage of Acadiana through hands-on projects like blacksmithing, tomahawk throwing, fishing and more. Offered in English or French, camp goers, ages 5-12, will learn about what life was like in southern Louisiana during 1770-1890. LA Folk Roots keeps Cajun and Creole music alive in the younger generations through Kid Camps. With locations in Lafayette and Opelousas, young musicians of all levels play guitar, fiddle, or 10-button diatonic accordion and jam the day away. Votre enfant parle-t-il Francais? Teche Center for the Arts offers a French Camp filled with games, music, food and history.

Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill can turn into a lifelong hobby or even a career. Teche Center for the Arts provides many different camp sessions for children of all levels where budding photographers learn the techniques of snapping photos, novice foodies learn to stir up some Cajun cooking, and future carpenters build a birdhouse at woodworking camp. Have a tween fashionista? Sign up for a beginner or advanced sewing class at TopStitch. Learn how to bake a cake from scratch at A Baker’s Choice or become the next best cookie decorator at It’s Just a Cookie.

Learn to give back

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and it teaches kids responsibility, humbleness and appreciation. (And it’s a great extra curricular to add to that resume.) Help build a house through Habitat for Humanity. Check out United Way of Acadiana for volunteer opportunities like tutoring students after school or lending a hand at Hospice of Acadiana. Help keep Acadiana clean by picking up after local events registered with Parish Proud. Get on the job training, meet new people, and learn new skills while Volunteering at Our Lady of Lourdes.

---

MORE SUMMER FUN

If summer camps aren’t your child’s thing, there are still plenty of other activities to participate in during the dog days of summer. 

Have fun for free

Did you know that on the first Saturday of each month, Lowe’s offers a free kids’ DIY workshop? This month, the New Iberia location will show youngsters how to make a popup flower box, kit included. Farmer’s Markets are always a fun place to spend time and get some fresh air. Point out all the fresh veggies and have your child take notice of all the different vendors. Iberia Parish Library offers endless summertime activities like Teen LEGO Labs at the Coteau branch or art and writing classes at the Main branch.

Beat the heat

Need a place to cool down? Stay indoors for arcade games and trampolines at Surge Entertainment or Elevation Station. Bring the littles to the Indoor Play Arena or check out the PG-rated movies playing at the Grand Theater’s Summer Kids’ Flicks (only $5!). Visit one of the many splash pads around town to cool down in the summer heat – St. Julien in Broussard, Parc Sans Souci in downtown Lafayette, Moncus Park, or Palmetto State Park in Abbeville, to name a few. Spend the day at Camp Margaritaville for serious water fun. 

Soak up the sun

Vitamin D is good for the soul, so take the kids on a sunny adventure. Hike along the trails or paddle the waterways of the Acadiana Park Nature Station and explore the native species of south Louisiana. Nature-loving kids can join the Junior Young Naturalist Club (ages 7-9) or the Young Naturalist Club (ages 10-13) to learn even more about our diverse ecosystem. 

Spend a day at Zoosiana and look for Jolie the White Tiger and ride the train under hanging monkeys. Finally, have a picnic, read a book, and bask in the sun at one of the many neighborhood  playgrounds.