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Friday, April 19, 2024
Club Metro is all about new experiences for our participants, and this summer, the program got a welcomed expansion!
With the popularity of our Club Metro outings during the Fall and Spring seasons, we knew it was time to expand our offerings. This year, the Community Services Department is proud to provide two Club Metro camp weeks for our world-class participants! Club Metro hosted its first week of day camp last week for our teen and adult participants. It was a week jam-packed with exciting outings, fun games, delicious meals, and good times with friends.
Here is a recap of what our participants were up to last week.
Outings Galore
Club Metro is all about having fun with our participants while teaching them necessary soft skills such as communication when out and about. That’s why we picked an exciting location to visit almost every day of camp. Campers enjoyed discovering new experiences, such as getting a strike at Alley Cats, witnessing an equestrian joust at Medieval Times, learning about the ocean at the Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine, and getting curious at the Perot Museum in Dallas!
Yummy Eats
It wouldn’t be Club Metro if it didn’t include some delicious mealtimes for our participants to socialize, and Club Metro Camp was no different. Campers enjoyed Joe’s Pizza, Chili’s, and medieval cuisine at Medieval Times!
Crafts, Games, and Activities
We pride ourselves on running well-rounded camps that everyone can enjoy. Club Metro Camp included daily activities such as crafting pipe cleaner trees, field day with Kiddo Kinetics, sand art, bingo, scratch art, soccer, films in the fieldhouse, rock painting, and games!
With such a fun schedule planned for our participants, it’s no wonder this week of camp sold out before it even began. Our first week of camp was so successful that we’re doing it again in August! We look forward to continuing to create life-long memories with our Club Metro participants!
You don’t have to be a weather expert to know it is hot outside. With temperatures soaring and summer only halfway through, we have a few more safety tips to beat the heat.
There’s nothing better than enjoying a leisurely day outside, especially with fun activities such as Stars and Stripes and the Fourth of July just around the corner. Whether you are visiting Bicentennial Park, fishing at the Bob Jones Fishing Pier, playing at the Chesapeake Park playground, or hiking at the Nature Center, with the summer temperatures often rising into the triple digits, it’s important to stay vigilant of heat-related safety risks.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are common risks during outdoor activities in high temperatures. As you plan your Independence Day activities and summer outings, ensure you know the difference between the two to stay safe in Southlake.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a response to excessive sweating due to high temperatures. It’s often a precursor to heat stroke and occurs when the body overheats and dehydrates. If you experience heat exhaustion, you may feel fatigued, dizzy, nauseated, sweat excessively, and get a headache.
Heat Stroke
This severe condition occurs when the body loses its ability to control its temperature and cannot cool down. It is a serious heat-related illness that requires immediate medical attention. Heat stroke symptoms include confusion or altered mental status, loss of consciousness, profuse sweating, seizures, and very high body temperature.
While recognizing the symptoms of these two heat-related illnesses is vital, knowing how to prevent them is just as important. Here are some steps to stay safe during the hot summer months.
Knowing the difference between these common heat-related illnesses and following these prevention tips can help you stay safe in Southlake this summer.
Bored at home? This summer, dive into everything that the Southlake Public Library has to offer with its programming for kids of all ages!
This year’s summer reading program began on May 26, but it’s not too late to sign up! The free and simple registration is still open for the “All Together Now” program which runs through July 21, 2023. This experience is full of adventures, weekly challenges, prizes, reading, and more.
Prizes this year are better than ever, ranging from toys to technology to encourage all to flip those pages! To see the prize displays, visit the library on the first floor of Town Hall.
However, if you’re looking to get out of the house, consider viewing the events tab on the Southlake Public Library Facebook page. Here, you can find a list of all upcoming events including magic shows, creature features, cultural performances, chalk art, and so much more.
Kids of all ages, and adults young at heart too, can explore the magic of making memories all summer long at the library.
For more information, please contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243 or visit www.SouthlakePublicLibrary.com.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Summer is the busiest time of year for Parks and Recreation professionals because it’s the best time for families to spend time outside doing what they love!
Nothing beats a lazy day lounging by the pool, exploring a new playground, or training for the Fall Athletic season during the summer months. However, Southlake summers can be unforgiving, and practicing summer safety is crucial.
Here are a few summer safety tips to keep in mind as you get out and explore our incredible recreation amenities this summer.
Dress for Success
Our Southlake residents are always fashionable, but it’s imperative to remember to dress for the heat. Styling light colors is a great way to reflect harmful sun rays while keeping cool. Add some light layers made of breathable fabric for added sun protection. Dress for success when you visit our world-class Southlake parks and playgrounds! Don’t forget to snap a “fit pic” for the gram!
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Don’t forget to drink water when spending time outside! Drinking enough water is vital any time of the year, but it is essential when it’s hot. Start your day with a glass in the morning and add another to every meal. Grab a fun reusable bottle to take to the pool, the playground, and the winding trails of the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve. Our Parks professionals always carry extra water around, and you should too!
Timing is Everything
The summer days are long, and the number of fun activities is endless. If spending time outdoors is part of your daily routine, adjust your schedule to avoid the hottest parts of the day. Early mornings and evenings are the best time of day to schedule a tennis or pickleball match with friends, walk your dog, or take your little one to the park! Mid-mornings to early afternoons can be the hottest hours of the day. Beat the heat during that time by checking out Champions Club and enjoying our indoor Aquatics Center!
Apply and Reapply
Finally, apply sunscreen! Your skin is your biggest organ, so show it some big love this summer by generously applying sunscreen when you go out. Sweat and water can limit the benefits of sunscreen, so make sure you reapply every two hours for maximum protection.
There are many ways to stay cool and safe in Southlake this summer. Remember these tips, and you’ll create many life-long memories!
In Southlake, we take safety seriously; our splash pads are no exception. Although there are a few types of splash pads throughout the City, checks and balances are strategically used to ensure that water play is safe wherever you go in Southlake.
Aquatics Supervisor Jennifer Blackstock and Parks Crew Leader Johnny Lopez know these systems better than anyone, so they joined Minute with the Mayor this week to discuss Southlake’s safety commitment.
There are two types of splash pads in Southlake – the first is the recirculation splash pad, and the second is the flow-through splash pad.
Blackstock mentioned that the splash pad at Champions Club uses a recirculation system outfitted with a UV disinfection system and filter. Water tests are conducted each hour to ensure quality as well. This is the same system the water in the pool at Champions Club also goes through.
The Experience Southlake page about splash pad safety says, “The UV systems at both Southlake splash pads operate above the minimum requirement of 40mj/cm2 dosing rate to ensure an enhanced level of disinfection and user safety.”
Although the same amount of fun, the splash pad at Bicentennial Park is a bit different! Lopez noted that the splash pad at Bicentennial Park is flow-through, meaning that the water is not reused, and it is the same quality of water that flows from the faucets in your home. The water from the Bicentennial splash pad drains into the pond at the park. The pond is then used to irrigate about 80 acres of greenspace in Southlake.
Our teams are dedicated to making this summer a splash while keeping residents safe. To view more in-depth information about how the splash pads work, please visit the Experience webpage.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
The kids are back in school, but it wasn’t long ago that they were living their best lives at Summer Camp Mania!
Summer Camp Mania 2022 is officially in the books, but we wanted to take the time to showcase some of the highlights from the summer. With nine weeks of structured programming, Camp Mania returned with a bang this year.
Throughout the summer, we had 873 enthusiastic campers enrolled. These campers enjoyed a fantastic summer filled with incredible field trips, fun guest performances, friendly competitions, and much more!
Let’s take a look at some of this year’s highlights:
Putting together a structured day camp that is both fun, educational, and unique is no easy feat; however, our Programs team rose to the challenge. Take a look at what some satisfied parents had to say:
“Very happy, my kids loved this camp! We’re new to the area so tried several out and they want to do this most of the summer next year. Convenient, reasonably priced and so fun. Thank you!”
“Staff was great and kids had a lot of fun. Much needed time during the day.”
Kids are happy. Variety of activities is nice, and excellent value for the money.”
“Amazing staff and such awesome activities and field trips!!!! I wish I had signed up for more than just one week this year!!!”
“My son had so much fun! Thanks for making his experience amazing!”
“My girls always have a blast!! Fun activities and really cool field trips!”
This summer will be one to remember. Not only did participants make friendships and life-long memories, but our staff developed professionally with each passing week. We can’t wait to go back to the drawing board and start planning an even better summer experience for next year.
If you can’t wait another year to return to Camp Mania, sign up for one of our upcoming Day Break or Holiday Break Camp Mania opportunities!
It’s summertime in Southlake and the heat is intense! If you are still looking for ways to keep your kiddos busy and entertained this summer, it’s not too late to register for some of our incredible half-day camps at Champions Club!
July is just around the corner, and the new month brings new opportunities to enjoy the hot summer break indoors. Our Programs and Champions Club staff are ready to give your kiddos a summer they won’t forget with innovative programs and half-day camps for every interest under the Texas sun.
Here’s just a few examples of our exciting programs that still have some spaces open:
Adventures in Science Club
Discover the wonder of science by doing hands-on experiments and projects that you get to take home! In this week-long session, kids will learn all about gears and pulleys, how things work together, and how to use their hands to build different types of engineering machines. Register here:
Club Metro
Southlake’s premier Adaptive Recreation program, Club Metro, is hitting the field for an awesome afternoon of sports! Participants will meet to celebrate the summer season by playing different sporting activities! Hurry up to register, spots are filling up fast!
DJ School 101
Do want to learn how to be a DJ? Join our half-day summer camp program where we teach you the basics of being a DJ. We will beat, match, mix and blend on professional DJ equipment, across multiple genres of music. DJ gear is provided during instruction. Don’t miss it!
Mindful Ballet Dance Camp
In these one-hour weekly camps, students will learn the proper technique and placement in this foundational genre. Dancers will also experience the classroom as a laboratory that explores self-narrative, thought patterns, and emotions.
DRESS CODE: Girls – Any color leotard, pink tights, ballet slippers. Boys – Black tights or athletic shorts, white shirt, ballet slippers. Register today!
Plan out the rest of your summer and claim your spot today!
We are right in the heat of summer, and things are getting wild at our annual Cross Timbers Summer Nature Camp.
Summer camps are an industry staple in Parks and Recreation. Here in Southlake, we are fortunate to offer our young residents various fun and entertaining summer camp options each year. Something that makes our community unique is our proximity to the Cross Timbers and Prairies ecosystem.
Our Cross Timbers Summer Nature Camp is a community favorite and a vital part of Our Park and Recreation Story. This summer, campers get to explore their wild side with fun activities to practice outdoor skills, hike, create arts and crafts, and learn about our local ecosystem.
Here are a few highlights of what Nature Camp has been up to this summer:
With so many out-of-this-world activities, it’s no wonder Nature Camp is such a crowd favorite! But the summer is not over yet.
Here’s a sneak-peak into what campers can look forward to in the weeks to come:
It wouldn’t be a Southlake summer without our summer camps and the incredible staff that make them happen. Part of our Park and Recreation Story is working hard to create life-long memories for our kiddos, and Cross Timbers Nature Camp is the perfect place to get wild!
Champions Club fights summer boredom with the Kids Fitness Summer Series!
The Dog Days of Summer are here, and your little ones may be starting to get anxious after a month of summer vacation. Luckily for you, Champions Club is introducing the Kids Fitness Summer Series to get your children off the couch and hooked on staying active!
We know our Champions Club members are no strangers to the world of fitness. After all, you didn’t choose to become a member of a world-class facility for nothing. Here at Champions Club, we know that building lifelong healthy habits is a skill best learned early. We are here to share the joy of fitness and recreation with every single member, even the littlest champions!
The Kids Fitness Summer Series will introduce your child to fitness through fun and free classes! Located in the Fieldhouse at Champions Club and taught by our unbeatable group fitness instructors, this series is guaranteed to be a blast!
Here is the schedule for July:
Kids Zumba- Wednesday, July 21 at 6:00 pm
Teach your children the joy of movement through dance and burn off the summer boredom to funky world-beats.
Kids High Fitness- Monday, July 26 at 6:00 pm
Kids will enjoy a fun, dance-focused class mixed up with all your favorites music! This class is sure to have your kids dancing to the beat as it combines interval training with easy-to-follow choreography.
Kids Sports Fit- Wednesday, July 28 at 6:00 pm
Develop your kiddo’s agility and coordination in this light and upbeat atmosphere. Your child will enjoy running, jumping, and showing off their skills!
Not a Champions Club member? The Kids Fitness Summer Series is available to everyone—no registration or membership required! However, we know you’ll fall in love with our beautiful facility and world-class group fitness staff. Learn more about becoming a Champions Club Member here.
Are you ready to share your passion for fitness with the next generation of champions? We’ll see you at the Champions Club Fieldhouse!