26 Apr 2017  |   11:14pm IST

Fun and creative ways of spending the summer

Summer camps are proving to be a great way for children to learn new skills, meet new people and become more active and hence healthy. As the vacations are upon us, Café catches up with a few parents to learn more about these camps the how their children benefit from them

Pauline D’Mello

As the final bell was about to ring in mid April and the classrooms were about to empty out for the season, parents got busy, coming up with ways to keep their kids occupied during the long summer vacations. After a long year of sitting

at the desk and listening to teachers, kids of all ages

look forward to the summer to burn up some energy in the warm sunshine.

While many families spend a portion of the holidays travelling, a chunk of the period is mostly spent at home.

When at home, children today usually spend their time indoors, torn between the computer and television. A tried and true option

of keeping them occupied is a fun summer camp experience. Summers camps play a balancing act. They keep things active through various activities and also help the kids relax and unwind from their taxing term schedules.

Dr Sweta Gandhi, residing in Caranzalem

, says

, “I find the concept of summer camps very interesting and motivating, I enrol my son at

the Don Bosco Oratory for

their summer camp every year.

Each year

,

he gets to learn something new

; last year he learned few tricky skills in cricket and this year

, for the first time

, he is trying his hand

at archery. I believe it will help him improve his concentration

, build a healthy competitive spirit and expose him to other kids of different age group

s.”

Another mother, Sangita Keni from Navelim

, says, “I enrol my kids in camp

s and

other activities

that keep them busy

and active, which is a healthier alternative to watching

television and playing with electronic

gadgets the whole day. My nine

-

year

-

old son

spends three days a week

attending a football camp organised by his school

and m

y daughters are attending dance classes thrice a week. I also plan to enrol them in different language learning classes. My kids attended the summer camp organised by Junior Herald last summer. It was worth the time as it kept the kids busy the whole day.”

Sharing her experience of sending her children to a summer camp, mother-of-two, Shiba Rodrigues, says, “An overnight summer camp encourage

d my child

towards healthy living, being outdoors and

amidst nature. It

was also about making new friends. My child learn

t skills that

will definitely prove useful

in the future.”

“I like it when my daughter shows a lot of interest

in summer camps as she can pick activities of her own choice. She learns different activities such as flower making, photography, cookery

, etc. As a parent

, I always encourage her so that she gets motivated,

” expresses Daniel D’Souza

from Mapusa.

When children

attend camps, they are given the opportunity to

become more independent

; this also helps them build

their self-esteem.

While curricular learning is important, building one’s social and creative skills are also essential for overall development. Learning about nature and the environment is also paramount in today’s day and age. Having said that, one should also keep in mind that while planning out your child’s schedule for the summer, ensure that they aren’t overburdened by these summer activities. Balance them out with some quality family time and enjoy a wholesome summer vacation.