Camp Adventure showcases Stephens Lake Park facility

Bundled in winter coats, Columbia-area children spent a chilly Saturday afternoon exploring Camp Adventure’s new playground in Stephens Lake Park while their parents picked up informational fliers about the city-run summer day-camp program.

Unlike the program’s longtime home in a barn in Nifong Park, the new log-cabin-style facility features indoor bathrooms, a kitchen, offices and a large gathering room.

“We’ve been in the same place for so long, we wanted to give people a chance to see the new place,” said Steve Evers, the camp director, at an open house on Saturday.

The new location is closer and more accessible to city residents, Evers said.

However, bus service to pick up or drop off children to and from each session will no longer be offered.

“Hardly any of our kids take advantage of that service,” Evers said. Care before and after camp sessions is available at 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., he said.

Many parents and children at the open house were excited about the new facilities and are looking forward to this summer.

“It really hasn’t changed that much, which is great,” said Libby Banton, who has been involved with the camp since 1979. She said she likes the camp’s new look and is comforted that its values have not changed.

For several children, the best thing about the new facility is the permanent restrooms. Asked what she liked best, Erin Barchet, 8, said excitedly: “No port-a-potties.”

Camp Adventure offers a variety of activities, such as learning how to use compasses and tie knots, cooking outdoors, going on hikes and taking canoe expeditions. Indoor arts and crafts are also planned.

Twice a week, children are bused to a pool at Oakland Park for swimming.

Registration begins April 5.