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Summer camps/schools offer a variety of activities to explore the artistic and creative side of your child.BY NOW parents should have decided what to do with their children as, come tomorrow, the summer holidays begin in earnest. For those parents who are considering summer school/camp, you need to ask yourselves the following questions:
1. What does my child enjoy doing?
2. Does my child get bored easily?
3. Does my child prefer to be immersed in one activity or should I find a programme that offers multiple choices?
4. How did he perform in this past academic year. Is he approaching the 'external' exam year and needs an extra push...?
Some children will do well in a traditional summer camp that offers a variety of activities including swimming, art and crafts, music, the works. Others prefer to focus on specialised activities such as computer or music. Joanna Boyd, director of the Caribbean Child Development Centre said, "They need to be stimulated; you can't allow too much free time with nothing specific." She believes summer should be all about learning, resting and being involved in some form of entertainment.
5. Is the camp properly structured and is there sufficient supervision?
6. What are the ages of the counsellors, their experience and what is the counsellor/camper ratio.
7. How long is each session and how long does it last? Depending on your working hours, it would be wise to choose a camp that has holding periods and is close to you.
8. Ask friends and neighbours if they have used the camp or know of anyone who has. If you don't know of anybody familiar with the camp, don't be afraid to ask for references.
9. Most importantly, is the camp accredited? Ms. Boyd says there are a lot of people advertising summer camps who are not adequately trained.
10. The age of your child will dictate your choice of summer activities. Make sure that the activities are relevant to your child's age and development. Ms. Boyd says activities should be a mixture of academics and fun and games.
