Five fun summer camps for kids in Bengaluru

Children aged 7 and above can learn everything from farming to improv and rock climbing

Whether your child has a green thumb or is into wildlife photography, summer camps in the city have something to offer for everyone. Geared towards pre-teens and teens, these summer camps will be held in multiple batches from April until May.

Nature retreat

The Lilac Farm in Somashettihalli is organising ‘Nature’s Classroom Retreat’ in April and May. The week-long residential camp is designed for children in the age group 8 to 15. “The concept will help children explore beyond school textbooks and learn from nature,” shares Christina Ajith, who runs the farm with her mother Anitha.

The workshop will introduce them to local produce, community cooking, farming, taking care of farm animals, composting and building houses from straw. Kids will be divided into teams in each batch. Every day, each team will be given a different responsibility.

“We plan to set up tents for kids, but if it gets too hot, we will organise dorm-style accommodation indoors,” Christina adds.

The first batch commences on April 14.

For details, visit @the.lilac.farm on Instagram

Improv session

Indiranagar-based Yours Truly Theatre is organising theatre workshops for two age groups — 7 to 11 and 12 to 17. The workshop for the younger group will focus on storytelling, stage presence and communication. The teens will learn improv, basic acting skills, theatre production and voice exercises. Participants will put up an informal performance at the end of each workshop.

“Parents say that their children have become socially awkward and shy since the pandemic. We use these workshops to provide a safe space for kids to open up. The older ones use this opportunity to talk about issues like mental health and body image,” says Nandini Rao, cofounder and artistic director of the group.

The first batch of the workshop starts on April 15.

For details, visit @yourstruly_theatre on Instagram

Coding lessons

Roboprenr in HSR Layout is offering robotics and scratch game development workshops for children in the age groups of 8 to 11, 12 to 14, and 15 to 18. The two-week camp will cover about 20 projects and is available both online and in-person.

“Children choosing the robot electronics project will learn about how sensors work, how to solve real-life electronics problems, and how to create different lamps and robots,” says Krishna Iyer, centre manager. Each batch can admit five children.

For details, visit roboprenr.com

Adventure camp

Outlife is hosting a residential adventure summer camp in Tumakuru,
60 km from Bengaluru. Each batch will consist of 25 children, aged 8 to 15. Over the course of a week, the camp will cover adventure activities, wilderness survival strategies, and personality development. River crossing, bridge making, tent pitching, outdoor cooking, map reading, stargazing, journalling, and rock climbing are some activities planned.

“It’s a hands-on camp. We teach them in such a way that everything they learn in the forest, they should be able to apply in real life,” says Santosh Tantri, senior consultant.

For details, call or message 97653 93057

Photography bootcamp

The Outback Experience is hosting photography workshops throughout April and May. Wildlife photographer Samantha Ross is leading the training.

“We’re doing a classroom-
based photography workshop on 
St Marks Road for kids aged 10 to 16. They will learn about the basics of photography, camera handling, and maintenance. We will also host a young naturalist camp at our farm in Bannerghatta. Here, we will teach them camera trapping and other aspects of wildlife photography while also focusing on living in the wild and learning from nature,” shares Samantha.

The team is also organising safari trips to Kabini and Bandipur with a strong focus on wildlife photography.

For details, visit theoutbackexperince.in