Time to start planning activities for warm weather

File photo/Union Democrat

Many deadlines for activities — be they camps, classes or clinics — begin long before temperatures reach the 100s.

Youth soccer registration begins soon, even though the season does not start until August. Such is also the case for registration for children’s theaters, sports camps and clinics, and vacation Bible schools.

Activities with shorter commitments are also available.

Weekend activities will be held at Columbia State Historic Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Yosemite National Park.

For information on programs, including tours and and rides, at Railtown, call 984-3953.

For information on programs at Big Trees, including field trips and junior ranger programs, call 795-2334.

Yosemite National Park also offers programs including Night Prowls, Junior Ranger Walks (and official ranger swearing in) and poetry and flute-playing activities. For information, see the park’s Web site: www.nps.gov/yose/

Certain programs require reservations or tickets, and some can be done with or without a group.

Some summer programs are also offered in the Stanislaus National Forest, notably at the Pine Marten campground at Lake Alpine. Call the Stanislaus National Forest’s main office at 532-3671.

Soccer 

Children ages 4 to 18 can participate in recreational soccer leagues.

The registration deadline for Tuolumne County Youth Soccer is May 2. Parents can call 532-KICK or visit www.tcys.net/ to download registration forms.

Registration for the Ebbetts Pass Youth Soccer League will begin in April. The league has an information line for updates on registration, schedules and special events. Registration can be done online at www.epysl.org/. For more information, call 567-3045 and leave a message.

 Youth sports

Columbia College will offer many youth volleyball and basketball clinics in June and July.

Boys and girls in third through 12th grades can participate in the basketball clinics. Cost is $100 for the three-day June program.

The volleyball clinic is open to boys and girls from fourth to sixth grades and costs $50 to $100 for the three-day program.

Registration information can be found online at columbia.yosemite.cc.ca.us/CommunityEducation/CommunityEducation.htm.

 Swimming

Swim lesson information will also be in the Summer Activity Guide issued by the Tuolumne County Recreation Department. Exact dates for registrations have not been set yet. Swim lesson sign-ups in Tuolumne County will in June.  Official pool open dates have not been determined yet.

In Calaveras County, there is the Angels Pool in Tryon Park and the Murphys Community Pool on Church Street and the Calaveras High School pool in San Andreas. 

Scouting 

Boys wanting to join the scouts can do so at anytime, said Erik Andal, co-leader of Troop No. 570 of Sonora and Columbia. Troop No. 570 will attend a weeklong camp at the end of July near Lake Beardsley. Boys can still join the troop and go to camp if they sign up now. For more information, visit www.motherlodescouting.org.

Girls must be a registered Girl Scout by the time they register for camp, said area Girl Scout co-coordinator Lauretta Carr. Girls living in Tuolumne or Calaveras counties should visit www.girlscoutshcc.org or call the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California Council at 800-322-4475 or 916-638-4475 for more information.

 Vacation Bible School

Many area churches offer week-long Bible school at little to no cost during the summer. The majority are held in the morning. Each church differs in age-groups its Bible school serves.

“Parents like it because at school teachers can’t talk about God, and God is a part of our lives. And they’re glad kids can get an integrated approach to life,” said Mary Leamy, of All Saints Catholic Church in Twain Harte.

Kids ages 4 to 14 can attend All Saints’ vacation Bible school the fourth week in June. Registration will begin in upcoming weeks.

Vacation Bible school programs include arts and crafts, story time, games, music, and skits based on Bible stories.

“It’s community building, values,” Leamy said.

For more information on Vacation Bible School, ask your local church or pastor if they offer VBS. 

 Theater/Dance

Meyer Hideout, Inc.’s summer program, “Summer Hideout,” is preparing for its big summer production, “Suessical, Jr.” Meyer Hideout, Inc., is a nonprofit Youth Musical Theatre program in Twain Harte. Auditions for main roles will be Saturday at a free youth musical theatre workshop and are open to children 8 to 17. Activities include theatre games, music and dance activities.

The six-week summer program costs is $400. The program begins June 28 and children can register up to a couple of days into the program and to be part of the ensemble.

For more information, visit www.meyerhideout.org or call 484-9889.

Auditions for the Sonora Children’s Theatre original summer performance will begin the second week in April. The show will include theatre dance, ballet, hip hop, voice, choir and acting. The theatre also offers juggling, clownology and story telling. Pre-registration ends April 8.

The class for three months is $145, which is “crazy cheap,” said executive director Bonnie Cerruti.

For more information, visit www.sonorachildrenstheatre.org/ or call 588-8632. 

 Music

Gold Country Music Day Camp will be held from July 6 to 10 for students entering sixth- through ninth-grades.    

Cost is $75 per student, and registration can be done through Tuolumne County public school band teachers.

For more information, contact Yvonne Denton at Sonora High School, 532-5511 ext. 451 or ask your child’s music teacher. 

Other activities 

The Tuolumne County Recreation Department will host a “Day in the Park” May 16 at Standard Park. Parents will be able to register their children for all summer activities, with the exception of Tiny Tots, said Recreation Supervisor Erin Begley.

Tiny Tots is a seven- to eight-week program for 3 to 5 year-olds. There is such  high demand that children are chosen by lottery, Begley said.

Paperwork must be received by May 15 to be in the lottery.

The Rec Department will offer children’s day camps for many activities like tennis, basketball, volleyball, martial arts and golf.

There is also a program for children from first- through eighth-grade that lasts for five weeks.

They offer “a full gamut of activities” including sports, swimming, crafts, games and walking trips to the library in Sonora. This program will be held at a school campus in Sonora yet to be determined, Begley said.

A Summer Activity Guide with more specific information will be published in the May 5 and 6 Foothill Shopper. 

Registration for the Calaveras Redskins football or cheer teams was March 14, but training does not begin until July. For more information, visit freeteams.net/CalaverasFootball.

Boys over 8 and girls over 10 can sign up for the Tuolumne County Youth Football and Cheer program between April 4 and June 14. For more information, visit www.tcyfootballandcheer.com.

The Tuolumne County Youth Football and Cheer Registration Night will be held at 5 p.m. April 4 at the Elks Lodge in Sonora. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. for $10 a plate or $35 a family. It costs $100 to register football players and $50 for cheerleaders.

For more information, call Dan McHoul at 533-4304.