Getting schooled at the beach

Simon Brown

Though summer is upon them, school is still in session for kids at

the Balboa Beach Camp at 18th Street in Newport Beach.

Four days a week for the next 10 weeks, about 30 kids ranging in

age from first- through sixth-grade will learn the finer points of

beach and water safety, as well as simply having fun in the ocean.

“They learn to clean up their trash and respect the beach and

ocean around them,” said Jenny Moeller, 22, a camp counselor. “They

also have fun interacting with other kids and learning good

sportsmanship.”

Campers are frequently reminded to apply and reapply sunscreen,

and as camper Leigh Knight, 9, said: “Never go out and just run in

[the water]. Always check with a counselor before going in.”

The Balboa Beach Camp is also about having fun, and the kids have

lots of it. In addition to a variety of water activities, like boogie

boarding, kayaking and swimming, campers participate in

sandcastle-building contests and compete in talent shows where they

perform short skits. They also play games -- old favorites like

capture the flag and speed ball, plus new ones such as “elves,

wizards and giants,” a variation on rock, paper, scissors, which

allows the winners of each round to run after their fellow campers,

trying to tag them.

“We just learned that game, and the kids really seem to like it,”

Moeller said.

Each Wednesday, campers get a “vacation” from the beach and go on

a field trip. Recent trips include Anaheim Angels games, Los Angeles

Sparks games and amusement parks.

“[I like] going to the theme parks, water parks and ball games,”

Eli Gutierrez, 8, said.

Among this fun and educational atmosphere, kids gain one of the

most valuable things of all: friends. Many of the campers, like Kevin

Nguyen, 12, said what they love most about the camp are “my friends

and the water.”

This camp is fun for not only the kids. The counselors enjoy it,

too.

“I love working with the kids and being in the sun. It’s the best

summer job,” Moeller sad.

Between the trips, the tans and the games, everyone at the Balboa

Beach Camp has a good time, she said.