Just for kids

Lots for children to do on summer vacation

Gulf Islands Tourism: children on the beach on Salt Spring

Summer is the best of all times when you're a kid, and if you're a kid with an artistic or performing arts aspiration, there's lots of fun ways to spend your time while visiting Salt Spring Island.

• Faerie and Mermaid Camps. Girls ages six to 11 (and five year olds who will be six this year) are invited to celebrate and explore the beauty and enchantment of the natural world at Faerie and Mermaid day camps being offered this July by Oona McOuat, with artist in residence Shelby Johnstone. Committed to empowering girls by raising environmental awareness and cultivating creativity, the programs run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for one week each Monday to Friday on Salt Spring Island. Enrolment is limited, so contact Oona at 250-653-2088 or oonasong@yahoo.com to reserve a spot.

• Children's Clay Camp. Tracy Harrison of Creative Fire Art Studio offers Children's Clay Camp from Aug. 1 to 5. It's a half-day camp where kids can learn clay-making techniques and glazing/firing processes by making cool stuff like puffer fish, tiles, old cars and mugs in clay. www.creativefirestudio.org.

• 12th Annual Salt Spring Fiddle Camp. Aug. 15 to 19. Fiddle Camp immerses kids, teens and adults in music all week with classes on playing all kinds of musical instruments, from fiddles to saws to cellos. Fun family afternoon and evening activities include a variety show, concerts and dancing. See www.fiddleworks.ca.

• Farm, Arts and Culinary Camp. At Foxglove Farm in July. See www.foxglovefarm.ca for exact dates and details. A wonderful opportunity for children to have a hands-on farm experience that engages them in activities from the field to the table. They'll collect eggs, dig potatoes, make compost, and do baking, cooking and eating (of course!). To enhance and reflect upon their time on the farm they will also be journalling and making fun art objects related to their farm experience on Salt Spring.