The Pee Wee Camp Harvester program is in full swing at the Burr Ridge Park District, and teacher Gina Macchia is thrilled.

Macchia, who lives in Willowbrook, heads the summer program for 3- to 5-year-old children. It is her eighth year working for the Park District.
“In the Burr Ridge Park District, you truly get a sense of community and a sense of family,” she said. “It’s just good to be here. It’s a happy place. Of course, I love kids, too.”

Classes average about 12 children and meet Tuesday through Thursday through August. Macchia comes up with different themes each week, including fairy tales, sand castles and bubbles.

“I try to come up with things boys and girls will equally like. I’m also very adamant about the children having a sense of accomplishment,” she said. “We don’t do craft projects that are too difficult. I want them to be able to complete them without me helping too much.”

Macchia said Pee Wee Camp Harvester — named after Harvester Park — is the children’s first camp experience through the Park District. The program keeps children coming back year after year.

“There isn’t a week that goes by without a parent saying that a younger sibling is enrolled. I see kids year after year. It’s great,” she said. “The kids look forward to it every year because it’s not too tightly structured that they aren’t able to have fun.”
Macchia, who is a teacher’s assistant at Brook Forest Elementary School in Oak Brook, said she got involved with the Burr Ridge Park District when her daughter attended a program in 2000.

She said the camp is a great way for kids to prepare for preschool and meet new friends.

“The kids get so much out of the social experience ... ” Macchia said. “As a parent, it’s nice to see children meeting other children from surrounding communities.”