Each year, West Vancouver offers a variety of summer camps at its recreation centres.
As in previous years, this year there is something new. And it’s big. A big inflatable obstacle course to be more specific.
As well as a big slide, a tube relay, and more.
Bouncy Castle Camp is a new addition to West Van’s roster, and it involves exactly what the name says it does: bouncy castles!
Kids participating in the week-long afternoon camp will spend a couple of hours playing in the large inflatables in the ice arena (minus the ice), then head off to the aquatic centre for some swimming, topped off with some gymnastics in the dynamic movement gym.
Program assistant Alison Lea explains that for the past five years they have hosted Ride and Slide inflatables in the ice arena as a drop-in program for kids and their parents from Canada Day to early August. The inflatables are so popular they decided to add it to one of the camps this summer.
“It is a huge draw for kids to be able to go in these things and just bounce around,” says Lea, noting kids love the bouncy castles, and it’s interesting to see how tired they get when they’re jumping.
“I think that’s the biggest thing for parents is that they want their kids to have fun and burn off energy,” she adds.
Swimming and gymnastics are always popular camp options for kids, says Lea, noting the floor of the dynamic movement gym is sprung, so kids just love bouncing on the blue floor. There’s also a small climbing wall with a foam pit that the kids also enjoy.
“Gymnastics is a big draw,” says Lea.
That’s why it’s often paired with other activities for summer camps.
The Bouncy Castle Camp (for kids ages five-10) will focus on fun more than instruction, but instructors will be on hand for both the gymnastics and swimming portions of the day (lifeguards as well, of course).
Sports, games, arts and crafts will also be included, and Lea describes the program as a fun camp with “a little taste of everything.”
For more information about this camp and others visit westvancouverrec.ca/camps.
This story originally appeared in a special section of the North Shore News focusing on summer camps.
