LITH FuntastiCamp Provides Fun Activities During School Break

Megan Boyle knows exactly what she liked best about her winter vacation:

“Ice skating,” the seven-year-old Lake in the Hills girl said.

“You get to ice skate, and there’s lots of space so you can go as fast as you want,” Boyle said.  “There’s not that many rules. I’m a good ice skater on slippery ice.”

Boyle, along with her younger brother, Connor, 6, participated in FuntastiCamp, a winter break daycamp hosted by the LITH Parks and Recreation Department. The camp was open to children from the surrounding communities.

From Dec. 19 through Jan. 3, on weekdays, FuntastiCamp provided children with fun field trip outings, or safe indoor activities at LITH Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate.

The list of field trips included adventures to Brunswick Zone for bowling in Algonquin, Xtreme Trampolines in Carol Stream, Chuck-E-Cheese in Crystal Lake, swimming at indoor pools in Elgin and Crystal Lake, a trip to the Muppet Movie in LITH, a bouncing outing to Pump-It Up in Crystal  Lake, and, as previously stated, the Crystal Ice House in Crystal Lake for skating.

The indoor activities included a special guest appearance last Friday by the “Frog Lady,” who brought plenty of slimy snakes, turtles and bearded dragons for the children to hold and experience up close.

Children also had a chance to play with puzzles, visit a local arcade and just hang out with their friends.

Parents had the option of choosing which days to send their children to the camp. FuntastiCamp is a great way to keep kids active and entertained during school break, and a reliable option for working parents needing child care.

“During the summer we have 100 to 125 children in our camp,” said LITH recreation supervisor Megan Melendez. “That camp is held at a local school, but the school break camps are here at the village hall.”

Ten-year-old Meghan Schneeweiss, of Crystal Lake, said her favorite winter break adventure was the inflatable bouncing outing to Pump-It-Up in Crystal Lake.

“It was decorated like a winter wonderland,” said Schneeweiss, whose younger sister, Molly, 8, attended the camp as well.

Melendez said parents needing a fun, supervised setting for their children this spring break or next summer should go online or register their children in person at the LITH Parks and Recreation Department office soon for upcoming FuntastiCamps.

The LITH Parks and Recreation office is located at Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate, Lake in the Hills.