Rec and Parks Department Offering Exciting Summer Programs 

The Norwalk Department of Recreation and Parks’ Summer Brochure includes a variety of fun and exciting programs—from Lego camp and boxing lessons for kids to beach yoga and Zumba for adults. 

“There’s a lot of cool things going on,” said Recreation Supervisor Diane Campbell, adding that there are programs for families, adults, and kids. 

New this summer is Hands-Up Boxing for kids ages 6-13 on Sundays, July 6 through Aug. 24, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Hands-Up Boxing, 61 Main St. Cost is $200 for the eight-week program.

“I have had a lot of interest in that,” said Campbell of the program, which is a partnership between Rec and Parks and Hands-Up Boxing.

Coached by certified USA Boxing instructors, participants “will focus on basic skills, techniques and conditioning to emphasize skill development and sportsmanship,” according to the summer brochure. 

“We also have some mini-camps in August,” said Campbell. “We have LEGO camp, which is for kids 5-12 years old, and they have a blast at that.”

LEGO Summer Camp will take place Monday, Aug. 11, through Friday, Aug. 15, at the Senior Center, 11 Allen Rd. 

Parents may sign their kids up for either a full-day (8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., $399) or half-day (8:30 to 11:30 a.m., $219) of LEGO Summer Camp.

“Mad Science NASA: Intergalactic Adventure” is a space camp “with rockets, robots and interstellar challenges,” according to the summer brochure.

“That’s also for a week at the Senior Center and has half- and full-day options,” said Campbell of the space camp, which runs Monday, Aug. 18, through Friday, Aug. 22.

The half-day program (from 9 a.m. to noon) costs $260, and the full day (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) is $395.

“Paint, Draw, and More! Camp Workshop” for ages 4-8 will be held earlier in August at the Bunkhouse at Cranbury Park. 

Cost is $395 for the program, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday, Aug. 4, through Friday, Aug. 8. 

“We have some really cool stuff” going on this summer, said Campbell. “I’ve got to tell you—they didn’t have this stuff when I was growing up.”

Rec and Parks was planning on holding its first-ever Tie-Dye Festival on Saturday, June 21, at Taylor Farm (across from Shady Beach), but that event has been postponed to Saturday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

According to Superintendent of Recreation Elsa Mekonen, the tie-dye event is open to both kids and adults.

“Our goal is to bring the Norwalk community together to enjoy some time outdoors, get creative with a fun and colorful activity like tie-dye, and take in the beautiful views of our beach,” said Mekonen. “We hope to see a great turnout and look forward to a vibrant, family-friendly day by the water!”

For those who register early, the tie-dye activity is free with the purchase of a $20 T-shirt; on the day of the program, tie-dying is also free with the purchase of a T-shirt, but the cost will be $25. If you’d like to bring your own item to tie-dye, the cost is $15 (limit one item per person—no towels or sheets).

Rec and Parks is also teaming up with Step into Swim and the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation to offer $5 swim lessons for kids ages 5+ at Calf Pasture Beach over five weeks from July 7 through Aug. 7. Classes will run 30 minutes each and will be held Monday through Thursday.

For the grown-ups, Rec and Parks is offering a series of free Fresh Air Fitness classes. Yoga took place in May at Calf Pasture Beach and was followed by Zumba at the same location earlier this month.

The next Fresh Air Fitness class—where participants will groove dance—will be held Saturday, July 19, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Cranbury Park. Advance registration is required.

Though only three classes are listed in the brochure, “I think there is going to be more Fresh Air Fitness [classes scheduled]. As soon as it comes to fruition, we’ll be sending out a flyer through email blasts,” said Campbell, who stressed folks should sign up for Rec and Parks’ email list. “We tell people they should join our email list—it’s really easy to do—and they can see what’s coming up.”

Beyond Fresh Air Fitness, weekly Beach Yoga with Lucy for ages 18 and up will be held on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. from July 10 through Aug. 28 at Calf Pasture Beach. Cost is $100 per resident. 

Beach Zumba Gold for ages 18 and up will also be held at Calf Pasture Beach from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, July 8, through Aug. 26. Cost is $100 per resident.

For more information on Rec and Parks summer programs, or to register, visit https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/norwalkctrecandparks/home?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&from_original_cui=true.

To view the full summer brochure, visit https://norwalkct.gov/2996/Summer-Camps-2025.