Gone are the days when children would laze around the house or stay glued to the idiot box during summer holidays.

With schools shut for vacation, summer camps have become the rage where children hone their creative skills.

Summer camps in the steel city are offering workshops on music, dance, art and craft, sports including swimming.

The Tata Steel sports department inaugurated their 20-day summer camp on Tuesday with over 3,000 students taking part in a host of sporting disciplines like swimming, cricket and football.

Jusco School in South Park held a five-day summer camp from May 7 to 11 on its school premises. Around 35 students participated in the camp where they got to attend art and craft workshops.

"Students were taught to make eco-friendly products like newspaper bags, handmade bird-table for birds, 3D photo frames and pot decoration. They also designed a hanging garden by using old plastic bottles. They were trained under by art teacher Vikash Das," said Mili Sinha, vice-principal, Jusco School South Park.

City-based sports outfit Odyssey Wonders along with Marwari Yuva Manch will organise a camp Summer Funk from May 12 to 15 at Nature Education Centre of Tata Steel Zoological Park. The camp will offer lessons on health and hygiene, go-karting, painting, dance, tattoo making, nail art, story-writing and other activities.

Blossoms, a teachers' organisation, recently held a camp from May 6 to 10 at The Boulevard Hotel in Bistupur. Around 50 students from KG to Class VII took part in the camp where they picked up lessons in tattoo making, English puzzles, photography, art and craft and fireless cooking.

Parents are happy their children are busy doing something creative.

"I enrolled my son at the summer camp at JRD Tata Sports Complex. I am glad he is learning something new," said parent Bani Prasad Mukherjee.

Children are equally happy. "I am taking swimming lessons at JRD Tata Sports Complex. Totally enjoying it," said Pushpam Priya, a Class V student of Little Flower School.