‘Beach Camp’ Offers Signup for Louisiana Kids this Summer

It is officially April and that means mom's and dads from Baton Rouge to Bossier City and Lake Charles to New Orleans are creating their strategy to keep the kids occupied during the upcoming summer months.

Most schools systems across the state will ask their kids to do some summer reading but we all know the real learning experiences come from doing. And for a lot of Louisiana families that means packing up the kiddos and sending them away to camp for a few days or a few weeks.

I am a big proponent of sending kids away to camp. Granted it can be expensive but in my mind it is worth it. Sending a kid to camp allows them to develop as an individual and grow without mom and dad watching over them. It also helps kids develop self-esteem and it teaches them to be self-reliant too. Plus there are all the adventures and stories that come with a good camp experience that turn into life lessons.

You've probably heard of Space Camp, right? That's where kids who have an interest in space, space exploration, engineering, and science in general can go, spend a week or so, and get some valuable hands on experience working around real rockets. Now, what if you could take an experience like that and put it on the beach?

Gulf Shores Launching Gulf Camp - It's Like Space Camp on the Beach

Believe it or not one of the main catalysts for the city of Gulf Shores Alabama to launch "Beach Camp" stems from one of the city's darkest moments. You probably remember the big BP Oil spill of 2010,right? The city of Gulf Shores is pooling money from that recovery with city money to build the Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability. 

City leaders said the many months and subsequent years spent recovering from the oil spill demonstrated the need for education for kids and adults alike on better ways to protect the environment. And while kids are learning about the ocean, the beach, the animals, and the way human beings can protect this fragile ecosystem there will also be plenty of "traditional" camp activities. 

You can bet campers while they are learning what's best for our beaches will also get their fill of biking, kayaking, outdoor cooking, arts and crafts, and organic gardening. Many of those activities are already planned for nearby Gulf State Park.

When the new  Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism and Sustainability, known by most folks as the Eco Center is completed the beach conservancy curriculum will kick into high gear. The thought is that if kids, people, adults, come to the facility and learn about the beach and how important it is to our way of life and enjoyment of life they will keep that knowledge and share it when they return as visitors.

The facility is expected to be completed by later this fall and while construction is still underway there are day camps that you may register for. These camps probably won't fill the bill of most Louisiana campers, since they are for the morning hours of 8 am to 12 Noon for several weeks in July.

But as the program grows and develops the long-range  plan could include overnight camps and multi-day and week camps with age appropriate curriculum for campers of all ages and education levels. As of now, the day camps are limited to campers ages 7-13 with sessions beginning July 8th and running through August 2nd. The camp sessions are priced at $195 per session or day passes for $45.