The Porter County Parks and Recreation Department was in search of a fresh look for its summer camps this year.

And, when the staff became stumped on what to call the new camps, they needed some advice from a kid. After mulling it over for just a few minutes, Lily Thorgren, 8, who is a family member of a Porter County Parks and Recreation staff member, came up with the perfect name “Camp Funset.”

And fun will be the key feature for the Camp Funset programs this summer at Sunset Hill Farm County Park.

Campers will spend each day hiking, singing, working on arts and crafts, playing games and meeting special guests. The camps are divided into two age groups Acorns (incoming first-graders to eight-year-olds) and Sprouts (ages nine through 12).

Porter County Parks and Recreation Programmer Katie Rizer, who is the head of Camp Funset, said she and her staff kept the best features of past camps, while adding new elements as well.

“It’s so exciting to see how Camp Funset is coming together,” Rizer said. “We’ve taken what campers have loved in the past and super-sized it with this year’s camps. From movie making and nature programs to daily hands-on science activities and crazy hiking songs, we∂re planning our best summer camp ever.”

The camps will run from June to August and feature programs that foster a wide range of interests. One of the more unique offerings will be a film camp, during which campers will write, direct and act in a video all about Sunset Hill Farm County Park.

Other camps will include a Nature Rangers Camp, during which campers will get to examine a new facet of the park from the prairies and woodlands to the wetlands and ponds. The Wilderness Camp will teach the skills necessary to responsibly live outdoors, while the Wilderness Campout will allow campers to put those skills into action by spending a night under the stars at Sunset Hill Campground.

A camp geared toward art projects, called the Creative Kids Camp, will allow campers to explore painting, molding, decoupage and beads, among other activities for budding artists.

“That biggest compliment I can hear from parents of campers is their child went home tired and happy chatting about the day,” Porter County Parks and Recreation Recreations Supervisor Gayle O’Connor said. “The landscape of woodlands, prairies, and ponds makes Sunset Hill Farm County Park an awesome place for campers to experience fun, play, and adventure.”

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For information, call 219-465-3586, or e-mail pcparks@porterco.org