Jefferson County’s Parks and Recreation department offers a variety of camps to entertain, teach and intrigue the youth of the county. Registrations for camps are underway with many spots still available.

The annual Summer Play Camps are tradition at three locations in the county, Sam Michael’s Park, Wright Denny Intermediate and Morgan’s Grove Park. The program keeps youth active by engaging them in a variety of age-appropriate activities including art projects, sports, field trips, fitness and nutrition and more.

Jennifer Myers, director at Parks and Rec, says that the camps offer a variety of activities to keep all children active and involved.

“We have trained, excellent staff,” Myers said, referencing that many of the instructors are teachers from the county school system.

The summer camps run each week from Now through Aug. 8. Hours for camps at Morgan’s Grove and Wright Denny are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while the hours at Sam Michael’s have been extended to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The camps host children ages 5-13 and offer include transportation to one field trip per week which could include Greenbrier State park, Cunningham Falls State Park, Harpers Ferry National Park, bowling, the pool or other possibilities.

In addition to the summer play camps, Parks and Rec offers a variety of specialty camps for children of all ages including art camps, sports camps, puppetry, animal adventures, preschool, science and more. Many preschool camps are available for weekly half-day programs.

Parks and Rec also partners with River Riders to offer outdoor adventure camps including activities such as white water rafting, kayaking, tubing and the Aerial Adventure park. Other outdoor camps include a Survivor Camp where campers will learn to build shelters, build fires, go on a scavenger hunt and play games to enhance survival skills.

Information on all of the camp offerings can be found on the Parks and Rec website at www.jcprc.org. Online registration is available as well. For more information on any of the camps, contact staff at 304-728-3207.