Cold Gotcha? Think Summer Camps!
by Stephanie Hackett,
January 27, 2011, pages 10-12.....

Summer Art Opportunity & Riding Camps in Charlotte

Summer is about getting your hands dirty, being creative and having fun, and art camp is a perfect fit. Sue Mahren has run children’s summer art camps for 11 years. She also runs an after-school program where kids can relax, be creative and use their imaginations after a long day at school. A Charlotte resident for 16 years, she graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in botany. She has a wide range of experience with art, has taken many classes at the Church Street Center and art classes at UVM, has taught at the Charlotte Children’s Center and Barstow Summer Art Camp as well as at the Hunakai Studio in Foxboro, Massachusetts, working with three dimensional projects.

Sue’s camps are either full day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or half day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Both are Monday through Friday. During these camps her students engage in a variety of art experiences, which may include designing clay pottery, masks and mandalas, which Sue explains “increases focus.” The students work in groups, pulling their creative senses together to create an art project, and work on their own as well. In one project students built fairy houses out of recycled art and feathers, bark, twigs and pine cones, illuminating them with Christmas lights to show their work.

Sue turns the main entrance of her house into a world of art for the students to explore and get messy. She expands the children’s view of the world through field trips. They may take their art materials to the Charlotte beach to become inspired by the nature around them. Sue’s summer camp will open up the campers’ expressive sides so they are comfortable in exploring their own talents.

The price for the full-day camp runs about $40 for three hours and includes materials. The camp is at her home on Root Road, on the east side of Route 7, just south of the intersection with Ferry Road. For more information about Sue’s programs, call her at 734-8072.

Riding Camps in Charlotte

Planning for summer, many parents are signing their kids up for camps now. Horseback riding camps right here in Charlotte are a popular choice. Three local stables, Heart and Heritage Stables, Steeple Ridge Farm and Rocky Knoll Stables, offer summer day camps where kids can learn a different sport and animal skills.

Open Arms Academy at Heart and Heritage Stables, where Heidi Shelderick and Meghan Miles share their passion for horses, is on Baldwin Road. Heidi, who lives near the stables, has owned horses for 12 years and is now an adult pleasure rider. Meghan fell in love with horses 15 years ago at a winter riding camp. She lives in Essex, has owned and leased horses, and has been teaching for three years.

Heidi and Meghan provide two one-week camps during the summer for children ages 6-12. The first runs from June 27 to July 1 and the second from August 15 to August 19. Both camps are all day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Heidi and Meghan provide supervision and instruction with the help of a volunteer. Their morning program focuses on horse care followed by riding in the afternoon. Scavenger hunts, hayrides and hikes also add to the fun. Each Thursday the kids can stay overnight to enjoy dinner, a bonfire with s’mores, followed by camping out in the arena (tents provided) and a good hearty breakfast in the morning. Each camp is priced at $375, which includes snacks, drinks, Thursday night sleepover and Friday breakfast.

Heidi and Meghan also provide a Ladies Night on Thursdays when the weather is a bit warmer. Be prepared to come learn about horses and play games on the horses. For more information contact Heidi Shelderick at 355-8998 or e-mail at HShelderick@aol.com. Or contact Meghan Miles at 881-9926 or by e-mail at miles.meghan@yahoo.com. Check her blog at openarmsridingacademy.blogspot.com.

Mindy Hinsdale offers riding camps at Steeple Ridge Farm on the Charlotte-Hinesburg Road. Mindy is owner and trainer at Steeple Ridge and has been instructing camps for over 20 years. She is also well known as a local musical theater performer. She usually includes a real beginner three-day camp for up to six children 5-8 years old. She is the trainer with other adults to help out in the barn. The beginner camps range from $120 to $250. Mindy also offers a ride-and- dance camp for advanced beginners ages 7-12. During this camp, she trains 15 to 20 kids in the morning with the help of two other adults, and after lunch the kids learn a variety of dance techniques from hip-hop to ballet. Some of the more advanced camps are for specific show preparation for the older kids. The price of the ride-and-dance camp is $300. For more information contact Mindy Hinsdale at Steeple Ridge Farm by phone at 425-3535 or 922-352, or by e-mail at minyhiny@aol.com.

Samantha Simms instructs the third horseback riding camp in Charlotte at Rocky Knoll Stables on Lime Kiln Road. Samantha has been riding since she was 7-years old and has been involved with the camps at Rocky Knoll for three years. She has experience in Eventing and has also done some Hunter Jumper shows while in Vermont. Her riding camps are for kids ages 5-13 and run five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. She also offers an aftercare program until 5 p.m. for an additional $15 per day. Samantha usually accepts eight students and provides four horses. Her camps provide instruction for beginner to advanced beginner riders, teaching to each person’s ability. She is the lead trainer with help from volunteers in her lesson program. She organizes the camps so the kids ride in the morning and participate in horse-care activities in the afternoon. The price for a five-day camp is $250. If your son or daughter is interested in this camp, contact Samantha Simms at 793-6443 or e-mail ssimms@uvm.edu.

Stephanie Hackett is a Charlotte resident and a junior at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. She served as an intern at The Charlotte News during the holiday break.