How to Create a Memorable Summer Kids Best Camp Program
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Are you planning a summer kids camp trip for your students? If yes, it’s important to have a proper plan of action. First, determine the camping location, and decide whether or not the trip will be on a day time or overnight program.
Should you settle for an overnight camp, there will be numerous other things to consider. These include accommodation and meals. If the majority of the participants prefer a day camping option you’ll need to hire a reliable transportation service. Further, you’ll have to get volunteers who will be tasked with supervising the kids. The final step will be calculating the total amount each participant should contribute.
What other factors should you consider? Read on to find out. We’ll also establish why you should go summer camping in Switzerland.
What to Include in Your Summer Kids Camp Program
· Camp Games
Assuming the summer kids camp will be an overnight stay, you’ll want to have enough activities to keep the kids occupied. Remember, these should be different from the main theme in your program. Choose fun and interesting indoor games depending on the kid’s ages.
The kids can participate in some of these activities in the evening around a campfire. These can include storytelling, stargazing, and engaging in nighttime photography.
Some of the activities the kids can enjoy during the day include scavenger hunting, relays, and sack racing. Games are simple and precise strategies that you can use to help the kids relax. They also help the children bond while encouraging them to work together as a team.
· Summer Kids Camp Themes
When you’re planning a summer kids camp trip, have a child-friendly theme. This will help the participants know what to expect from the. Sharing the theme early enough helps participants make changes depending on their needs and expectations.
Some themes you can include in your program include adventure, swimming, fishing, art and craft, and hiking. You can have the kids choose their themes in advance. This will help you decide what you should amend or eliminate.
· Assign Free Time
Usually, summer kid’s camping events are attended by many children from different parts of the world. Still, you want to include free time in the program. Kids can use this time to meditate, connect with themselves, or make new friends.
One of the best ways children can use their free time is by writing their opinion about summer camp. They can even have a diary where they write their daily activities. Remember, summer is the time when you should let the children free to do things on their own. However, you should encourage them where necessary.
· Include a Special Day
Consider including a special day in your summer kids camp program. This can be a get-together party, or a talent and cultural day. Here, kids will get a chance to showcase their tradition and culture and learn about other cultures too. For the talent day, kids will be tasked with showcasing their skills such as dancing, playing the guitar, painting, and singing.
· Counselors
When planning a summer kid’s camp program, consider having doctors and counsellors on board. Some camps have them on board, meaning you don’t have to outsource them while camping.
This is one of the reasons you should consider camping in Les Elfes. The camp that runs round the year has been in existence for more than 30 years. Campers enjoy a wide range of fun and exciting activities. What’s more, the staffs strive to give campers a memorable experience.
Why are counsellors and doctors important for a summer kids camping trip? Sometimes kids will experience homesickness especially if they’re camping for the first time. Some kids who perform dismally in camp may be depressed and this is where a counsellor or doctor comes in.
These experts play a huge role in helping the kids feel comfortable. Counsellors also observe children’s behavioral patterns and collaborate with the organizers to bring out the best in a kid. This helps boost the quality of the summer kid camp experience.
· Adventure Sports
Adventure sports are interesting and fun activities that children look out for when camping. Include various sports such as river crossing, rock climbing, paragliding, and snorkeling in your summer kids camp program. These adventurous sports require specialized equipment which you can buy.
However, you don’t have to go through the hassle of choosing the best equipment for your kids. Les Elfes has this equipment which you can hire for reasonable prices. Remember, kids will need supervision while engaging in these sports. The camp has qualified experts but you can also bring your preferred supervisor.
Ensure children only participate in sports they like. Rather than forcing them to participate in activities, they are scared of, encourage them. This can help enhance their morale to participate. You can also allow them to participate in the activity under the supervision of an adult. This will help improve their confidence.
· Art Day
An art day is a must-have in a summer kids camp. Children can learn painting, pottery, and even drawing. You can encourage the kids to decorate parts of the camp depending on their preferences. Further, you could organize an exhibition to showcase different crafts made by the children. A summer kids camp gratitude string or wall can also come in handy. Hang all the crafts the kids make on the string or tape them along the wall. Use colorful clips to achieve an appealing end result.
Why choose Switzerland for a Summer Kids Camp
Switzerland is a great summer vacation destination that your kids will love visiting. There are many reasons why you should include the country in your summer kids camp program. For instance, campers get a chance to camp outdoors by scenic lakes, mountains, and forests.
Switzerland boasts some of the best natural sceneries across Europe. From the Alpine territory to the serene forests and green plains, this country is a sanctuary for nature lovers. Whether you’re outgoing or reserved, Switzerland is a fun place where you can enjoy a wide range of interesting activities.
Finally
Summer brings about excitement where both children and adults look forward to go camping and engage in fun outdoor activities. Use these tips to create a summer kids camp program that your children will love, and remember many years after.
How can Children make the most out of a Boys and Girls Summer Camp?
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Summer gives children a short-term relief from the structured model of learning. This allows them to attend and enjoy fun and exciting opportunities at summer camp. While boys and girls summer camp is different from a classroom setup, children can still develop intellectually.
By attending summer camp, your child can acquire physical, emotional, and cognitive development benefits. Let’s discuss how your child can get the most out boys and girls summer camp.
Finding the Proper Summer Camp for Your Child
With summer camps becoming popular by the day, many guardians and parents struggle to choose the best one for their children. Here are some tips to help understand how to identify a good camp.
· Set Your Expectations
Before choosing a summer camp, consider defining what you want your child to achieve. Do you want them to meet and make new friends? Perhaps you want them to become independent or even explore their interests.
Some facilities have specially designed boys and girls summer camp programs. These allow students to interact with other students from different parts of the world. Apart from learning about different cultures, they get a chance to engage in exciting outdoor-related activities together.
Remember, you can make the experience more interesting by involving your children in the planning process. You don’t want to force them into programs they hardly like. If your children are in their teenage stage for example, they may be reluctant to attend if they don’t like the program.
Engage them in conversations and listen for what they love doing. What are their hobbies? Do they enjoy cooking, going for field trips, hiking, or sports? If they do ensure the facility has these lined up in its program.
How old is your child? Are they comfortable with being far from home? If your child is younger then day camps would be ideal. For older children, you can either choose overnight or night camps.
All these allow your children to socialize, play sports, and learn new skills. However, if your child is old enough and comfortable with being away from home prolonged summer camp trips can be ideal. These allow the children to explore more activities together that help them develop independence.
· Determine your Budget
Prices vary from one summer camp to the other. Don’t let the prices discourage you from enrolling your child in one. Think of a boys and girls camp as an investment. Children can achieve a lot from participating in a summer camp vacation as we’ve seen above.
While some camps can be expensive, the short term and long term benefits your child will gain are worth every penny. Many times, pricing reflects the quality of the facility and can be equated to what your child will gain out of it.
Some boys and girls summer camps can be cheap depending on the quality of their services. If you’re working on a budget you can as well look for discounts. Some camping facilities offer customized discounted services that you may want to consider.
How to Ensure Your Child gets the Best out of Summer Camp
Here are various ways through which you can help your child to benefit from summer camp.
· Mixing Fun and Learning in Summer Camp
Apart from learning children attending a boys and girls summer camps can expect to engage in other fun, exciting, and valuable activities. Still, you may want to assist them to ensure they get the best out of the experience. Here are various ways through which young campers can get the best out of a summer camp experience.
· Have them Take Part in all Activities
Children will find some parts of the boys and girls summer camp more valuable and fun than others. Encourage young campers to try and participate in both the activities they love and those they hardly like. Let them understand that all the activities are carefully chosen to ensure participants get the most out of the summer camp. If the children want to achieve their goals it’ll be important that they participate in all the laid down activities.
· Encourage Your Children to Socialize with Fellow Campers
While summer offers learning opportunities, they are also great outlets that allow children to interact with and make new friends. Children have different personalities. For instance, your child may be quiet and shy.
However, you can encourage them to mingle with and talk to their peers at the summer camp. Doing so goes a long way in helping them develop their socializing skills. Further, this helps them become more open-minded in accommodating children from different backgrounds. This is a good way of broadening the children’s social circles too.
· Encourage Young Campers to Connect with Camp Instructors too
Children who enroll for summer camps that focus on specific areas such as STEM and robotics can benefit more by interacting with their instructors. Let your children understand that tutors are qualified and experienced individuals who can help them succeed in their studies.
Your child will be more willing to interact with experts to enhance their skills. If you expect your children to get more from the summer camp encourage them to ask as many questions as possible. Young campers will get valuable learning experiences from sharing and discussing various topics with their instructors.
· Let the kids set their Goals
Give the children a chance to define their goals. This not only helps them understand what they want to achieve, but it’ll also motivates them to participate in all activities. Sometimes children will have a problem setting their goals. In this case, you should help them.
Help them understand that they don’t need big objectives. They can start with small but attainable goals such as making a new friend. They can also strive to learn a new skill they don’t really like, or figure out how to play specific sports.
Finally
Going for summer camps comes with endless benefits that can last for a long time. Your child will come back from camp more independent and having gained various new skills. Apart from making new friends, they’ll have created great memories to cherish for many years.
Enroll your child for the upcoming summer camp today and get a 10% discount.
7 Activities Your Child can try in a Summer Camp for Teens
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Summer camp trips are fun and
exciting. If you’re planning a summer camp for teens, however, you understand
it can be challenging. While teenagers are energetic, they can be choosy. This means
pleasing them can be a difficult task.
You want to involve them in the
planning process to ensure they don’t end up bored while on holiday. Allow them
to voice their expectations, and plan in advance to make their summer camp for
teens experience a memorable one. Here are some activities your child can try
while on a summer camp trip.
1.
The Down, Down, Down Game
The game that first originated from
Australia has today been adopted in other summer camps across the world. It’s
similar to Twister, a popular American game. To play this summer camp for teens
game your child needs a tennis ball. Two players then stand some distance apart
and toss the ball backward and forward at each other.
If one player misses the ball for the
first time they’ll have to go down on one knee. When they miss the second time
they go down on two knees. If they continue missing they’ll need to go down on
one elbow then the other.
This trend continues until one player
is tossing the ball while on their elbows and knees. The first player who
misses the ball when down on all their elbows and knees becomes the loser.
In this case, another player will
have to come on board to face off with the winner. This game is fun and
interesting and teenagers will be excited to participate.
2.
Bean Bag Tossing
This is a common summer camp activity for teens that takes up little space. Setting it up is easy and there are various ways of maintaining scores, and making the game more interesting. An ordinary bean bag throw game is a frame or wooden frame that rests at an angle on the ground.
The frame comes with five holes. One
hole is located at the top, two are right below it, while three are at the
bottom part of the frame. Teenagers can either give each hole a different score
or toss at the different levels with contrasting colored bean bags. The bean
bag tossing game is a fun and competitive activity that teens will love. It’s
also ideal for restricted spaces.
3.
Wet Shirt Relay
Summer is the perfect time of the
year to engage in water-related games. The wet shirt relay game is an
action-filled, fun, and thrilling summer camp for teens game. It’s a great outdoor activity for your kids to cool off on a hot day. Teenagers need
around three buckets and three big tee shirts.
Divide the teens into teams and give
each team a bucket and a tee shirt. With the buckets filled with water and
placed some feet apart, immerse a tee shirt in each. Each team will then have a
member race to the bucket.
Here, they’ll need to pick and wear
the wet shirt on top of their bathing costume. After this, they’ll need to run
to the next group member, remove the tee shirt and hand it over.
The team member who gets the t-shirt
will immediately run to the bucket, immerse it, and wear it before racing back.
The team that finishes first wins the race.
4.
Water Balloon Volleyball
This is a throw-and-catch summer camp for teens game that campers play outside with water balloons. You’ll need to get the teenagers to fill up between 25 and 30 water balloons in preparation for the game.
Tie a rope or net between two trees
where the hurling of the balloons will take place. Divide the teenagers into
two teams. Each team should have a towel that acts like the balloon sling.
Water balloon volleyball is played like ordinary volleyball.
However, the water balloon is thrown
over the net with the help of a towel sling, and caught in the same way. When
the balloon breaks on one side the opposite team gets a point. To prolong the
game and make it more exciting you can replace the balloons every time they
break.
5.
Mad Libs
The mad libs game can be played
indoors. It’s a verbal pattern word game where one player asks their peers for
a series of words. The words are then used as alternatives for blanks in a
narrative before they can read it aloud.
Teenagers attending a summer camp
trip can practice mad libs as a pastime or party game. Apart from having fun,
participants in this summer camp for teen game will find it educational.
Mad libs is available in different themes that teenagers will find interesting.
Some of these focus on cartoons, flowers, and pets. There are different free
mad lib word games available online. Teenagers will have a wide range of
options to keep them busy during their summer camp vacation.
6.
Twenty Questions
This is a spoken word game that
teenagers can play in the evening by the campfire. This game first originated
in the United States. It stimulates deductive creativity and reasoning. To play
this game the camper who’s chosen to begin thinks of an item.
The rest of the teenagers then ask
the participant questions one after the other to try and figure the item out.
Some of the questions can be: is it a loaf of bread? Is it a domestic animal?
Or is it a tree?
The participant can only give a yes
or no answer. Any teen who’s certain they know the answer can just shout out
the answer. However, if the answer turns out to be wrong then they’re suspended
from the game.
The teenager who guesses the right
answer becomes the winner. However, if no one gives the right guess then the
participating teenager wins.
7.
Shave the Balloon
Shave the balloon is an outdoor summer camp for teens activity that can be fun but messy. Here, three of four participants are chosen to challenge one another. They are then tasked with shaving a balloon that’s coated in shaving cream. This task may seem easy but a small scratch will make it burst, splashing shaving cream all over.
The first teenager who manages to
shave the balloon successfully becomes the winner. Completing this task
requires the use of sharp objects. The summer camp facility should have
qualified personnel to ensure teenagers are safe while playing. A pair of
leather gloves and safety razors will guarantee safety.
Finally
These activities will be fun and
exciting for your teenagers. Further, but they’ll also leave them looking
forward to the next summer camp for teens trip.
Register on our website today and enjoy free cancellation until May 2020.
Understanding the Importance of a Summer’s Best Two Weeks Camping Experience
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Summer camps offer you the perfect opportunity to familiarize your child with different games, fun sports, and new friends. However, a short camping trip limits the number of activities and amount of fun your child can have. This is where a summer’s best two weeks camping tour comes in. On this post we shall discuss:
Les Elfes summer camps
Summer camp activities your child can engage in at Les Elfes
Les Elfes is an elegant international camp situated in Verbier, the French-speaking region of Switzerland. If you don’t speak French however, you shouldn’t worry because English is the official language spoken at the camp.
All international campers staying at the camp communicate in English both in class and during their free time. One good thing about Les Elfes is campers can enroll in foreign language studies. By adopting a communicative learning approach, foreign campers register speedy progress in their designated groups.
Verbier is characterized by an exclusive atmosphere, scenic landscapes, and glamour. Les Elfes, on the other hand, is the only camp in Switzerland that runs all year long. However, there have been inconveniences lately as the world struggles to contain the Coronavirus pandemic.
The management at Les Elfes is monitoring the situation and plans to open the summer camp on 20th July 2020. Non-English speaking campers can enroll for English lessons as part of their educational program.
Language Courses at Les Elfes
There are two types of language courses. The classical program is a spoken French, Spanish, English, and German course that runs for 8 hours per week. Lessons in this program are conducted at the summer camp in Verbier.
The intensive program offers English lessons for 15 hours every week. Lessons are conducted in the morning and follow a five-day model. Campers are free to engage in leisure time in the afternoon.
To make the lessons fun and exciting, the intensive program is structured to ensure students learn in small groups (not exceeding 7 learners.) The Les Elfes summer’s best two weeks camping experience includes fun sporting, creative, and entertaining activities as we shall see later.
Food and Accommodation
Campers participating at Les Elfes summers best two weeks camping experience live in comfortable, classical alpine chalets. These are built of wood and stone and each comes with a reception area, living room, and roomy recreational areas.
They also have a barbecue area, terrace, music room, fireplace area, kitchen, internet cafe, a private dining area, and a library. Campers looking for a more adventurous experience can opt to camp outside in tents.
Planning a long term camping trip can be a difficult task. What with everything you have to organize? The exercise can be more challenging if your kids are going for their first camping experience. This is because you’ll need to buy camping gear.
By camping at Les Elfes you don’t have to struggle with buying camping gear. You can hire every gear you need at the camp at friendly prices. Campers can choose to cook their food or make arrangements for onsite catering services.
Activities at the Les Elfes Summer Camp
Summer provides campers with the perfect weather to engage in exciting outdoor-related activities. No parent will want to send their children on a summer’s best two weeks trip only for them to spend endless time indoors. At Les Elfes, there are plenty of exciting activities that your kids will enjoy. These include:
· Bike Riding
Kids and teens alike love bike riding and the camp organizers at Les Elfes understand this well. This is why there are bike riding activities for every age group. Apart from having fun, there are many benefits that your child will get from bike riding at the camp. Campers can hire bikes and riding gear at the camp.
· Wall Climbing at the Onsite Gym
Wall climbing is fast becoming a popular sport for both kids and adults. There’s an onsite gym at Les Elfes that has a climbing wall. Your kids will love engaging in this activity while bonding with their newfound friends.
Further, they’ll enhance their eye, feet, and hand coordination. There’s an onsite trained and experienced coach who will train and monitor the kids. All the gear kids need to engage in wall climbing is available for hire at the camp. However, you should ensure your kid has a proper pair of socks.
· Making Friendship bracelets
Creating friendship bracelets is an easy and fun activity that children of all ages can participate in. Parents should ensure their kids have enough yarn, tape, and colored floss. They’ll also need some lettered beads that they can use to sew in their friend’s name on the finished bracelets.
Remember, your kids will make new friends during their summer best two weeks camping experience. Exchanging bracelets at the end of the trip is a fun way of carrying unforgettable memories from the trip.
· Afternoon and Evening Activities
Afternoon and evening programs at Les Elfes are designed to meet the needs of each camper. They are divided into groups with each group engaging in a different activity between 2000hrs and 2145hours just in time for bedtime.
These activities include making ice cream from scratch, team challenges, ice skating, disco night, quizzes, telling stories, and campfires. Other activities include: dining in a Swiss restaurant, participating in games competitions, going for a torchlight walk, and mountain barbeque.
· General Activities
There are various general activities at Les Elfes for campers to choose from. These include arts and crafts where campers join different art clubs that are designed to help broaden their artistic skills.
Other general activities include treasure hunts, hiking, social activities such as playing musical instruments, shopping in Verbier, and going picnicking. Campers will also engage in different ball sports such as football, beach volleyball, minigolf, volleyball, table tennis, basketball, and badminton.
· Certificates and Prize Giving Activity
At the end of the summer’s best two weeks camping trip there’s always a final celebration and prize-giving party. All campers take part in the prize-giving night and the organizers reward campers who achieved specific goals.
During this night, organizers have various entertainment options for campers and parents who may have attended the camping trip. This event offers campers an ideal opportunity to bid their newly acquired friends goodbye.
Apart from the prizes, campers who may have attended language courses are handed language certificates. Every camper receives an activity attendance and progression certificate.
How Will Your Child benefit from a Long Term Camping experience?
Les Elfes summer camps offer the ideal environment for children to learn and enjoy an intercultural community. At the end of the trip, they’ll have gained numerous benefits such as seen below.
· Develops Lifelong Skills
During a summer’s best two weeks camping trip children get a chance to participate in a wide range of group activities. For instance, when a child takes part in a sport such as bowling or volleyball they learn teamwork. They also learn communication and problem-solving skills.
If the child is appointed to be the hiking group leader they’ll be tasked with guiding the team. This will help them develop leadership skills. When a child is tasked with distributing chores among the team members they’ll develop strong communication skills.
Children develop decision-making skills when faced with challenges or conquer obstacles when engaging in adventurous activities such as zip lining. These skills can be developed in a summer camp.
While children learn and develop social skills in school, camp brings together children from diverse cultures and communities. Such an environment encourages a sense of recognition for individual differences. This is different from the school environment which encourages academic achievement.
· Boosts Independence
While on a summer’s best two weeks camping trip a child will have some time away from their parents. This gives them a chance to grow a sense of personal individuality. Children learn how to be self-reliant as they evaluate their interests and identify their weaknesses and strengths.
With time they learn how to listen to and trust their inner voice rather than relying on their elder siblings, teachers, and parents. Independence plays a huge role in the journey to becoming a self-reliant individual.
Is your child afraid of going out or sleeping alone? If they are, summer camp will give them a different perception of the world and help them convert to independence. Independence plays a huge role in enhancing your child’s self-esteem. An independent child will not only be responsible, but they’ll also be good decision-makers.
· Creates the Right Environment and Time to Play
During the school year, children are accustomed to going to school, completing their homework, and preparing for examinations. This leaves them with no time to play. While some may engage in extracurricular activities, these are often executed within a regulated environment.
Summer camp, on the other hand, offers a relaxed environment, and enough freedom and time to engage in play. Unlimited play helps children to enhance imagination and creative thinking skills. It provides children with the right environment to express their emotions and thoughts. In the end, your child will come back happier and more refreshed.
Other summer camp benefits include:
Encourages teamwork and resilience
Helps children to connect with nature
Encourages children to get out of their comfort zone and try new things
Boosts confidence, and
Promotes growth within a secure environment
Finally
Long term summer camping trips provide your child with an opportunity to explore nature, relax, and benefit from the experience.
Book your child’s summer camp trip today and get a 10% discount.
There are many summer camp activities that people from different age groups can try. Did you know you can enjoy summer camp activities at home? Read on to find out.
Summer is an ideal time for children to go
camping since school break falls around this time. If you have children you may
have difficulties choosing the best activities to keep them occupied. One of
the best ways to keep kids active and away from their mobile gadgets is through
summer camp activities.
Summer camps allow children to meet and make new
friends, participate in new challenges, and learn skills. Further, children are
introduced to interactive, fun, and educational activities away from the school
setup.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been hearing more and more
of the parents contacting our camp thinking and saying the same thing.
Oh no, not another summer like last year, where your child
sat inside all day complaining that there was nothing to do, while you fought
as hard as you could just to get them off of their iPad.
Nope, not this year. We are going to give you a list of
summer camp activities so engaging that your child will be bounding out of bed
every morning, eagerly awaiting to hear what is on for the day. Well, that’s
the hope at least…
Here are some of the best summer camp
activities that your child should try this summer.
·
Outdoor Word Game for Children
This is a perfect educational and fun activity for kids. To set it up you need some type of scrabble game with big, easy to move letters. These will help kids get better at spelling specific words. This game is perfect for teenagers since it gives them a chance to learn new words.
·
Outdoor Twister game
This is a perfect game for both
children and the youth. All you need is to cut the bottom part of a cardboard
box into a circle. With this as your base, use different colored spray paint to
draw circles outside.
One person will be tasked with
controlling the game. They’ll shout colors and the participants will be tasked
with identifying and stepping on the same color. This is an exciting and fun
summer camp activity that develops hand-eye coordination.
·
Spray Painting
Spray painting activities are great for helping children exercise their creativity. An easy and cheap way of doing it would be through painting T-shirts. The children only need white plain t-shirts and different cans of colored spray paint. At the end of this activity, you’ll be surprised at what your children are capable of doing. This will not only keep them busy but it gives them a chance to practice and boost their reasoning skills.
·
The Minute to Win It Game
There are different “the minute to
win-it-games” for you to choose from. These games are designed to help children
learn time management skills. Here, children are tasked with completing a task
within one minute. The child who manages to complete their activities within
that time becomes the winner.
Some of these tasks include: stacking
25 or more plastic cups and unstacking them, stacking coins, or the ping pong toss
(where players have a minute to throw ping pong balls inside a container on a
table.) The person who manages to secure the most balls in their container
becomes the winner.
·
The Hallway Maze Game
Here, a maze is created from various
materials such as strings of pepper. The participant is then tasked with
finding their way through the maze within a specific time. During this time
they shouldn’t touch the paper. Up to 5 individuals can participate in
competition before a winner is announced. This is one of the best summer camp
activities for children and adults.
· Art and Craft
Art and craft summer camp activities are a good way to keep children occupied. They can exercise their creativity by painting, making cards, designing pencil holders, or practicing tie and dye. Apart from enhancing creativity, art, and craft activities can be a great brain memory booster for kids. These activities will help bring out hidden skills in your children.
·
Mini Olympics for Kids
Planning a mini Olympics for the
children on a summer camp is a great way of keeping them active and occupied.
These games may include cycling, running, or relay races. These are some of the
summer camp activities you can use to keep children healthy. What’s more, they
could help them discover some of their hidden talents.
·
Hats made From Paper Plates
Both young and older children can
exercise their creativity by creating hats from paper plates while on camp.
They can even paint them with their favorite colors.
·
Chalk Twister
Apart from the chalk twister game, there are various other chalk games. These include chalk maze, sidewalk twister, and alphabet hop. Chalk twister is among the best summer camp activities that your children will enjoy.
This game is similar to the outdoor
twister game we discussed before. Both boys and girls will have lots of fun
playing this game. You’ll need to create a surface or board on the ground using
chalk dust. The rest of the game involves hopping, skipping, and jumping.
·
Parachute Games for Kids
There’s a wide range of parachute
games for kids. This particular one is fun and interesting, and ideal for young
children and teenagers. A massive parachute is held up by a group of around 5
or 6 children. The children then balance balls on the parachute. This is one of
the best summer camp activities that encourages and develops the ability to
work in a team.
·
Pool Noodle Javelin
This is one of the safest and popular
summer camp activities. Children love engaging in this activity too. Here a
participant throws a long material that’s similar to a balloon through a ring
made of the same material. This is a cheap easy to play this game that kids can
play during summer camp or at home on the weekends.
·
Field Day
Nearly all summer camps will have a
field day for the campers. Here, children can participate in various activities
such as field trips, hiking, or going for nature hunts.
If your child loves adventure this will be their best summer camp activity.
·
Tug Of War for Children
This game is different from its intense counterpart that’s usually played by adults, especially men. Unlike in the adult tug of war where a thick rope is used, the kid’s tug of war involves the use of a thin rope made of child-friendly and safe material.
Children enjoy playing this game
while others use it as a fun physical activity. Supervisors should ensure that
children maintain a safe distance between each other for safety reasons.
Children engaging in this game will be tested for their strategy and
strength.
·
Leaf Crown
This fun and interesting summer camp
activity involve creating crowns from leaves. This is a great idea that helps
children become innovative.
·
Nature Hike Project
This summer camp activity is similar
to a scavenger field program. The children look for materials they can use to
make various items such as interactive bracelets. The materials should be
naturally occurring items such as tree barks, leaves, and shells.
·
Making a Compass
This is one of the easy summer camp activities that children can engage in. children can make them using readily available materials which the camp organizers often provide. Children can also bring them from home. These include a sewing needle or pin, a bowl of water, a magnet, and a small piece of paper, cork, or craft foam. Children enjoy making compasses and the activity is innovative and brain-boosting.
·
Bike
Riding (with the family):
I know this one sounds obvious, and maybe you’ve tried it before but how about trying to tie something more relaxing into the activity to give it more appeal. For example, instead of saying let’s go for a family bike ride, how about burying the biking aspect in with
“How about we go on a family
picnic where I make your favorite lunch dish, and we go for a swim in the cool
lake?” When asked how you’ll get there, then you slide in the, Well, by
bikes of course.
It’s been known that children and
teens of this day don’t get nearly enough exercise during the summer. Because
not every child has the option for summer sports activities during the summer months, you’ll
have to get creative ways to get children off of the couch at home, and out
into the glorious summer sunshine. What better way to do this than by good old
fashioned bike power.
·
Rock
climbing wall at the local gym
Many gyms these days have a climbing wall right inside the gym. How about taking your child to the local gym? You’ll first need to call them to find out if they have a climbing wall, but I bet you’ll be surprised that they do.
Then the outing could be down to
the local gym, where they often give you a free pass to check out and try the
climbing wall. This is a great activity, and you may surprise yourself by
finding your child has a knack for climbing that they never knew about. This
happened to my son’s friend last summer, and now he’s hooked.
Many of the rock walls have a free
session for children where the children can train with a trained coach or
expert, and they’ll lend you the shoes, harness and the ropes are already
there. Just make sure to bring your socks!
·
Friendship
bracelets
Friendship bracelets are really easy and fun to make. All you will need is some yarn, or colored floss to weave together, some tape, and some fun doodads to hang off the bracelets.
I’ve seen children use beads, and
other trinkets to make them more fun or personal. Some use beads with letters,
so they could put their friend’s name on the bracelet.
·
Homemade
Ice Cream
Now, what other thing reminds us more of summer than ice cream? And making your ice cream, or even better, having your child or teen make ice cream is an age-old summer activity that will be sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
You would be surprised at how easy
it is to make, and even with only a few common household ingredients that you
likely already have on hand.
·
Ingredients
2 -3 cups (16oz/450ml ) heavy whipping cream, cold
For additional flavors, you can go
as crazy as you want. Think mango puree, strawberries, salted caramel, kiwi,
the list goes on and on, and who can forget about the chocolate sauce.
Instructions
Place
sweetened condensed milk in the fridge to keep cold.
Using
a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold cream on
medium/high speed until soft peaks form.
Pour
the cold condensed milk into the whipped cream.
Whisk
until the mixture is thick and stiff peaks form. Then mix in your vanilla or
other flavors that you like. How about some fresh blueberries that you might
have picked from a nature hike that morning?
In case you didn’t know, this is
what stiff peaks look like. I was always confused by this term myself until I
tried making ice cream and later a tiramisu. You’ll need to whip your ice cream
mix until it reaches the consistency of the below.
Then, just stick in the freezer,
wait a few hours and enjoy!
·
Ring
Toss
A few years ago, we went on a
family vacation to Jamaica with a few other families. There was a simple game
that was a ring, tied to an old piece of fishing line that you had to stand a
few meters away from and swing it onto a spike stuck in a tree.
Believe it or not, this simple game
provided hours of entertainment for children and adults alike. The adults
turned the activity into more of a frat party drinking game but it was still
fun.
Be creative and tie in some tricks
or prizes into the mix, and you’ll have an instant and nearly free activity
that can entertain children for a few hours the rest of the summer.
·
Giant
Bubbles
OK, this might be for the younger ones, but I’ve even seen the street performers standing at the stoplights trying to earn a few dollars with this one. It’s pretty fun to watch. The recipe is you’ll need is 6 cups water, 1 cup corn syrup, and 2 cups regular strength dish soap. The corn syrup as you might have guessed is the key to allowing the bubbles to get big.
Stir mixture into a shallow tub.
Dip blower into solution, lift out, and blow. Or even run with the soapy
mixture into the breeze and let a huge bubble fly. You can get some sticks and
some string to make the area for the mixture to cling to. Then just add the
breeze by running, and let those giant bubbles fly.
·
A
Makeshift Puppet Show
This activity is as easy as it
sounds. Grab some old socks, paint some faces on them, and let your creativity
run wild. You can even cut out some yarn and glue on a wig, or get as crazy as
you want for the puppets themselves.
Just do like you see in the movies and have your child hide behind a box or table that is turned on its side and reenact Shakespeare or be their silly selves. It may sound corny, but this one has brought our family and friend to tears as the children make up funny stories and enjoy bringing out the hidden thespian.
·
A
Family Visit to A nearby Historical Site or Museum
Oh, the horror, a museum, and
learning in the summer? But wait, it’s not as bad as it sounds. There are
plenty of museums or historical sites that are a lot of fun to visit in the
summer. Many museums these days have fun science experiments or educational
how-tos to illustrate fun activities and lessons to children and teens.
·
Your
Own Ropes Labyrinth Adventure Park
You or your child/teen can make a labyrinth park. What’s a labyrinth park you ask?
Well, it’s like a maze but
labyrinths are designed so that you can’t take a wrong turn to get out. You
walk through the labyrinth, and of course, making it is the most fun part. The
even better part is that this is likely a multi-day project and one that you
can turn into a garden centerpiece if you want.
The first step is to draw out your
design. To give you an idea, here is what a labyrinth could look like. Once you
have a design you like, you’ll need to buy some rope and steel to construct the
labyrinth.
I told you this was a multi-day
project, but it doesn’t mean you need to construct in consecutive days, it
could be done throughout the summer if you wanted. Once you have the rope and
stakes, measure it out according to your diagram and hammer the stakes into the
ground to attach the ropes. A more detailed explanation with all of the steps
can be found on this excellent labyrinth making post.
·
Neighbourhood
Football/Soccer Match or Capture the Flag
When we were growing up, we used to
put together football/soccer matches all the time at the local school ground,
or park that could accommodate the size needed. I’ve been doing this nearly my
whole life.
Even during beach vacations. We
would just grab anything that could make a goal post (a shoe, a coconut, a
stick stuck into the ground) whatever we could find. And voila, you have an
instant impromptu football pitch.
Now, start inviting the neighbors or your friends to come and play. You can make it more organized and create flyers, even game shirts for teams, and with Moms bringing over a different snack for the children to have during the match.
The other really fun thing to do for all ages is captured the flag. With capture the flag you don’t even need a field its better without a field. You can designate a loose area in the local forest or wooded section near your house. Organize into two teams, separate by age differences, boys, girls, and create the boundary and general rules.
In case you don’t know the rules,
they are quite simple. There is a flag that usually a person or persons stand
near to guard. This is usually away from the front neutral area towards the
front of the game area.
Then there will be some offensive aspect of the team that will try and sneaks into the other team’s area to try and capture the flag without being tagged. To get out or caught, you just need to be tagged by a member of the opposite team, while you are in “enemy territory”.
If a member of the opposite team
tags you while trying to get the flag, you are put into “prison”. Usually, a
team of the defense then needs to guard the prisoners, because if a member of
the offensive team tags a prisoner, all prisoners are released.
We have found both football/soccer
matches and capture the flag to be equally as fun with adults
and children of all ages playing together.
·
A
nature treasure hunt
A lot of children and teens likely
have done treasure hunts, but a natural treasure hunt is done with a natural
twist. Examples of hints or clues are below, but you can make it more natural
by having the hunt is articles of nature. Examples could be pine cones, moss
from trees, types of rocks, or different types of leaves.
Likely, your teen will be rolling
their eyes at this one, but you can make it more fun by having a prize that you
know they will enjoy.
A
family hike
Being from the Swiss Alps, this is a hugely important family activity. It helps when you have some of the most stunning alpine and mountainous scenery in the world, but hikes are a great way to get outside and enjoy any type of environment.
No matter where you live. There are many apps in the Apple app store or Google play store that will give you great information on where the best hiking areas are in your area. The app will tell you based on your physical fitness ability what is most appropriate, the length of the hike, what features you may want to visit (fishing, swimming in a lake, reaching a mountain peak).
Plus, tell you where to park to
find the trailhead. You don’t need to live in Switzerland to enjoy a family
hike, so go out and do some hiking or walking today.
·
Talent
show
Talent shows are great fun for the
family. They can be as elaborate as you want them to be, by inviting your
friends to take part, and even other families to put on competitions. Children
and teens love the opportunity to show off their hidden talents, be they in
singing, telling stories, playing instruments, or acting out a play that they
wrote.
Maybe you have a comedian in your
family, and this will give them a chance to shine. Jim Carrey used to put on
stand-up every day after school; you’ll never know what you may find out about
your child’s talents until you let them show them off.
·
Make
tapas
Tapas, in case you’re not familiar with them, are small, sometimes even bite-sized snacks with origins from Spain. In the Basque country, the area around the border of Spain and France, tapas are a way of life, and nearly all local restaurants serve them from lunch through to dinner. The idea of having several small dishes with a wide variety of choices has become so popular, tapas restaurants are opening up around the globe. Chances are you have even had them yourself while never having visited Spain.
At our camp, we make tapas and the
campers love the idea of having many options to choose to eat.
Here is a list of some of our
favorites. And the good news is that most of them are quite easy to make.
·
Spanish
Omelet
This is an egg dish with potatoes, olive
oil, and other spices. If you want the exact recipe to make this one, you can
check out this comprehensive tapas recipe.
·
Calamari
Any way you cut it, people love calamari or fried squid. It may be a bit difficult to get if you’re located in a landlocked area but the idea is some type of chewy white meat, cooked in light tempura or batter, then complemented with some lemon zest. Be careful to make enough of this one, because it’s very popular.
·
A
mix of local cheeses and hams
No matter where you live, you
likely have access to cheese, try and go to the local butcher or gourmet shop
to get some good ones. Traditionally, the cheeses that are used for this are
Manchego or Mahon but you can make it with some different types that you like.
Stiltons, goat cheese, strong cheddar cheese complement with some good bread, and some ham’s (Iberian cured ham is great if you can find it). Add some walnuts and some grapes, and you’ll have a real tapas dish.
·
Olives
That’s right, just plain olives and I usually find the ones that still have the pits inside them have the best flavor. If you take the pit out, for some reason some of the strong salty flavors is lost. Usually, it’s best to have a mix of olives, black and green, and with different sizes.
·
Patatas
Bravas
These are just potatoes baked with a bit of paprika and spice sprinkled on before you place them in the oven. To make it traditionally the Basque way, use some aioli sauce, which is made from mostly garlic and olive oil. Who doesn’t love those?
Well, these are just a few ideas
that we think might be enough to motivate your child or teen up off of the
couch, off of their iPad, and out into the bright beautiful summer sun. We hope
that you’ll find some inspiration from these ideas.
In case you are wondering where these
ideas came from, many of them are what we recommend for our campers. We are an
international summer camp located in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
It attracts children and
communities from around the world. We have been entertaining children for more than
30 years. So we know a thing or two about how to keep children busy. Our camp
runs from December through August too.
If you’d like to learn more about
what we do, or more about the ideas we wrote about, just hit the button below
to get more information. We’d love to chat with you about these ideas, or even
to hear some of your own.Register today and be the first to
know about summer camp offers.
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