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At Mackle Park’s creative craft and movement camp this week, campers will make patriotic crafts, have healthy snacks and play with their peers.

While the weeklong camp sounds like a combination of many camps offered through the Marco Island Department of Parks and Recreation, there’s just one difference: This camp offers storytime.

“This (camp) is for the little guys,” said Mindy Matusiak, recreation program supervisor.

The camp is open to children between the ages of 3- and 5-years old. It allows toddlers a chance to interact with their peers, while giving their parents a few hours off to relax.

The program is one of two toddler specific camps offered at Mackle Park this summer, said Matusiak. While creative craft and movement focuses on games, crafts and play, the story book crafts camp is an instructional program “designed to keep children interested in books and reading,” according to the park’s program guide.

This week’s camp will have a patriotic theme to reflect the Fourth of July, Matusiak said. Children will spend a portion of the afternoon building crafts, before having a snack and settling in for a short, patriotic story

“It’s not really a learning type of camp,” she said. “It’s more of a fun time for the kids.”

This isn’t the first time the park has hosted the creative craft and movement camp. Each month the parks department holds a version of the camp, and it is often well attended.

Attendance for this week’s camp, however, is low. Matusiak said she blames the low enrollment to the fact that many Marco Island families are on vacation this month.

As of Friday, Matusiak said only one child was signed up for the camp, which starts today. And while pre-registration was requested, parents can sign their children up for the two hour camp today.

The camp cost $40 for residents, $48 for non-residents, and runs from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Friday. This is the only session of creative craft and movement camp offered in July.

Those parents who wanted to enroll their toddler in the story book crafts camp have one more chance, as well. The park will host a second session of the camp beginning at 2 p.m., August 6.

For information, or to enroll in one of the toddler specific camps, call Mackle Park at 642-0575.