Lemonade Day, Sunday May 3rd

Do you have a kiddo in your house that is always closing for something or a natural entrepreneur?

Then Lemonade Day is for YOU!

Held on the first Sunday of May every year since 2007, Lemonade Day offers kiddos the opportunity to savor the sweet taste of success that comes with setting up, owning and operating their very own lemonade business.

This city-wide event teaches kids the skills they need to be successful in the future. Youth learn to set goals, develop a business plan, establish a budget, seek investors, provide customer service, and give back to the community.

All you have to do is register today to get started. You’ll receive a backpack full of materials, including The Entrepreneur’s Workbook, which guides them through the entire process. It is free for each youth to participate, and they get to KEEP THE MONEY that they earn!

And tomorrow, April 1st, is the first day backpacks are available! Once you are registered for Lemonade Day you will receive an email confirmation with your Username and password. Take your confirmation email to any of the participating locations to pick up your backpack which includes your Entrepreneur Workbook and Caring Adult Guide.

More questions? Visit the FAQ page here. Their site also has some fun games that might be just the thing to catch your kid's interest.

And did I mention there's contests for all you competitive types?

A great place to start is watching the video below. You'll be hooked for sure!

The Rest of the Story...as far as Camps Go

******Updated 6/26/09


Alrighty...roll out the red carpet for the remaining summer camps!

*Arthur Murray Dance Studio

* Camp Cook- A Slice of Summer Big Adventures in Cooking : A hands-on cooking adventure for little chefs. Through the process of cooking, kids hone their skills in reading, math, and science. In addition to educational skills, kids learn to be organized, how to complete tasks, all while building social skills, self esteem, and the important character trait of patience.

*Camp Invention: Camp Invention is a non-profit program of the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame that inspires creativity and inventive thinking through hands-on activities that are fun and also integrate science, mathematics, history, and the arts in an exciting environment conducive to learning. Weeklong day camps for students entering grades 1-6 are held at area schools and churches. Here is a snapshot of their locations. Most camps are 9 am to 3:30 pm, but the camps at Pump It Up, which is the Cy-Fair location off of Sam Houston Tollway at Fallbrook, include two hours of after camp care and free play on the Pump It Up inflatables, until 5:30 -fun for all kids and particularly good for working parents.

*CyFair Music and Arts: KinderMusik, Guitar, Piano, Art and Drama camps

*Cypress Dance: Ballroom, Latin, Line Dancing, Salsa, Swing, Hip Hop, Zumba, Ballet

*Drama Kids Camp: Unique combination of fun, creativity and entertaining theater and speech activities such as large group improv, silent scenes, dialogue development, scene starters and theater games. Four locations:Copperfield, Fairfield, Cypress and Spring. Early Bird Savings......$20 off when you enroll by May 1st and use Code: Flyer20

*Dinosaurs Rock: Campers participate in a highly interactive presentation by DINOSAURS ROCK experts. Hands-on activities include a fossil dig, fossil excavation and/or crystal-filled Geode opening. Campers also get to "see & touch", up-close an extensive 50+ piece exhibit including genuine Dinosaur Eggs, Meteorites, Dinosaur Teeth, Dinosaur Claws, Dinosaur Footprints, Amber and many other fossils that range from 2-Million to over 500 Million years old right at your camp. 2008 Camp information currently posted...keep checking back for 2009 info

*Grand Oaks Farms Horse Camp

*Houston Family Arts Center Drama Camps

*K2 Academy

*Kidventure: Summer day camps provide Houston families with the opportunity to experience the adventure and opportunities of Kidventure Camp in a variety of camp locations that are convenient. Each campsite provides outstanding amenities for a safe and rich curriculum.

*Mad Science: Their mission is to spark the imagination & curiosity of children. They provide fun, interactive & educational activities that instill a clear understanding of science & how it affects the world around them. Mad Science camps are hands-on, have daily take homes, include daily snack-tivities & supervised play breaks, offer many different themed weeks and are not to be missed! Over 30 locations in the greater Houston area.

*Mark Kistler's Art Camp

*The Artist Within Summer Art Camp

*Nature Trekkers: Join Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Naturalist teachers for fun-filled week long camps that explore the natural world through active hands-on indoor and outdoor adventures at our 155 acre sanctuary. Children are taught in classes by age (5 & 6 yrs., 7 & 8 yrs., and 9-12 yrs.).

*Posh Cookie Baking Camp: intro to baking and decorating in July and more advanced decorating in August for 3rd-6th graders

*Precious Dancers Academy: a special and whimsical event where your princess learns she is truly royal because Christ is King (1 Peter 2:9). We will have a giggly girly time learning through Princess Fun Dance, Protocol Etiquette, Regal Crafts, Courtly Games and Castle Story Time. The week will culminate with a special Finale Day where the Princesses come in Princess Attire, we have a Royal Dinner and also conduct a Regal Procession for parents, siblings and friends to attend.

*Robotics Camp: Katy Texas, Working in teams, students learn how to design remote and computer controlled robots. Students work with all the mechanical and technical LEGO building materials, including specialized pieces such as axles, gears, beams, wheels, motors, pulleys, microcomputers, and pneumatics enabling them to safely design robots to do the things they want it to do. They decide and build, as a team, the best design of their robot for the end of class competition. We focus on team building, problem solving, creativity and fun.

*Science Adventures: Champions Science Adventures^TM engages your child in exciting and educational hands-on science programs. The day camp format allows your child to participate in involved, multi-day projects such as constructing robots, building and launching model rockets, and engineering an electric race car!

*UH College of Technology Discovery Camp

*CyLakes Science Summer Camp: for kiddos 10-14 years old

Free Summer History Camp At Bayou Bend: Bayou Bend's Summer History Camp is a unique, interactive history camp that gives students a fun, educational opportunity to learn about life in 18th-century America. Geared toward students entering 5th grade

And finally....a few more to wrap up:

Houston Family Magazine Summer Camp Directory provides additional camps around or near the Greater Houston area

Know of more summer camps? Please share at intheknownorthwest@gmail.com

Lots of Themes, One Location

***Updated 5/15/09


Often churches/organizations will offer camp several weeks in the summer but have different themes each time. Check out these great choices below.

Arts of Glaze Summer Camps

Bear Creek Methodist Church
*too many to list-those south of 290 check this out!

Cornerstone Methodist Church
*2yrs- completed 4th graders. They have a week long camp in June, July, and Aug. Taught by the preschool teachers with super fun themes. Cornerstone is located in Copperfield.

*Cypress Christian School: from Tech Science to arts to sports. Camps in June and July

*Foundry UMC Dive In! Summer 2009

Jersey Village Baptist Summer Camps
6/8-6/12: Preschool Outer Space Camp
7/6-7/10: Sports Skills Camp
7/20-7/24: Summer Musical Activities Camp
8/3-8/7: Be a Bookworm Preschool Camp
****Registration Opens 3/30/09....these fill quickly

Houston Family YMCA
Creating summer fun the longest- gotta love the good 'ol Y

Houston Museum of Natural Science Summer Xplorations (2 locations, Main and Woodlands)v

John Wesley S.A.C.K. 2009
*Summer Adventures for Curious Kids (SACK) is designed for children 18 months old through 5 years (as of September 1, 2008). Registration was Friday, March 27, at 9:30 a.m. for church members and 11:00 a.m. for non-members. Contact church to see if spots are still available.

*KIDConnect: Swim Lessons, Summer Camp and Tennis Camp at The Met

Lakewood Methodist Church
*2009 brochure can be found here

Lone Star College. Registration is Saturday, April 18th...in person. Super Yikes. Those classes fill crazy fast.

St. Aidan's Fast Forward Kids Summer Camps

Wee Wuns at Cypress Methodist Church
*Summer camp that runs MWF for 2 weeks from July 13-24 and is available for ages 14 mos.- current 2nd graders. Contact the Wee Wuns office at Cypress United Methodist Church for more information.

Winwood Presbyterian Summer Ministries Camps
*Check site for camp information and registration



Know of any multi-themed-one-location ideas? Please share! intheknownorthwest@gmail.com

Sports Camps

**updated 7/1/09

I feel as if I need to apologize for two things.

#1-The sports camps getting all the love before many other camps
#2- The sports camps list being dominated by baseball camps

What can I say? Go with what you know.


*Advantage Baseball Camp

*Champion Forest Baptist Sports Camps, brought to you by Triumph Sports.

*Cypress Academy of Gymnastics offers Parent's Day Out each Thursday in June, July and August

*CyFair Baseball Camp (not listed yet, but watch for camps that will be held the first 2 weeks of
June)

*Cypress Infield Academy

*Jersey Village Baptist Sports Skills Camp: July 6-10

*Huber Tennis Ranch (camps not listed yet, keep a look out for them soon)

*Christi Borne Tennis Camp at The Met

*Cypress Lakes Golf Camp

*Matt Bullard Basketball Camp

*Longwood Golf Camp

*Blackhorse Ranch also offers a golf camp, but nothing mentioned on their site yet.

*Miracles Baseball Camp

*K.I.D.S Camp Soccer Camp

*Sports Prep USA

*Sports Quest Soccer Camps (lots of locations)

*Sports With A Twist

*Texas Tornadoes Volleyball

*Velocity Sports Nike Summer Perfomance Camps

*The Good 'Ol YMCA offers a multitude of summer programs for members and non-members. Stop by for a schedule. My boys enjoyed the Sports Camp last summer (indoor gymnastics-feel to it)

Although this is a pretty good start to run off some of that summer energy, basketball got absolutely no love in the camp department.

Please share your summer camp information! intheknownorthwest@gmail.com

Vacation Bible School

Have you ever been to Australia? Outer Space? Camping in a Fun New Place? Down on the Bayou?

What better way to travel than through Vacation Bible School? Pack your bags.... Adventure ahead!

We love us some VBS! Pick a week that works for you (or 2! They often have different themes at different churches)

****Updated 5/19/09

Houston's First Baptist Church: June 8-12

John Wesley UMC: June 8-12

Cypress Methodist: June 15-19

Cypress Point Baptist Church: June 15-19

Foundry UMC : June 15-19

St. Mary's Episcopal: June 15-19

Trinity Vineyard Church: June 15-19

Champion Forest Baptist Church: June 16-20 (they are breaking into different ages groups this year over different days. Be sure and give them a shout for details)

Cypress Bible Church: June 22-26

Faithbridge UMC: June 22-26

Good Shepherd UMC Fairfield: June 22-26

Houston Northwest Baptist: June 22-26

Jersey Village Baptist: June 22-26

St. John's Luthern: June 22-26

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church: June 22-26th
Session 1: 9:30-12:30 and Session 2: 5:30-8:30

Lakewood Methodist UMC: June 29- July 2

The Met: Jones Road Campus: July 13-17

The Met: Fry Road Campus: July 13-17

Prince of Peace Catholic Church: July 13-17

St. Aidan's Episcopal Church: July 27-31

Do you know of more VBS fun in the Northwest Houston area? Please share! intheknownorthwest@gmail.com

Princess With A Purpose/Warrior Prince Academy

Building character in our kiddos and helping them discover who they truly are is a huge task!

Would you like a little help in that area this summer?

Princess with a Purpose Ministries is offering 'Princess Prep School' and 'Warrior Prince Academy' at 5 different locations all over Houston. These courses teach teach boys and girls, ages 4 through entering 3rd grade, what it means to be daughters and sons of the King.

Princess Prep School teaches the true meaning of “princess” through puppet shows, live princess performances, hands-on lessons, crafts, music, sign language, Biblical truths, and manners to help them discover their royal purpose in Christ.

Warrior Prince Academy is a Biblical warrior training program for young boys. Throughout the event, the boys learn leadership development, chivalry, and scriptural truths of who they are in Christ Jesus.

Locations, times and pricing can be found here.

Thank you, Kelly, for your heart for kids to know who they truly are so they can live out their purposes God planned for their lives. Many a jewel in your crown, Sister.

PS- Do you have girls ages 8-12? Check out Secret Keeper Girl. This site is about all about 'modest' being 'hottest'. They'll be in Beaumont 1st and then College Station May 2nd. Road trip!

Also, Precious Dancers Academy is worth a look!

Christian Youth Theater

Do you have drama around your house?

Channel it for good!

Christian Youth Theater is offering summer day camps that combine singing, dancing, and acting with lots of fun games, including a wild and wacky water day. Everyone at camp participates in the showcase and all campers receive a camp t-shirt. You know kids dig t-shirts!

Online registration is now open and the best part? They are offering camp at SEVEN different locations!

Their week-long summer camps run from 9 am- 3 pm for 8-18 year-olds and 9 am-12 for 6-7 year-olds. A showcase on Friday evening is a fun culmination their week at theater camp. (The 6-7 year-olds stay until 3 on Friday to practice for the showcase.)

Cost:

Ages 8-18, 9 am – 3 pm, $145
Ages 6-7, 9 am – noon, Mon-Thurs, 9-3 on Friday, $100

There is a $15 early registration discount for registration postmarked at least one month before the camp starts. There is a $25 processing fee for refunds before early registration ends, and no refunds are given after early registration ends. There is a $10 sibling discount, and a $10 discount for students attending more than one camp.

Cinema Alfresco

Vintage Park, located at Louetta and 249, is offering outdoor movies every month in 2009.

Have dinner at one of their fabulous patios, sit on one of their comfortable benches around the fountains, or cozy up in your own blanket or chair for a movie under the stars. Showtime is 7 PM. With new restaurants opening monthly, you can't lose!

Here's the line up:

April 11th.................Field of Dreams
May 9th...................Jumanji
June 13th................Raiders of the Lost Ark
July 11th.................A League of Their Own
August 8th..............Ratatouille
September 12th.....E.T.
October 10th..........Ghostbusters
November 14th......Harry Potter
December 12th.......Polar Express

For more information, visit vintageparkhouston.com

Not a movie fan? Live Music in the Piazza is also featured Thursdays and Fridays 7-9 pm.

Coming Soon!

When you live in H'town, there is really no need to travel very far when you are searching for things to do.

Look for 'local fun' in the coming months!

Until then, visit Been There, Done That....and Then Some and NinaLoca.com.