Posts Tagged ‘parenting’
Summer Camp the Movie
February 10, 2010
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.
Adventures for Teens
February 4, 2010
Choosing the right summer activity for a teen is often more complicated than for a younger child. Yet, the rewards can be even Greater. A teenager is in the midst of an incredible growth spurt. As parents we are always looking to increase our teens emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social Development. Teen Adventure Camp programs are a wonderful way of doing this.
Finding the right summer program for teens is not all that different than that of a ten year old. It is important to find a safe, secure, and appropriate environment. Yet, teens need and are ready for new challenges and increased independence. Yearly, as interests expand and your child matures, reexamine your choice.
Remeber, interests, and abilities of a 13 year-old are quite different from that of a 17 year-old. So, when thinking programs, you should always keep in mind your child’s maturity. Supervision in many of the programs designed for teens is less than for younger children, so be sure to ask. One great resource is Summer Camp Advice, a free website that offers all sorts of information on how to select a summer camp.
If you’re living with a teenager, you’re living with part kid and part adult. Planning a summer program in November may be more difficult for an adolescent than a younger child, because your teenager’s interests and emotions are going through such enormous changes. However, because many good programs fill up fast, you will want to try to focus early so that you and your child have the widest range of choices.
It’s best to start your search for a Teen Summer Program is to sit down and talk with your child. Often this time together can strengthen your relationship with your teen. Help him or her figure out their interests, concerns, and values. You need to talk with your teen about what each of you want the summer to be. However, be ready to hear that they “don’t want to do anything.”
Many teen programs exist its important to try to find the best one. Sometimes you have to really look hard to find the right answer. The internet is a very useful tool for this. It is helpful to know the kind of program you are looking for: sports, serving, traveling, adventure or a little bit of each.
One of the best ways to reconcile your goals with your child’s is to piece together the summer with activities from both of your lists. Although it is more difficult and figuring things out may be more time consuming, your teen will get a broader experience for your work.
If you decide that your teen will stay at home, set up summer rules, expectation, chores, and schedules. This will be especially important and will help you in the long run.
Swift Nature Camp may be the perfect fit for your teenager. Swift Nature Camp is unique among teen summer camps in that we provide teens a special opportunity to make friends in a relaxed and fun-filled environment, to build self-esteem and independence, and to challenge themselves with new physical and creative activities. We realize teenagers want to do things for themselves and are bored by a “normal” camp. So we provide an Adventure Camp program with loads of opportunities cabins often leave camp and go out into the big open wild and see the Apostle Islands, go to the International Wolf Center or find themselves canoeing down the Mississippi River.
Last and most importantly remember youth summers are limited and no adult ever looked back and rembers the good old days of sleeping in and watching television.
TO learn more how to select an Summer Camp visit Summer Camp Advice. Choose a Camp
Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, Summer Science Camp for teens. Our programs are perfect for the first time camper or experienced camper. Learn more Overnight Summer Camps
Animals at a Nature Camp
February 3, 2010
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
Why Go TO Camp
January 29, 2010
Parents who went to Overnight Summer Camp as a child can always tell you a cherished story they still remember in exact detail. To them memories of summer camp are lifelong reminders of experiences with a lifetime’s worth of value.
Few places on earth can provide a child with opportunities for never ending daily fun the way the best camps can. All of that great fun would be reason enough for anyone to want to be at an overnight camp, but summer camp offers much more to a child’s life, whether it’s a nature camp or animal camp or a science camp or a nonspecific resident camp.
Summer camps are healthy! Exercise is a part of any child’s life of play, and camp is a natural provider of constant, safe, imaginative physical play. This brings opportunities for every camper’s intellect and imagination to get plenty of exercise at the same time.
Kids at coed camps learn how to relate with members of the other gender as friends and equals. Skills of social interaction are creative and independent but stay in keeping with each child’s family teachings. Guided by adult friends and capable role models, counselors, campers get a valuable chance to apply what they have been taught at home in a larger social world.
Campers discover their own capacities and grow into them, setting newer and higher standards for their own behavior themselves. The camp context encourages perseverance, listening skills, teamwork, recognizing similarities and appreciating differences. A pattern of self discovery that that is uniquely nurtured and developed at camp becomes a lifelong habit.
Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz, directors of Wisconsin’s Swift Nature Camp for almost fifteen years, believe summer camp is a unique opportunity for dimensional childcare at the best value. The camp experience will add to ordinary child care the making of memories, the opportunity to come to a new place and try new things, the chance to gain skills and independence, and the time to make new and lifelong friends. Children that are Homeschooled really benefit from the experiences of a Homeschool Summer Camp
Swift Nature Camp is a non-competetive, traditional coed overnight summer camp where children ages 6-15 enjoy playing in nature, caring for animals and learning science. This Science Summer Camp provides Traditional camping activities include canoe trips, archery, riding, waterskiing and more. Learn more about this Illinois Summer Camp.
Responsible Children Don’t Just Happen
January 27, 2010
Parents love their kids and want the best for them. Yet, How often do you spend time thinking about how to do this? In the long run our goal is to get move our children from a place of helpless infancy and independent adulthood. Yet, little attention is given to the details of how best to accomplishing this goal.
Built Independence gradually. Skills like making sound decisions, caring for one’s own needs, being responsible for one’s own actions. None of these things will develop magically or over night, we need to guide choices. In order to learn these skills. kids need to practice with parental supervision.
The ability to make wise decisions begins in small ways. We wouldn’t dream letting young adults loose with the car with out some training and instruction. The same is true in decision making, small children need to be allowed to make decisions as soon as they are capable. This can begin in such simple ways as “Do you want play with Legos or Uno?” Or “It’s your turn to Where we go for Dimmer.” Help the child to see the advantages and disadvantages of each choice. Be sure to only offer choices you feel comfortable with or at least are willing to live with. As your child grows, you can allow more and more freedom on increasingly important choices.
Children need practice and experience to make good decisions. After all, humans tend to learn more when things don’t go the way we expected. A common error for parents is not to give children practice in making mistakes. Often because it is quicker or easier. Yet, we need to give our children responsibilities. Spent time to teach your children how to do personal and household tasks. Kids will try very hard to learn these skills. Plus, when the child does finally become proficient, you will have eased your own burden in many ways and they feel satisfied in their accomplishments.
So whats next? Children’s Summer Camp can help you in raising responsible children. Camp challenges your child to become responsible for their stuff and actions. As Directors of Swift Nature Camp,we are often told by parents that the benefit of camp was not all the fun their child had but how mature and self reliant their child has grown to be.
If you are looking at finding aSummer Camp that is intentional in developing your child visit SummerCampAdvice.com
Swift Nature Camp is a Overnight Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. We blend Traditional camp activities with that of a Animal Summer Camp.
Summer Camp for Teens
January 20, 2010
While choosing the right Teen Summer Camps may be more complicated than selecting a general interest camp for a younger child, the rewards can be even richer. A teenager is in the midst of an incredible growth spurt. There is a literal physical change that you may see when your teen arrives home, but equally important are the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social changes that a challenging summer program can produce in a child in this age group.
Finding that special summer program for a teen requires some of these basics: a safe, secure, and appropriate environment. Teenagers are looking for new challenges and more independence. So yearly reexamine summer programs as your child matures and as interests expand.
Remeber, interests, and abilities of a 13 year-old are quite different from that of a 17 year-old. So, when thinking programs, you should always keep in mind your child’s maturity. Supervision in many of the programs designed for teens is less than for younger children, so be sure to ask. One great resource is Summer Camp Advice, a free website that offers all sorts of information on how to select a summer camp.
As you know a teenager is part kid and part adult. So planning way in advance may be difficult. Yet, good programs may fill-up fast. Early registration will give you the widest range of selection.
The best way to start your search for a summer program is to sit down and talk with your child. Searching for a good summer program is a way to strengthen your relationship with your teen. This is an opportunity to discuss with your child his interests, concerns, and values. You need to talk with your teen about what each of you want the summer to be. But be ready to Listen…even if they “don’t want to do anything.”
Their are many teen programs available and its important to try to find the right one. As a parent do not give up right away. Sometimes you have to really look hard to find the right answer. The internet is a very useful tool for this. But it is helpful to know what kind of program you are thinking of. Is it: serving, traveling or adventure or a little of all. One great resource is Summer Camp Advice, a free website that offers all sorts of information on how to select a summer camp.
Sometimes, the best ways to meet your goals with your child’s is to piece together the summer with activities. This it is more difficult to figure out, your teen will get a broader experience for your extra work.
If you decide that your teen will choose a local program, it is important to establish summer rules, expectation, chores, and schedules. This will be especially important if this will be the first summer in years that your youngster is spending at home.
Swift Nature Camp may be the perfect fit for your teenager. Swift Nature Camp is unique among teen summer camps in that we provide teens a special opportunity to make friends in a relaxed and fun-filled environment, to build self-esteem and independence, and to challenge themselves with new physical and creative activities. We realize teenagers want to do things for themselves and are bored by a “normal” camp. So we provide an Adventure Camp program with loads of opportunities cabins often leave camp and go out into the big open wild and see the Apostle Islands, go to the International Wolf Center or find themselves canoeing down the Mississippi River.
Last and most importantly remember youth is limited and no adult ever looked back and recalls the good old days of just watching TV all summer!
TO learn more how to select an Summer Camp visit Summer Camp Advice. Choose a Camp
Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, Coed Summer Camp for teenagers. Campers enjoy Adventure trips along with in camp activities: Scuba, Sailing, Skiing and more. To learn more click Minnesota Summer Camps
Help In Picking The Right Camp
January 20, 2010
So you are thinking about a Minnesota Summer Camp for your child. GREAT!
Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.
1. What’s the camp’s ideology?
Are you comfortable with this ? Is it a good fit for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? What religious observances or practices are part of the program? I
2. How does the Summer Camp get and train its staff?
Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing? What’s the training all about?
3. What about return rates?
How many counselors are returning this year? The ACA says at most camps, 50 percent of the staff returns. If the number you’re given is lower, ask why. How many campers return? Fifty percent is good, and more is better. Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps Minnesota
4. What’s the ratio of staff to camper?
Guidelines for overnight camps are for a 1:6 ratio for ages for younger children, and 1:10 for older teens.
5. How old are the counselors?
The ACA recommends that 80 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.
6. What about Health Care?
Overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site daily, Day camps should be have direct phone access. Be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child’s special health care needs.
7. How does the camp handle conflicts and Discipline?
Find out what the camp’s rules are and what breaches would result in a camper being sent home. You should be comfortable that the camp’s practices are in line with your parenting practices.
8. 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.
9. Does the camp have vans for transportation?
How often are camp vehicles inspected? Who will be driving them and what’s the training.
10. 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
If you are still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Overnight Summer Camps
Swift Nature Camp is aSummer Youth Camps for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities with Animal Summer Camp that increases a child’s appreciation for nature, science and the environment.
Ten Questions in Selecting a Wisconsin Summer Camp
January 8, 2010
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
Nature Summer Camps Get Kids Outside
January 2, 2010
Summer Camp is the place for kids and animals to meet, whether the camp includes animals as a part of traditional camp programs or makes a more formal approach as a science camp.
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.
Working in conjunction with the Wisconsin DNR and the U.S. Park Service, Swift Nature Camp has also developed a hands-on environmental learning program which includes field trips, such as visits to a fish hatchery and state parks; hands-on field projects, like goose banding and butterfly counts; and exciting camp presentations, including visits with live owls.
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 accommodate 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!
Discovering nature and the world we live in. Living in a natural environment Like camp is a perfect way for kids to play and grow. When children play with animals rather than just receiving information, they learn. Camp is more about fun and has far less stressful than school.
Learn more about finding summer camp by visiting Summer Camp Advice How to Select a Summer Camp
About the author: Jeff Lorenz is the owner of Swift Nature Camp. Swift is a , a non-competitive, traditional Overnight Summer Campfor Boys and Girls 6-15 years. At this Science Summer Camps kids enjoy animals and nature as well as traditional camping adventures. Swift specializes in programs for the First Time Camper as well as teen campers.
categories: Summer camp,Environmental camp,science camp,nature camp,animal camp,teens,kids,children,vacation,parenting,recreation
Animal Summer Camp
December 28, 2009
Swift Nature Camp, is a Overnight Summer Camp in Wisconsin where children play outside while learning about Nature and Science. Here are some helpful hints parents can do at home
Experts tell us the first step in becoming an environmentalist is noticing what nature offers. Such observation often leads to a desire and commitment to conserve and protect the natural world.
Walking or hiking through the woods is a regular part of camp. However, many times staff and campers merely walk along the trail without really noticing what is around them. They overlook the sounds, sights, textures and diversity of the ecosystem.
Please read these simple programs that can be done while walking through the woods. You may need supplies but it will take only a few minutes to get them.
Groups can stop along the way and do the activities together, or small groups can be assigned particular activities during the entire hike. Campers can choose one or more of the following activities:
Look Down Supplies: Yarn and scissors Ahead of time: Cut the yarn into 15-inch pieces, have one for every two campers. Assignment: Move off the trail, and make a square on the ground with the yarn. Study what you find within the square. What lives there? What is the soil like? What grows there? Use a stick and dig into the ground a little. What do you see? Conversation: What did you find in the square or circle that surprised you?
See a Shape Supplies: Index cards and pencils Ahead of time draw a circle, square, triangle, heart, straight line and rectangle on separate cards. Pass out the cards to campers before hike begins. Assignment: With your card find the shape in nature.. I Write down your findings on the card with the corresponding shape. Conversation: Have you see that before?
Look a Tree Supplies: Blindfolds Ahead of time: look for a place on the trail where there is a variety of trees. Assignment: Find a partner and decide who will be blindfolded first. The sighted partner will lead his/her partner to a tree. The blindfolded child will explore the tree by touch and smell. Then the sighted partner leads his/her partner away from the tree. Once the blindfold is removed, that camper tries to locate the tree. Switch places and repeat. Conversation: What have you learned about trees that you didn’t know before?
We at Swift Nature Camp hope this gave a sample of some of the projects we do out in Nature. If you child is interested in these sorts of activities have them join us next summer.
Should this be your first summer looking in to Summer Camp here is a great website Summer Camp Advice and it’s free Summer Camp
About the authors: Lonnie Lorenz is the directors of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional overnight Science Summer Camp. Both Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy Nature & Animals along with traditional camping activities. As a Summer Youth Camp Swift specializes in programs for the First Time Camper as well as Adventure Teen Camp programs
categories: science summer camp,summer camp,animal summer camp,overnight camp,kids,animals,nature,science,child development,travel,parenting,sports