Kids Make a Splash in South Orange

It's great to be a kid in South Orange in summer. There's something for every child, from book worms to swimmers, and scientists to athletes.

The library has been buzzing all week with kids taking part in its summer reading program, "Make a Splash. Make a Difference." On Thursday, nearly 50 children turned out to turn over the soil for a communal garden for readers -- the library's director leading the way with a rake and a hoe. In both South Orange (and Maplewood) kids are selling lemonade to raise money and awareness for the importance of our public libraries.

Kids are also making a splash at the pool. At 8 a.m. you can find the swim team diving into the lap lanes for practice. In the afternoon, friends meet up, toddlers play, and the courageous take a plunge off the high dive.

Camps are in full swing. The Baird's seven-week summer camp—attended by more than 200 campers, with kids age 4 up to middle schoolers—is taking place on Cameron Field. Just across the walking bridge -- past the geese in the duck pond and white egret that has made the banks of the Raritan River home -- nearly 900 children and teens are attending classes at the middle school in everything from frog dissection to glass fusing.

Patch will be featuring many of the programs for kids throughout the summer. Here are some snap shots from Week 1 at the Adult School's Community Summer Program. There is a lot going on. In a new science class called an "Insider's Guide to Blood and Guts," children are learning how to dissect frogs and worms. There's some crazy science stuff too. In Mad Science, kids on Friday discovered how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll (375, a 10-year-old boy reports). In the Little Theater, students in the musical theater program are learning dance steps with a professional choreographer. And artists have created some amazing works of art, from Vienna masks and mosaics to doodle stitching and soap.

 The camp will begin taking registrations again on Tuesday for Session 11, which begins on July 12 until July 23. Weekly sports camps also have open slots.  The camp office is in Room 263 of South Orange Middle School, ( 973) 378-2772, ext. 2263. (Closed Monday, July 5 for the Independence Day weekend).