Parents Guide of Las Vegas

For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has done more than any other organization to provide leadership opportunities for girls.
There’s never been a better time to be a Girl Scout! →

Did you know that one of Nevada’s best-kept secrets to beat the desert heat is nestled in the mountains near Pioche Nevada?
Saddle Up for Camp Camelot →

Ten+ options to keep your child happy this summer.
Summer Camps Directory →

This camp helps children who have lost loved one.
Camp Solari Helps Grieving Children →

An important step to maintain strong and trusting relationship.
Say You’re Sorry →

Well-meaning parents often struggle to know what or how (or even if) to teach values to their children.
Teaching Our Children Values →

Exercise-Induced Asthma (Physical Exertion Triggered) →
Spring Fever Doesn’t Have to Detract from Study Skills →
Children and Sleep →
Family Calendar →
The Allowance Debate →
NevadaPEP March 2012 Workshops →
The Journey is the Reward! →
Mary Poppins is ‘Practically Perfect’ →
Vegas PBS Recognizes Local Mission US Educator of the Year →
Family Dining →
Making Labor Easier with Lamaze →

OVERNIGHT CAMPS

Camp Camelot

Nevada’s premiere equestrian riding camp, owned and operated by world-champion horse trainer Tara Clark. This annual summer camp program is held in cool Pioche, NV, at the world famous Amazon Ranch. Camp Camelot is a unique resident camp experience for young riders ages 8-16 which focuses on horsemanship throughout history. Transportation to and from the ranch is included from the Las Vegas area including McCarran Airport. Campers ride 2-4 hours a day on our professionally trained horses under strict supervision.

Other activities include hiking, fishing, outdoor camping in native American tipis (teepees) and period style tents, swimming in fresh water springs, enjoying dutch-oven meals, museum trips, history lessons, horse shows, visiting ancient petroglyphs, horse-painting and more!

Where: Pioche, NV, at the world famous Amazon Ranch.
Dates: June 11-16 (English Camp), June 18-23 (Western Camp), July & August Camp Dates TBA
Cost: Early Bird Discounts (25% OFF Regular Pricing), One Week Camp $700 with $200 deposit by Jan 31. Two Week Camp $1,440 with $440 deposit by Jan 31.
Ages: 8 to 16
775-962-5676
CampCamelot.us

Friendly Pines Camps

Friendly Pines Camp was built on horses. We have one of the most solid and extensive equestrian programs in the nation. The equestrian program offers: Western Riding, English Riding, Mule and Pony Driving, Vaulting (Gymnastics on horseback) and Packing. Most riding activities are offered at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. Children can ride as much (or as little) as they like at Friendly Pines, with never an extra charge! Our equestrian programs are CHA certified.

FPC has a well-established Ropes Challenge Course that meets the highest standard of challenge course technology. The Challenge program offers numerous high and low elements, plus a 32’ climbing wall. The Climbing program gives campers opportunities to rock climb and rappel in the Prescott area. While these programs are for campers 10 years old and up, the Junior Facilitators program is specially designed for our oldest campers who have been through those programs and want to take the next step. For our younger campers we have the Junior Adventure and Climbing program that samples both ropes course and off-course climbing. Supervision is provided by our experienced Challenge Director and his highly trained staff. These are some of our most popular and most closely supervised programs. We are proud of our safety record of over 25 years without a serious incident! We also offer hiking programs for those campers choosing to enjoy an adventure in the forest without leaving the ground.

Where: Friendly Pines Camp, 933 East Friendly Pines Road, Prescott, AZ 86303-8202
When: Session One: Sunday, June 17 – Saturday, June 30 (14 days)
Session Two: Sunday, July 1 – Saturday, July 14 (14 days)
Session Three: Sunday, July 15 – Wednesday, August 1 (18 days)
Trailseekers A: Sunday, July 15 – Monday, July, 23 (9 days)*
Trailseekers B: Tuesday, July 24 – Wednesday, August 1 (9 days)*
Ages: 6 – 10 / 11 to Teenager
Cost: $1990 per session
1-888-281-2267
FriendlyPines.com

Camp Foxtail

Located in the Toiyabe National Forest high above Las Vegas in the cool Spring Mountain Range, Camp Foxtail is open to registered members of Girl Scouts, ages 8 to 17 years old. Sessions run June through August and provide a unique educational experience where girls learn to live and work with other girls, and prepare them for the challenges of everyday life.

Ages: Girls 8-17
girlscoutsnv.org

DAY CAMPS

Camp Invention

Weeklong summer experience in creativity led by local educators. Provides educational enrichment through exciting hands on activities. The Camp Invention program instills creative problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that will encourage children’s future success. Nothing could be more important than investing in children today for their tomorrow.

Where: Multiple locations 1st-6th grade
When: First week begins June 11.
Ages: grades 1-6
Cost: $240
800-968-4332
CampInvention.org

iD Tech

iD Tech Camps provides week-long day and overnight technology camps for students ages 7-17, and teen academies for ages 13-18. Students may register for one or several weeks. You’ll find us at the most distinguished universities including Stanford, UCLA, Northwestern, and MIT. Each iD location boasts hand-selected and personally-trained staff, a unique campus experience, and stimulating courses delivered in small “clusters” with a max of 8 students per instructor. Each summer camp season is loaded with brand new real-world curriculum and technology inspired by the biggest names–Adobe®, Apple®, HP®, Microsoft®. We’re not just a computer camp, science camp or technology camp; we’re so much more! Please also feel free to call toll-free at 1-888-709-TECH (8324) to speak with us personally.

Where: UNLV
When: June/July/Aug
Ages: 7-18
Cost: Various
1.888.709.TECH (8324)
InternalDrive.com

Summit Ridge Day Camp

Offering eight weeks of traditional day camp experience in the Las Vegas area for children ages 4-12, on the beautiful campus of Henderson International School. SRDC has something for everyone.

Campers are grouped by age and/or grade and are co-ed. We will honor all “Friend Requests” as long as campers are about the same age. Camp groups have an average of 16 -22 campers, depending on the day and week, and remain as one camp group with the same counselors throughout the session. All paid staff, both returning and new, are background checked by Meritas, LLC every summer (It’s the same background check Henderson International School uses to screen their teachers!) and there is a counselors in every group that is CPR/First Aid certified.

The Pre-K Groups are led by a licensed pre-school teacher and receive a morning snack and a time to rest after lunch. These groups participate in most of our regular camp activities, but also have their own space in a pre-school classroom to keep their belongings and give them a special place at camp. Pre-K students play on their own primary playground separate from the older campers to ensure their safety.

Daily lunch provided by Healthy Kids, LV. Campers may choose to buy a lunch or bring their own sack lunch to camp. Around camp we provide water jugs filled with cool water to refill campers’ personal water bottles and a small, healthy snack is provided for our pre-school and kindergarten campers before lunch. All campers receive a Popsicle at the end of each day!

When: June 11 – July 6 / July 9 – August 3
Where: 1165 Sandy Ridge Avenue, Henderson, NV 89052
Ages: 4-12
Cost: Various
Camp Director: Lisa Bienstock has more than 20 years of camping experience and is a credentialed teacher in Nevada and California. She is a mom of 3 active boys, and an involved parent at the Henderson International School. She is thrilled to provide a traditional day camp experience for the families of Henderson and to prove it can be done successfully in the Nevada summer. Contact her at 702-818-2149 with any questions or concerns or visit online Summitridgedaycamp.com

SkyCamp 2012

What better way to spend a week of summer than in the SKY! SkyCamp is the perfect way to combine fun and fitness. It’s five, half days of instructor-led activities, age-appropriate SkyRobics, open jumping and 3-D Dodgeball – all incorporating the fun and excitement of Sky Zone. Participation will be limited and sessions will be led/monitored by experienced SkyCamp instructors/monitors.

Where: Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park
4915 Steptoe Street, Suite 400
Las Vegas, NV 89122
When: M-F, 8am-12pm
June 11th-15th
June 18th-22nd
July 9th-13th
July 10th-20th
July 23rd-27th
Aug 6th-10th
Aug 13th-17th
Ages: 6-12yrs
Cost: $100 per person (Sign up with a sibling and get the sibling’s fee at half price).
702-436-6887
skyzonesports.com

Summer Arts Day Camp

Fun and action packed days filled with music, dance, gymnastics, martial arts, musical theatre, ethnic dancing, arts and crafts and so much more. Join in the festivities with crazy hair day, pajama day and lots of other camp fun. Each session will end with a talent show open to family and friends.

Camp is for boys and girls from 1st grade to 6th grade.

Where: Fern Adair Conservatory of the Arts, 3265 E. Patrick Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89120
When: Three sessions starting Monday, June 11, 2012, Monday thru Friday 9 am to 3 pm.
702-458-7575
Fernadair.com

Ballerina Camps Fairytales and Tutus

Magical ballerina camps filled with dancing, beloved stories, exquisite costumes, sparkling tiaras, tea parties, crafts and new friends! All camps offer a new theme each week. Choose morning or afternoon sessions. Join us for enchanting fun!

Where: Fairytales and Tutus, 7071 W. Craig Rd #104
Dates/Themes: Various
Ages: 3-7
702-489-3603
fairytalesandtutus.com

Nevada Arts Academy

Summer sessions offered in music, dance and art. Your child will learn lifelong fine arts skills from some of the best teachers in Las Vegas.

Where: Nevada Arts Academy, 6072 S. Durango Road
When: June-August
Las Vegas, NV 89113
702-248-1288
MusicArtsLV.com

Family Music: Summer Theater
The Sound of Music (June)
Into the Woods (July)
Les Miserables (Aug)
Ages: 5-19
702-360-4080
FamilyMusic.com

Etiquette Camp

The Academy of Etiquette & Protocol is committed to helping the next generation understand the “Art of Southern Hospitality” and good manners. The classes are broken up into fun and exciting activities that help children understand the importance of proper etiquette and prepare them for their adult years.

Where: Summerlin
When: July
Ages: (5-10) / (11-17)
Cost: $250
1-800-708-4014
AcademyofEtiquette.com

Language Camp

Teach your child a foreign language with Culture Kids, the most recognized name in hands on language training in Las Vegas. This year teaching French, Chinese & Spanish. Summer camp classes fill up fast. Space is limited, reserve yours now!

Where: Town Square
When: June – August
Ages: 4-12
Cost: Ask about sibling discount.
702-526-4658
LangoLV.com

What are your kids doing this summer to beat the desert heat? Did you know that one of Nevada’s best-kept secrets is nestled away in the mountains just out side of Pioche Nevada? We are talking about the Amazon Ranch, home of Camp Camelot. Located in beautiful Lincoln County Nevada, home of Nevada’s best state parks, the adventures are endless!

Camp Camelot is Nevada’s Premier Resident Equestrian Summer Camp for Children and perfect Family Vacation since 2004! Camp Camelot offers an exclusive riding program in a pristine location at over 6,000 ft elevation. The Amazon Ranch is a piece of history surrounded by the Delmue Ranch, owned and operated by the Delmue family for over 150 years! What a great destination to get out of the soaring temperatures of the desert and enjoy the cool mountain air. A stay at the Amazon Ranch is a step back in time, a wildlife extravaganza and pure rest and relaxation! And the best part… Transportation to and from Las Vegas and surrounding areas is provided so you can sit back and enjoy your road tour through Lincoln County on the way to the Ranch!

At Camp Camelot, Children 8-16 experience a taste of horsemanship throughout history. Classes are limited to only 10 children per week, with one and two week sessions available. We offer both English and Western sessions throughout the season. Children booking two-week sessions get to participate in both English and Western riding disciplines. “Our focus is safety and fun in horsemanship,” says Camp Director and C.E.O. Tara Clark. Each student is assigned to a horse for the week and is with that horse 3-4 hours daily. This gives the rider an opportunity to learn what it takes to own a horse of their very own. Children learn horse management by proper feeding, grooming, ground handling, and safety from the ground up. Children saddle up and ride their very own horse each day. Camp Camelot kids participate in an oral lesson on a different subject matter daily. Kids play games and do obstacle work on horseback to promote skills. Beginners to advance grow at their own pace progressing from the arena work to trail rides, use of a cross country jump course, polo in our stick and ball field or barrel racing and more. At the end of each week, campers celebrate with a graduation horse show for Ribbons and Trophy’s.

Guest accommodations include camping in Giant Indian Tipis and period tents and showering under the stars in our outdoor shower units. Campers enjoy delicious Dutch oven dinners nightly. All meals are made with fresh healthy ingredients and may even have items picked from our very own gardens! Breakfast is a fabulous buffet where Eggs, meats, fruits; juices and breads are varied daily. Lunches vary daily and fresh fruit and snacks are always available throughout the day.

Camp Camelot offers a two to one councilor to camper ratio. All Camp Camelot Councilors are first aid and CPR certified. Afternoon activities change daily with shopping and a Museum Tour to the historic town of Pioche Nevada on Mondays, Fishing on Tuesdays and our horse show Saturday mornings a standard. At the ranch we have Tether Ball, Volley Ball, Badminton, Basket Ball and large lounging mats if you just want to hang out with your friends or quietly read a book!

The Amazon Ranch is hosting an open house on Saturday May 21 from 11 am- 7 pm with demonstrations from students, a Dutch Oven Luncheon, and a Wine and Cheese tasting in the evening! We will be hosting “producers location tours” throughout the day by reservation only. We hope you will stop by and join us! To learn more on our open house, please visit our CC website listed below.

Please visit www.campcamelot.us for more information, dates and pricing or give Tara a call at the ranch 775 962 5676 any time. If you want to learn more about the Amazon Ranch, visit www.amazonranch.us .

While losing a loved one is never easy, it can be particularly difficult for children who have lost parents or siblings.

That’s why Solari Hospice Foundation established Camp Solari, a weekend-long bereavement camp for children and their surviving guardian(s). This year, Solari Hospice Foundation is proud to partner with Las Vegas-based Clear View Counseling, who will be orchestrating and leading all camp activities. The camp’s mission is to teach children and teens, ages 6 to 18, healthy ways to work through their grief, meet others who have experienced similar losses, and continue life as positively as possible while honoring their lost loved ones.

The next Camp Solari will be held from May 18-20, 2012, at Mt. Charleston Lodge, located at the end of Highway 157 and about a 35-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip. Applications will be accepted through March 30, 2012. All weekend activities – including lodging, meals and materials – are free to camp participants. Solari Hospice Foundation covers these costs through fundraisers and charitable donations.

“Just to be at a camp in the mountains – in a world outside of Las Vegas and surrounded by nature – is therapeutic and calming.”

“Children who lose close family members during the formative years of their life often have a tough time working through their grief,” says Candis Armour, R.N., executive director, Solari Hospice Care. “Camp Solari provides a unique camaraderie and bonding experience in a positive, uplifting atmosphere. Children and families realize that they aren’t alone, but that there are others struggling with exactly the same issues.”

Debora Jette, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and president and owner, Clear View Counseling, notes that children can sometimes think they are the only ones who have lost a close family member, and so they feel isolated and “different.”

“Children need to know that it’s okay to ask for help,” says Jette. “It’s important that they can talk to others about their grief without feeling judged or like something is wrong with them. It’s also important that they feel comfortable releasing their emotions instead of bottling them up inside. Our goal is to provide techniques and exercises that help children and families explore their feelings and thoughts, and to do so in a fun, relaxing atmosphere.”

Among the many planned activities are art, music, talk therapy, drumming, dancing and nature walks.

“Just to be at a camp in the mountains – in a world outside of Las Vegas and surrounded by nature – is therapeutic and calming,” says Jette. “Clear View Counseling is proud to be a partner with Solari Hospice Foundation to offer this fun, exciting weekend camp, and to help these children and their families gain the coping skills they need to create happy, healthy lives.”

Camp Solari is the brainchild of Solari Hospice Foundation Founder Gary W. Polsky, who launched his first bereavement camp for children and their families in Arizona in 1999. Currently, Solari Hospice Foundation operates camps in Las Vegas and Houston. Polsky would like to increase the number of camp locations in the future.

“It has always been my goal to help eliminate potential dysfunction in these children so they can move forward in their lives with joy, zeal and enthusiasm,” he says. “I’d love to see this program expand and help even more children.”

Attendees are chosen based on need and prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis. To request an application, please call (702) 870-0000. To learn about the camp, or to donate to the Solari Hospice Foundation, visit www.SolariHospice.com and click on the link for Camp Solari. To learn more about Clear View Counseling, call (702) 254-4883 or visit www.ClearViewCounseling.com.

By Lexy Capp

“I’m sorry.”

For a lot of people these are the two hardest words to recite in any language. Even if what happened was an accident or something happened that you didn’t mean to do, you would most likely still feel sorry if you knew the other person’s feelings were hurt. After apologizing, you may feel better and the other person probably will as well. However, everyone we have ever met in our life, whether they’ll admit to it or not, has hurt someone at some point during their existence in this world.

Even though we may not always feel compelled to do so, sometimes saying you’re sorry is the best way to resolve and bring closure to any situation no matter how mild or intense it may be. Saying your sorry is the first step towards forgiveness and one of the most important steps for maintaining a strong and trusting relationship with anyone. For parents, it is especially important to say sorry to your children if you are ever in the wrong. Children learn from our behavior on a daily basis and it is our duty to steer them towards making wise ­decisions, especially if it means saying you’re sorry when you need to.

Saying your sorry is the first step towards forgiveness and one of the most important steps for maintaining a strong and trusting relationship with anyone.

As most parents will agree, raising children is one of the hardest jobs on the planet and there will always come a time when our young ones feel upset because of something we did. Regardless of whether or not you’ll be immediately forgiven, saying sorry is important for parents too, as it is the cornerstone of communication in any relationship. One of the most effective tools of knowing when to say sorry is listening. After all, we can’t fully understand how much we have upset our children, unless we let them convey their feelings. Listening intently is the beginning step to forming an appropriate apology. As parents we lead by example and by showing our children that we are strong enough to admit our mistakes; we are educating them on the importance of making amends.

“I’m sorry.” Even though these two words can have a profound impact on any relationship dynamic, it is important for us as parents to tell our children that saying “I’m sorry” should always include some kind of corrective action and just because the slate is wiped clean we must learn from our mistakes and build trust together. Parents and children should always share a mutual trust and by apologizing when it is necessary, we are telling our children that when faced with a similar situation in the future we are committed to acting differently.

Next time you think about how to resolve a situation, take a step back and ask yourself “Should I say sorry?” After all, even grown-ups make mistakes. By apologizing when we’re wrong, grown-ups can set a good example and show kids how to do the right thing and apologize when they need to.

Lexy Capp is the Owner and Founder of Nannies & Housekeepers USA. She started the agency 10 years ago. Lexy has lived in Las Vegas for 21 years and has a background in Public Relations and Marketing. She is the mother of three sons who all grew up in Las Vegas. She is very involved with Children’s Miracle Network and St. Rose Dominican Hospitals. Lexy’s column appears quarterly in ParentsGuide of Las Vegas.