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Safety at Summer Camp
February 23rd, 2010 by Jeff Lorenz, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Millions of children go to Summer Youth Camps. Yet before you even commit to find that perfect place for your child experts suggest you make sure it is safe.
Recent guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the ACA (American Camp Association.) suggest parents be aware of their camps health and safety policies. Dr. Walton, is lead author of the paper and official policy statements.
The new policy statement for the first time advises parents to thoroughly assess whether a camp is right for their child’s mental, emotional and physical well-being, as well as their interests and skills.
Walton says, “camps should provide parents with a complete picture of what their programs involve”. Look at the total package and be sure it is safe an healthy for your child.
Prevention of homesickness begins long before camp starts. Parents and doctors alike need to be involved.
Parents should also avoid making pre-arranged plans with their children about picking them up if they get homesick. This only gets kids thinking about the way out of camp. Only should parents discuss camp positively, avoid expressing doubts about a child’s ability to avoid homesickness.
The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines say the pediatricians need to be involved with camps in their local have up to date protocols and help as medical backups for camp health personnel.
The guideline recommends that parents teach their children how to use rescue inhalers or EpiPens, before the kids go to camp. Parents need talk with camp directors about conditions that might require children to use their devices.
Delay in not having these items handy can have real health consequences for the child.
The new guideline does not give detailed recommendations for camps that serve only children with special medical circumstances, such as cancer, physical disabilities, blindness, deafness or diabetes. But it recommends that camps work with local pediatricians and health professionals to assess children’s fitness to take part in such camps, and establish programs specific to them.
Finding the Right Summer Camp for your you is no easy task, Si, visit a FREE resource Summer Camp Advice at Summer Camp
Swift Nature Camp is a Minnesota Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional outdoors summer camp activities with that of a Science At Summer Camps that promotes an appreciation for nature.
Animal Summer Camps Have Fun and Learning
December 15th, 2009 by Jeff Lorenz, under Vacations. No Comments
At a Summer Camp with includes Animalsas part of its program children can can learn about animals and how to care for them. Most Science camps offer sophisticated school like learning, but many summer camps like Swift Nature Camp blend a traditional camp with more fum animal and nature studies.
Connecting with animals in a natural setting can put a child at the beginning of a lifelong sense of relationship with nature. A deep respect for nature as an adult often starts with experience as a camper.
Swift Nature Camp best known as a Science Summer Camp has a pond aquarium that offers a unique way to see the world from from a frogs point of view. This Wisconsin camp also maintains a live animal collection called Natures Neighbors. Campers can bring their own small animals to camp with them where the animals can live in the camps Nature Center and be available to all the children
Children at Swift Nature Camp have the opportunity to understand our environment from hands-on learning experiences. These include field trips to a fish hatchery, to watch goose banding projects and butterfly counts, and even a close encounter with a live wild owl.
Swift Nature Camp has a voluntary four-level program that rewards campers with a special patch of merit, and the categories include recognition of special skills with animals in categories like insects, pet care, bird watching, and horseback riding. Campers can choose just the right mix of play and learning to suit individual preference and need.
The summer camp you choose should facilitate a blend of play and challenge that is free of the stress of the school environment. The presence of animals in a natural environment can open the door to discovery, adding depth to the fun of going to a traditional summer camp.
Every camper is an individual and benefits from his or her own particular mix of play and skill development. Swift Nature Camp has found a way to accomodate that range with a voluntary merit program that includes experience with animals. A camper’s interaction with animals can be refined into skills involving horseback riding, insects, pet care and bird watching. These opportunities never come at the expense of fun!
The joy of discovering nature is the joy of discovering the world we live in. Living in a natural environment with access to animals is a perfect invitation for expansive play. Camp is a place where children can learn about animals as a participant rather than just receiving information. Camp is more fun and less stressful than school, and the world becomes the classroom.
You can learn more about selecting a wonderful summer camp by visiting Summer Camp Advice Find a Summer Camp
About the author: Lonnie Lorenz has been the director of Swift Nature Camp since 1996. Swift is a , a non-competitive, traditional Overnight Summer Camp for Boys and Girls (6-15 years. At this Science Summer Camps all enjoy nature, animals along with traditional camping activities.