HOULTON, Maine – The Houlton Parks and Recreation Department has a new online program registration site for Houlton area residents.
Families will need to go to www.houltonrec.com to create an account and from there they can register for all the upcoming summer programs.
A summer brochure has been distributed throughout the Houlton area school systems detailing the slate of summer program offerings. The brochure may be picked up at the Rec dept. office at 128 Main Street or can be downloaded at the town website www.houlton-maine.com.
Programs being offered this summer are as follows:
“Just for Kids” playground program is open to youth ages 5-13 years of age. Youth must be 5 years of age by June 15 and must have completed kindergarten for 2021-2022. The full day program runs form 9-4pm, Monday thru Thursday, and Fridays 9-11am. This program will run June 20 to Aug. 4.
Just for Kids program is limited to the first 150 children to register. The cost for the program is $200 per child for Houlton residents and $350 per child for non-residents. The program is held at Community Park on good days and at the Houlton Recreation Center/Millar Civic Center on rainy days. The RSU 29 food service will provide free lunch to all participants.
The “Just for Kids” program has been developed to keep the children happy, busy, and safe throughout the summer.
“Just for Me” Program – This playground program is open to youth of 4-5 years of age. Youth must be 4 years of age by June 15 and must have completed pre-kindergarten for the 2021-2022 school year.
This program will run Monday through Friday, June 27 to Aug. 4 from 9-11 a.m. and is limited to 12 children. A parent’s handbook can be found online. The cost for this program is $100 for Houlton residents and $150 for non-residents.
Pine Tree State Track & Field – This program is open to girls and boys between the ages of 7-14. Age groups for competition will be determined by the person’s age on Dec. 31, 2022. This program will introduce youth to the basic fundamentals of track and field events. Youth must attend weekly practices to be eligible to attend the state track meet in June.
Practices will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:15-4 p.m. for ages 7-8; and 4:15-5 p.m. for ages 9-10; and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4 p.m. for ages 11-14. Practices will be held outside the Millar Civic Center. The start date is May 23. No cleats are allowed for this program, wear sneakers, and bring a water bottle. The cost for this program is $50 Houlton residents and $75 for non-Houlton residents.
T-Ball and First Pitch – T-ball is for 5-6-year-olds (must be 5-years-old by June 30). This program will introduce baseball with the use of a batting tee. First Pitch is for 7-8-year-olds (must be 7-years-old by June 30). This program is designed to teach fundamentals of baseball and introduce batters to a pitch.
Both programs will begin the week of July 5 and run for four weeks. Practices and games will be held Monday-Thursday evenings at the baseball fields in Community Park. The cost is $40 for Houlton residents and $60 for non-Houlton residents.
Science Fun for Little Ones – This program will be held on Monday, Aug. 15, or Wednesday, Aug. 17, from 9-11 a.m. at the Rec Center. Children entering Grades K-1 in the fall of 2022 are invited to participate in this activity. There is a limit of 12 children. Owen Gallop will be the instructor. Mornings will be filled with fun science experiments with hands-on projects. The cost is $50 Houlton resident and $75 non-Houlton resident. Be sure to wear play clothes as some experiments may be messy.
Science Fun for Everyone – This program will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16, and Thursday, Aug. 18, and parents must select one of the following sessions (9-10:30 a.m. or 11:30-1 p.m.) Children entering Grades 2-6 in the fall of 2022 are encouraged to sign up for this camp. The limit is 12 youths per time slot. Owen Gallop will be the instructor. Come explore the world of science through hands-on STEM activities and projects. The cost is $75 for Houlton residents and $115 for non-Houlton residents. Play clothes are a must as some projects and experiments may be messy.
Youth Floor Hockey Camp – This camp will be held Tuesdays, Aug 12, 19, and 26 at the John A. Millar Civic Center. Age groups and times are as follows: ages 7-10 from 4:30-5:30 p.m.; and Ages 11-14 from 5:45-6:45 p.m. Participants are required to wear sneakers. if players own a helmet with a cage and hockey gloves, they can bring their own. If not, the program will provide them. Shin pads, elbow pads, and sticks will be provided for the camp.
There is a limit of 20 youths per time slot and the cost is $40 for Houlton residents and $60 for non-Houlton residents. Maddie Grant and the Rec Staff will be the instructors for this camp. Participants are encouraged to bring their own water bottles.
Youth Tennis Lessons – This summer Youth Tennis Lessons will be held at Houlton Community Park tennis courts from June 28 through July 26 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Maddie Grant will be the instructor. Ages and times are as follows: ages 7-8 from 8:30-9:15 a.m.; ages 9-10 from 9:30-10:15 a.m.; ages 11-12 from 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Each age group is limited to 12 students. Maddie Grant will be the instructor for this camp. Rackets may be provided if needed this year by the Parks and Recreation Department. The cost is $50 for Houlton residents and $75 for non-Houlton residents. This camp will introduce the beginners to the game of tennis and the intermediate player to more advanced skills and drills of the sport. Youth are reminded to bring a water bottle.
Youth Soccer Clinic – This fun week of soccer will be held on Monday, Aug. 8 through Thursday, Aug. 11 at Community Park. The two sessions are for grades K-2, 8:30-10 a.m.; and grades 3-6 from 10:30-noon. Each session is limited to 30 participants.
Marina Cameron will be the instructor for this clinic. The cost is $40 for Houlton residents and $60 for non-Houlton residents. Youth are asked to wear comfortable clothes, shin guards, bring a water bottle, and soccer ball. Plastic cleats and mouth guards are optional. This clinic will include soccer skill drills, mini games and contests.
Youth Basketball Camp: will be held August 8-11 at the Gentle Memorial Building. Age group & times are as follows: youth entering grades K-2 will go from 1-2:30 p.m. and youth entering grades 3-6 will go from 3-4:30 p.m. This camp is set up to focus on the fundamentals of basketball through the use of drills, fun games and competition. The instructor will be Marina Cameron. The cost is $50 for Houlton residents and $75 for non-Houlton residents. Youth need to wear sneakers, bring a basketball and a water bottle.
LEGO Camp – This camp is co-sponsored with the Cary Library. It will be held from Aug. 15-17 at the Houlton Rec Center. Parents can sign their child up for either the noon-1:30 p.m. session or the 2-3:30 p.m. session. Each session is limited to 20 children. Youth must be 6-12 years of age to participate. This camp is free to all registrants. Each session youth will use their imaginations to build their own creations. Legos will be provided.
Houlton Hikers – This new program will introduce youth to hiking and the outdoors. Youth in grades 5 through 8 are invited to participate. The program is limited to five individuals. It will be held Wednesdays, July 13, 20, 27. Day hikes have been planned and more information will be given out at the mandatory prep session on Tuesday, July 5, at 6 p.m. at the Houlton Rec Center. This is a free program due to the generosity of the Pierce Family donation.
Fall Soccer Program registrations will also be taken at this time. Soccer Divisions are as follows: Coed Grades K-1; Grades 2-3; Girls only Grades 4-5; Boys only 4-5. A practice will be held on Aug. 22 for Grades K-2 and Aug. 23 for grades 3-5. The cost is $50 for Houlton residents and $75 for non-Houlton residents. Grades K-1 and Grades 2-3 will be limited to 60 youth and Grades 4-5 will be limited to 48 youth. Youth are encouraged to wear shin guards and a mouthpiece. Youth will need to bring a water bottle and plastic cleats are optional.
For more information on these programs, call the Recreation Department at 207-532-1310.
