If you're looking for an alternative to the more outdoorsy traditional camps, arts camps can be a great option for some summer fun indoors. They tend to offer a variety of different creative activities so campers don't get bored, while at the same time present an opportunity to hone a skill and explore a budding passion for the arts.  

"With arts camps there's more specialized instruction," says Brandon McClounie, publicity chair for the British Columbia Camping Association. "It's an opportunity for campers to develop current skills and be introduced to new facets of the arts."

McClounie says the passionate and knowledgeable instructors are a huge selling point. "You're not getting a general instructor," he says. "Arts camps can really solidify that passion for the arts. They're giving you a breadth and depth."

That breadth and depth can be a double-edged sword, McClounie cautions. "With a traditional camp you can move on to other activities," he says. "With an arts camp you've really got to be passionate about it."

For those who are keen on exploring their artistic side during the summer, the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Ontario offers 11 different types of specialized arts day camps ranging from drama to photography and dance. The centre has well-trained instructors and high-quality arts supplies and equipment like canvas, Masonite and pottery wheels. "This is the stuff you wouldn't find in a school classroom," says Adrienne Lister, acting coordinator of the camps and specialty workshops at the Living Arts Centre.

With the popularity of arts camp, Lister recommends signing up early. The two-week Bravo Broadway theatrical camp, in particular, tends to fill up quickly.

Mariah, 11, experienced the two-week Movie Makers camp last summer, where the campers form groups that produce a 10-minute film by the end of the camp. "Oh gosh, that's a very exciting camp," she says. "It's nice to see all of the behind-the-scenes stuff."

She has also taken part in the Bravo Broadway camp for the past four years. She landed her first leading role as Anne in the camp's production of Anne of Green Gables. At the end, they performed for parents and friends in the centre's RBC Theatre.  

Fellow camper Sean, 9, was also busy last summer attending four of the Living Arts Centre's one-week camps, including Clay Crazy, where he got to "make a bunch of different sculptures," Dynamic Dance, Photo Mania and the more general arts camp Art Adventures. "At Dynamic Dance camp, we did a ginormous presentation," he says. "It's very tiring, but it's worth it."

Photo: Charactors Theatre Troupe (by Andrew Tolson)