Summer programs in Onondaga

By Jack Davison

Town of Onondaga Recreation Director

Here at the Town of Onondaga Parks and Recreation Department, we are looking forward to spring as much as you are. Knowing this cold and frozen precipitation will only last so long, we have been planning a plethora of programs for you and your family to participate in as soon as the weather breaks!

Family and friends are also invited to take the American Heart Association Heart Saver First Aid and CPR/AED class.  Class includes child & adult CPR and AED training.  Open to youth age 15 and older as well as adults.  Thursday, July 19, 6 to 10 p.m. Cost is $55 for town residents and $65 for all others.

Ever heard of Pickleball? It’s a new sport, growing in popularity across the nation! We will be conducting a Pickleball program this summer for people ages 16 and up, Tuesday’s, July 18 – August 8! Cost is $20 for town residents and $30 for all others.

We are also offering a variety of youth programs…

How about Kinderkids for children ages 3-5 who have not attended Kindergarten yet? Kinderkids is a supervised, six week playground (not nursery school) program which includes outdoor play, games, and crafts. It will be held at Onondaga Hill Middle School Monday/Wednesday/Friday, July 2-August 10 (not on July 4), 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $100 town residents/$140 all others.

Or… try our START SMART® program for the little ones! This program brings parents and children together to work on a variety of skills and prepares children for organized sports in a fun, non-threatening environment. We offer Start Smart Baseball (ages 4 and 5) 6 to 6:45 p.m. at Santaro Park starting Tuesday, July 10 through Aug. 14. The fee for each program is $55 town residents/$65 all others and includes equipment.

Have a budding artist in the family?  Then sign them up for Drawing Like Disney!   Learn to draw your favorite cartoon characters from movies like “Frozen” and “Monsters, Inc.”.  Draw Mickey, Minnie, and all of their friends, as you relive your favorite Disney moments.  Find out how animated films are made, and make your own very simple flip book.  Open to youth ages 6-14 years old and held Monday-Friday, July 23 to 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $40 for town residents and $50 for all others.

If we haven’t caught your interest yet, join the latest craze of team dodgeball!  We’re open to youth ages 10 to 15 Thursdays, July 12 to Aug. 16, 6 to 7 p.m. at Santaro Park. Gather your friends or make new friends this summer as teams will be formed each night.  NADA rules will be followed. Must be pre-registered in order to play at a cost of $20 for town residents and $30 for all others.

Finally, we are offering Childcare and Babysitting Safety created especially for kids and teens ages 11 and up who are interested in becoming babysitters. This program covers child safety and basic care techniques including CPR training. American Heart Association & American Safety and Health Institute certified instructors will teach this class which will be held Thursday, July 12 at a cost of $55 for town residents and $65 for all others.

We hope you will find a program that interests you and your family.  Pre-registration is required for all programs, and all registration is now done online at townofonondagarecreation.com, stop by our office at 4834 Velasko Road, Syracuse or give us a call at 315-469-3464.  We can’t wait to hear from you!