Activities

YNOT's summer calendar involves varying events that your kids will love.

Your children will be involved with daily field trips, organized games, trail-hiking and exploring, structured indoor activities on inclement weather days, tours of facilities and businesses that contribute to our social makeup.  We will also make it a point to have weekly swimming and bicycling trips with our ability to carry every child's bike with us for rides at trails such as the Rochester Lost Bridge trail, the Chatham-to-Springfield trail or others. We will be fishing for short stints at ponds where the catch is predictable and success-rate is high. We will be engaging certain Youth Program Coordinators and the presentations available from them such as the Department of Natural Resources, D.A.R.E. and law enforcement. Our kids really enjoy the cook-outs that we do at Sanchris, where the Counselors and Bus Drivers become chefs!

We'll also be taking field trips around Central Illinois and St. Louis to such locations at the St. Louis Zoo and Museum, the Science Center, City Museum (a favorite!), Allerton Sculpture Museum & Park, Decatur Scovill Children's Zoo, a water park, the State Fair and all of the parks in and around Springfield, just to name a few.

This schedule is subject to change, additions & deletions, based on weather and other unforeseen circumstances.

Required Daily Must-Haves

All kids must have the following items with them on a daily basis:

1. Back-pack with shoulder straps that is fitted to the youngster.  First and last name must be visible in black marker in large letters (3" or bigger)
2. Lunch -  all kids bring their own lunch.  A $4 velcro-foldover, insulated lunch bag can hold all the food that an adult can eat.  It will be plenty for your child.  If they lose it, you're only out a few dollars.  The child's name needs to be on it in big letters so we know who it belongs to.  Don't buy a $20 lunch suitcase.  Your son or daughter just has to carry extra weight.  This should be inside the backpack when you drop off your kids.
   
3. Sunscreen -  YNOT Outdoors spends alot of time in the sun.  We assume your son or daughter needs assistance to properly apply sunscreen.  We will observe your child applying it or we will apply it...every 90 minutes, if need be.
4. Water bottle - Since they will bicycle, make this one that can be held on their bikes, as well as thrown in their backpack.  Again, identify its owner with a name in black marker...BIG!  Kids frequently leave them in places where our staff cannot find them, so don't go overboard on $$ spent on one.
5. Biking Days - Helmets are mandatory.  If they don't have one, they won't ride.   Also, bikes need annual adjustment for kids' growth.  Adjust seats and handlebars, accordingly, or they'll have to work extra hard to pedal.