Overly Shy Kid? How Summer Day Camp Can Help

As a parent, you know your child has a vibrant personality that is just waiting to be shared with the world. But their overly shy nature can make it difficult for them to allow their best characteristics to shine. Naturally, you may be worried about how they will survive at camp when they find it hard to squeak out more than a word or two in new social situations. The great news is that you can set aside those worries. Summer camp is designed to help youngsters break out of their shell by offering opportunities for developing social skills.

Form Instant Friendships with Cabin Mates

The first day at camp is a flurry of activity as kids begin arriving at their cabins. Although some campers will be reuniting with friends from years past, there are also many kids who are brand new. Returning and new campers all quickly begin to make friends with each other. A kid’s cabin group becomes an instant family. From creating inside jokes to planning special events together, even the shyest kid at camp gets to be part of a friendly group.

Discover Hidden Talents and Strengths

Shyness sometimes reflects a lack of confidence that is normal in children. Building your child’s self-esteem in other areas allows them to feel as though they have something valuable to share. At camp, kids learn that they can do anything they set out to do. It can be finally getting up on the wakeboard or performing a complicated dance routine. Camp activities are designed to encourage kids to share their talents as they make progress. Be ready for your shy youngster to suddenly project serious confidence when demonstrating a new gymnastics skill.

Participate in Fun Group Activities

Shyness often melts away as kids lose themselves in fun activities. For instance, youngsters simply can’t help but return a splash at another camper when they are swimming in the lake. Group activities also give them a chance to be included in friendly competitions or a night full of fun camping on a nearby island on the lake. These shared experiences allow kids to form bonds that make those early days of shyness seem like a distant memory.

Take on Leadership Roles

Camp staff members quickly recognize kids for their contributions to the group. And every counselor is adept at identifying those kids who need a little encouragement to take on leadership opportunities. From leading the group on a hike to being team captain during a sports competition, your shy camper will transform into a leader who can handle greater responsibilities. The positive reinforcement provided by their camp counselors and fellow campers allows them to feel bold enough to take on leadership roles even after they return home from camp.

Parents often marvel at how much their child has changed after a summer away at camp. Not only is there the potential for your son or daughter to grow an inch or two in stature, but they also may come back with a more outgoing personality. One that reveals all those great traits you know and love. After a summer at camp, your biggest challenge will be keeping your newly outgoing child stimulated during those months until camp reopens again.

Let your kids enjoy day camp 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.

The Importance of Early Learning

Early childhood is a time that is often viewed as a moment in life where children are free to just play. While this is true, it is also important to realize how critical these early play experiences are for a child’s development. Children are naturally curious about the world and love engaging in new experiences that offer them a new perspective. While it may look like a child is just playing, they actually are picking up valuable skills in language, science and mathematics that may not be obvious to others at first glance. As your child enters these amazing years full of wonder, provide them with these educational activities that stimulate learning by tapping into their interests.

Develop Social Skills Through Dramatic Play

Dress up may be cute to watch from an adult’s perspective, but children engaged in imaginative play truly allow themselves to try on new personas. Helping to put out a fire in an imaginary village or pretending to serve food to their friends in a restaurant promotes a sense of the importance that each person has in a community. It also gives young children a chance to practice social skills such as asking for help or ordering food in a restaurant. And, as they talk to each other, their language and vocabulary skills also rapidly improve.

Teach Science by Nurturing a Love for Nature

Children are fascinated by science, and real life experiences are critical for creating an environment that satisfies their curiosity. For young children, planting a seed and watching as it grows into a fruit-producing plant is a lesson about the cycle of life that they will always remember. Helping to water the plant or feed an animal teaches responsibility and the importance of caring for the environment. Nature walks through the wilderness also give kids the chance to examine rocks, flowers and other types of natural elements as they develop their skills in scientific exploration.

Promote Creativity and Self-Expression Through Art

Finger paints and play dough are staples of every early childhood program, but the teachers do not use these materials just to keep the children busy. These types of experiences promote sensory awareness, which is important for helping kids learn how to express themselves and make sense of the world around them. In addition to strengthening their fine motor skills, using a brush to swirl paint across paper gives young children a positive experience with self-expression.

Get That Little Body Moving in Fun Exercise Classes

Energetic preschoolers may look like little wiggle worms as they run around a room, but all that activity is critical for their physical development. During these formative years, participating in age-appropriate exercise classes is perfect for helping kids develop gross motor skills while learning how to work with others as a team. Whether your child loves tumbling with other tots or learning how to climb on a rock wall, testing their abilities at an early age fosters the development of self-confidence.

Looking in on a preschool class is likely to make you look back with fond memories of the days when you spent your days playing with clay. Yet, it is easy to forget about how important these types of experiences were for your healthy development. Today, much is understood about how much learning truly goes on in the early childhood years and, by filling your child’s day with a wide range of educational activities, you can nurture their interests while providing them with the experiences they need for healthy development.

Let your kids enjoy the birthday party 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.

The Best Ways to Improve Your Child's Vocabulary

Helping your child develop an extensive vocabulary will ensure they succeed academically and socially. Not only will a large vocabulary help them sail through standardized tests, but it also enables them to speak to their peers and authority figures with confidence. However, this is one skill that is best taught by surrounding your child with multiple types of support. As you plan ways to improve your child’s vocabulary, use these strategies to give them the best chances for success.

Encourage Them to Read Challenging Books

From the moment you open that very first book with your child, you are exposing them to a world full of words. In the early years, many parents offer books that are simple to read so that their new reader does not become frustrated. However, it is also important to provide reading challenges that inspire your child to look up new words. Talk to your child’s teacher and academic tutor about your child’s current reading level. This way, they can guide you to a selection of books that will challenge your child without being overly frustrating.

Use Rich Vocabulary Around Your Child

As a parent, it is important to model desired behaviors, and using rich vocabulary around your child helps them learn how to use new words in their appropriate contexts. Avoid using baby talk or simplifying your language. Instead, speak carefully, and be willing to provide explanations for the meaning of new words when your child asks.

Enroll in Academic Tutoring

Individualized learning experiences are important for helping your child learn new words and how to use them correctly. Academic tutoring provides targeted instruction that is tailored to your child’s abilities. Whether they play a word game with their teacher or practice speaking with a group of their peers, each tutoring lesson will focus on implementing strategies that makes learning new vocabulary words fun and effective for your child.

Create Opportunities to Practice

Simply memorizing a list of vocabulary words will not help your child remember them in casual conversation. For this reason, social opportunities are critical while your child is strengthening their oral language skills. After school programs, such as tutoring and sports, are great ways to extend your child’s language learning beyond the school day. It is also important to stretch their vocabulary through enrichment opportunities such as science clubs and fine arts lessons.

Provide Supportive Feedback

When a child makes attempts to use new words, it is important to acknowledge their successes while providing supportive correction for mistakes. Make it a point to notice when your child uses a word that is new to their vocabulary. If they use a word incorrectly, give them the correct word or help them see how to make it fit the sentence. This helps to reinforce their learning while also building their confidence to take a risk in casual conversations.

Building your child’s vocabulary is a process that begins early in their academic years. Yet, nurturing a love for learning new words pays off as your child begins searching for the meaning of new words they hear. By implementing multiple strategies that support word acquisition into your child’s daily routine, you will be seeing noticeable results in their conversations and knowledge every time you talk about their day.

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.