Whether your children enjoy digging in the dirt, splattering paint on a canvas or singing on stage, getting them out of the house this summer should not be very difficult.

Several summer camps for children in the area offer a chance to get outdoors, fine-tune artistic skills, learn a new sport and more.

Historic Jefferson College camps

Historic Jefferson College is offering five camps throughout the summer that Director Robin Person said will teach children new skills and give them some insight into life during the Civil War, pioneer times and a few outdoor survival skills.

“It really gives kids the chance to get outside, get their hands dirty and learn,” Person said.

The college’s Pioneer Camp will take campers back to the early 1800s to learn about pioneer life. This day camp for ages 6-8 features hands-on activities such as quilting, soap-making, animal life and frontier camp.

The camp is from 9 a.m. until noon June 4-7.

HJC’s new Explore Camp is from 9 a.m. until noon June 11-3. Campers ages 9-10 will explore several different activities including baking, science experiments and craft projects.

The college’s Frontier Survival Camp for children ages 10-14 will give campers hands-on skills needed by frontiersmen and women to survive the wilds of Mississippi in the 18th and 19th centuries, including archery, hunting, tanning hides, map and compass reading and more.

The camp is from 1-4 p.m. June 24-26.

At Civil War Adventure camp, children ages 8-12 will be given a unique look at the Civil War from a soldier’s point of view. Campers will learn how to drill and parade, get a black powder rifle demonstration and learn about the gear necessary for survival while in the military.

The camp is from 9 a.m. until noon July 9-11.

Children ages 9-12 will get an up-close look at insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, bugs and plants through hands-on projects and observation in the field at HJC’s Naturalist Camp.

The camp is from 9 a.m. until noon July 16-19.

The cost of all the HJC camps is $35, and pre-registration is required. For more information about the camps, call 601-442-2901 or e-mail Kay McNeil at kmcneil@mdah.state.ms.us.

National Park Service Junior Ranger Camp

The theme for Junior Ranger Camp this summer is “get outdoors,” Park Ranger Melissa Tynes said.

Campers will fish, play Frisbee golf in the state park, make pottery, learn about recycling and birds and bird habitats and tour houses among other activities, Tynes said.

“The camp will give (children) a chance to get outdoors and be active and away from video games and TV,” Tynes said.

The camp will also include a field trip to St. Catherine Creek Wildlife Refuge and Natchez State Park.

Registration is required, as space is limited. Applications can be filled out at the Melrose visitor center.

For more information, call 601-446-5790.

Discovery Week camp

Grand Village of the Natchez Indians will host Discovery Week camp for children ages 7-10, from 9 a.m. to noon June 17-21.

Little Discovery Week camp for children ages 5-6 will be from 10 a.m. to noon June 24-28.

Both camps offer nature walks, pottery lessons and Native American games and crafts. Camp for the older children also offers flint knapping.

Space is limited for both camps. Discovery Week costs $40, and Little Discovery Week costs $20. The fees cover the cost of a T-shirt and supplies.

Everyday Adventures

Everyday Adventures will host a children’s kayak and adventure day from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. June 8. The children will go to St. Catherine Creek Wildlife Refuge and learn about basic kayak skills, water safety, birds and local natural habitats.

Space is limited to 10 children, and the camp costs $25.

For more information, contact Lena Yarborough at lena@everydayadventure.net or 601-392-3079.

Adams County farm camp

Adams County Farm Camp is for third to sixth graders, and is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 3-6. The camp will start and end at the Adams County Extension office and is sponsored by the extension office, the Adams County Farm Bureau and the Soil and Water Conservation Service. The camp offers a hands-on educational experience geared toward how agriculture contributes to daily lives.

Campers will learn the process of identifying trees, understanding how the ecosystem of a pond works and how GPS systems are used in farming and other aspects of agriculture.

They will visit several local farming operations and the St. Catherine National Wildlife refuge during two days and specifically learn about cattle, conservation, aquatic pond management, horses, sod production, blueberry management, wildlife observation, forestry and farming in the field.

Hands-on activities will include removing sod and exploring its root systems, picking blueberries and seeing how the task is accomplished on a large-scale operation, learning how to use veterinary medicine to protect horses’ legs and much more at every stop.

The camp is limited to the first 30 children to sign up and pay their $15 registration fee. The fees will help cover cost associated with transportation, lunch both days, camp T-shirt, supplies, and great things to bring home with them.

Frogmore Kids Camp

Frogmore will host a free children’s camp for ages 9-12 featuring sports, games and agriculture and government education.

The camp will be from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday every week in June

For more information, call Frogmore at 318-757-2453 or 318-757-3333.

Copiah Lincoln Community College’s Kids College

Co-Lin is hosting its summer college in June and July and offering a variety of classes, including Spanish, arts and crafts, math and others.

Kids College will feature the following the programs:

• “Hola Amigos Spanish for Kids,” an introduction to the language and culture in fun and interactive ways, for first- and second-graders will be June 10 -13.

“Hola Amigos Spanish for Kids II” for grades third, fourth and fifth will be June 17-20.

• Science Explorers I students will participate in hands-on experiments designed to peak their curiosity about science. The class is for grades third, fourth and fifth and will be June 10-13.

Science Explorers II for first and second grade will be July 8-11.

• Kids College’s Zumbatonic/Cheer will be from June 17-20 for ages 6 and older. Zumbatomic is a fast forward fusion of the Zumba program’s moves and workouts designed to let kids max out on fun and fitness at the same time.

• Math for Fun for grades third, fourth and fifth will be July 8–11.

• Arts and Crafts for first and second grade will be from July 15-18.

• Adventures in Social Studies for grades third, fourth and fifth will be July 15-18.

All classes are from 9 a.m. until noon and cost $45. Classes will be in the Redd-Watkins Vocational Center.

Pre-registration is required, as class space is limited. Students must have completed the grade for which they register.

For more information, contact Beth Richard at 601-446-1103 or at beth.richard@colin.edu.

Public Youth Swim Lessons

The City of Natchez is offering summer swim lessons at the Natchez Senior Citizen’s Multipurpose Center pool for children ages 6-13.

Classes are from 2 to 2:45 p.m. and 3 to 3:45 p.m. June 3-6 and June 10-13.

The cost is $35 a week per child. For more information, call the Natchez Recreation Department at 601-445-4927.

Registration began last week and will continue from 5-6 p.m. today at the Natchez Senior Citizen’s Multipurpose Center.

Tennis camp

The Duncan Park Tennis Center will offer tennis camp this year for six weeks beginning June 10.

Camp for ages 10 and under is from 8 to 9 a.m. and 9 to 10 a.m. either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday for $65.

For beginners ages 11-12, camp will be from 11 a.m. to noon either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday for $65.

The program for grades seven and above is from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for $85.

For more information call the Duncan Tennis Center at 601-442-1584 or Henry Harris 601-597-8070.

Art camps

Natchez Fine Framing offers summer art classes for children ages 4-and-a-half to 18 at Natchez Fine Framing and Art Gallery at 518 Main St.

Classes for ages 4-and-a-half to 11 are from 2 to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday beginning June 4.

Teen classes for ages 12-18 are from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Classes cost $86 for four classes and will be offered all summer.

For more information call 601-446-9345.

Sun Moon & Stars offers two week-long camps for children ages 5 to 12, from June 10-14 and July 8-12.

Instructor Erin Myers said the camp would have children paint something different every day with acrylic on canvas.

Classes for children ages 5-6 will be from 10-11 a.m., noon-1 p.m. for ages 7-8 and 2-4 p.m. for ages 9-12.

Classes are $100 a week for ages 5-8 and $125 for 9-12. Call 601-304-1603 for more information.

Theater camp

Natchez Little Theatre is offering a summer youth workshop from 2-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, June 4-28 this Tuesday for ages 8 and up. Children under the age of 8 will be accepted based on an audition.

The workshop will conclude with a performance of “Simple Simon” and reception at 6 p.m., June 28.

For more information on the workshop call the theater at 319 Linton Ave., at 601-442-2233 or visit the website at www.natcheztheatre.org

Library programs

The George Armstrong Library in Natchez offers a number of camps through its summer library program with this year’s theme “Dig Into Reading.”

Camp for pre-kindergarten and kindergartners is from 10 to 10:30 a.m. on every Tuesday from June 18 to July 16.

Camp for first through third-grade students is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. every Wednesday from June 19 to July 17. For grades fourth through sixth, camp is from 2 to 3:30 p.m. every Wednesday during the same dates.

The Woodville Public Library offers camp to children of all ages every Wednesday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 5-26.

The Concordia Parish Library also offers summer reading program for every week June 3-July 19.

Preschool programs begin at 9:30 a.m., elementary at 10:15 a.m. and teen programs will be at 11:15 a.m. On Mondays the programs will be at the Bookmobile at Monterey Concordia Bank. On Tuesdays the program will be at the Vidalia Library. On Thursdays the program will be at the Ferriday Library and on Fridays the program will be at the Clayton Library.

Guests at the programs include magician Glen Ghirardi, storyteller Rose Anne St. Romain, musician Judy Ginsburgh, puppet show performers Harvey Rabbit and Friends, storyteller Sylvia Davis and the snake handler Terry Vandeventer.