Top 10 Summer Camps in the Orlando Area

1.Camp KSC—Located at the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, FL, Camp Kennedy Space Center (www.kennedyspacecenter.com) offers a full week of space travel adventures for young people ages 8 to 14. Kids get to meet astronauts, experience the sensation of space flight through a motion-based simulator, design space vehicles and much more.

2.SeaWorld Adventure Camps—What could be more fun than summer camp with Shamu? SeaWorld has more than a dozen adventure camps (www.swbg-adventurecamps.com) ranging from week-long, half day summer camps for kindergarten and first graders to residential camps (offered year round) for kids in grades 4 through college who are interested in zoological careers.

3.Orlando Science Center—Proving that scientific study can educational and fun, OSC (www.osc.org) offers nearly three dozen camps covering a wide variety of scientific fields, including oceanography, robotics, physics, and chemistry (not to mention Lego building and dinosaurs).

4.Central Florida YMCA—Day camps and overnight resident camps are available through the Central Florida YMCA (www.centralfloridaymca.org) with a different theme every week. Activities include arts and crafts, swimming, sporting events, and field trips that are directly related to the theme of the week.

5.Orlando Repertory Theatre—The REP (www.orlandorep.com) is a professional theatre especially geared towards young audiences, and there are over three dozen summer camps available for kids who want to explore different aspects of performance art, including improv, stand up comedy, musical theatre, puppetry and set design.

6.Livewire at Disney—Available for teens ages 14 – 18, Livewire (www.livewiresummer.com) introduces young people to cutting edge technology at the happiest place on earth—Walt Disney World. Participants have all-access passes to all of the Disney theme parks as they learn new skills in graphic design, movie special effects, Web site development and roller coaster design.

7.Act III Acting Studio—If your child has been bitten by the acting bug, there are nearly two dozen camps available through the Act III Acting Studio (www.act3actingstudio.com) located in the back lot of Universal Orlando. Kids can perform in summer stock theatre, study music and dance, learn audition techniques, and discover the finer points of TV and film acting in a variety of full and half day camps.

8.Junior Lifeguard Summer Camp—Wet ‘n Wild (www.wetnwildorlando.com) introduced water parks to Orlando, so it is an appropriate location for budding lifeguards ages 10 – 15 who are also interested in honing their leadership skills. Participants will receive instruction in water safety and fitness, teamwork, public relations, first aid and basic lifesaving skills.

9.Orlando Museum of Art—Little hands need not clutch a TV remote all summer long. Young artists will enjoy the hands on experience at the Orlando Museum of Art (www.omart.org) summer camps, where they can explore painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, drawing and modern art forms such as graffiti art and graphic novels.

10.Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens—Whether they are on safari or stomping through a swamp, kids will enjoy getting up close and personal with nature at the Central Florida Zoo (www.centralfloridazoo.org) in Sanford, FL. There are more than a dozen half day summer camps to choose from for kids in grades 1 – 7.