Smart parents know it's never too early to figure out what the kids are going to do over summer vacation. There's a veritable smorgasbord of summer camps and programs along the shoreline, but the trick is to know where to look and to sign up early. So, step over that pile of snow gear in the hallway and start planning for warmer and longer days ahead.www.kids.ct.gov/kids. For the Aspiring Artistwww.artscenterkillingworth.org or call 860-663-5593. For younger artists, this is the third year of Art of Mother Nature Camp for children aged 7 to 12, July 28 through Aug. 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $185, for drawing en plein air, painting, and sculpting.www.bushyhill.org and www.psdaycamp.org. Calling All Performerswww.community-music-school.org for updates or call 860-767-0026. Let's Have Some Fun at the YMCAwww.cccymca.org for details and pricing. Want to keep it local?

First of all, parents and kids need to decide what their needs and interests are, and what's in the family budget. Do parents need day-long care five days a week, or are they looking for a variety of half-day programs sandwiched around unstructured time in the backyard or at the beach? Is Emma ready for her first sleepover camp, or has Christopher done enough chores to earn a week at karate camp?

The State of Connecticut is ready for the rush, with its ConneCT Kids website. Although it's billed as Connecticut's website for children, and has age-appropriate games, puzzles, state history, and trivia for youth, parents will want to go straight to the More Kid Stuff tab to see the ever-expanding list of camps and programs that have provided information to the state. This is a listing service, not a state endorsement of any program. The site also has instructions on how to see the list of currently licensed Connecticut Youth Camps. Start at

Meanwhile, here's a sampling of the variety of camps and programs in and around the shoreline area:

Fashion Camps are the rage at Arts Center Killingworth, which also has art classes for youth and adults throughout the year. In Fashion I (July 14 to 18) and Fashion II, (July 21 to 25) 11 to 16 year-olds will spend mornings learning fashion illustration and focus on sewing and clothing design in the afternoon. On the last day, parents and relatives can watch their budding fashion designers walk the runway after professional styling and a photo shoot. The first week is more of the basics, the second session focuses on the designing styles of Mario Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli, $350 per week, early registration required, visit

There's a range of options for outdoor lovers at the Incarnation Camp in Deep River and Ivoryton, where the 700-plus acre preserve claims the distinction as home for the country's oldest co-ed camps, dating back to 1886. The preserve is home to both Bushy Hill Nature Center, which offers two-week long summer day camps for ages 5 to 12 and 13 to 15 year-olds in more of a wilderness setting with teepees and wigwams and teaching the ways of native peoples, and the Pequot Sherwood Day Camp and the Pioneer Village camps, which offer day and overnight programs with meals served in a dining hall, arts and crafts, sports, and tents for overnight camping.

All of the camps capitalize on the forests, hiking trails and mile-long spring fed lake for swimming and exploring. Bushy Hill's two-week day camp is $520, and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., children pack a sack lunch. Check out the week-long scout camping experiences for older teens, including overnights, which emphasize living on the land. Each one-week session at Pequot Sherwood Day Camp is $260 per child. Both camps offer daily before and after care and transportation from commuter parking lots along I-95. See

The Bushy Hill Nature Preserve also is open to the public Sept. 1 through June 1 from dawn to dusk, at no charge. Stop by the nature center, admire the new roof, and learn about renovation of the cedar swamp trail and other plans.

Summer can be a great chance for budding thespians and musicians to spread their wings. One side benefit can be that they get to explore a talent without the pressure of school-year classmates watching. Kate's Camp for Kids, a state-licensed day camp at the Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, has professional teaching artists from the Community Music School in Centerbrook and Tracy Art Center in Old Saybrook. Open to boys and girls aged 5 to 10, there are four one-week sessions starting July 14, and a different production each week. Each session runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and friends and family get to watch the Friday afternoon performance at the Kate. Each one-week session costs $250 per child.

For older kids aged 9 to 15, it's Broadway Bound, a two-week program that gets them involved in every aspect of onstage and backstage roles, singing, dancing, acting, and creating sets and costumes to put on abridged, fully-licensed presentations. Each year it's something different, from Disney's The Little Mermaid, Jr. and Cats to Seussical, Jr., and Annie. Sessions run July 7 to 18 and July 21 to Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a final Friday night performance. Practice and performance location and this year's productions to be announced, each two-week session costs $325 per child. See

There's YMCA Camp Shore at the Valley Shore YMCA in Westbrook for children entering Kindergarten through 13 years old. The rotating schedule of age-appropriate activities includes a daily swim in the indoor pool, plus archery and team challenges, outdoor activities and art projects. Camp activities are designed to promote the Y's core values of honesty, care, respect, and responsibility. Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and costs $200 per week for YMCA members. Inquire about summer YMCA membership, and get in on the early bird discount in February. Pack a sack lunch, daily before and after-care available. See vsymca.org for details, call 860-399-9622.

Sound View Family YMCA in Branford offers full-day summer camp at the Y and half-day enrichment camp at the Francis Walsh Intermediate School. The traditional summer camp, with age-appropriate swimming, archery, high- or low rope courses and zip-lines, drama, music, and crafts, runs from mid-June, or as soon as school gets out, through Aug. 22. Each week is themed; children bring their own lunch. Discovery Camp is for 3 to 5 year-olds from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., camp for kids up to age 15 is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Member pricing ranges from $185 per week for littler ones to $225 per week for Adventurer Camp for 7th to 9th graders, which includes some field trips.

The enrichment camp at Walsh School, a partnership between the YMCA and Branford Board of Education, is designed to keep learning fun and ongoing throughout the summer with projects and activities that foster learning about culture, biology, and chemistry and introduce campers to hobbies. There are seven weeks, with different classes each week, including tennis, kids in the kitchen, babysitting skills, tumbling, computer camp, scrapbooking, and kids chemistry. Camp is 9 a.m. to noon, afternoons at the Y and before- and after-care can be added. See

Many towns offer very affordable summer camp options for elementary youth and coveted summer camp counselor jobs for high school students. Check with your hometown's Parks and Rec program or Town Hall. Inquire about registration deadlines. Proof of town residency is required. Don't forget: Local non-profits and other organizations offer summer experiences for any interest.