By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— Days after students were released from school for the summer, the Pelham YMCA launched its summer camp programs.

According to Childcare Director Amanda Hoffman, the YMCA will see about 1,500 students rotate through the camps by the end of summer. One week in, and Hoffman said the kids seem to be having a great time.

“The kids are having a blast,” she said. “We’ve had emails from several parents that they are just having so much fun, and they can’t wait to come back the next day.”

From May 31 to Aug. 5, each week will host a different theme, such as Zoo to You or Color Wars. Throughout the weeks, students go swimming, go on field trips and participate in themed arts and crafts.

Each week they also spend time working on literature, math and reading skills as well.

“They participate in a bunch of organized games and activities, arts and crafts projects,” Hoffman said. “The Y is really big into education, and so we do a lot of incorporating that into our daily activities.”

In addition to the regular day camps, the YMCA also offers several sports and specialty camps. Students can sign up for sports, such as volleyball, basketball, track and field, dance and cheer.

Specialty camps include themes such as Legos, robotics, STEM and Thing-A-Ma Jig. Hoffman said students sign up for the whole summer or pick and choose their favorites.

“I feel that this is an opportunity for them to be able to engage with other kids and not just sit at home and play video games,” Hoffman said. “We’re very big into getting kids outside, enjoying nature and going on hikes. And like I said, we still incorporate that education aspect so they don’t decrease during the summer education-wise.”

For more information about YMCA summer camps, visit Ymcabham.org/Pelham or call 664-9622.