School’s out for summer! School’s out forever! (Editor’s note: Marana schools are, in fact not out forever—first day back is August 7—nor do they endorse Alice Cooper.)
So what are you up to this summer? Are you a teenager with some free time on your hands? How about a parent wanting to find a new exercise routine? A retiree looking to meet new friends? Whoever you are, Marana Parks and Recreation has a summer program for you. With options including fitness for all ages, youth day camps, sports leagues, and art classes, there’s something for everyone.
Fitness
This summer, it’s time to hop off the treadmill and inject some fun into your fitness regimen. Try the Barre Above workout, a format that uses Pilates, yoga, and aerobics infused into a dancer’s strengthening exercises. Dancers who prefer Sean Paul over Tchaikovsky may want to check out Zumba w/ Janet, which mixes low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. If martial arts are more your speed, check out Steve Berry’s School of Chun Kuk Do, which combines Korean Tang Soo Do, Japanese Akido, Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, and American Boxing. For a course with more of a practical application, consider a self-defense class, offered both exclusively for women, as well as for families and business professionals. If you still haven’t seen your jam, why not give aerobics a spin? With classes both in the dance studio and in the pool, you’re guaranteed to get that blood-pumping, full-body workout.
Youth Camps
School vacations are the perfect occasion to embrace some non-traditional learning opportunities. Classrooms are great for some things, but there’s nothing quite like a day camp to learn about science, architecture, and much more. In the Pre-School Fine Arts program, kids aged 3-6 can explore their creative sides and launch their artistic careers early. With elements of storytelling, play-acting, and focused art instruction, children will love exploring the limitless worlds of their imagination.
For an entirely different take on summer camp, check out Create with a Beat, a program aimed at 4-13 year olds. With classes all summer long, this program takes up a new theme each week, and students will play games, create music, and make crafts all centered on that week’s theme. Topics vary widely—one week, students may explore the worlds of art and literature, while another their attention will be penguins and polar bears.
Pima Community College is also offering ½ day camps through the Marana Parks and Recreation this summer as part of Pima for Kids. Students aged 5-17 can learn about robotics, rockets, architecture, and much more. Why wait until you graduate from high school to explore the world of college when you can start today?
Summer Sports
There’s nothing quite like competition to really get the juices flowing, right? Whether you’re competing against your best friend or trying to beat your fastest time, there are plenty of opportunities this summer to unleash your inner athlete.
Junior Golf invites beginners to develop and enhance their coordination and golf fundamentals through weekly lessons. This program offers classes for three different age brackets, so participants will also be able to spend time with their peers.
For those who love to hit the open road, take a gander at Marana’s cross-country race series. Through this program, you can experience the Sonoran Desert in all its glory as you cruise along in the sunshine. This program isn’t for wimps, but to these hardy souls go all the bragging rights.
Football season is just around the corner, and what better way to prepare yourself than to participate in one of Marana’s flag football clinics? With a targeted camp for both 6-9 year olds and another one for 10-14 year olds, budding NFLers will learn the game of flag football and build confidence in their athletic talents.
If you’re more into hoops and nets than end zones and field goals, check out the basketball clinic. This program is also offered to two age groups—6-9 year olds and 10-14 year olds—and focuses on developing fundamentals, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
Little ones may enjoy a more general approach, and that’s why Marana Parks and Recreation is offering the Pee Wee Sports Camp. This one-week noncompetitive camp develops and enhances coordination, fundamentals, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Camp will include, but is not limited to, soccer, t-ball, and P.E. style games.
Finally, Marana is offering two volleyball clinics this summer, one for 9-11 year olds and the other for 12-15 year olds. Get ready for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo as you practice passing, setting, hitting, and serving. Japanese lessons not included.
Art Programs
Ever since Bob Ross first conjured up a pine tree with just a dab of his brush, haven’t we all secretly yearned to don our own paint-splattered frocks? Yearn no more! Carpe artem!
Artistic dilettantes may want to first check out Art Isn’t Scary After All! If you are not sure of your art skills, or think you don't have the skills at all, this is the class for you. Put your hesitations and fears of art aside as you learn different techniques to create and bring your imagination to life. Join in an introduction to different art media and styles while your confidence grows in your hidden art abilities. Our drawing classes will teach step-by-step instructions that help you look at, break down, and then apply new drawing skills to your own masterpiece. Go from "I can't draw a circle" to "I am an artist!”
Do you spend a little too much time on Pinterest and not enough time actually creating your own clever crafts? It’s time to join Tammy at Make and Take Crafts. Expert craftswoman Tammy Burchett will teach you everything you need to know to make a cork board out of actual wine corks, an umbrella door decoration for spring, a daisy wall hanging, and more.
Still not speaking your crafty language? Well then why don’t you join one of our free adult craft groups. These gatherings bring participants together around needlework, knitting, applique, and other fabric crafts. Join them every first, third, and fourth Tuesday, 10am-2pm, at the Marana Parks and Recreation administrative office. Participants should be prepared to bring their own project supplies, as well as lunch, if desired.
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For us desert dwellers, we know how to turn the hot summer months into fun summer months. However you like to spend your free time, you’re guaranteed to find something for you in Marana. Our Parks and Recreation summer catalogue is exploding with opportunity. So start exploring! We’ll see you out there.
