By HEIDI PRUITT and ILIANA MEHMETI

The Kokomo Post staff

We’re officially a few weeks into summer break, and if you have kids at home already complaining about being bored, we feel you. Keep reading. We’ve scoured the internet high and low to find summer activities, events and camps that will keep your kids off of the screens and out of your hair. Enjoy!

Kokomo Howard County Public Library Programs

When you think of summer programs, maybe checking the library doesn’t necessarily come to mind. But the Kokomo Howard County Public Library and all three of their locations have a ton of events this summer that you aren’t going to want to miss out on! From the summer reading program to DIY projects and crafts, music classes and so much more. The Library provides summer fun for all ages! Check out the library’s upcoming events here.

Carver Community Center

The Carver Community Center has been serving the Kokomo community since 1947. They focus on "building on the legacy of our community by promoting education, health, and well-being.” They help youth, adults, and seniors grow, collaborate, and feel better in an inclusive environment. Throughout the summer they have classes, camps, and open gyms to get your children involved in new sports and activities! Check out Carver’s website for more information.

Rhum Academy

Art and music class doesn’t have to end just because school’s out for the summer! If your child has a love for the arts, consider signing up for classes at Rhum Academy! They offer one-on-one classes for all ages on guitar, piano, drums, vocals, violin, ukulele and bass.

They also have classes on advanced art tutoring for ages 15 and older, including a weekly art class in July on Tuesdays! For more information, click here.

Drop-Off Preschool Summer Camp Sweet Peas Play Cafe

Do you have a 3- to 6-year-old child that would love attending a half-day summer camp? Sweet Peas Play Cafe is here to help! They are offering seven different themed weeks taught by a certified preschool teacher. The camps include games, activities, crafts and snacks! Find more information here.

Wrangler and Friends

Make summer break more memorable by attending a camp with Wrangler and Friends! Day campers are able to gain knowledge about gardening, canning, campfire cooking, while also learning about animal care and riding horses! Kids ages 5 to 12 are welcome to attend as many or as few days as they’d like! Visit Wrangle’s website to register for this awesome camp!

Ninja Zone at Kokomo Flipsters

Is your child ninja-obsessed? Check out Ninja Zone at Kokomo Flipsters and give your little one the opportunity to jump on a trampoline instead of the bed! For the first three Fridays of the month, children ages 4 to 14 are able to learn tumbling, jump on trampolines, and have a blast on the ninja course! Check it out here.

Super Explorers Camp

Join the Kokomo Parks & Recreation Department for Super Explorers Camp! This is the perfect opportunity for your kids to get out and learn about nature and the environment through fun activities and games! This camp is available for kids ages 5 through 12 years old and will be held at the Kirkendall Interpretive Center in Jackson Morrow Park! There are only 20 spots available per camp, so sign up early here!

The Kokomo Family YMCA’s Camp Tycony

Give your kid the opportunity to meet new friends and explore nature at Camp Tycony! Located right here in Kokomo, with over 50 acres of wooded land along the Wildcat, their summer camp program serves children from ages 5 to 14 years old. With 9 weeks of camps from June to the end of July, there’s sure to be a theme your child will love! Sign up here.

Art and Nature Workshop

Art and Nature Workshop is one of the best places where your kid could spend some quality time with their friends. A perfect place to celebrate birthdays while the kids get the chance to create art and craft projects. The environment is so welcoming and beautiful your kids will feel as if they are in a wonderland. For more info make sure to check here for workshops like the one coming up on July 10 where your child will be able to decorate a scavenger pocket to tie around their waist to collect items they find while exploring in nature!

Kirkendall Nature Center

If your kids love the zoo or discovering new different animals, Kirkendall Nature Center could be the best place for it. They have five large aquariums that also enhance the building by housing native species of fish, frogs, lizards, and snakes. It is an interesting place that your kids would definitely love! For more info, make sure to check their website.

Crown Haven Center

Horses are very therapeutic creatures! Give your child the chance to spend time outside in nature while in the presence of such magnificent creatures as horses. Horse Camp for kids from 6 to 12 will be able to provide that experience through their summer classes. They will provide different camps during summer so make sure to check their website and figure out what works best for you! For more info make sure to check Crown Haven’s website.

Water Spray Days

Do not forget about the Water Spray Days during this summer! This event is held in different locations here in Kokomo and they are FREE! Make sure to check the days and locations that work best for you here.

Creature Features

I am sure that your child loves their pets but what about the other animals? Give them the chance to feel as if they are Cinderella who is able to speak to the birds or Tarzan who is able to communicate with all the wildlife. Creature Features will be able to provide that experience for your child. For more info, click here.

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KPRD Family Movie Nights

The Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department will host several Family Movie Nights this year during the summer season. Do not miss the opportunity to let your kids spend some time outside while still watching some of their favorite movies. There will be three different movies such as “Shark Tale,” “Mary Poppins,” and “Monster House” so mark your calendars! For more info, check the parks department’s website.

Recreation Adventure Program

Give your children the opportunity to experience adventures that will forever stay in their memories. Recreation Adventure Program will provide arts and crafts, games, storytelling, special events, picnics, sports, and physical fitness. Children are pleased to come and go as they please. Make sure to check the dates and mark your calendars! For more info, check their website.

Craft Fest

Shirt tie-dying, candle dipping, splatter painting, basket weaving are all the things that your children love! Well luckily for us here in Kokomo Craft Fest will be able to provide all of that for you at Highland Stage and open lawn in front of Rodgers Pavilion in Highland Park where children can play and enjoy their time. Make sure to check their website for more info.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021

*Photo Provided | Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department*

Kokomo Beach Family Aquatic Center

No matter if you’re an experienced swimmer or just learning, Kokomo Beach has summer fun for everyone! Chill in the lazy river, soak up the sun on a beach chair or learn how to swim with the instruction of experienced coaches. Grab your sunscreen and the family and head to Kokomo Beach this summer!

For more info check the city’s website.

Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department Tennis Lessons

We’ll never know who the next Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal will be! Maybe that could be your own child! Foster Park Tennis Court Complex gives you the chance for your child to dream big! They provide Tennis Lessons in three sessions during this summer so make sure to sign up for the time period which works best for you! For more info, click here.

Riverwalk Concert Series

Think about it...music in the background, you being able to spend some quality time with your partner, your kids playing/dancing with each other in the background while happiness and joy take over everyone...sounds to me like a movie scene. Would you want to be part of that movie and feel like the main character? Riverwalk Concert Series will be able to provide just that for you here in Kokomo through their live music! For more info, click here.

City of Firsts Adventure Park

City of Firsts Adventure Park offers many different activities this summer for you such as miniature golf, batting cages, go-cartswebsite and an arcade! Spend some quality time with your family this summer for an affordable price. For more info make sure to check the park’s website.

Al Berryman Splash Pad

The "under-the-sea" themed Splash Pad in Kokomo will make your child feel as if they are The Little Mermaid or the Aquaman. The Splash Pad is a free facility that opened in September of 2018 and is located at the corner of Main and Elm Streets. The environment is so colorful and radiant, your child will have the best experience. For more info, click here.

Koko-Go Free Ride

Get to know your own city even more and find new and interesting places around Kokomo just by biking. The Koko-Go Free Ride facility offers a free bike-share program during the spring, summer and fall months. They Provide different Hours of Operation so make sure to check and figure out which time periods work best for you! For more info, click here.

Jim “Moose” Carden Kids Fishing Clinic

For more than 30 years, the Kokomo area has been home to a set of community fishing lessons for kids. Through this innovative program, children receive fishing supplies and the skills to use them — plus lasting memories of an incredible summer. Registration is June 14 at the Kokomo Event Center, and the clinic dates start in July with a tournament set for July 31. For more information, click here.

We hope this list gives you a better idea of all the events and activities that your child can participate in this summer! Do you have a special activity planned for this summer? Tell us in the comments below!

23 of Kokomo’s Best Kids Activities