School is out, but many parents still have a few more days of work left until they’re free to enjoy the holidays with the rest of their family. Other parents are looking to travel and still others may just want to give their children something fun to do outside of the home.

This unique situation has led to more than 50 children attending day camp this week at Purks YMCA, 267 YMCA Place.

Director Belinda Watkins said the whole camp is Thanksgiving themed.

“We made headdresses,” she said. “We also made coffee filter turkeys and paper towel roll turkeys.”

In addition to making crafts, campers participate in organized play including time spent in the gym and swimming in the YMCA pool.

Clay Pierce, 7, said this is his second year to attend the camp.

“We went swimming, and now we’re coloring the turkeys,” he said.

Pierce said his favorite part of Thanksgiving Camp is swimming and getting to see all of his friends from school.

Briana Pickering, 17, is a second-year counselor with the YMCA day camps, and she agreed with Pierce that being able to swim is one of the best parts of the camp, adding she sometimes goes swimming with the campers.

“They love it,” she said. “And they’ve probably taught me just as much as I’ve taught them.”

Watkins is in her fourth year as a director, and she has also taught 24 years at Redwood Elementary.

“My favorite part is just seeing them have a good time and enjoying their time off from school,” she said. “We have a lot of repeat kids and new siblings.”

Watkins said the program provides a lot of convenience during the holidays.

“A lot of parents are working,” she said.

“It gives them somewhere to send their kids where they’ll have a good time with a camp theme, and it’s not just a daycare. They’re older kids, and they like to do a lot of activities.”

Watkins said the camp is offered for children in grades pre-k through sixth were invited to come spend Monday though Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, call the Junius Ward Johnson Memorial YMCA at 601-638-1071.