THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, April 4, 1995                 TAG: 9504010069
SECTION: DAILY BREAK              PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: Diane Tennant
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   78 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** The Norfolk Parks and Recreation Department's Visual Arts Center is at 7545 Diven Street. The street name was incorrect in a list of camps in Tuesday's Daily Break section. Also, the Clay Camp sponsored by the Norfolk center will offer instruction in polymer clay. It was incorrectly described in the listing. Correction published Wednesday, April 5, 1995 For information on a tennis camp at Owl Creek Tennis Center, 928 S. Birdneck Road in Virginia Beach, call 437-4804. A phone number was wrong in the summer camp listing in Tuesday's Daily Break. Correction published Thursday, April 6, 1995. ***************************************************************** SUMMER CAMPS: A PARENT'S GUIDE

And now, this little summer-camp ditty from the past: ``Hello, muddah. Hello, faddah.''

Remember singing that with your pals, while the mosquitoes flitted around your knees and the counselors remade their short-sheeted beds? What do you mean, no?

OK, how about this little rendition: ``Call for the captain ashore, let me go home. I want to go home.'' OH, COME ON. SOME of you remember warbling this in the cabins.

Well, I don't believe you.

But it's true, you won't hear these homesick wails from your kids now.

Summer camp used to mean one week of vacation for parents, one week of making faux Indian beadwork and leathercrafts for the kids. Not any more.

Summer camp is dancing, theater, science, dinosaurs, art, music, sports, horses, creative writing and building self-esteem. You can find Bible schools, medical camps, museum programs, youth organizations, retirement communities and college trips.

And that's good. Summer camp is no longer just an option. It's a must for working parents while the kids are out of school. Fortunately, gazillions of local organizations have risen to the occasion. Hence, this calendar.

Most of these are day camps. (So are we stretching the definition of camp here? In my book, yes. MY camp attendance always involved cabins, lights-out-at-10- p.m.-or-else, when-the-cook-rings-the-bell-line-up-for-breakfast.) So, back to the concept of day camps.

You need to plan ahead for summer. Lots of working parents means lots of working-parents' kids means lots of demand for camp space. Use the handy checklist to help you find the places that best suit you and your kid(s).

Items listed in the calendar run for a matter of hours or a matter of weeks, with varying prices. Do your homework. With all this to choose from, you will, hopefully, find such a terrific camp that your kids won't want to come home in the evening.

When they do, they'll be singing. . . uhhhh, they'll be singing. . . well, I can't think of any songs from my 4-H and band-camp past about wanting to stay there.

Come up with your own. MEMO: [For a complete list of summer camps, see microfilm for this date.]

ILLUSTRATION: JANET SHAUGHNESSY/Staff

Illustrations

CAMP CHECKLIST

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]

SOURCE: "Choosing the Right Camp" 1993-94 edition, authors Richard

C. Kennedy and Michael Kimball

KEYWORDS: DAY CAMP SUMMER CAMP DAY CARE CHILD CARE CAMP by CNB