[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Each year, all across the globe, millions of children attend summer camps. Nowadays almost every educational institute would run a summer camp. Some argue it is just something for those parents who work and need some place to keep their children occupied during the long summer breaks. While this is one of the outcomes of the summer camp, it is by no means the main reason why a child should be sent to a summer camp.
Although each camp is different, education researchers have found some major themes which are prevalent in most experiences. You can read the research outcome from American Camp Association website for details.
I have compiled a short summary of the available information and would try to outline the information and list down the major benefits of why a summer camp is important for a child.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Self-esteem boost & Develops independence” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Once a child is at a new environment at camp, they do not have the luxury to fall back to their existing social structure, they will approach people and make connections on their own. They have to put themselves out there which teaches them confidence.
“It’s a great way to encourage self-development and also develop independence,” says Debbie Whelan of Ypsilanti.
When choosing a summer camp for your child, make sure you talk to the organizer and learn their plans about what to expect in terms of providing circumstances to the children to be able to increase their self-esteem. Are they going to follow a strict routine? where child is told what to do at every step? or will they allow the children to make decisions and let them decide on a particular activity? at any given time, are more than one activity available to the child even? [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=” Spend their day being physically active” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]In today’s day and age, with the abundance of digital media , kids often spend most of their time watching TV or playing video games on tablets, (mostly sitting down).
A summer camp is an excellent outlet to engage your child in physical activities. Your chosen camp should have enough physical activities that your child would not get bored by doing the same thing again and again. The routine should have enough variance to make the child want to do an activity and to look forward to the next class of their favorite physical game.
A point to remember here is that even though children often don’t feel the heat when playing as much as we adults do, long exposure to outside play is not recommended in our part of the world during summer. Your chosen camp’s physical activities need to be primarily focused on providing the action without the side effect of cooking in the heat. Activities such a Yoga, Mixed martial arts, and Meditation for kids are excellent examples of the same.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Unplug from technology” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Only physical activity is not the only way for your child to step away and unplug from technology.
When the kids move away from TV, cell phones, tablets and the Internet, they rediscover their creative powers and engage the real world— real people, real activities, and real emotions. They realize, there’s always plenty to do
Activities which involve the child to think and create something are best. As we all know, play is our brains favorite way of learning, activities aimed to provide the most fun to children are the ones which you should look for when deciding which camp to send your child to.
Painting and Arts n Crafts are not the only way of providing a creative outlet to your child. personality development games and academic games exercise the brain while imparting important skills to your child.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Develop lifelong skills & memories” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]This is a very important element. The right skills, taught in the right manner would develop abilities which are life long. . The sheer variety of activities offered at camp makes it easy for kids to discover and develop what they like to do.
The Summer Camp is the place where kids make their very best friends, it encourages kids to relax and make friends easily. All the fun at camp draws everyone together— singing, laughing, talking, playing, doing almost everything together.
Kids have tons of memories of the good times, silly shenanigans and fun activities. It’s a time of discovery and self-improvement that stays with a kid long into adulthood.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Have free time for unstructured play” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Unstructured play has been making the waves in recent studies. Usually at school, children are bound to a routine and their schedule is packed with adult-supervised and adult-driven activities. A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) makes clear, such activities should not come at the expense of free and unstructured play, which is critical to healthy child development. To learn more about unstructured play , please click here.
Free from the overly-structured, overly-scheduled routines of home and school, at camp children have the much needed free time to just play.
Once again, when deciding the best camp for your child, ask the organizers about their plan for unstructured play.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Develop interests” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Given the sheer amount of activities, children will naturally tend to those that interest them the most. A summer camp is a nurturing environment for the children where they explore activities and programs and often those turn into lifelong passions.
Make sure that the summer camp you are sending your child to does not require them all to do the same thing as other children are doing. Granted there would be some organized activities and a time-table to follow but as mentioned above, the value of unstructured play combined with the freedom to choose activities would make your child understand more about their own interests, gain confident, increase their self-esteem and most importantly give life long skills and memories.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Water Fun Helps in the Heat” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]This point is mainly true for our region. In this heat it is important that children cool off form the heat in terms of water fun. Not necessarily swimming but even splashing at least twice a week is recommended. Make sure you send in extra clothes on water days with your child[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Learn Life lessons through Storytelling” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Often we only focus on what a child can do and play that we forget an important element, that is reading. Reading is a skill that would be most beneficial for your child. What better way to teach children life long skills in the form of story telling?
In my view, no skill is as important. When your child is an adult, if they face a math challenge or technical problem they can find the solution or learn from colleagues and peers. However consider just a few of the many applicable skills being addressed in a story telling unit:
- Mapping a story to find a beginning, middle and end
- Sifting the wheat from the chaff to distinquish important elements from irrelevant details
- Memorizing for theme and content
- Improvising for syntax and compelling delivery
- Speaking in front of a small group (rehearsal)
- Receiving and offering constructive criticism in a peer group
- Speaking in front of a large group
- Communicating values through story
[/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”Does your child’s summer camp cover all elements ? ” color=”custom” border_width=”2″ accent_color=”#704825″][vc_custom_heading text=”Register Now for Our Summer Camp!” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23704825″ google_fonts=”font_family:Salsa%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fsarahsplaygroup.com%2Fsummer-camp-registration%2F||”][vc_single_image image=”3607″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large” css_animation=”appear”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_wp_posts number=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]