Bismarck Parks & Recreation

Activity Centers

Activity Centers provide summer recreational programming at selected elementary schools in a day-camp style setting. This program is for kids entering grades 1-6. Daily games, crafts, projects and outdoor fun and movement help participants increase social skills and enjoy active play in a safe and caring supervised environment. Activity Centers have limited enrollment.

Ages Dates Days Time
1st – 6th Grade June 1 – Aug. 7 M – F 7:45am – 5:30pm
  • Must have completed kindergarten in the 2019-20 school year or be 6 years old by June 1, 2020. If your child is in kindergarten, but won’t be 6 until after June 1, 2020, please come to Bismarck Parks and Recreation office to register.
  • Activity Centers is close at 12 noon on August 7
  • No program on July 3
  • There is no supervision before 7:45am or after 5:30pm
  • We do not provide lunch or snacks, so please bring your own.

Fees

  • $475/child – if received on or before Thursday, April 30.
  • $485/child – if received Friday, May 1 or later.

Keeping your child safe in Activity Center

Safety protocols that are in place at this time are listed here. Please know this situation is ever changing, and protocols could fluctuate throughout the summer in accordance with the CDC and ND Department of Health guidelines. Bismarck Parks and Recreation district appreciates your patience and understanding as we work together to keep your child/ren safe in Activity Center.

  • Participants and staff should stay home if not feeling well.
  • Temperatures will not be taken.
  • To avoid overcrowding and bottlenecks on site, please have one person come into the building to drop off and pick up your child.
  • Parents/approved family/friends MUST sign the participant in/out every day. Please do not drop them off or have them walk and check in/out on their own. Our staff will need to go through safety protocol questions. Be prepared for the morning check-in to take some time. Please plan accordingly.
  • Please be prepared to have your ID with you to pick up your child.
  • There will be hand sanitizer on site. Participants can also bring their own hand sanitizer. Please put the child’s name on the bottle.
  • Participants will be outside and on the playground. Handwashing will take place after being outside and again several times throughout the day.
  • Facial masks may be worn. They are not required. They will not be provided.
  • Participants should bring their own water bottle with clear liquid only. Please put the child’s name on the bottle.
  • There will be no access to a microwave oven for snacks or lunch. Please bring cold snacks/lunch.
  • Please, no peanut or tree nut foods due to allergies.
  • Personal protective equipment, water bottles, food and drink should not be shared with others.
  • Participants should bring a sealable plastic bag with some school supplies of their choice, markers, colors, pencils, scissors, glue, erasers, etc. for their use. Please put the child’s name on the bag.
  • Participants can being their own coloring/activity books to use.
  • Participants should bring a book to read during daily reading time.
  • Physical distancing will be monitored and encouraged.
  • All gym equipment will be wiped down after use.
  • Staff will disinfect and clean high touch areas several times throughout the day.
  • Participants should avoid unnecessary contact such as handshaking or high fives.
  • There will be no field trips outside of the school this year. There will also be no groups coming in for additional programs and services, such as the bookmobile or Theo Art School, etc.

Information on group size

  • Smaller group sizes will be created to allow for physical distancing for participants and staff. Our plan is for two leaders to supervise a group of 13 kids. The participants will stay with their same group throughout the day, with no intermixing of groups. The groups have been thoughtfully created, with Camp Ed distance learners together, siblings together to create less traffic in the school, and a good mix of ages and genders. Please do not asked to be moved to another group.

Information specific to kids enrolled in Bismarck Public Schools Camp Ed distance learning program

  • Arrangements will be made for assignments/instructions to be given from 9-10am. The students enrolled in Camp Ed will need to be self-sufficient. Activity Center staff is not able to provide one-on-one assistance/tutoring for Camp Ed students.
  • Camp Ed students are reminded to bring their own headphones.

Many families want to give the Activity Center program a try to see how comfortable you and your child/ren are with safety protocols. Please know that a full refund will be given if you withdraw by Friday, June 5. Withdrawal from the program must be received in writing via email to lboyd@bisparks.org. We will work hard to provide a fun, safe and healthy experience for all.

Please let us know if you have any questions. Feel free to contact us at 222-6455.

NEW for 2020 –  The registration fee for the Activity Center can be paid in one payment, or you may choose to split the payment in two. You can make that choice at the time of registration during the payment process. 

TWO – STEP REGISTRATION process

  • Step One: Register your child(ren) for the selected Activity Center site online.  For this spring/summer registration session only, and only (please) for those individuals who receive a BPRD scholarship or those who do not have any access to any computer, phone registrations will be accepted. The split payment option is not available to those on a scholarship. Staff will be able to take your registration and your credit card payment. Please call 222-6455. Please know your calls will be accepted in the order they come in. If you leave a message on our voicemail system, you will be called back in the order the call was received as time allows. Please know calling and registering over the phone IS NOT faster and DOES NOT guarantee you a spot in any BPRD programs. Preparing your online registration in advance is much more efficient. Once your child(ren) is registered, you can then move to Step Two
  • Step Two: You MUST print out the Activity Center Registration Packet (one packet per child) and fill out all the pages. If you do not have access to a printer, please call 222-6455 and a packet can be printed for you and picked up at the BPRD office, 400 E. Front Ave. The Activity Center registration packet must be completed and returned to the BPRD office within 48 hours of registration. You can email the completed packet to blast@bisparks.org or you can drop off your completed packet in a drop box located outside the BPRD office. Once your completed packet is received, your child(ren)’s registration for Activity Center is complete.
  • Activity Center Registration Packets (PDF download)
School Location Code
Centennial 2800 Ithica Dr 17501
Grimsrud 716 St. Benedict Dr 17502
Liberty 5400 Onyx Dr. 17503
Northridge at Hughes 806 N. Washington St. 17504
Prairie Rose 2200 Oahe Bend 17505
Rita Murphy 611 N. 31st St. 17506
Roosevelt 613 W. Ave. B 17508
Solheim 325 Munich Dr. 17509
Sunrise 3800 Nickerson Ave. 17510

Junior Leader

Junior Leaders will learn the skills necessary to perhaps become an Activity Center leader one day. A Junior Leader will assist the Leaders in organizing the games and daily activities, helping the Activity Center participants when needed, and helping prepare for the activities each day. The Junior Leaders assist the Leaders and learn leadership and problem solving skills in a fast paced, recreational environment.

Junior Leader Applications can be submitted from April 1-17. BPRD staff will do a random drawing April 23 and applicants will be notified of the results.

Fees

  • $75/junior leader
    Maximum of 4 leaders per site.
    Junior Leaders must be going into 7th grade or older.
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