With school out for the summer, children and youth have a lot of extra time on their hands. Churches across the country plan to fill at least some of it with summer activities such as Vacation Bible School, camps and recreation opportunities.

Norma J. Goldman, director of customer interaction strategy for LifeWay Christian Resources, estimated that more than 3.3 million children participated in VBS programs utilizing LifeWay’s "Amazon Outfitters" curriculum last year.

That number, she said, does not include children from churches outside the Southern Baptist Convention that used the program. This year’s program, "Kingdom Capers," is equally in demand.

First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, is using the LifeWay curriculum.

Aida Guzman, an administrative assistant at the 1,200-member church, said between 450 and 500 kindergarten through fifth-grade children attended VBS June 9 through 13. As many as half are children from outside the church, which she said is one of the largest in the Corpus Christi region.

"This is open to everyone, not just church members," she said. "We encourage church members to invite someone. From any nationality, background or religious affiliation, they are more than welcome."

Goldman said it was difficult to put a cost on a VBS program because the cost to a church varies depending upon how many children participate.

Typical costs for a VBS with 100 children, she said, is about $420. That includes a sampler kit, 100 learner guides, six leader packs and nine leader guides. Options, such as a Worship Rally video, adds to the cost.

Guzman's church spent four to five times that amount, based on Goldman’s estimate.

"There’s going to be a cost to anything you do, basically," she said. "What makes it valuable are the lives that you touch."

The Rev. Tom Sherrod, children’s minister at Worthington Christian Church in Columbus, Ohio, agrees. His church, which averages about 1,100 in Sunday worship, spends about $15 per week, per child for the 500 to 600 that will attend VBS in July.

"From a Christian education point of view, from my point of view, it’s well worth the investment," he said. "From the evangelistic efforts here at the church, it’s worth the effort. We always have families that come and just stay with us. They like the programs and they stay."

He said he divides his yearlong Sunday school program into quarters, which offers an opportunity for one hour a week of prayer, Bible study and Christian education during each 13-week period.

"If a child comes to one hour on Sundays, that’s great and that’s wonderful," he said. "But, with Vacation Bible School, we just immerse the kids in three hours a night of Bible lessons and activities. If you stop and think about it, we actually are adding an extra quarter to our Christian education here because we get 15 hours (from VBS).

"The way we look at it, we are actually providing five quarters a year of Bible lessons and activities. It adds to our program because we can give the kids more than we otherwise would," he said.

Giving children and youth things to do during the summer doesn’t necessarily mean churches must foot the bill. Day camps, special trips to amusement parks, recreational outings and missions trips are among a number of activities parents are willing to pay for to keep their children busy.

CrossRoad United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., offers a one-week Tech Camp for rising third through sixth graders who want to learn about the multimedia presentations the church produces for its services.

Carolyn Nelson, director of children’s ministries at the church, said the fee for attending the camp is $50, which covers materials and other costs.

Nelson said CrossRoad is a contemporary church that makes good use of multimedia technology. "On the first day they are exposed to drama, puppet ministry, lighting, sound and set design," she said. "By the end of the day, they decide what (area) they want to work on. During the rest of the week, that’s the area they work in and, at the end of the week, we have a production."

Not only do campers learn about the technology, Nelson said, they learn firsthand about the background workings of the church.

"What we’re doing is training kids to serve in our different ministry teams," Nelson said.

This is the second year CrossRoad has offered the camp, which is limited to about 30 participants.

"They run the sound board, the lighting and they build the sets," she said. "They absolutely loved it last year. It was very interesting because when they came the first day, they were asked, ‘What is it you think you would like to do?’ At the end of the day, they were asked again and I would say 50 percent of them changed their minds after they were exposed to the different areas."

Christ-centered outdoor camps are a popular way to fill the "school’s-out" void.

Barry LeNoir, managing director of Camp Bethel in Fincastle, Va., said his camp offers seven weeks of traditional camping and adventure programs. About 600 campers will attend the programs. The camp, in its 76th season, is operated by Elgin, Ill.- based Church of the Brethren.

"The resident program is your traditional summer camp," LeNoir said. "It’s a week-long summer camp where the campers live in cabins and do a lot of activities like swimming, cookouts and lots of group games."

He said other activities include a group challenge course, crafts and environmental education.

"We have a couple of specialty camps, like our Parent/Child Overnight Camp, where children as young as four can come," he said. "We go all the way up to seniors in high school."

To a casual observer, the activities at camp may mirror those at secular camps, but Camp Bethel is decidedly Christian, LeNoir said.

"Everything that we do, from activities to foodservice to maintenance to every game we play, is based on a common philosophy: that is the philosophy of being the body of Christ," he said, pointing to 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12 as the camp’s scriptural guideline.

"That’s where Paul talks about (being) the body of Christ," he said. "Though it has many parts, it’s one body."

While campers are divided into small groups, members work together as a unit. Activities are supported with Bible study, worship and devotions.

"They do everything together, all day long, except sleep and shower," he said. "At the end of the week, they understand what it means to be the body of Christ because they have lived in an active Christian laboratory for six days. It's very much what we call experiential Christian education."

David Baird, director of the 200-acre Country Lake Christian Retreat in Henryville, Ind., said his camp draws children and youth from more than 150 churches. Owned and operated by Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., Country Lake has a strong emphasis on praise and worship.

"If you’re looking out there and talking to campers, there are two distinct types of (Christian) camps," Baird said. "There are camps like us that are more Bible-oriented, but also have some fun. Then there are other camps that are sport-fun oriented camps that also do some Bible.

"Our emphasis is more on spiritual growth as a primary function. The secondary function is activities, versus those camps that are primarily geared toward activities, with a secondary function of spiritual growth."

Baird said there is a benefit to being associated with one of the largest churches in the United States.

"Quality is not really an issue for us because it is the ministry staff at Southeast that is delivering the program," he said. "Their programming is always excellent and the worship is always excellent."

LeNoir agrees the camping experience must be high quality, because it may be the first glimpse of Christian life some campers will have outside the familiar setting of their home churches.

"Oftentimes, it is one of the first truly dynamic faith experiences that some kids have had outside of their own church and it definitely affects them," he said. "Very few kids do very much associated with their religion outside of church. So, the opportunity to come out and experience a weeklong Christian education is a very effective ministry tool."