Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. - After sitting in a classroom all year, kids are aching to get active. To help youths burn pent-up energy, hone athletic skills, practice teamwork, and learn healthier habits, Oregon State University is offering a variety of sports, fitness and wellness camps this summer.

There's something for everyone, from pre-kindergarten through grade 12.

Budding chefs can learn to cook whole foods. Young gymnasts can tumble and soar. Pre-teen girls can train for a 5-kilomter run - and build a positive self-image in the process. Kids ages 10-18 can play their sport of choice under expert coaching. Softball, baseball, soccer, football, volleyball, wrestling, basketball and golf all are on the OSU athletic roster this summer.

Here are a few highlights:

• Chefs in Motion: In this overall wellness program, kids in grades 3-8 walk and run noncompetitively, complementing their newfound fitness with cooking lessons focused on healthy diet. Their introduction to the culinary arts includes planning menus, shopping for groceries, following recipes, and preparing their own meals. The camp is offered through KidSpirit, a program of the College of Health and Human Sciences.
• Girls on the Run/Girls on Track: While training for a 5K event, girls  in two age groups (3-5 and 6-8) complete a curriculum designed to help boost their sense of identity, improve body image, value peer support and stand up for themselves. The 20 lessons come with a T-shirt and a water bottle. Entry into the KidSpirit Community 5K event comes with an adult "running buddy." Sponsored by the College of Health and Human Sciences, the camp costs $135. (Scholarships are available.)
• Gymnastics Program: Youngsters from preschool through grade 4 explore movement geared to building strength, flexibility and coordination. They will focus on four main events: floor exercise, uneven bars, balance beam and vault. The toddlers are introduced to the equipment along with social skills development. The bigger kids focus on technique, safety and more advanced skills.
• Junior Beavers: Designed to keep the smallest future Beavers busy, this day camp gets K-2 children moving by swimming, rock climbing, t-ball and gymnastics. The camp is also sprinkled with fun activities in science, art and drama.
• OSU Sports Camps: With the broad range of sports camp offered through OSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, there's something for just about any child. Any aspiring Tiger Woods, for example, shouldn't miss the golf camp for boys and girls ages 10-18. There also are football, baseball, basketball and other camps taught by top coaches.

For more information, visit the Precollege Programs website. 

The link also includes information about OSU's academic offerings.