What Should You Look for when Deciding on a Summer Camp?

Come summer and you can see scores of parents hunting high and low and seeking feedback of friends and colleagues on that ‘perfect’ summer camp? Why summer camps have all of a sudden gained so much popularity? Without doubt, for working professionals summer camp is a good way to keep their child engaged in a constructive activity during the summer holidays. But, beyond that what benefits accrue to children who go for summer camps. Are there any takeaways for real, or is summer camp just an expensive proposition to keep kids busy? My Health Guardian answers all the queries that you might be having this summer.
Let’s review the check list–
1. Focus—other than keeping your child occupied summer camp should have an objective, which is to enrich the personality of the child. At the end of the camp the child should learn a new skill which would not be possible otherwise.
2. Distance from home—In the name of learning a new skill or art the child should not travel long distance. After all, its summer holidays and summer camps should not be an arduous task.
3. Interest of the child—Of late, grown ups as well as kids come with shorter attention spans. Camp conductors find it a challenge to keep the child hooked in the activities. Hence, it’s advisable to consult your child when choosing on the camp. If your child is interested in dancing, enroll him for dancing classes and if he is into fitness, he will like to go to fitness classes.

4. Peer pressure—you just can’t ignore this factor while deciding on a summer camp. If all your child’s friends are going for swimming lessons this summer, inadvertently, your child too will insist to join his friends.

5. How old is the summer camp—while summer camps are mushrooming every other day, still you should go for those camps which are being conducted by schools because they have an established system in place. After all, when there are 20 to 30 children together you need infrastructure in place—qualified teachers, spacious and air-cooled rooms (at least) individual attention, clean rest rooms, availability of drinking water and conveyance.

6. No technology—As it is children have more than enough exposure to technology in the form of video games, Farmville sessions on Facebook and Play Stations. When they are not gaming, they are watching cartoons. Hence, when choosing a camp keep in mind that the curriculum should keep technology to minimum. Summer camps should throw in outdoor activities like trip to a farm, nature walks, planting a sapling and pottery which the child would not be able to do in his regular life.

Summer camps are designed to be fun and that’s the whole purpose of it. The camps should spell a departure from academics. The focus should be on learning in a light-hearted way. Moreover parents need to refrain from keeping huge expectations of the summer camp. At the end of the day the child should enjoy the summer camp.

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