Summer Creativity Camps at The Growing Space near Harrisonburg, Virginia

Registration is Now Open!

These high-quality Summer Creativity Camps focus on FUN and creative PLAY as forms of learning. All of our camps are co-led by two caring and adaptive teachers. Visual and language arts are components of all camps.

We have different camps for ages 8-15, including:

• Dragon Camp
• Creative Movement and Dance Camp
• Spanish Camp
• Superhero Camp

June 9-13 (Ages 12-15)

9am-12pm Spanish Camp

1pm-4pm Superhero Camp

July 7-11 (Ages 12-15)

9am-12pm Dragon Camp

1pm-4pm Creative Movement and Dance Camp

July 14-18 (Ages 8-11)

9am-12pm Dragon Camp

1pm-4pm Creative Movement and Dance Camp

July 21-25 (Ages 8-11)

9am-12pm Spanish Camp

1pm-4pm Superhero Camp

Our camps

• are Monday through Friday
• involve imagination, creative expression, and exploring integrated arts
• feature movement and games to help campers stay engaged
• require no special skills or experience in any of the art forms listed

Our teaching style is designed to be beginner-friendly, and the focus is on enjoyment rather than technique.

Some camps feature outdoor time if possible. Lunch hours between camps may feature outdoor time when the weather allows.

Campers can be dropped off within 30 minutes before the start of their camp day and need to be picked up within 30 minutes of their final camp. If needed, special arrangements beyond that may be possible for an added fee.

Camp Descriptions

Dragon Camp – Campers will enjoy exploring dragon stories, poems, and myths, writing about dragons, studying illustrations, battling and befriending dragons--EVERYTHING about dragons, including the treasure hoard!

Creative Movement and Dance Camp – Movement is a fundamental human right. From the rise and fall of our chests as we breathe, to energizing movements like jumping and twirling, movement plays a major role in emotions, learning, and living. Join us for a week of discovering just what our human bodies can do! Campers will learn some principles of Modern Dance, body percussion, improvisation, how to fall, and how to have fun!

Spanish Camp – A sampling of language, music, games, crafts, and stories from Mexico, Spain, Chile, El Salvador, and more! Campers will have the opportunity to journey through some introductory language topics like basic questions and colors, play authentic children’s games with other campers, make music with traditional instruments, and more!

Superhero Camp – What if you were a superhero? What would your special abilities and weaknesses be? Who are your arch enemies? What’s your most useless superpower? We'll discuss superheroes in film, print, and RPGs. Fun prompts and games, language arts, visual arts activities, and elements of tabletop RPGs come together to support character creation and development. Campers will have the option to share their creations as we go.

Registration

The costs are $160 for half-day camp or

$300 for full-day camp

Discounts are available if you are sending more than one camper from your household. Exceptions to the age limits may be possible for siblings, etc., who would prefer to attend the same camp(s). Feel free to contact us about this.

The easiest way to register is through Eventbrite but there are other options. To ask questions or for help with registration, contact Mike Deaton at mdeatonarts at gmail.com

Once you have signed up and paid, you'll receive more info and a registration form you will need to fill out for each camper.

Refunds of Eventbrite fees are not possible. Refunds in the form of "store credit" are possible up to 14 days before camp, and on a case-by-case basis within 14 days of camp.

Lunch

Lunch time is 12-1 for campers who sign up for the full-day option. Please plan to send a nut free bag lunch each day for your camper if they are staying for the full day. A small amount of refrigerator space is available in case of medical necessity.

All campers should plan to bring a water bottle to leave in the space if possible.

Our Teachers

Stephanie Mason is a certified Spanish teacher and lifelong learner. Her passion is working with youth of all ages, and her many jobs reflect that! She is a program coordinator for Staunton's Youth Volunteer Corps, a member of Staunton's School Board, and a 6 year high school Spanish teacher. She has worked with homeschooled youth, English Language Learners, gifted teens, pre-k through college, and more.

Stephanie has experience as a brain trainer, dance professor, and African Step advisor, has spent time in West Africa studying djembe and dance, and is always seeking new experiences!

Mike Deaton is a teacher, performer, and expressive arts facilitator with 25 years of professional experience. He has taught Music and Wellness curriculum at St. Francis University, and brought his own hands-on programs to hundreds of other classrooms as well as nursing homes, places of worship, festivals, workplaces, and more. Mike has experience with ages birth to 104. He believes music and the arts are for everyone, and has dedicated his life to empowering humans through sound, visual arts, and movement.

Mike has helped organize dozens of children’s camps and adult retreats. He was the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Coordinator of The Reading Roadshow, where he drove a mobile classroom and bookmobile called The Gus Bus, brought high-quality literacy programs to pre-K children in schools and daycares, and created and ran afternoon educational programs in local neighborhoods for hundreds of children and families each year. Mike also enjoys creating volunteer opportunities for ages 11-18 as a program coordinator for Staunton’s Youth Volunteer Corps.