6 Exciting Summer Camp Activities You Can Recreate at Home

Kids have various ways of spending their summer breaks. Some prefer to spend most of their free time playing with playmates and having fun. Some make the most of their time to learn new skills. While some others head off to enroll in summer camp programs. And why not? Summer camps are a perfect venue for having fun while acquiring new skills and learning lifelong lessons.

But what happens if there are no summer camps? Or your little one just won’t be able to join? It’s kinda sad but don’t worry! There are actually cool ideas you can try to recreate summer camp activities in your own home!

Have a campout night

One of things that completes the whole summer camp experience is sleeping in a tent, under the stars. If you have adequate space in your backyard for some stargazing and camping out, you can put up a tent for the whole family to sleep in. And don’t forget the best part of the night – S’mores!

But who says that camping out can only be done outdoors? You can also have a campout night indoors by putting up a makeshift indoor tent. All that’s needed is a little creativity! Create a starry sky by hanging glow-in-the-dark stars or sticking them to the ceiling. Turn off the lights and play some nature music in the background to make it feel more outdoorsy.

Play field games

Summer camps are extra fun because of outdoor games! Be sure not to miss fun field games like tug of war or scavenger hunt. Not only are these games fun and exciting but they also unleash your competitive spirit! So get geared up and be sure to get every family member participating for fun afternoon games over the weekend!

Host a talent show

Talent shows are also one of the most exciting parts of a summer camp program. When recreating summer camp at home, you may want to try hosting a talent show where every member in the family gets to showcase their talents and skills. To make it extra fun, try to inject a little creativity. 

For instance, instead of giving each one the liberty to choose their performance, you will have to randomly pick from a given set of tasks. Now, it will all be up to every member how they will make the performance outstanding to win the game!

Cook a favorite camp meal

Is there one specific meal or dish that reminds your child of fond memories of summer camp? Now’s the best time to recreate it in your own kitchen. Or even add your own little twist to it. 

If you’re not familiar with the dish, do a bit of research before gathering the ingredients. Invite your little one to get involved in the preparation to teach them a thing or two about cooking, too. Not only is this an excellent way to replicate a fun summer experience. It’s also a good way to bond with your kid!

Create arts and crafts

Does your little one exhibit an interest in creating arts and crafts? Summer vacations are the best time to encourage them to channel their inner artist! Gather recycled objects and art materials and let your child transform them into a masterpiece. You may give them ideas on what they can create out of what they have or you can also let them create an artwork from scratch. Let their imagination run wild! Just be sure they’re working with kid-friendly materials and they don’t end up hurting themselves in the process.

Be a young scientist

Young kids are naturally curious. They ask a lot of questions and are always interested to learn about the things around them. Turn their curiosity into a learning opportunity by incorporating science experiments into your summer camp activities at home.

The internet is a vast resource of kid-friendly, age-appropriate science experiments you can replicate at home. Some experiments you may try include topics about the water and life cycles, the phases of matter and a lot more. 

Summer camps provide kids with great learning experiences which help them acquire new knowledge and skills. Be sure your child still gets to have fun while learning during school closures, with or without actual summer camps, by trying out these ideas!

For more tips on family and parenting, or if you’re looking for the best childcare center for your child, please feel free to visit The Pillars Christian Learning Center.

 

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5 Tips for Helping Kids Deal with Missed School Activities

The coronavirus pandemic has forced schools from all levels to close. For these children, the abrupt closure left them with feelings of frustration, sadness, and disappointment. Many are missing out on so many major rites of passage such as graduation ceremonies or the prom. Other kids are missing out on their regular school activities like art classes, band practice, sports, or any of their favorite after-school clubs and organizations. Basically, they just miss life with their friends.

While everyone initially thought this was just a relatively temporary situation, it seems that school may be out for a while. In many cases, possibly until the end of this year. There is no vaccine yet and keeping everyone safe is the main priority at this point. This can be daunting and overwhelming for everyone. Having kids around at home 24/7 can definitely turn a peaceful life into chaos. Children may feel a bit sad and disappointed that school activities were canceled. 

Supporting them during this period is highly important, especially since there are so many uncertainties surrounding when these activities will resume. Here are some tips for how you can help your kids deal with this situation:

Talk to kids about the coronavirus

Every parent needs to educate their kids about the effects of the coronavirus and why schools need to be closed. Talk to them about why self-isolation and social distancing is critical at this moment. Make them be aware of the implications of this virus and why this needs to be taken seriously, without arousing panic.

Your kids may get incorrect and alarming information about COVID-19 from their friends or online sources. Parents need to explain the facts, in age-appropriate language, about the virus and its health implications. Give them the assurance that you are doing the best that you can to ensure that they are safe and healthy, without overwhelming them with information. 

Your kids are scared and anxious about this unseen virus that has been affecting everyone, so regular check-ins are a must. Hold meetings with your kids to discuss their concerns and fears, as well how to incorporate safety health practices at home.

Monitor their screen time

Since there are no schools or school activities to worry about, kids will be likely spending more time now watching television or browsing through various social media channels. It is important that you monitor these activities. Set a limit to their screen time and avoid listening or watching any upsetting or fake news with your kids around. They will definitely pick up these ideas and it could just aggravate the stress they are feeling at the moment. Remind them that not all stories they may read or hear regarding COVID-19 are all true and most are based on rumors and falsified information.

Emphasize the importance of social distancing

Eventually, there will come a time when your child will complain why it’s unfair that they can’t go to school or see and hang out with their friends. They will start to feel hurt that they can’t have school graduation or why their birthday party has to be postponed.

When these happen, validate their feelings and acknowledge their frustrations. However, make sure that you emphasize that closing schools and postponing school activities are the right thing to do right now. Educate them on the importance of social distancing and explain how taking time off from regular activities is ideal for everyone. Let them understand that all of these are for health and safety, not just for them but for the whole community.

Praise them for doing their part

As you educate your kids about the virus and its implications, point out to them how proud you are that they are staying home. While they may complain or eventually start to get bored just being at home, acknowledge that you are all doing this together as a family. Everyone is doing their part to help stop the spread of the virus. And they are making a big contribution to the community. Make it clear to them that everyone’s patience and hard work will help bring this crisis to an end sooner.

Create a new normal

Your kids will feel bad about school closures, but it is imperative that they move forward and accept this fact with optimism. To help them move forward, you need to create a “new normal” at home for the next few weeks. Sit down with them and explain the new structure that needs to be followed for their home-based days. You can ask your kids to help contribute to the activities they want to do in a day. This could be setting household chores, meal times, various fun activities in the afternoon, or schoolwork and reading time. Whatever that structure is, make sure there is consistency throughout the days or weeks you will be at home.

Keeping your family safe is important at this point in our lives. Without activities, many children (or even adults) will feel a bit lost and disoriented about how to maximize their time. Be with your kids during this time. Work together and have fun together.

For more information on how to help your kids deal with canceled school activities, check out The Pillars Christian Learning Center.

 

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