Pure summer camp

June Casagrande

There are summer camps about sailing, summer camps about surfing,

even summer camps about policing. But some summer camps are all about

summer.

Under a blue canopy on the beach at Balboa Peninsula, the Newport

Beach Recreation and Parks Department has elevated warm-weather fun

to a high art with Summer Day Camp 2003.

“It’s a lot of fun. We spend a lot of time on the beach,” said

Jessica Penunuri, a 13-year-old Newport Beach resident who attends

Corona del Mar High School.

The city runs two of its own summer camps and plays host to a

number of other agencies that hold camps in here. The city has one

camp on the Balboa Peninsula and another in Corona del Mar -- both of

them designed to make the most of out summer.

Most days, it’s all about the beach, frolicking on the sand and in

the water. Then there are games, games and more games. Monster

basketball, a hoop game using a hilariously oversized ball and hoop,

was among the favorites listed by campers on Friday. Silent speedball

also earned honorable mention. Water polo, tunnel tag, steal the

bacon and, of course, volleyball help round out the week’s activity

lineup.

Most Wednesdays bring field trips. On these days, the city camp

has hauled kids off to an L.A. Sparks game, Raging Waters and

Disneyland.

“They do all kinds of stuff. There are a lot of activities,” said

Sean Levin of the Newport Beach Recreation and Parks Department.

“They have a lot of fun out here.”

* SUMMER LEARNING is a weekly feature in which the Daily Pilot

visits a summer camp in the Newport-Mesa area and writes about it.