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Ahh, Overnight Summer Camp Movies, conjures up musty cabins, s’mores, mosquitoes, swimming, summer romance, pranks and much more. Yet most of the summer camp movies clearly have a less than wholesome appeal. That is until the movie Summercamp! arrived on the scene. This move is a documentary that lets parents take an inside look at the coed summer camp swift nature camp located in the northwoods of wisconsin.

“Summercamp!” knows the camp experience is eternal and the same for everyone: Sunsets over the lake are generic only when not seen from your own bunk. With its gently anarchic indie-pop score by the Flaming Lips, the film nods toward the timelessness that’s one of the best aspects of camp — no laptops or Gameboys at Swift, thank you — but it also notes where the modern world intrudes. A lot of the boys and girls discuss their ADHD medication, while a counselor scoffs that happily exhausted kids don’t need pills: “If your kid’s acting crazy, it’s not because he had too much sugar, it must be ADHD, let’s go pump him full of drugs.”

This sweet and shapeless movie focuses on a handful of youngsters struggling with their feelings. There’s little Holly, who resembles a sad Alice in Wonderland and is peculiarly obsessed with chickadees; talkative Spencer, at peace only when reading Tom Clancy; and aggressive Cameron, a delinquent-in-training who cries daily for his mother.

So here are a few of the comments others are thinking about this Summer Camp Movie:

Summercamp! is a peek at what summer camp is really like for normal American Children, but it’s honesty and its heart are ultimately what take it beyond mere documentation and into intimate and well-done documentary storytelling.

It’s the start of the last three-week session at Swift Nature Camp in Minong, Wis., and the counselors are nearing burnout. (”I love my kids,” says one. “I hate my co-counselor.”) The filmmakers introduce us to a handful of campers packing their trunks, all deceptively certain of themselves and united in their love of nature. Bailey, 11, dryly remarks that “most animals are a lot cooler than humans, who are like these pink blobs with no defenses.”

Summercamp! maintains a gentle, lackadaisical tone that eloquently captures the triumphs and traumas of this ageless ritual.

So if you want to See this movie free of charge just go to Snagfilms.com

Looking for a Summer Campsummer camp experience visit SummerCampAdvisor.com

Swift Nature Camp is a Traditional Coed Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15. enjoy Nature, Animals & Science at this Minnesota Summer Camp

Technorati Tags: children, documentaries, entertainment, family, kids, movies, parenting, recreation, summer camp, travel

When you are planning a family friendly holiday, the main concern should always be safety. You will need to consider taking care of basic needs in a wide scope of situations. That’s why, you may want products and plans that can create a comfortable and convenient ambience.

Child Safe Accommodation

If you have accommodation in a regular hotel, they may be perfectly safe for older children. Pools and other stuff can be risky for toddlers and babies. Before you settle on a given resort, you may want to look for one that caters to parents that plan to bring along babies or toddlers.

During the process of choosing baby safe rooms, you may want to do more than look for hotels that will provide playpens and cribs. Look for accommodationwith windows and doors which cannot be opened by curious toodlers. The bathroom door and other doors as well as windows in the rooms are important.

Driving and Transport

Even though you may have a car seat, there are other important aspects that come with having a baby in the car. For example, you may need to feed the baby or change his/her diaper during a long drive. For these situations, you should always have a kit that consist of anything you might be needing. It may also help to bring along items that can be used to amuse the baby if he/she becomes restless.

Unfortunately, there are many cars that have baby seat belts in unusual locations. You may find it hard to tend a baby who starts to cry even though he/she looks perfectly secure in these vehicles. Choosing between concentrating on traffic or pulling over to tend a hysterical baby if driving on a thruway or unfamiliar highway is one thing that undoubtedly you won’t want.

Feeding and Snacking

During your vacation, it is important to continue choosing healthy and nutritious foods for your baby. In some cases, you may be tempted to buy candies and other items that will have a placating effect. But it’s always possible to take fresh fruits, vegetables, and other wholesome snacks if you bring along an ice cooler..

Arranging your schedule in order to accommodate routine feeding is very important regardless of whether you are traveling or in a hotel room. Adhering to the usual feeding routine can provide calming effect to the baby who feels disturbed because of being in strange places. Some issues like dehydration can occur while having a vacation but sticking to a regular schedule will minimize this risk.

For a baby friendly holiday, there are three main aspects that typically you will need to think about. Vehicles as well as finding baby friendly accommodation are important. Always, we need to think of the basic needs that might come up at any given time.

Learn more about child friendly holidays. Stop by Wendy Q Shand’s site where you can find out all about child friendly accommodation and what it can do for you.

Technorati Tags: babies, baby friendly holidays, child friendly holidays, children, family, holidays, kids, travel

Summer camp isn’t just for young children. Childre’s Summer Camp As an example, Swift Nature Camp offers a coed teen summer camp program that is just for teenaged campers up to 15 years of age, and a Counselor in Training Program for ages 16 and 17. Like its summer camp programs for pre-teens, Swift Nature Camp offers an amazing range of camp activities. Hiking, climbing, ceramics, horseback riding, tennis, kayaking, and whitewater rafting are among the most popular programs among teen campers.

Teens Summer Camp provides teens a special opportunity to make friends in a relaxed and fun-filled environment, build self-esteem and independence, and meet the challenge of new physical and creative activities. Most teens want to do things for themselves and are bored by even the thought of a “normal” camp. Swift Nature Camp has created the Adventure Camp program, loaded with opportunities for cabin mates to leave camp and go out into the big open wild. There are opportunities to take trips to the Apostle Islands, go to the International Wolf Center, or find the way to the Mississippi River.

All children, especially those in their teenage years, need a break from the accelerating competition of today’s world. An intimate, friendly and non-competetive environment for teens fosters positive encouragement. The atmosphere of acceptance brings a welcome balance to young lives. Even first time campers quickly and smoothly adjust to life as a camper in this kind of setting.

Today’s teens grow up too fast and need time to play. An Adventure Summer Camp should challenge your teen to try new things, but not in a stressful way. Camp is not school! Interaction with animals can be a perfect way for a child to learn by the natural discovery of play.

Campers come to love and remember the fun, the companionship and the life in a beautiful natural setting among caring staff and instructors, . Many teen campers return summer after summer, returning to see friends and enjoy everything they have come to know as camp life. Summer camp is a great place to find real relief from the pressures of home, school and competetive sports. be oneself and a perfect place to make lifelong friends. Camp is the open door to self discovery.

You can learn more about selecting a wonderful Teen Summer Camp by visiting Summer Camp Advice Selecting a Summer Camp

Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional coed overnight summer camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature and animals at this Science Summer Camp along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in programs for the Teenage Camper. Our Minnesota Summer Camp is one of the best.

Technorati Tags: adventure camp, animal camp, family, kids, nature, outdoors, parenting, pets, science camp, summer camp, teens, travel, youth

France’s TGV, which stands fortrain a grande viteese or high speed train in English, is world renowned for its speed and convenience. The TGV runs on five major tracks in France.

The south-east TGV line links the cities of Avignon, Dijon, Lyon, Nice, Marseille and Perpignon of south east of France and this make its way through the French Alps and also has a stop at Geneva in Switzerland.

The TGV Atlantic line connects the capital city of France to the west coast. Major stops on this TGV train line are Nantes, the Loire Valley, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse and the French Basque country.

The TGV northern line is linked between Paris and Lille and Calais which are the main cities in northern France.

Eurostar, probably the most famous train line, runs between Paris and London via the Channel Tunnel, stopping at Lille, Calias and Ashford in Kent on the way.

The high speed TGV Thalys links major European cities including Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne thus making it easy to travel to major cities in Europe from France.

Since the high speed train travel service has largely improved in the last few years, travelling via Paris is no longer a mandatory feature while travelling between provincial cities in France. For example the TGV line between Lyons and Nantes is direct now. So is with Bordeaux and Lilles and too many other cities.

515 km p/h is the record speed for the TGV as of now. The TGV normally goes at a speed of 280-300km p/h while in service.

Many types of special offers make the procedure of purchasing a train ticket a difficult one. The Eurailpass which is meant particularly for non-European travellers can be purchased in your own country and this costs 30% cheaper than what it costs in France. This pass authorizes an limitless travel in France for a period of over 2 weeks.

The France TGV train is a source of pride to French railway engineers. To read more about train travel in France please click on the links.

Technorati Tags: entertainment, family, France, health, hobbies, home, kids, Science, trains, transport, travel

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.

The new guideline, published in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics, was written by a team led by a University of Michigan Health System physician who specializes in camp health. Edward Walton, M.D., FAAP, FACEP, is lead author of the paper, which is an official policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and was produced in conjunction with the American Camp Association.

the key to this policy is parents need to thoroughly determine whether a camp is right for their child’. Don’t just assume its great because your childs friends are going. One need to assess if it meets their childs mental, emotional and physical well-being, as well as their interests and skills.

That means, Walton says, that camps should provide parents with a complete picture of what their programs involve, whether it’s strenuous sports, rough wilderness camping, horseback riding — or intense music or computer practice. If an activity raises risk for kids with certain medical conditions, for instance scuba diving and asthma, camps should tell parents about those risks ahead of time.

Homesickness prevention, the authors write, should start weeks before a child goes off to camp, and can be led by parents with the help of the doctor or other health care provider who performs the child’s pre-camp health assessment.

Walton, suggests “Parents should also avoid making pre-arranged plans with their children about picking them up if they get homesick. If parents discuss camp positively, avoid expressing doubts about a child’s ability to avoid homesickness”.

With the new guideline, the AAP also recommends that its members — the pediatricians who treat many of America’s children — get involved with camps in their local area to make sure that health policies and standing orders are up-to-date. They can also act as medical backups to the nurses and paramedic-trained camp health officers on site at camps — instead of the local emergency room or urgent care center, which Walton’s study found was the case 75 percent of the time.

Asthma and allergies also bring new challenges for camps. Parents need to teach their children how to use rescue inhalers or EpiPens (allergy-calming epinephrine injection devices). With or with out the summer camp. Camps need to help children have them nearby at all times.

“The delay that can occur when another camper or counselor has to run to the camp nurse’s office to grab an inhaler for a child who is having an asthma attack or an EpiPen for a child who has been stung by a bee can have real health consequences,” says Walton.

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.

Selecting the best Summer Camp for your child is easier with a FREE resource Summer Camp Advice Find a 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.

Technorati Tags: doctors, health care, kids, outdoors, parenting, recreation, special needs camps, summer camp, teens, travel

So you’ve decided you want your child to go to summer camp? We are the owners of Swift Nature camp a Overnight Summer Camp in Wisconsin. Before getting camp information you should have a goal in mind. Make a list of things you feel you want your kid to gain from a summer camp experience. Make sure it’s not just about activities. What about a camp’s physical attributes, like cabins or tents? Is it a small, personal camp or a large camp with loads of campers? Once you have this information, you can create a check list to help compare camps and narrow down your search for the best summer camp.

Next, take your top six or seven camp choices and e-mail each camp director to get the information about that camp. Most camps not only have a paper brochure but will offer a promotional DVD as well. A video will certainly give you a chance to see what a children’s summer camp is about, but it is still a promotional tool ~ think of the DVD as a more sophisticated brochure for that camp.

Once all the information has arrived and you have had a chance to look at it and discard any from camps that you do not think will meet your needs, it will be time to share the information with your child. View the camp DVD with your child, and listen carefully to his or her comments. This will give you a good idea about what is important to your child about a camp. Be sure to explain to your new camper that the videos are advertisements, and that the camp may not exactly match the video.

While viewing the DVD watch the little details for clues that will give you an inside look at the camp’s philosophy and strengths. While you’re watching, look for the following information:

How recent is the video? Guess the time the video was filmed, based on the campers’ clothing and the background music. No matter how recent the video appears to be, ask the director what has changed and been added to the program since its production.

Do the kids in the video look like they’re having fun? What activities are they doing, and would your child enjoy them?

;Does the video answer your questions about the camp? While there should be additional questions that you want to ask the director, the video should give you a comprehensive overview.

What philosophies does the video suggest? Does the video seem to complement the philosophies expressed in the camp’s printed materials?

What level of sports are shown, in terms of skill and sophistication? If you’re looking for a specialty sports camp, does the level of play look too advanced or too basic?

What philosophical qualities does the video stress? Does the video seem to be consistent with and complement the philosophies expressed in the camp’s printed materials?

What is your and your child’s general impression after watching? Sometimes a gut instinct may tell you the most.

Remember, videos are a great way to get a basic understanding about children’s camps but dont be fooled by slick, high-powered DVDs. They are only a tool to help you make an informed decision, but you will still need to talk to the camp directors personally and ask for and check references to make the best choice for your child.

Consider a program for your child is devoted to thefirst time camper.

About the authors: Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the Directors of Swift Nature Camp a non-competitive, traditional coed Wisconsin Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals and science along with traditional adventure camp activities. Swift specializes in Overnight Summer Camp programs for the first time camper as well as adventures for teens.

Technorati Tags: Education, family, finding a camp, kids, kids summer camp, parenting, recreation, sports, summer camp, summer camp reference, teens, travel

Animals at Summer Camp? Say Yes to Letting your kids play with animals this summer as a part of the fun they can have at summer camp. Find a science camp, or a more broadly defined summer camp that includes animals as a part of their program offerings.

For many children making a connection with animals is a great way to reconnect with nature. Campers can find and develop a desire to know more about the nature they find all around them. When they follow that desire, they begin to acquire a deep respect for nature that will serve them all their lives.

At Swift Nature Camp, also known as a Science Camp, there is a unique pond aquarium gives kids a chance to see pond life from a frog’s point of view, while our Nature’s Neighbors live animal collection provides opportunities for up-close study and care of several common Northwoods residents as well as a few exotic immigrants. Campers with their own small animals are encouraged to bring them to camp to share with others. The animals live in the Nature Center, where all campers can enjoy and learn about them.

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.

Animals are a part of Swift Nature Camps voluntary merit program, in which campers can earn special patches by learning skills in categories such as insects, bird watching, pet care, and horseback riding. Acquiring skills is never separate from the fun and play that is a part of being a camper.

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

Before you select a a summer camp see how 3 things in picking a camp, and if your are looking for the best camp seeKids Animal Camps

Technorati Tags: children, Environmental camp, family, fitness, home, kids, nature camp, parenting, science camp, summer, summer camp, Teen camp, teens, Vacation, vacations

Jurassic park toys rose to fame with the success of the movie franchise created from a novel. The film focused on the concept of biological experimentation responsible for the cloning of dinosaurs. The story unfolds as a series of strange and unexplainable animal attacks started occurring on the islands of Costa Rica and Isla Nublar.

One of the first species identified as the plot unravels is a three toed lizard like creature who was the primary suspect in the series of animal attacks. Jurassic park toys capture these strange creatures in the variety of toys which the movie released after the movie premiered. A team of paleontologists consisting of a resident and intern was then were invited to an island by a billionaire who owned the company called InGen.

InGen stood for International Genetic Technologies and the facility engages in these biological and genetic experimentations on dinosaurs. The owner of InGen apparently has developed what he calls a biological preservation island where the paleontologists were surprised as they saw the creatures that were being preserved in the location. From extinction they were able to see dinosaurs which they only dreamt about; Jurassic park toys aim to give a similar opportunity to children or anyone who buys them offering the chance for imagination to flourish.

Dinosaurs cloned were created from recovered mosquito DNA that was found naturally preserved in amber; the process was actually witnessed by the group as they entered the island; the mosquito DNA contained dinosaur blood. Gaps in the damaged mosquito DNA were completed by filling them up with avian, amphibian, and reptilian DNA. Population control in the film’s story was done by sticking to breeding female dinosaurs only and the same concept was reflected in the earlier designs for Jurassic park toys where the majority of the toys reflected female dinosaur images.

Jurassic park toys were later developed to reflect the male counterparts to the initial females as you will see why when you see the movie. The plot unraveled with the drastic alteration of the breeding scheme in the movie where the facility’s original purpose was surpassed and the original plan of action violated. Jurassic park was shut down abruptly as the situation on the island can no longer be controlled properly and it was done also to protect the people involved.

The enclosure owned a number of dinosaur eggs so these may be seen in some Jurassic park toys most probably in the play sets with the laboratory setting. In the movie, an employee stole some eggs and planned on selling them; he was later blocked by a dinosaur. When the park was closed off and the systems shut down, security barriers were also shut down in the process.

Dinosaurs were released as the security barriers went down causing more problems for Jurassic park. Jurassic park toys were designed to also showcase the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex that was the main dinosaur character in the first film from the franchise. The Tyrannosaurus Rex created chaos in the island; it also caused a number of people and other animals to perish on the island.

The first Jurassic park movie ended happily of course as the island was controlled; the same went for the dinosaurs living there; but as with any film, new plots and thrills came about in the following films. The succeeding films involved new characters and so new Jurassic park toys were created for these. You can find everything for everyone with Jurassic park merchandise and whatever item you pick will definitely bring you utmost joy.

Discover more Jurassic Park Toys stuff on http://austin1richardso.jimdo.com/2010/01/09/experience-the-thrill-with-jurassic-park-toys/.

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Discover the historical origins of the lantern festival that is celebrated during the Chinese New Year.

Yuan Xiao is the Chinese lantern festival that is celebrated during the season of the New Year. Lantern is a significant symbol linked with the Chinese New Year. Yuan word is derived from the year’s first month and word Xiao comes from the word night as related to, by the Chinese people.

The lantern festival is celebrated fifteen days into the New Year on the sighting of the first full moon. The concept is to bring about a joyful atmosphere as the full moon shines bright in the sky and the masses of Chinese people gather at the place of the festival holding up colorful lanterns creating a completely lit up environment.

There are many intricacies associated with Chinese lanterns. These are no ordinary lanterns rather they can be an extremely engaging item once you begin to indulge in the puzzles that are often featured on the lanterns. The eating of glutinous rice balls also goes along with the lantern celebrations which are shared amongst friends and families.

The source of the lantern tradition

As is the case with many other traditional practices of China you will find a number of mythologies concerning the lantern New Year tradition. The most popular legend is associated with the worship of a God known as Taiyi who was supposedly the ruler over the heavens in ancient times.

The fortune of the human race was believed to be under the power of Taiyi, the lord of heaven. He had the power of inflicting natural disasters or medical epidemics to impose any penance on the humans. This tradition was initiated by the emperor Qinshihuang who held this ceremony of the lantern festival to pleasethe lord. This was done solely so that he wouldn’t create any natural calamities.

With time the ceremony gained currency and was highly sponsored during the Han dynasty. In fact it was during the rule of the emperor Wudi that the event became one of the most important ceremonies in China which would go on for the entire night.

There is however different side to the story that claims the tradition actually innovated under the Taoist influence. The Tianguan is a Taoist deity believed to be responsible for fortune and good luck and had a special penchant for Chinese entertainment. So the Chinese people took to the streets performing all sorts of entertainment services to please Tianguan.

There is yet another tell story about the origins of the lantern festival that give the credit of the invention to Emperor Mingdi. Under this story the emperor was influenced by Buddhism and a dream that he had which eventually led him to select the 15th day of the Chinese New Year as a day of lighting lanterns.

The lantern festival is one of the special events held as a part of the Chinese New Year celebrations no matter which part of the legend is genuine. These lanterns are interestingly designed with rare Chinese patterns.

Making Chinese new year lanterns can be a creative means of involving childrenin their heritage. For information about other aspects of the celebrations, including Chinese New Years fireworks, please follow the links.

Technorati Tags: art, children, china, chinese, crafts, entertainment, family, home, kids, paper lanterns, travel

Sending your child to a Wisconsin Summer Camp is a great idea if you have done your homework. The American Camp Association suggest you try these top questions.

What’s the camp’s philosophy? Is it one you’re comfortable with? Is it a good match for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? If it’s a camp run by a religious organization, what religious observances or practices are part of the program? If you’re looking at a sports camp that touts an affiliation with a celebrity athlete, how much time–if any–will the sports star actually spend there?

How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff? Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing?

What about Staff and Camper return rates? How many counselors are returning this year 50% is a good numbers. How many campers return? Fifty percent is good, and more is better. Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this wonderful Wisconsin Summer Camp.

What’s the ratio of counselors to campers? ACA guidelines for overnight camps call for a 1:6 ratio for ages 7 and 8, 1:8 for ages 9-14; and 1:10 for ages 15-18. Day camp guidelines call for 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for children ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.

What’s the age of Staff ? Eighty percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

Is a Nurse at hand? The ACA recommends that an sleepaway camps have a physician or nurse on the site daily. If your camper has medications, food allergies or a medical condition, be sure you ask all your questions and are comfortable.

How does the camp Punish campers? Know what your summer camp’s rules and regulations. Be sure they match yur parental thoughts. Know what breaches would send a camper home.

What does a typical daily schedule look like? This will help you decide if your child will be happy with the level of physical activity or the amount of time devoted to arts and crafts. Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.

How does the camp provide transportation? How often are the van inspected? Who is driving, what’s the training.

References,References, References Most important, get the names of parents with children the same age who have attended the camp. They will tell you what makes camp so special

Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps

Still looking for a resource to help you sort out all the summer camp confusion? Try Summer Camp

About the authors: Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional coed Wisconsin Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals and science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in programs for the first time camper as well as adventures for teens. Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz have been the owners since 1996. Overnight Summer Camps in Wisconsin

Technorati Tags: Camp, children, Families, kids, kids camp, leisure, outdoors, overnight camp, parenting, summer camp, Vacation, vacations, Wisconsin, Wisconsin summer camp, Youth Summer camp