About Marple Programs

Marple Sports Arena is located in the Lawrence Park industrial center in Broomall, PA. We offer many child care programs including the best summer camp in the area, year round day care and September to June after school care.

Our youth summer camp is for boys and girls ages 5 thru 13.  We now offer a Junior Camp for 3 and 4 year olds that are potty trained.  Emphasizing a friendly environment, we aim to provide a summer camp experience like no other, One that is full of excitement and memories that last a lifetime.

Our year round day care is coming soon.  We provide children with healthy, stimulating and safe environment necessary for their social, physical and intellectual well-being. Through a variety of group activities, individual play and quiet periods we develop growth in the areas of intellectual, social, physical and emotional skills.

Our bright and friendly staff in the after school care make the before and after school hours fun for children ages 5 – 12.  Children love to come back every day to this lively program which includes crafts, painting, science, outdoor play and much more.

Read more about Marple Sports Arena →

Current News

• Winter Break Camp 2012
  • October 31st, 2012
  • by Mike

  Now is the time to register for our Winter Break Camp.  Whether you have to work or want to give the kids something to do, our winter break camp is priced right and we keep the kids occupied all day.  Here is our flyer on it.

  Winter Break Camp 2012

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Karate Day
  • July 26th, 2012
  • by Mike

  

  It has been a great summer so far.  The most talked about topic of the summer of 2012 has definitely been the heat.  90 degree days have been the norm since memorial day and it doesn’t seem like temperatures are going down anytime soon as we are getting closer and closer to August.  With heat like this, it is important to keep your children in an air conditioned environment and parents get that when they send their kids to the Marple Sports Arena summer camp.  While kids partake in many outdoor activities, the option is there to head indoors and beat the heat in an air conditioned building.  That being said, there are many different activities indoors that the kids enjoy on a hot and humid day.

  This week at summer camp was the highly anticipated karate day that all the kids always look forward to.  We brought a local karate dojo in and they had a 45 minute training session with the kids that left them wanting to be the next karate kid!!!  The trainers started the session by going over some basic moves and some chants that the kids would enjoy.  Soon there after, the dojo got the kids involved and pulled them onto the stage.  By using volunteers, the kids had to give a roundhouse kick to the head trainers glove.  They played a game of baseball where a single was reached by hitting the glove five times and if you weren’t able to kick the glove five times without falling, your team would get an out.  With all the kids in the audience cheering, the Marple Sports Arena team won in the 9th inning with one of the young campers hitting a clinch single by kicking the glove over five teams.  He was the hero of the day.

  The last act of the training session was for a few volunteers to throw a kick to break a wooden board.  Almost all the kids jumped to be volunteers for this one, but the head trainer only could pick three kids.  With high anticipation, the trainer gave them all a quick lesson and with a few swift kicks, all of the kids were successful in breaking the board.  The smile on their faces said it all as the kids left the program excited with what they had just seen.  This was a great day in camp and was the talk of the day by all the kids.

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Great First week of Summer Camp
  • June 24th, 2012
  • by Mike

  We have just finished our first week of summer camp for 2012 and it was a great week.  The main theme among the campers was the word “fun”.  Even with two days close to 100 degrees, the campers had no problem spending that time in our air conditioned building and playing with friends that they hope they will have for some time to come.  Some of the highlights of the week include meeting new campers on opening day, Mr. Joel’s silly songs, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and seeing the campers bond with some new friends by week’s end.  We are hoping to see some of the same smiling faces in week 2 and hope the campers have just as much fun.  As for the parents, we will continue to tire your kids out so they go to sleep nice and easy for you at the end of the night!!!

  Continue reading this article →
  

• 5 Signs that your Child should go to camp
  • April 28th, 2012
  • by Mike

  Not every child gets to go to camp, but almost all could benefit from it. If you’re thinking of sending your child to day camp but aren’t sure whether it’s worth the investment, read about these five signs that your child should go.

  1. Your child is struggling academically. Are they bringing home bad grades, or do you just know in your heart that they could be doing much better in school? If the answer to either of these questions is “yes”, your child could benefit from a summer camp that teaches study skills. Not all camps are academics-focused, so choose carefully.
  2. Your child is struggling socially. In social situations, are they an outsider or a participant? If you have a shy, reserved child that has difficulty making friends, chances are they could benefit from the daily interaction that a day camp provides. If your child has serious problems getting along with others, or tends to lash out, talk to the camp counselor ahead of time, or look for a more structured, supervised program.
  3. Your child lacks self-confidence. Do they criticize themselves a lot, or tear themselves down unnecessarily? If your child hesitates to try new things because of a fear of failure, it may be time for day camp. Look for one that fosters a spirit of success and accomplishment.
  4. Your child isn’t easily challenged. Summer camp isn’t just for kids who are struggling academically; parents of bright and/or gifted kids can have trouble providing the necessary stimulation, and camp can provide just that by allowing your child to interact with other bright, gifted kids.
  5. Your child has trouble focusing and gets bored easily. This, of all the listed issues, has the most potential to negatively impact your child’s future. Many academic day camps are exciting and fun, making them ideal for children who have shorter attention spans or are always moving on to the next great thing.

  If your child exhibits one or more of the above signs, it may be a good idea to put them in a good summertime day camp. It can teach them the social skills, self-confidence, and academic skills necessary to succeed in school and other areas of life.

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Tax Credit for Summer Camp
  • April 14th, 2012
  • by Mike

  In addition to all the benefits of summer camp that your kids will get, you as a parent may also be able to get a tax credit in order to subsidize the cost of day camp for your children. Summer camp costs are considered qualifying child care, and as a taxpayer, you can claim a Child Care Credit against the cost of sending your child to summer camp. There are a few rules that you need to meet in order to qualify for the tax credit for summer camp.

  • Working Parents – In order to qualify for the tax credit, you need to be employed or, in some cases, looking for work. The rationale behind the tax credit is to give assistance to parents that are unable to care for their children because they are at work. This means that the credit cannot be extended to a family where there is a stay-at-home parent.

  • Day Camp – The credit is only available for day camps like the summer camp programs that we run here at Marple Sports Arena. It cannot be claimed for sleep-away camps.

  • Caps on Cost – The Child Care Credit provides a maximum of $3,000 for parents with one child or a maximum of $6,000 for parents with more than one child. This total is calculated on an annual basis and includes all qualifying child care expenses – including day camp. The IRS also limits the portion of all child care costs that can be claimed to between 20% and 35% of total child care costs in any given year. The percentage varies depending on income and tax bracket.

  • Direct Dependents – The child care credit that also includes summer camp costs is only claimable for direct dependents. Therefore, only parents or guardians whose children are registered as direct dependents can claim the credit.

  • Actual Payment and Camp Attendance – In order to claim the summer camp costs to get tax relief, you must have actually made payments to a registered day camp and have receipts for the day camp services. Payments made by employers or non-monetary payments do not qualify for the tax credit. Additionally, the child must actually attend the camp in order to claim the costs for the tax credit. If your child does not attend, you cannot claim the costs of the summer camp toward your child care credit even if there is no refund for payments made.

  

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Spring Break Camp a huge success!!!
  • April 6th, 2012
  • by Mike

  

  The Marple Sports Arena just finished a great week of spring break camp and it was our biggest week ever for the spring.  We had a lot of first time campers that we look forward to seeing in the summer.  Great job by counselors Mr. Mike Byrne and Mr. AJ Ehinger with guest appearances from Ms. Cheryl and Ms. Courtney.    Along with a great week with a lot of fun, it was a nice break from school for the kids and it was good to see some familiar faces from the summer.  Just over 60 days until summer camp!!!

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Five Questions to ask when choosing a summer camp
  • March 25th, 2012
  • by Mike

  Enrolling your child in summer camp is not an easy decision.  You are entrusting your child with someone all day and you want to make sure that you make the right choice before you do so.  Here are some questions to ask when doing your research.

  1. Does the summer camp have an open house?  (This is a great way to talk to the counselors, see the facility, and ask more specific questions.)
  2. What is the background of the camp director?  (You want to make sure the camp is not just putting some young kid in charge.  It is important that the director has experience with kids outside of camp and this is not their first teacing job.)
  3. What kind of activities do they have? (This is important because you don’t want your kid to get bored.  If they run out of activities by 12 PM, your child is going to hate going and you will have thrown money down the toilet.)
  4. Does the summer camp tuition include lunch?  (If it does, that is great.  It saves you the trouble of packing food everyday and saves time for a working mom in the morning!!!)
  5. Do they have before and after care?  (You might think you don’t need it, but a working mom or dad is always  busy and things come up.  Better to have and not need than need and not have.)

  There will always be more specific questions that a parent will have to ask such as food allergies, social interaction, etc.  If you do attend an open house, it is a good idea to write this down on paper so you have when you get there.  Last, make sure you check out the camp website as some of this information might already be on there.  Our camp website which is http://msakids.com/summer-day-camp/ is designed for parents to be as helpful as possible to answer all of their questions.

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Things to Consider When Putting Your kids in Camp
  • March 18th, 2012
  • by Mike

  Choosing a summer camp for your child is not an easy decision.

  Points to Consider

  • Your child’s interest in/readiness for camp – Camp should be fun, and sending a child before he or she is ready could spoil the experience for years to come. Determine if your child is ready before sending them.
  • Benefits of a summer camp experience – Camp is supposed to be all about having fun.  Your child has enough stimulation during the school year.  Don’t worry about educating your child, but keep the main focus on finding a place where they are comfortable and keep them having fun.
  • Your need for child care. – If you need child care during the summer, camp can be a great solution, but it is not the only summer child care option. If you already have a caregiver, but want your child to have a summer camp experience consider sending your child to camp when your caregiver is on vacation.
  • Convenience of transporting children to camp – Transporting kids to and from day camp can put you back on the commuter track, something you’re trying to avoid by working at home. Consider how much time transportation to camp takes out of your work day. Find a summer camp that is convenient.
  • Summer vacation schedule Sometimes camp doesn’t fit in with all the other things you may have planned for the summer. Camp can be a great experience but school-age children may need a break after a highly scheduled school year. If it doesn’t fit in, don’t force it.

  Continue reading this article →
  

• Spring Break Camp 2012
  • March 15th, 2012
  • by Mike

  Just because school has off for spring break doesn’t mean that you have off from work.  Why not drop them off at the arena for spring break camp?  Running from April 2nd-6th, we will be hosting our spring break camp.  This is a mini version of our summer camp at an extremely discounted price.  For the low price of $125 a week, you can drop the kids off from 8 AM-4:30 PM.  The camp is catered to ages 5-13 years old and has a number of activities including marple mountain, moonbounce, skating, arts and crafts, and dodgeball.  Lunch is offered at $5 a day or you can pack the kids lunch yourself.  Also, we do offer a daily rate of $35 a day if you don’t need the entire week.  For more info, feel free to email Patty at phenning@marplesportsarena.com.  Hope to see you for spring break!!

  Continue reading this article →
  

• MSA adds giant zipline for 2012
  • by Mike

  

  As if there already wasn’t already a ton to do at the Marple Sports Arena, new for 2012 will be a giant zip line.  Campers will climb the spiral staircase to approximately 28 feet in the air.  From there, they will zip through the air to anywhere from 100 to 300 feet away.  Only MSA can offer this kind of pure adrenaline zipline experience!!!  Parents can put their mind at ease that this activity has passed licensing and inspection from the state and comes with a patented decelerator system that has been in the market for over 10 years.  Also included with this configuration is an inflatable slide, providing an alternative exit strategy, and safety backup system, to those not brave enough to zip up to 200 feet!!

  Continue reading this article →