It’s that time of year, when we change from the daily routine of getting our kids off to school, and gear up for summer activities. Getting ready for camp is exciting, whether it be a day camp or a longer-term sleepover camp. As we prepare for our first session to start on Monday, we thought it might be helpful to pass along some ideas of how to help everyone have a fabulous summer experience, no matter where you are participating in camp. Here are a few things that resonated with us;
Prepare your child ahead of time - Talk with your child about their upcoming experience before they leave. Discuss their concerns. Highlight their strengths, and explain that they will be able to build on these skills and develop new ones at camp. Talk about problems they may have had at school and how to better handle them at camp.
Discuss cleanliness with your child - Regular hand washing and proper hygiene are essential to avoiding common summer-camp health issues
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Check your email - Emails from the camps aren't just a marketing tool. They contain helpful information and important notifications
Talk to your child about their daily experiences - We are all familiar with learning through books or in classes or from teachers and peers, but many overlook perhaps the most thorough learning experience – teaching. The best test of whether or not you really understand a concept is trying to teach it to someone else. Having your child tell you or “teach” you what they are learning and experiencing in camp each day utilizes this concept. Asking leading questions: “What was your favorite part of camp today?” and “why?” vs. “Did you have fun?” will engage your child in a much more interactive conversation and help solidify their experience and learning.
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We’d love to hear your ideas as well. What has worked for you as you have sent your children off to camp? What have you learned that would benefit other parents or camp organizers?
We’ve included a few links below that may be of value for further reading.
So, go out and have a FABULOUS SUMMER!! We’d love an ongoing dialogue of your experiences – Visit us on our Facebook page to share more camp preparation ideas https://www.facebook.com/MVCCT?ref=hl
Read more:
http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/tips-for-a-smooth-summer-camp-send-off/#ixzz2XVtjE82R
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_137654.html
We found a great summer camp handbook at
http://www.summercamphandbook.com – Although this is geared to long-term overnight camps there is some great information all the way around.
