Lakewood Ranch 7-year-old Teia Smith grabbed a kick-board to swim across the pool during the Lakewood Ranch YMCA's aquatics camp June 29.Â
"I love that we get to go into the pool a lot," Smith said about the camp. "We get to swim and jump off the (diving) boards."
Smith loves to do cannonballs into the pool.
The YMCA was buzzing with children participating in the traditional and specialty camps the organization is providing this summer. Outside the YMCA, a group was participating in the flag football camp. At Lakewood Ranch High School, children were participating in the traditional YMCA camp where they were spending time reading and doing arts and crafts.Â
While aquatics camp was happening at pool, the Y's Kids Gone Crafty specialty camp was inside.
Lakewood Ranch 8-year-olds Mia Morgan and Emma McGlaughlin focused on wrapping yarn around popsicle sticks.
"I love playing with yarn," McGlaughlin said. "I chose yellow, pink and white yarn because I really like colors."
She said the yarn colors remind her of ice cream.
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Ashton Banik practices swimming in aquatics camp. He went down the pool practicing his breathing.
Jake Blazer plays quarterback and looks for an open receiver during the YMCA's camp.
Reese Gilman shows off her craft in which she used yarn to make "God's eye."
Trey Smith tries to dodge Sampson Chaffee in a game of flag football during a YMCA camp.
Abby Stephen has fun reading to her friend Emma Curry.
Ethan Boudreau is proud to show off his finished turtle. "I like that it has a lot of colors, and I made it myself," he says.
Teia Smith uses a kick-board to help her practice swimming during aquatics camp.
Cecelia Cuarta loves aquatics camp because she gets to be in the pool a lot and she can do cannonballs.
Mia Morgan and Emma McGlaughlin work on their craft projects during the YMCA's specialty camp, Kids Gone Crafty. McGlaughlin says she loves using yarn in her crafts.
Savvy Lough chooses white, teal and black yarn to make her craft because she loves those colors.
Jackson Smith and Mateo Petrelli watch as Tristan McGlaughlin carries the ball toward the middle of the field in flag football.
Austin Johnson, a YMCA camp counselor, looks for a camper who is open so he can pass the ball.
Adden Adorno, a counselor in training, takes the ball down field trying to score a touchdown.
Ryker Kelley quietly reads "Lou Gehrig, the Luckiest Man." Campers in the YMCA's traditional camp have time to read every day to help children retain their reading skills.
Carson Feldman reads to himself before he and other campers go to do arts and crafts.
Eleanor Mattei listens intently as Lily Colcu reads to her in a whisper. During reading time, all the campers read either by themselves or together quietly to help retain their reading skills.
Kendall Marks has fun using green and purple paper to cover her turtle's shell. The campers are making turtles because the theme of the week is "ocean commotion."
