Family vacations are all about spending time with the family, but let’s be honest here: It won’t truly be a vacation for you until you can carve out a day – or even just a couple of hours – all to yourself. Luckily for your sanity, there’s a diverse selection of kids camps and special events planned throughout the summer in Central Oregon.

And while we’re being honest – you know the kids would probably rather hang with other kids doing kid things than with you anyway, so you’re really doing them a favor.

What to Bring

* Sunscreen
* A hat
* Shoes – don’t send your kid to an outdoor camp in flip flops!
* Swimsuit
* Extra layers – a windbreaker and pants might be good for Central Oregon’s sometimes unpredictable weather.
* Special/necessary snacks. Many of the camps provide snacks, but it’s always good to be prepared.

The experiences are as diverse as the outdoor recreation opportunities across the region. Here’s a rundown of a few camp programs.

• Black Butte Ranch has several kids camps and summer recreation opportunities including outdoors skills classes, kayaking and arts & crafts.
• Chef Bette Fraser’s Kids Culinary Camps help introduce your children to the joys of cooking. Bonus: The classes are held at Widgi Creek Golf Club, where you can get in 9 holes while they’re in camp.
• Camp Pronghorn is always a hit, offering tons of activities like rock climbing, hiking Pilot Butte, zip lining and more. Watch for more details on their website.

• At Mt. Bachelor, adventure seeking kids ages 8-15 can learn mountain bike skills at Gravity School. The week-long camp is perfect for mountain bikers of all abilities.
• Many of the golf courses on the Central Oregon Golf Trail have junior clinics or extended golf camps for kids, including the Nike Golf Camps at Eagle Crest Resort.

At Sunriver Resort there’s so much for the kids to do there’s a special publication with all the information. You can pick the Sunriver Explorer magazine at resort front desk or at the Central Oregon Visitor Information Center at The Village.

• Summer camps for kids begin the week of June 16th and include Fort Funnigan half-day and full-day programs for kids ages 3-7, the B.A.S.E. Camp for kids 8-12, and Sunriver Teen Extreme for 13-18-year-olds
• The Sunriver Nature Center offers a two-hour kids camp Tuesdays-Thursdays while the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver (next to the Nature Center) has Kids Rocket Classes Wednesday-Friday from 10:30 to 12:30.
• The Sunriver Owners Association also offers a variety of weekly camps for kids ages 6-12. The camps include field trips, daily swimming at the SHARC, tennis and more. They begin the week of June 15th. For more information, call 541-585-3147 or visit sunriverowners.org

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The Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA) is the "Official" Tourism Information Resource for Central Oregon, including the communities of Bend, Sunriver, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Crooked River Ranch, Terrebonne, Culver and Black Butte Ranch. Most of the stories posted online can be found in the Official Central Oregon Visitors Guide.