APRIL VACATION PROGRAMS WITH OPENINGS

Creation Station has five full days of fun planned for kids 3-10 years old over April Vacation. Camp days include artsy adventures, quiet and not-so-quiet games, outdoor escapades, bouncing fun, stories, and lots of opportunities for kids to express their creativity and meet new friends. Camp is held on April 18 (Good Friday) and daily from April 22-25. (There’s no camp on the April 21). The day kicks off at 9 AM and runs until 2 PM, with options for early drop-offs (8:30AM) and extended days until 3 PM. Sign up for the whole week or individual days. There are sibling discounts, too, of 15%. And if you haven’t yet registered kids for summer camp, Creation Station’s offering is different from traditional summer art programs. There’s a huge emphasis on outdoor play, running around, water games, and sensory play, which is then balanced with an hour and a half of quieter time spent creating artwork. There are three camp sessions, and each is one week long. Registration is now open!

Kidcasso has a knack for creating some of the most fun programs and camps and, WOW, they’ve outdone themselves for April vacation week with a Dollhouse Camp. From April 21-24 campers create, design, and decorate their own dollhouses—including the furniture that goes in them, rugs, drapes, wallpaper, paintings hanging on the walls, and anything else they’d like to add to their personal projects. At the end of the week, kids will have doll house masterpieces to play with at home. Camp runs Monday-Thursday from 9-12. Appropriate for ages 5-12. 1275 Washington Street, West Newton

While some kids love filling their days with programmed camp activities, others prefer a little less structure and time commitment. Yes, they still love digging into creative projects—just on their own terms and at times that work for them. Knot and Purl, the new community craft studio in Newton Highlands, may be the perfect fit for these crafty types over April Vacation week. The studio’s “open crafting” hours means visitors can work on multiple projects for as long as they want, for one set fee. All materials are included and staff is on hand to assist and provide guidance to crafters as needed. Kids 14+ can be dropped off without an adult. The studio is stocked with a seemingly endless variety of crafty projects, like mosaic trivets, dot mandala coasters, and zen tangles. Knot and Purl is open every day from 10AM - 8PM

Have an artsy teen or kid looking for activities over April vacation week? From April 22-25, the New Art Center has both week-long programs and one-day classes where students flex their creative muscles alongside others with similar interests. Three hour teen programs include 2D classes (drawing and painting) and ceramics, with both morning and afternoon options. For K-5 kiddos, camp runs from 9AM-4PM, where students delve into a new medium each day to craft personal masterpieces. Both the Teen’s 2D and Kid’s programs have options for individual drop-in days. New Art Center believes all students should have access to art instruction and offers need-based scholarships.

Whether a child is into art, sports, technology, science, gaming, board games—well, you name it--chances are they can find a class at Newton Community Ed (NCE). From April 21-25, NCE classes give kids a break from school, and an opportunity to try something new or dig into their passions. There are classes in coding, drawing, bookmaking, chess, wellness, circuitry, flag football--and that’s just for starters. Classes meet either for 3 hours in the morning from 9-12 or in the afternoon from 12:30-3:30. Kids can also build a full day with one class in the morning and a totally different one in the afternoon. Newton Community Ed also offers FREE extended days with early drop-off and later pick up. All April vacation classes are held at Angier Elementary School. NCE wants its programs accessible to all students and does its best to provide scholarships to as many children as possible. Newton Public School students or Newton residents in need of financial assistance should apply for a scholarship by visiting: www.newtoncommunityed.org/financial-assistance

For kids and teens who like to cook or want to improve their kitchen skills, Third Space Kitchen’s April Vacation Cooking Camp is Newton’s #1 resource! The camp runs all five days of vacation week (April 21-25), from 9AM-3PM, with snacks and lunch included. The week’s focus is on seasonal flavors, springtime recipes, and in-season ingredients. The camp builds from the first day to the last, teaching kids hands-on cooking techniques while helping improve their skills and confidence in the kitchen. At the end of each day, kids bring home samples they created to share with their families. Sign up quickly—there are only 12 spots available in each age group—the kids class is for ages 6-11 while the teen program is for 12-16 year olds. Third Space is also currently taking registrations for its week-long summer camps begining June 23 and running through August, with each week focusing on a different theme. 53 Winchester Street, Newton Highlands.

Newton’s West Suburban YMCA (WSYMCA) has lots going on over April vacation week—April 22-25—with two program options—a day program (called OST for Out-of-School Time)— and a sports program.The OST Vacation Program is similar to a traditional camp, which is no surprise since WSYMCA has decades of experience running camps like Camp Frank A. Day. It has a mix of activities including games, arts and crafts projects, and indoor and outdoor play, keeping kids in grades K-8 engaged from 8AM-5PM. The Sports Vacation Program is either a full or half day packed with different games and activities, played in a supportive environment. Basketball, soccer, dodgeball, tag, relay races, pickleball, and Capture the Flag are all in the mix, along with downtime for reading and arts and crafts. The full day program runs from 8:30-4PM and the half day option goes to 1 PM. The program is co-ed for ages 6-13. By the way, parents will appreciate the priority WSYMCA gives to child safety—all staff members are CORI, SORI and Out of State CORI background checked, and certified in first aid and CPR. Staff is required to attend 30+ hours of training as well as mandatory annual child abuse training, bullying prevention, and concussion trainings.

Service Stars is the only April vacation program that focuses on learning opportunities for elementary and middle school-aged children through hands-on community service projects. Service Stars runs a summer camp, school vacation camps, an after school program, and family service projects. By participating in Service Stars, kids learn about different needs in our community and how they can make a difference. Its April Vacation camp runs from April 22-25 and campers can join for the week or select individual days. Each day campers will do a different hands-on service project--helping people, animals and the Earth!