Camps

At Johnson Space Center/NASA, Space Center Houston allows families to relive the achievements of the NASA space program and witness history in the making. This one-of-a-kind experience, found only in Houston, is the perfect destination for tourists or locals seeking something different.

Everything in the visitors' center facility is realistic. Space Center's creators kept in close contact with NASA to ensure the most accurate experience. Each attraction is self-guided, so families can spend as much or as little time in each area as they want.

The main entry room, the Space Center Plaza, hosts traveling exhibits and has a full-size Space Shuttle Mock-up which offers a close-up look at the middeck and flight deck of the orbiter, from control consoles to sleeping quarters.

At Mission Status Center, knowledgeable Mission Briefing Officers provide up-to-the-minute information about space flight and training activities. During missions, Mission Status Center shares communication between Johnson Space Center's Mission Control and the astronauts orbiting on board the shuttle.

The Feel of Space offers hands-on experiences; here, kids can land the shuttle or retrieve a satellite through computer simulation.

In the Destiny Theater, the film On Human Destiny brings great moments of space exploration to the big screen. Then, families can walk through the history of the manned space program, starting with a model of the Goddard Rocket. Three capsules actually flown in space are on display.

The Space Center Theater seats more than 500 guests and features a giant, five-story screen to show astronauts training in the 25-minute film To Be An Astronaut.

Tram tours take visitors behind the scenes at Johnson Space Center and are led by knowledgeable guides. The tours visit various sites, including the X-38 Assembly Building and the Shuttle Mock-up Facility. Tour length varies depending on building availability but ranges from 60 to 90 minutes.

Kids Space Place was created for children of all ages who have always dreamed of experiencing the same things astronauts do in space. Interactive exhibits and themed areas allow kids to explore and experiment with walking on the moon, commanding the space shuttle, and living on the space station.

Summer and Spring Break day camp programs are available for children ages four to 14. Call 281.244.2148 for registration information.

Bay Area Learning Center has joined with FasTracKids to offer an academic enrichment program for children ages three to seven. This 24-month (two hours per week) course is designed to enrich children's knowledge while also developing their speaking, communication, and leadership skills.

Subject-areas include not only math and writing, but also drama, economics, and various sciences - astronomy, technology, and biology, to name a few.

The Learning Center also offers Spanish lessons, as well as tutoring in math, reading, and writing for ages three and up - including TAKS prep!

Academic summer camps are also available in areas such as science, Spanish, math, and reading.

Creative Connections offers fine arts classes for children in dance, drama, art, yoga, creative movement, and motor skills. Classes are available for infants to fifth graders at various venues throughout the greater Houston area. Call or visit the website for current locations and schedules.

Creative Connections also offers day camps and birthday party packages.

Ask about the schedule of free demo classes.

Utilizing fun classes, imaginative teachers, and creative materials, Abrakadoodle inspires the artist in every child. The program meets both the National and State Standards for visual arts education. Classes are developmentally appropriate and introduce kids to color, texture, shape, and creativity.

Classes are held at various locations throughout the northern Houston suburbs. Call for current pricing and class locations.

Birthday Party packages are available, and include a visit from Splat, the Abrakadoodle stuffed toy mascot, arty gift bags for all the children, a special arty gift for the birthday child, and a Remarkable Art Activity Abrakadoodle-style that lasts about one hour. At the end, artwork is framed for each child to take home as a treasured keepsake.

Bay Area Learning Center has joined with FasTracKids to offer an academic enrichment program for children ages three to seven. This 24-month (two hours per week) course is designed to enrich children's knowledge while also developing their speaking, communication, and leadership skills.

Subject-areas include not only math and writing, but also drama, economics, and various sciences - astronomy, technology, and biology, to name a few.

The Learning Center also offers Spanish lessons, as well as tutoring in math, reading, and writing for ages three and up - including TAKS prep!

Academic summer camps are also available in areas such as science, Spanish, math, and reading.

The Bay Area Theatre and Voice Academy offers private music lessons and musical theater workshops and classes for children ages four and up, including teens. Classes are geared towards developing productions.

The Academy also offers summer camps which culminate in musical theater productions.

Search for day camps, sleep-aways, family camps, teen tours, camp jobs, special needs, national and international adventures... even weight loss and military camps!

Write to kidscamps.com at 500 NE Spanish River Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431, or email the address above.

CampDepot.com is a search engine for summer camps, offering more than 14,000 camp listings that parents can search by zip code, specialty, location, activity, etc.

MySummerCamps.com is a comprehensive directory of all types of summer camps in the Houston area, as well as sleep-away camps.

Sam Houston Equestrian Center is a 25-acre site with two outdoor arenas, a covered horse pavilion, and a huge indoor party room.

Lessons are offered year-round for riders of all skill levels, Tue-Fri after school, and Sat-Sun throughout the day. Summer camps are available all summer long, and include not only horseback riding, but also grooming and shampooing the horses, classroom studies, and videos. The Equestrian Center also offers spring break camps.

Birthday party packages include horseback riding and use of the party room for one additional hour. Trail rides are also available for families and out-of-town visitors.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best artsy class for big kids and best place for a parents' night out in Houston, Glazed Over is a paint-your-own-pottery studio. Customers select a "raw" piece of pottery or mosaic, then choose paints, brushes, stencils, and sponges with which to decorate it. Painters can purchase soft drinks and juices, and can even have food delivered. When finished, Glazed Over glazes and fires the piece; pick-up is ready within seven days.

Birthday party packages are available for a minimum of eight painters. Glazed Over also hosts classes for kids ages five to 13, as well as weekly summer camp sessions, and a spring break camp.

The studio also hosts a storytime-workshop in which parents and children ages two to five listen to a story, then paint a critter that relates to the story.