Tybee Island, located in northern coastal Georgia, has many opportunities for youth recreation and education. Many of these activities, such as sports leagues and summer day camps, are sponsored by the YMCA, which has a central role in Tybee Island recreation. Others are available through public parks and the Tybee Arts Association.
The YMCA sponsors a summer day camp for children ages 5 to 12. Held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Memorial Park, the camp features a variety of themed activities, games, arts and crafts, along with field trips to Summer Waves and a Sand Gnats game. There are additional summer field trips and camps geared toward surfing, kayaking and sailing available through the Tybee Island YMCA. Teens may participate in summer camps as junior counselors, or “leaders-in-training.”
The YMCA offers several athletic opportunities for young people, including soccer, baseball, basketball and swimming. Youth soccer and baseball leagues play during the spring, with the registration process beginning in late winter. As of 2011, fees for Micro leagues, comprised of children ages 3 to 5, are $50 for members and $70 for non-members, while older children’s fees are $65 for members and $90 for non-members. The youth basketball league is formed during the autumn and plays during the winter. As of 2011, fees range from $30 to $70 for Micro level players and $45 to $90 for older players. According to the YMCA, team sports promote children’s physical health as well as positive social development. Individual and group swimming lessons are also available.
There are two public parks on Tybee Island containing children’s play equipment. Memorial Park, which is 4.5 acres and within walking distance of the beach, has a children’s playground as well as a picnic area with grilling capabilities, a lighted pavilion, and courts for tennis, volleyball and basketball. Jaycee Park, which is 8.5 acres, features newer children’s play equipment, and also has a concession stand, a grilling area, and lighted fields for soccer and softball.
The Tybee Arts Association offers several children’s classes in visual and performing arts. Tybee Theater Camp for Kids is a two-week summer acting camp accommodating students ages 6 to 16. It provides training in acting exercises and techniques, and culminates in a full-length theatrical production. The Arts Association also offers spring and summer classes for wheel pottery, which is limited to children ages 7 and older, and hand sculpture, which welcomes children ages 4 and up.
