EL PASO -- Get out your calendars, parents and kids!

It's time to start planning a summer of fun. Organizations and businesses are making sure children have no reason to whine about nothing to do this summer.

Whether children love to paint or dig in the dirt, there will camps tied to specific interests. Many, like those offered in the city's popular museums, will be educational as well as fun.

Children, for example, will be able to learn how to paint using egg whites, just like DaVinci did, at a camp offered through the El Paso Museum of History.

And don't think all camps are the same. How about spending a few hours with an alpaca?

"Alpacas are a little bit aloof, but very gentle animals. We want children to have an experience with the alpacas and understand where clothes come from. And they'll be able to put a halter on them and take them for walks," said Jeri Beatty, who with her husband, Bruce, owns the Buena Vida Alpaca Ranch, on Highway 28.

The camps will be two hours on several Fridays this summer.

Low-income families may want to look into organizations -- such as the YMCA or YWCA -- that offer scholarships for camps or reduced prices for siblings.

Wayne Thornton, public relations director for the city Parks and Recreation Department, said Club Rec has also been providing affordable summer camps for 15 years.

"It's entertaining and safe, and staff workers orchestrate it so that every child is involved and wants to come back for more every day,"

Thornton said.

The Braden Aboud Memorial Foundation has been donating money for the past two years to support children in Club Rec as well as the after-school program.

Thanks to a grant of $4,400, children ages 6-18 who live in the Chamizal neighborhood, may be eligible to attend summer camps at the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso.

The El Paso Weed and Seed Collaborative will provide fun activities including lucha libre and dance classes to 60 children and youths.

Here is a roundup of area camps:

Alpacas

  • The Buena Vida Alpaca Ranch, 1090 Highway 28, will have one-day camps for boys and girls from 10 a.m. to noon Fridays on June 4 and 18 and July 16 and 30. The camps will vary and include talks on alpacas, ranch tours and activities, fiber processing activities, learning fiber arts and crafts, and fun ranch games. $25 a child. 575-589-4323 or labuenavidaalpacas.com.

    Arts

  • Clarkston Art, Guitars & Gifts, 407 E. Nevada, will have its Kids Summer Art Camp from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 15-18. Participants will learn about music history, play instruments, paint with acrylics and create a scrapbook. All materials, snacks and prizes will be given out each day. Open to children ages 6-12. $100 a child. Register by May 28. 351-0875.
  • Creative Kids will have a variety of summer art classes at the OLO Gallery, 504 San Francisco, in Union Plaza. Preregistration is required; space is limited. 533-9575 or http://creativekidsart.org.
  • El Paso Museum of Art, Downtown, will have a variety of camps for all ages Tuesday-Friday in June and July. $70 a camp ($56 for museum members), unless otherwise listed. Topics include beads for beginners, jewelry boxes, clay works, drawing and painting. For a complete list and to register online, visit elpasoartmuseum.org. 532-1707, ext. 27.
  • The El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe, will have several camps from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays through Fridays, June through August. Children ages 6-8 can attend "Summer Fun ala Da Vinci" on June 22-June 25 or "Blast to the Past" on July 27-30. The Da Vinci camp will inspire children to paint using egg whites as the scientist did and other fun stuff. "Blast to the Past" will teach kids about nature in the city. Children ages 9-12 can attend a "Summer Fun ala DaVinci" on June 20-July 2 or "Night in a Museum" on Aug. 3-6. "Night in a Museum" will cover what it takes to be a caretaker of public treasures and include a sleepover in the museum. $64 for museum members, $80 for nonmembers. Limited to 15 students per camp. 351-3588.

    Archaeology

  • The El Paso Museum of Archaeology, 4301 Trans Mountain, will have archaeology summer day camps. Children ages 6 to 8 can attend from 9 a.m. to noon June 22-25 or July 27-30. Six-year-olds must have completed first grade. Children ages 9 to 12 can attend from 9 a.m. to noon July 13-16 or Aug. 10-13. The camps will teach children about the science of archaeology and include a field trip to Hueco Tanks. $55 for museum members, $70 for nonmembers. The museum member cost applies to membership at the $40 family level and above only. Attendance is limited to 12 students per camp. 755-4332 or e-mail guidamr@elpasotexas.gov.

    Dance

  • The UTEP Department of Theatre, Dance and Film will have a variety of camps from June 7 to 25. Summer dance camps will be 9 a.m.-noon for ages 13-18 and 1-4 p.m. for ages 7-12. The camps focus on ballet and character, Monday; contemporary and improv, Tuesday; ballet and jazz, Wednesday; contemporary and choreography, Thursday; and jazz and dance history, Friday. Camps end with a live performance for family and friends. Cost to be announced. 747-6213.

    Recreation

  • Radford School will have camps from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 1-July 3. The camps will include swimming, art, music, reading, writing, math and field trips. 565-2737.
  • Club Rec -- The City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department will have its annual Club Rec program Monday-Friday, June 14-Aug. 6. The program is open to ages 6-12. Each session provides recreational activities such as sports, arts and crafts, field trips, dance classes, and table games. It is also offered at Rusk, Roberts and Thomas Manor elementary schools; the Memorial Park garden center, 3105 Grant; and the Chalio Acosta Sports Center, 4321 Delta. $40 per week, per child ($80 two-week session). Scholarships available for families who meet HUD guidelines. Registration available at all city recreation centers. Information: Julie Belcher, 544-0753.
  • The YMCA will have day camps at all of its branches. They will be from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 6-Aug. 20. $100 a week for YMCA members, $130 for non-YMCA members with a $25 registration fee. Financial assistance is available. For additional information: Fred & Maria Loya Family YMCA, 2044 Trawood, 590-9622; Northeast Family YMCA, 5509 Will Ruth, 755-9622; Westside Family YMCA, 7145 N. Mesa, 584-9622; or visit www.elpasoymca.org.
  • The YWCA will have summer camps for ages 5-12 at its four branches. The camps are Monday-Friday. Activities will include indoor and outdoor sports and recreation, arts and crafts, swimming, and field trips. A healthful breakfast, lunch and snack offered every day. $92 per week; $21 per day. Enrollment forms are available online at ywcaelpaso.org and can be brought to the nearest YWCA branch. The locations Mary Ann Dodson Camp, 4400 Boy Scout Lane, 584-4007; Shirley Leavell Branch, 10712 Sam Snead, 593-1289; Myrna Deckert Branch, 9135 Stahala, 757-0306; and Lower Valley Branch, 115 N. Davis, 859-0276.
  • The Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso will provide summer camps for 60 children, ages 6-18, who live in the Chamizal neighborhood. The camps will include digital arts, lucha libre, dance, arts and crafts, and sports. 532-7410.

    Tolerance

  • The El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center, 715 N. Oregon, will have two summer camps. The first, "We're Not So Different After All: Teaching Tolerance in a Multicultural Community," is for ages 8-12 and will be from 9 a.m. to noon June 14-18. The second, "Holocaust Diaries: Connecting the Words of Teenagers from the Past to the Lives of Teenagers Today," is for ages 12-14 and will be from 9 a.m. to noon June 28-July 1. $50 for first child enrolled in family, $40 for each additional child. The cost includes snacks and materials. 351-0048, ext. 24, or www.elpasoholocaustmuseum.org.

    Flag techniques

  • Franklin High School will have a Guard Camp on June 11-12. The camp will offer beginning, intermediate and advanced flag techniques and will also have a leadership component for guard captains. $25; $15 for leadership workshop; both for $35. Register by June 7. Information: Scott Montoya, 490-1712.

    Music

  • The UTEP drum major camp will be June 16-19. The camp features four days of instruction and training for high-school band drum majors, with classes running from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. Register by June 7. Information: Danny Allen, 487-4227.
  • A camp for high-school juniors and seniors considering a career as a band director will be June 14-16 at the University of Texas at El Paso. Staff members will include Tim Lautzenheiser and Ron Hufstader, and the camp will feature classes in leadership, conducting and music theory. $125. Forms should be available from high-school band directors.
  • The El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras will have a summer camp for orchestral players July 26-31. Cost is $75 by June 4, $100 after. www.epsyos.org.

    Science

  • Lynx Exhibits, 300 W. San Antonio, will have five different, hands-on summer camps June 7-Aug. 13. Each camp, geared to ages 6-12, runs Monday through Friday. Morning (9 a.m.-noon) and afternoon (1-4 p.m.) sessions available. Topics include Egyptian mummies, arts and crafts, insects, ocean themes and slimy bodily functions. $100 per camp; multiple child discounts available. Register online at lynxexhibits.com. 533-4330 or e-mail info@lynxexhibits..com.
  • Insights El Paso Science Museum, 505 N. Santa Fe, will have Discovery Camps on June 15-July 30. The camps will be for ages 6 to 12 in morning and afternoon sessions. Topics will include Lego building, dinosaurs, basics of chemistry, coordination and balance, mystery solving, and astronomy. Class size is limited to 15; materials provided. Some camps require hiking or other physical activity. $75 per session ($68 for members). 534-0000 or insightselpaso.org.

    Theater

  • Kids-N-Co. will have its annual theater summer camps at 1301 Texas. Space is limited; enrollment is first-come, first-served. Kinder Camp two-week sessions for ages 5-7 are 9:30-11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday, June 14-25, June 28-July 9, July 19-30 and Aug. 2-13. Students will learn to make believe and finish with a short play. $125 per session. The Production Camp, for ages 8-15, will be offered in two, four-week sessions from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 14-July 11 and July 19-Aug. 15. The camp covers all phases of theater and ends with a fully staged production. No experience necessary; auditions are held for roles in the play, and students can choose to do tech only. $275 per session. 351-1455 (afternoons) or kidsnco.org.

    Media

  • Latinitas Magazine will have camps from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday in July at Latinitas Headquarters' Gecko Room, 1359 Lomaland. The Latinitas Summer Camp, for girls in grades four-eight, will be July 5-9. Girls will produce original multimedia arts projects and master techniques in photography, writing, design, radio production and filmmaking. The Teen Media Academy, for high-school-age, aspiring media-makers, will be July 19-23. Participants will imagine themselves as future newspaper reporters, web editors, news anchors, radio DJs or photojournalists. Professional media producers will train girls on how to use their experiences and digital technology to create their own media such as magazines, blogs, podcasts, short films and photo essays. $75 per camp. Space is limited; registration is required. 239-5051 or LatinitasMagazine.org.

    New Mexico

    Farm and ranch

  • The Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs (take University Avenue east of Las Cruces), will have a variety of summer camps for kids and teens June 9-July 29. Advance registration is required; participants should take a sack lunch daily. Camp topics will include historic games and crafts, photography, sheep and wool camp, living history, rural cooking, and Southwest art. 575-522-4100 or nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
  • The Alamogordo Zoo will have its Summer in the City camp from 2 to 9 p.m. June 5. Free for ages 12 and younger; $5 for ages 13 and older. 575-437-6120.
  • The New Mexico Museum of Space History at Alamogordo will have eight weeklong camps with hands-on activities including a rocket launch. The museum will continue its successful space camps and has added two new camp themes -- dinosaurs and the science behind magic. The camps will start June 7 and run through Aug. 6. 575-437-2840, 877-333-6589 or www.nmspacemuseum.org.

    María Cortés González may be reached at mcortes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6150.