Vernon Hills Montessori offer new summer camp with trips to Devil's Lake

The Vernon Hills Montessori Academy is developing a new summer camp program for children ages 6-12, which will include regular field trips to Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wis.

Located at 21 Hawthorn Parkway, Vernon Hills Montessori Academy is Vernon Hills’ only Montessori school for children from toddlers to grade-school age.

Owner Margarita Shvets said she wanted to expand the school’s summer camp offerings to older children this year and for the first time has developed a summer camp for kids in the 6-12 age group that will include regular trips to Devil’s Lake.

“I want to be able to offer these children a great educational camp with music and sports where they will not only be exposed to normal fun educational activities but also to once a week field trips to Devil’s Lake near the Wisconsin Dells,” Shvets said.

Students will be transported from the Montessori school in Vernon Hills to Devil’s Lake, where a variety of activities are planned. Children will get to visit a big cat rescue and petting zoo, see the Tommy Bartlett Show at the Wisconsin Dells, and enjoy strawberry and blackberry picking, among other activities. Optional single-day field trips will be available as well as potentially overnight trips. 

The field trips are part of the academy’s new summer camp program for 6-12 year olds, which begins June 9 and runs through Aug. 15. Registration for the camp is now available.

Registration is also being accepted for the academy’s regular summer camp program for preschool and kindergarten-age children, ages 3-6.  In addition to academic learning, these children participate in extracurricular activities such as gymnastics, piano and guitar lessons, singing and robotics classes. At the end of camp, students perform a special summer concert at the school.

“Students will be exposed to fun activities as well educational and cultural materials and daily music and sports,” Shvets said. “Children were very excited to sing in 10 foreign languages last year.” 

The academy also has a year-long transitional program for toddlers, where children under 35 months learn to sing, play music and sports. 

“It’s really fun to see young toddlers singing and playing musical instruments at such an early age,” she said.

Shvets said the Montessori school’s summer camp program is attractive to many parents because they can bring their children, from toddlers to grade school, to a single location.

Early-bird discounts of up to $200 are available to families who register their children by March 31. Discounts are only available for new students.

Persons who would like more information about registering for the Vernon Hills Montessori Academy’s summer camp program can call the academy at (847) 918-0342 or visit www.vernonhillsacademy.com.