ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s the countdown until February break for local school districts. If you’re looking for camps or activities in the Rochester area for your children when they’re off from school, News10NBC has your guide. Here’s what to know.
Special hours for R-Centers
Four R-Centers will have extended hours from Tuesday, Feb. 17, through Friday, Feb. 20, as students in the Rochester City School District are off for February break. All R-Centers will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16, for Presidents’ Day. Here are the R-Centers offering extended hours, in addition to breakfast and lunch for children:
- Adams St., 85 Adams St: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Frederick Douglass, 999 South Ave: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Trenton & Pamela Jackson, 285 N. Clinton Ave: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Thomas P. Ryan, 530 Webster Ave: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition, these R-Centers will have an abbreviated schedule with snack and lunch for children:
- Avenue D, 200 Ave. D: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Carter St, 500 Carter St: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Edgerton, 41 Backus St: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Hope, 524 Campbell St: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Willie W. Lightfoot, 271 Flint St: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- David F. Gantt, 700 N. St: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Camps at R-Centers
R-Centers are holding free camps and other activities from Tuesday, Feb. 17, through Friday, Feb 20, as RCSD students are off from school. You can see the full list and register here.
Activities include three-on-three basketball at Gantt R-Center, a rugby clinic at the Rochester Community Sports Complex, and My Brother’s Keeper Movies and Mentors at Danforth Community Center. Here are some of the camps:
- R-Stars: February Break Edition (All R-Center Locations): R-Stars is an after-school and break week recreation program for ages 6 to 12. R-Stars aims to keep kids active through a variety of activities, including free play time, homework help, dance, and gaming. You can register here.
- WinterFest (Avenue D R-Center): WinterFest is a week-long celebration of winter fun. Kids ages 6 to 17 can take part in activities including baking, sipping cocoa, winter-themed movies, and an ice-skating field trip.
- Discovery Week (Thomas P. Ryan R-Center): Discovery Week blends hands-on science with creativity and social-emotional learning. Youth ages 6 to 14 an explore experiments like slime-making, problem-solving challenges, and group activities.
- BizKid$ Camp (Lorretta C. Scott Center for Human Services): Biz Kid$ Camp Week is an engaging, week-long entrepreneurship experience where youth ages 14 to 18 learn the fundamentals of business, leadership, and real-world decision-making. Children can explore idea creation, budgeting, branding, pricing, and sales. You can register here.
- E-Gaming (Multiple locations): Participants can face off against friends on gaming consoles at their neighborhood R-Centers, or make plans to participate in upcoming tournaments.
Free Youth February
For the rest of February, when an adult buys a ticket at Seneca Park Zoo, they can bring up to five youth guests (14 and under) for free. Children ages 3 and younger are always free.
The zoo says many of their animals are especially active in the winter, including polar bears, snow leopards, Canada lynx, river otters, and red pandas. News10NBC explored how zoo staff keep animals safe amid this frigid winter. You can save $2 by buying tickets online. Seneca Park Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with last entry at 3 p.m.
Writers & Books and RBTL hosting “Wicked”-theme camp
Writers & Books is partnering with the Rochester Broadway Theatre League to host a “Wicked” themed youth camp. It runs from Monday, Feb. 16, through Friday, Feb. 20.
This is the first-ever collaboration between the two groups. The camp aims to explore the literary roots of the Broadway musical and film series. Campers will be on-site at RBTL during the opening week of the musical “Wicked”. They’ll learn about character development, examining well-known villains, while building empathy by considering the untold stories behind them. Campers will also get to participate in collaborative storytelling with creative writing exercises inspired by the themes of “Wicked.”
The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. It takes place at the West Herr Auditorium Theatre and is for children ages 9 to 12. You can register and learn more here.
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