Bumper Boat Fun!

When the weather turns warmer, kids get excited about spending time on the water. Bumper boats are one of the most popular activities at summer camp. Most parents are familiar with canoes and kayaks but seldom connect water and bumper cars. So, when they see the boats hit the water, it brings big smiles to everyone’s face! Bumper boats are exactly what the name implies. Kids love steering them around on the water while bumping into their friends. As you make your summer plans, below are a few ideas on helping your camper enjoy a little bumper boat fun this season.

Get Your Kids Comfortable in The Water

One big reason why families send their kids to camp is to provide them with an environment where they can step out and take safe risks. Diving into a lake is intimidating for many kids. Bumper boats offer a gentle way to get acclimated to spending time in natural bodies of water. And, since the boats are equipped with fun water “squirters”, kids can get wet without the pressure of being fully submerged.

Make Sure Everyone Practices Water Safety

Every activity at camp is carefully planned with safety in mind. Kids learn all about water safety when they climb onto a bumper boat. From putting on their life jacket to wearing a seatbelt, they learn how to respect the water and still have tons of fun. For added water safety, sign your child up for swimming lessons. They can be in a traditional pool as well as natural bodies of water. Then, always make sure trained staff members are on the water with the kids to supervise their bumper boat adventures.

Encourage Teamwork and a Sense of Community

Classic bumper boats hold two kids at a time. They take turns steering and squirting. Everyone gets a kick out of turning it into a team sport. And working together is a great way to encourage new friendships. Bumper boats are a form of open-ended play. This allows kids to make up games with their own rules within the camp community. Counting points for bumps or hitting their targets with a blast of water are just a few of the ways kids turn this fun activity into a friendly competition.

Extend the Fun with Party Options

Day camp gives youngsters the chance to enjoy bumper boats after school and during the summer. But they just can’t get enough of this activity. For this reason, you will find that it makes the perfect activity for any celebration. The joy of bumping each other across the water generates tons of laughs and memories. Whether celebrating a birthday or winning a championship, it’s a great way to highlight special occasions. It also is the perfect end to a day of team building.

When you arrive at camp, you never know what kind of fun is in store. The look of excitement on a kid’s face when they first see a bumper boat is amazing. And their smile just gets brighter as they steer their boat across the water. When it comes to filling those summer days with new and exciting experiences, everyone should have bumper boats on their itinerary.

Let your kids enjoy bumper boat fun at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/summer-camp/summer-camp-activities/  to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Celebrating Family Fun at Day Camp

Day camp provides kids with a safe place to learn and have fun after school and during the summers. While most people think of the benefits for the kids, the truth is that day camp enhances the lives of every member of your family. This is because day camps offer fun, daily experiences along with special events that encourage bonding and the creation of beautiful memories. As you plan your family’s calendar, here are just a few of the ways that your favorite day camp helps you all have fun together.

Enjoying New Experiences

Watching as your preschooler pets a baby goat for the first time or your school-aged child climbs to the top of the climbing wall is amazing. Day camps provide a safe place for kids to try out new things such as doing a trick on the balance beam or learning to play chess. The new experiences that your family shares at day camp will give your kids skills and confidence that lasts a lifetime.

Celebrating Birthdays

When you think about some of the best times you’ve had with your family, birthdays come to mind. Day camps are aware of how meaningful it is for a child to have their birthday celebrated with their closest family members and friends so they plan exciting activities when you host your party at their venue. Competing in a game of laser tag or going on a boating adventure are the kinds of birthday parties that your family will never forget.

Meeting Other Families

As a parent, finding other families with kids your age is important for socialization. Fitting in family fun is easy when you go to day camp classes that invite parents to meet and mingle. Whether you enjoy a chat over a cup of coffee while your kids toddle about the room or you get involved in a game of volleyball on a special event day, your family will enjoy getting to know others who enjoy spending time outdoors.

Playing Together

Singing a finger play with your little one or tackling a ropes course with your older child are experiences that you may not do if you were sitting at home alone. Day camps provide activities that encourage you to step out of your comfort zone with your family as you gain new skills and develop a better understanding of each other. From giggles to wiggles, every minute of your day camp’s family activities is designed to foster warmth among family members.

Attending Special Events

At day camp, you never know what surprises are waiting around the corner. Special event days provide a way to break up the monotony of school and work with cool activities such as puppet shows and petting zoos. On special event days, day camps encourage everyone in the family to come so that even grandparents and cousins can discover the joys of spending the day together.

As a family, it is important to find ways to bond and highlight everyone’s strengths. At day camp, every family takes center stage as they get to enjoy fun activities that draw out the best parts of their personalities. When you plan to spend the day at camp, you can be certain that adventure and fun that celebrates what makes your family special are always in store.

Let your kids enjoy the family fun experience at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/school-year-programs/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

How to Get Kids to Do Their Homework

Trying to get kids to do their homework can become a nightly battle that fills your evenings with dread. Yet, you know that practicing the skills they are learning at school will reinforce new concepts while teaching your child the importance of education. Teachers today must keep their classes moving at a fast pace to keep up with their school’s standards, which means that skipping homework can leave your son or daughter falling behind. While you cannot wish homework away, you can make it easier for them to stay motivated for completing their assignments by implementing these simple strategies.

Establish a Set Time for Doing Homework

Kids do best with a routine and setting a specific time for doing homework will eliminate those last-minute rushes to complete an assignment. Talk to your child about the times when they are best able to think. Usually, this time will be in between after school and dinner when they are not yet tired out from the day’s events. Once you agree upon a time, stick to it. Your child can use an alarm or other type of reminder to let them know when it is time to get started.

Set Up a Study Space

A defined study space gives your child a place to store supplies so that they can avoid time wasters such as searching for a pen and paper. It also ensures that they will not be distracted by other activities that are going on in your home such as a television blaring in the background. Find a quiet space in your house where your child can focus without such distractions. Then add a desk, chair and shelves that they can use to complete their work.

Sign Them Up for an After-School Program

For many kids, homework battles occur because they do not understand the assignments. In these cases, having homework assistance from a professional tutor will help your child learn critical skills without getting frustrated. After school programs make it a point to provide a special place and time for kids to study so they are prepared to get straight to work. Knowing that they will also have time afterward to participate in their favorite activities such as sports also motivates kids to get those assignments completed.

Support Your Child’s Changing Needs

As your child begins to respond to your strategies, it is important to acknowledge their progress. Let your child know that you are proud of them for completing their homework, and ask if there are ways that you could provide extra support. For example, your child may ask for one-on-one tutoring if they are struggling in a tough subject such as mathematics or writing. Enrichment courses in science and the arts can also help reinforce skills that will make doing homework easier.

Homework may seem arbitrary to kids, but teachers truly do hand out those assignments with the best intentions in mind. Although you know that doing their homework will lead to success in the future, your child may need some convincing. By setting them up with a defined space and time to study, along with homework assistance, your son or daughter can finally look forward to the feeling of satisfaction that comes with showing up to school with their assignments complete.

Let your kids experience academic tutoring at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/school-year-programs/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Why Preschool is No Longer Optional

Schools Will Not Admit Students who are Not Prepared

In today’s modern world, a child must attend preschool in order to prepare for kindergarten at either a public or private school. The administrators of schools require that students pass an admission test before they can enroll in kindergarten. Failure to pass this test leads to a student attending a remedial program before progressing to a kindergarten curriculum. Most parents do not have the materials to teach their child all of the information and skills required to pass a kindergarten admission test. Teachers also want their students to have certain social skills in order to fit into a classroom environment.

Preschoolers Learn to Cope with a Structured Environment Similar to Kindergarten

Preschool age children typically do not have a structured environment at home with a daily schedule of learning. In a preschool, the teachers create a schedule of activities to help students develop a variety of skills. Instead of getting to do whatever they want at any time of the day, a preschooler must adjust to following a teacher’s guidelines. In most cases, the lessons taught in a preschool last for a maximum of 20 minutes because the students have short attention spans. However, the lessons are designed cohesively to permit children to learn about different subjects.

Children Learn the Alphabet and Basic Numbers

In Sharon preschool, the students begin to learn about the letters of the alphabet in simple ways such as coloring a picture of an animal that begins with the letter. A preschooler has an opportunity to touch shapes of letters in order to learn the alphabet with a different part of the brain. Instead of only learning numbers by recognizing the figure on paper, preschoolers use manipulatives such as sticks to visualize a particular number. A teacher gives each preschooler an opportunity to learn with kinesthetic, auditory and visual methods.

Preschool Helps with a Child’s Cognitive Development

Cognitive development begins at birth and increases rapidly as a child grows. In a preschool environment, a child is exposed to an assortment of learning materials that are not available in most homes. The lesson plans created by teachers in preschools are designed to address a variety of skills that increase a child’s cognition to prepare them for more intense training in an elementary school setting. Not only do preschoolers learn from their teachers, but they also learn from the other students in a social environment of teamwork and free play.

Children in Preschools Develop their Fine and Large Motor Skills

Preschool is an excellent place for children to develop their large and fine motor skills. Fine motor skills involve tasks such as cutting on the lines of a paper or printing letters in a first name. Large motor skills are also important, and preschool students get an opportunity to learn these skills as they engage in playground activities such as jumping rope or throwing balls into hoops. It isn’t necessary for a child to spend an entire day in a preschool to reap wonderful benefits. Most preschools offer programs that are three days a week instead of five, or students can attend half-day sessions.

Let your kids enjoy the rock climbing experience at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://www.maplewoodyearround.com to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.