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best summer activities for kids in bluffton

5 of the BEST Summer Activities for Kids in Bluffton/ Hilton Head Island

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The countdown is ON to summer fun! While we are all about slowing down in the summer months, we also know that kids thrive with a little routine! Signing your child up for a few activities or a camp is a great way to keep your child engaged and learning this summer. Keeping a little routine in place makes the transition back to school SO much easier!

This is the perfect time to start scheduling in some FUN for your kids this summer. As you start to plan you summer, we wanted to make it just a little bit easier to comb through ALL the options! Below we have highlighted our top 5 summer activities for kids in Bluffton/ Hilton Head Island. All of our top 5 picks offer opportunities for your child to learn… but most importantly they allow kids to dive deeper into areas they are interested in, make meaningful new friendships, and have FUN!

Happy planning!

5 of the Best Summer Activities for Kids in Bluffton/ Hilton Head Island:

Bluffton School of Dance Summer Camps and Classes

OK, we may be a little biased, but we are SO proud of our summer line-up here at Bluffton School of Dance. This summer we are offering camps, a 4-week session of classes (ending with a showcase for friends and family!), and a special 2-week trial session JUST for new students and BSOD siblings.

This summer we are putting an extra focus on creativity and building confident young artists! During our elementary school camps, students will be playing a VERY active role. Each week our young artists will be producing a show. They will be learning choreography, helping teachers pick and cut the music, and designing costumes and decorations. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

We have summer options for kids ages 2+. Enrollment is OPEN (and filling quick!). We would love to have you join our Lime Green Dance Family!

Hilton Head Preparatory Summer Programs

Summer is the perfect time to dive a little deeper into subjects your child is passionate about. Hilton Head Preparatory is offering a wide selection of science, sports, and art camps. When we read through the options, WE wanted to sign up! These are NOT your typical summer camp options. Your child can spend a week launching their own YouTube channel or building a robot!

We know from the work we do at the studio that hands on learning is one of the BEST ways to grasp new ideas. These innovative camps are a great way to keep your child engaged this summer!

Island Rec Center

If you are looking for an all day camp that combines a wide range of activities, check out the options at Island Rec Center! This summer they are offering all day summer camps for kids in K-8th grade. Expect weekly themes, daily crafts, games, pool time, and field trips. Island Rec Center also offers an inclusive camp for children with special needs!

Can’t commit to a full week? Daily rates are available. Perfect for busy families!

KidzArt Summer Camps

Where are our artists? If you child loves to craft, paint, and create, you NEED to check out the summer camps at IDEA Studio. Students will get to experience a real art studio and be encouraged to make a (creative!) mess. Every week explores a different art theme.

There are morning and afternoon options for kids in grades K-8th. Dedicated time to cultivating creativity is SO good for kids and spills over into everything they do!

H.H. Island Gymnastics Camp

H.H. Island Gymnastics is offering another fun all-day camp option! Their summer camp runs from June- August from 7:30-4pm. Daily rates and punch cards are available, which is GREAT for busy families. Children will spend time in the gym and stay busy with daily activities, crafts, and of course… snacks!

This camp would be a great option for for children that love to stay active. They will pick up some new gymnastics skills and make great memories with friends. Win, win! Check out their camp brochure here.

Who’s excited? We are very fortunate to live in a community that has SO many wonderful options for kids. There is really something for everyone and every interest!

We can’t wait to kick off our summer program here at Bluffton School of Dance. Seeing our kids gain new skills, find more confidence, and make lasting friendships during our camps and sessions inspires US! The summer session is short… but it packs a lot of punch! Without the rush of the school year our students accomplish SO much!

Need additional help picking the right program for your child? Ask! We are happy to help. We are looking forward to a fantastic summer!

summer dance in bluffton

Benefits of Summer Dance at BSOD

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Happy summer BSOD families! Doesn’t it feel GREAT? We hope you’ve all carved out some time to hit the beach and plan a barbeque! 

Summer is a great time to check off all the fun things you always WANT to do but never have time during the hustle and bustle of the school year. Vacation time is often at the top of people’s list… rightfully so! But here at BSOD, we think Summer Dance should also make that list for SO many reasons.

Summer is a great opportunity for growth. Every summer, we watch students progress during our summer offerings and impress us when they come back in the fall. No to mention how FUN it is, because there is no stressing about getting ready for recital… kids can really JUST DANCE it out! 

So we put together a list. Check out our 5 favorite benefits of summer dance at BSOD:

 

  1. Maintaining a regular schedule. This one is a huge plus for parents, especially for those with younger kids. When kids try to head back to school after 3 months of a free-for-all schedule, the adjustment period can get a little wonky! Kids often need a consistent schedule to keep their behavior in check. 

    Our fun-filled summer camps are a great way to give your kids some stability over the summer. Having something on the schedule can break up the summer and building a little structure in even a week at a time is beneficial. You will thank us in the Fall!

  2. Our Summer Camps for Preschool and Elementary students are PERFECT boredom busters! How many times are you planning on hearing those 3 dreaded awful words this summer? If you’ve already heard “I’m bored!!!” come out of your child’s mouth one too many times, it’s time to register for our exciting, fun-filled camps.

    For our preschoolers, our themes in July include Dance with my Dolly: Passport to Paris and Wonderful Whimsical Fairies! Preschool dance in Bluffton has NEVER been more exciting! For our elementary students, each week is a fun new adventure that includes a whole lot of dance, crafting, and laughter! We think the most important thing about our camps is that these camps take the pressure off of YOU to plan fun for your child this summer. 

  3. Kids can focus on dance without the added stress of the school year. As parents, I’m sure you can attest to your kids schedule being CRAZY during the year. After a long day at school, they jump from activity to activity and usually have homework constantly hanging over their head. As dance teachers, we feel their stress when they come to class.

    Summer is a chance to leave that behind and come dance with a clear mind and stress-free attitude. Trust us, we definitely see worlds more progress in the summer because our kids come to class focused and energized rather than exhausted. Summer is the perfect time to dive into dance. 

  4. Stretching… it’s a must! We tell our dancers this in class ALL the time, but flexibility is not a skill that comes easy! It requires constant and consistent stretching. Dancers should really be stretching every day to see real progress in flexibility, but any little bit helps.

    If you come back in the fall after not stretching for 3 months, we promise your splits will be about a foot higher than before! Don’t let all your hard work go out the window! Sign up for camps and July classes to make sure you keep your flexibility over the summer.

  5. Summer is the perfect time to try a new class! Are you new to BSOD? Does your child dance around at home ALL the time? We are offering a 2-week session for new families and BSOD siblings! Watch your dancer immediately begin to grow in confidence, courage, and individuality as we welcome them to the magical world of dance at BSOD! This exciting 2 weeks of dance is solely focused on YOU, our newest members of the Lime Green Dance Family! Register here! 

    We are offering this same 2-week trial session for our returning students as well! We’d love to see you all back in our studio trying a new dance style! You never know, you could find your new favorite! 

We LOVE summer dance at BSOD! Can you tell? We’ve put together our best line-up of summer camps and classes yet and we hope to see you all there!

dance recital in bluffton

Recital Week Survival Guide

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Dance families… can you believe it?! We are just a few days away from recital and we could NOT be more excited! Our students have worked hard all year long and their dances are looking fabulous. We are so proud of our dancers and very thankful for our dance families. It wouldn’t be possible to put on the best dance recital in Bluffton without your support! 

We KNOW this is a hectic time of year. There is so much to remember as the school year ends and activities come to a close. So today on the blog we have done you all a favor by putting together our BSOD Recital Week Survival Guide! Follow these steps and it will be smooth sailing at theater… and even smoother sailing into SUMMER!

Step 1: Read ALL our BSOD Recital Information… twice!

This one is at the top of our list because it is single handedly the most important part of a successful recital week. Our staff at BSOD is dedicated to making sure you have all the details at your fingertips! As papers come home with your dancers and emails get sent out, be SURE to read, read, read.

Within our Recital Info Documents, you will find important dates/times, costume requirements, dress rehearsal schedules, ticket ordering details…. the list goes on and we’ve wrote it all down for you! If a question pops up, check those documents first! You might find your answer quicker than a phone call!

Step 2: If you have more than one dance, be sure to pack these essentials in your recital bag!

**If you only have one dance, please come ready to dance without anything extra. The BSOD team will have supplies to help dancers touch up hair and makeup backstage.**

  • Costumes… double, triple check for all small items like hair pieces or gloves
  • Dance shoes
  • Correct color tights (Not sure which color? Check your Recital Info)
  • Water and snacks
  • Hairspray… LOTS of it! Get all those fly away hairs sealed away.
  • Bobby pins
  • Hair ties
  • Make-up for touch ups at the theater
  • Printouts of Dress Rehearsal and Recital schedules for reference

Step 3: Arrive on-time … or early!

This one seems a little obvious but we can’t stress enough how important it is. Our recital is a huge production! Due to the size of this event, we can’t hold anything up for families and dancers who arrive late. ALL dancers should arrive on time or early to their scheduled times. Check the schedules included in your Recital documents for call times.

For our tiny dancers, we suggest arriving at the theater ready to go, how they are supposed to look on stage. Arriving in costume with hair and makeup complete is the best way to make sure the big day runs smoothly!

Step 4: Enjoy the moment!

Recital is such a special day for you and your dancer and we know it’s going to be the BEST dance recital in Bluffton, SC! Take some time to live it up! Recital can get chaotic, but try to forget about the stress once you’re at the theater. When your dancers hit the stage, watch them shine and take it all in. We know it’s going to be awesome.

Hopefully our BSOD Recital Week Survival Guide has you feeling prepared and excited for the big day, we know we are! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let our staff know. We are here to help. See you at the theater!