The city is offering a bevy of ways for kids to fill the hours
of free time that have popped into their lives now that school is
out, and for adults to enjoy any free time they still have.
Gilroy – The city is offering a bevy of ways for kids to fill the hours of free time that have popped into their lives now that school is out, and for adults to enjoy any free time they still have.
The City of Gilroy community services department has programs for community members of all ages to play sports, learn to swim, create arts and crafts, and enjoy the company of their peers throughout the summer.
For children ages 7 to 11, the department has rolled out a new set of themed day camps, including tennis, swimming, skating and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The camps generally include a day trip at the end of the week and feature activities focused on the week’s theme.
The camps might look expensive compared to last year, but they now include the cost of transportation and admission involved in the trips as well as daily childcare for an hour and a half before and after the camp.
“Our day camps aren’t just a simple type of child-care-in-the-outdoors type of thing,” said Gayle Glines, recreation supervisor of youth programs.
Alternatives or supplements to the weeklong camps for children and young adults include swimming lessons, dance classes, sports programs, arts and crafts, and specialty classes, such as driver’s education.
The diversity and abundance of classes, subsidized by the city, is meant to keep kids busy, Glines said.
“Education is very import, but so is people’s leisure time,” she said. “If it’s not constructive, then it leads to delinquency.”
The city also offers dance, sports, and arts and crafts programs for adults, seniors and people with special needs on weekdays, weeknights and weekends. The idea is to provide a variety of activities to engage the community and help them grow, Glines said.
“We’re just trying to give them different sources, different ideas, different leisure pursuits,” she said. “Maybe they’ll find something new that they like to do.”
