Summer camps for children
The summer holidays are looming and while several weeks away from school can seem like heaven to children most of them do need some structure and organised activity in their daily routines. To avoid boredom and the chaos it tends to cause, why not look into booking a summer camp for your child to attend?
Most areas around theUKwill have some kind of summer camp in operation; if you’re lucky, yours will have several catering to different tastes. Even if there is only one in your local area, don’t book it without researching alternatives first; the experience will be most beneficial when a camp which suits both the child and the parents is chosen.
Before deciding where your precious angel’s summer activities will be based, there are a few factors you should consider.
Some questions to ask yourself before you choose include;
- What do you and your child want to gain from the camp experience?
- Should the camp include specific skills or activities?
- What activities interest your child most?
- Does your child have any additional support needs or limitations which should be taken into consideration?
- Would it be more beneficial for your child to mix more with children their own age, do they need to be pushed or are they best left to develop at their own pace?
Once you have answered these, you will be closer to finding a summer activity which is best suited to you and your child. You can now start investigating summer camps while taking what you both want into consideration, alongside more general factors such as time, price, size and location. As with any other organisation involving working with children, summer camps and activities should employ only highly qualified and registered staff and should be regularly inspected by Ofsted inEnglandandWalesor the Care Inspectorate inScotland.
Once you start looking into available summer camps, you will find that there are a number of different types offered: sports camps, adventure camps, those who teach skills such as film-making, photography or arts and crafts and even camps abroad, where your child can learn a second (or third, or fourth..) language in a friendly setting.
It goes without saying that residential camps are not for everyone; not every parent and child are happy with being apart for an extended period of time and many children are not fond of staying away overnight.
Over the course of the school holidays, there will also be plenty of daytime summer activities available in your area. These range from family fun days to sports camps to pottery classes to martial arts workshops, there is usually something local your child would like to take part in. Many libraries also offer summer activities such as building space stations, story-telling sessions and nursery rhyme sing-alongs for very young children.
If you are looking for residential camps, it is best to communicate with the organisation by phone as well as email. This makes it easier for you to be sure that your child’s interests and needs will be met when they are away from home, as well as giving you some contact with the people they will be staying with. It is advisable to have a list of questions prepared before phoning so you know you won’t forget anything important.
Some questions to consider asking the camp
- What is their philosophy?
- How many children attend?
- What’s the staff child ratio?
- How are staff recruited (ensure they are ECRB checked) and trained?
- What safety training does the staff receive?
- How many staff return each year?
- How many children return each year?
- What’s the age range of the children?
- How is the age range dealt with i.e. are children grouped by age?
- How old are the staff?
- How many staff are medically trained?
- How far away is the nearest medical facility?
- How do they handle homesickness?
- How do they approach discipline?
- What is a typical day’s schedule?
- How often are visiting days?
- What is the menu like, can they handle special requests e.g allergies, religious needs?
- Is there a 24 hour emergency number you can call?
- Check references and insurance.
- Check the costs and if there will be any extras.
- Check cancellation fees.
These are just some questions, you’ll have more of your own but never be put off asking – there is no such thing as a silly question where your child is concerned.
For details about local day activities, check your local council website or the noticeboard in your library or community centre. Make sure to find out what is available sooner rather than later, as many activities can only cater for a certain number of children and they tend to fill up quickly.
Naturally we can help with any of this should you like us to, just get in touch info@cushiontheimpact.co.uk or 0845 269 6922
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