The quest for the perfect summer camp!

Most harrowed homemakers find this word to be the mantra of frayed nerves. Having children at home during summer holidays is everybody’s cup of tea. Most metros have playschools and hobby centres that cater to the bored summer child. There are so many summer camps and only one summer. How does one find the perfect place for their child to spend those lazy summer days in an energetic fashion?
It starts with choosing the right program for your child, matching the child's needs and personality with the appropriate summer camp experience and listening intently to the family's concerns. If a few summer camps seem interesting, check them out to make sure they work for your child. Avoid camps that promise a lot of activities in a short span of time. If only one or two sessions are allotted for each activity, the child learns nothing. Yoga, as a part of a camp, is not suitable as postures can be learnt wrong in a group and also because yoga has to be tailor-made for the individual. A cookery class for children below the age of 14 does not help, as they would always require parental help when in the kitchen. The usefulness of a handwriting course is very doubtful because handwriting cannot be changed. One's handwriting is often a reflection of his/her attitudes and personality. However, some areas of handwriting can be corrected and personality traits associated with that aspect should be corrected too. Art from waste and other craft courses are activities offered by many and most summer camps predictably include objects made from ice-cream sticks, pistachio shells and pencil shavings that are not aesthetically appealing. Arts like dance, music, painting and languages take a few years to learn. Summer courses on any of these only serve as a time to find out if the child is interested in pursuing it further. Spoken English classes make or mar a child’s pronunciation for life. In many cases the advertisements themselves are telling. Personality development courses are useful but only if the ideas suggested in these classes are put into practice. Since most children are not self-motivated parents' help is required for one or two months after the course is over for their children to change their thought patterns and build new habits.
A very important aspect to take into consideration is also the age of your child. Keeping a child below 6 years in a full day summer camp can be physically very exhausting. Always keep in mind that the intention of a summer camp or a vacation workshop is for your child to have loads of fun. Honing a child’s skills can take place only in a child friendly environment. As a parent you need to feel comfortable about the hygiene level of the place, the attitude of the caretakers and the quality of the equipment present. If the camp provides food you need to know what they provide before enrolling your child. You also need to make sure that the authorities perfectly understand the medical needs of your child especially if the child is allergic to something.

With so many mind boggling minuses you might be wondering if summer camps are necessary. Many parents avoid giving much thought to this and simply go by what friends or neighbours say or do for their children. The academic curriculum is heavily biased towards learning by rote. Therefore, important aspects like conceptual understanding, reading, thinking skills, creativity boosting arts, sports and relaxation, get neglected. The vacation is the ideal time for parents to see that these needs are fulfilled. So, parents need to find out their children's areas of interest and where they need development and encouragement and plan a suitable mix of holiday activities. Sometimes these activities can be conveniently found under a banner caller “Summer Camp”.

Rainy days and your child!!

My son doesn’t take well to rainy days. Most children below the age of five, find the monsoon season extremely boring. Parents pose restrictions on kicking in puddles and getting wet. However, playing indoors need not boil down to watching TV.
Here are a few games to play with your child and his/her friends when the rain plays spoil sport.

1. Puppet show - Take a big cardboard box and make a dupatta curtain in the centre. Open out the flaps in order to put puppets through the back and use front flaps as windows. The child’s dolls, toys like cars, spoons, etc. can be used and a story can be spun with imagination.

2. Hide the loot – Give your child ten items and tell them to hide one item in a bag. Guess the item hidden by asking your child to describe what he/she hid.

3. Photo fun – Make a photo collage of your child’s favorite pictures from your recent vacation on a chart paper and add comment stickers or emoticons in appropriate places. Hang in your child’s room when complete. Photo collages make great décor ideas too!!

4. Colour splash – Paint a picture using old toothbrushes, bottle caps, sponge, waste wool, fingers, hands, toes and just about anything other than paint brushes. Make sure you do this on the floor and don’t get any paint onto a costly outfit or a carpet.
5. Junk art – Use material from all over the house. Cotton, old magazine pictures, buttons, sand, old shoe lace, wrapping paper and just about anything. Make a Christmas scene or a meadow and watch your child’s imagination flitter like a butterfly!!

6. Dress up – Give the age old game of robber and police a twist by dressing up yourself and your son to fit the roles. Dressing up like a character in a story is a good way of getting the child to understand the story completely. The parent can be the narrator and the child can play the central character.

7. Shadow play – For those of you who are not scared of the dark and have brave children, its time to light a candle and put on the musical night lights. Spin a story with shadow figures. The crow looking for water to drink is a beautiful tale to spin around one’s fingers.

8. Cook with mommy – This is a game that can be messy. Children love helping their grown-ups in their grown-up things. Explain that cutting and cooking on the stove/oven are grown up things to do. However the child can help wash the vegetables, add certain ingredients, beat an egg and a whole load of other things that can be fun.

9. Song and dance – Teach your child simple dance steps to his/her favorite song/rhyme. Dress him/her up like a pop/rock star and have your own Indian Idol show at home!!
10. Puzzle when it drizzles – Buy a puzzle for your child and hide it from them till the monsoon arrives. On a dull, dreary “can’t do anything else” day give them this surprise gift and watch them lose track of time.

Here’s wishing all you mom’s a happy fun filled Monsoon!!