Seven-year-olds wander around the city in tourist garb, clutching at their expensive digital cameras for a photo-journalism workshop.

Tiny tots in tutus preen in front of a mirror-wall, striking ballet poses. Little wannabe cowboys head to Marina to learn horse-riding and the chatty ones spend their holidays learning the ropes at a radio station, or at theatre workshops.

The technologically inclined head to Robotics and Science camps where they sit indoors happily tinkering with electric circuits and building their own robots.

Yes, Chennai’s buffet of summer camps now borders on the exotic, catering to the children of parents with deep pockets and new age interests.

While swimming and cricket camps still catch the fancy of the sporty ones, the variety of camps involving other adventure and outdoor activities is also mind-boggling—from teaching pre-teens to ride miniature All-Terrain Vehicles in the dusty trails off ECR to power-packed trekking camps into the hills, the city has something for everybody this summer.

“I have signed my sons up for three different camps this year, each lasting 10 to 12 days. There is no point letting them stay at home watching TV or surfing the internet all day while I am away at work,” says IT professional Nisha Mathews, who is sending her sons, aged 10 and 6, to a fun camp for ‘Little Scientists’, a 5-day theatre workshop and finally, Church camp in Ooty.

“Even routine summer camps like drawing and painting, or music have been jazzed up – art camps now teach six year olds to recreate the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and music camps include compositions of Bach and Schubert! Chennai has truly become a global village,” quips Mrs. Jamuna, a school teacher.

City parents skeptical about summer camps

Even though several parents say that summer camps would help their kids develop additional skills like handwriting, horse riding and swimming some say it would traumatise the tiny tots as they work in schools for 10 months a year.

Mrs K. Shanthi, a parent, advocated the need for holistic development of a child and said that parents should use summer vacation to enhance their kids’ extra-curricular skills. “It is not wrong to send a kid to summer camp for two hours a day. Summer camps will help a kid to learn things at his/her own pace, as there is no examination or evaluation to assess their performance”, she said.

Mr V. Ramesh, another parent, laid stress on the need to consult the children if they are interested before admitting them to a summer camp. “Do not harass your kid by admitting him in a course which he does not like. If he is interested in swimming make him learn it otherwise don’t force him”, he added.

Pointing out that it would always be good to let the child work in its own way, Mrs K. Priya, a parent, said that parents should let the kid play with other children during summer holidays as it was meant for that. “It is not that Britishers, from whom we inherited the legacy of modern day education, closed schools for two months to conduct summer camps but to let the kid spend time on his own with things he likes to do,” she said.

Where those uber kids are headed

Studio for Dance will be conducting summer camps in April, to teach Ballet, Modern dance, Bollywood, Contemporary,Jazz, Hip-Hop, Broadway, across all their centres in Chennai. Ph: 2498 7566,

Ekkalaivaa Academy for Hobbyists— Workshop on Robotics in collaboration with Thasungnan University, Taiwan. Ph. 2624 7414 or http://www.ekkalaivaa.in/

Overnight Camps organized by the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Every weekend in April, starting on Saturday morning and ending on Sunday evening , the Crocodile bank will have Night safaris, nature trails, guided ‘snake’ trek by the Irulas . Call 98406 75175 for more details.

Horse Riding Workshop on the Marina

Two horse-riding courses will be organized on the Marina for children above age 5.Children will be taught to get used to the horse and then ride them on a slow walk. In the longer course, children will be taught to go on a trot. Call 98404 23261 for more details.

Radio jockey course

Chennai Live 104.8FM is conducting a summer workshop for teenagers aspiring to be RJs. Children above class 10 are eligible and will be taught voice modulation, diction, interviewing skills.

Dakshinachithra Heritage Centre has a wide range of camps and workshops on offer. From a three-day workshop on the intricacies of terracotta jewellery-making to a residential summer camp titled ‘I can’, parents can take their pick. The camp will work towards developing skills and creative potential in a child through the medium of arts, craft and theatre. Ph. 24462435

Summer of Love at Unwind Centre The Unwind centre is offering a summer course on vocal training, songwriting. The 12-day course will involve training for musicals , including Broadway shows, Hollywood movies and will end in a concert at the Museum theatre. Contact: 98413-79494 or 65274472 or usom@unwindcenter.com