Horseback Riding Safety for Kids

Kids are naturally drawn to horses. Learning how to ride one is like a dream come true for those who love these majestic animals. Yet, horseback riding does require paying attention to safety. Especially for younger kids who are still inexperienced with handling large animals. Follow these safety guidelines as you explore horseback riding lessons that will let your child experience the joy of spending time with their favorite animal.

Choose the Right Time

Many kids seem to start begging to ride a horse from the time that they can talk. It is important to realize that very small children may not have the control they need to ride safely. While riding stables can vary according to when they are willing to teach children how to ride, a good guideline is to wait until your child is in the third or fourth grade. At this age, they will have the ability to follow their instructor’s directions and safety rules as they learn how to ride.

Teach Kids Proper Horse Care

It is essential for kids to understand how to treat horses with respect. A quality horseback riding program will spend the first several lessons helping kids learn how to behave around horses. For instance, your child will be taught how to approach a horse quietly from the front or side. This is so that they avoid spooking the horse or getting kicked from behind. As kids progress in their lessons, they are also taught how to groom and care for horses so that they develop a relationship with the ones they ride.

Arrange for Professional Lessons

If you know people with horses, it might be tempting to just let your kid hop in the saddle and go for a ride. However, learning to ride horses the right way is essential for ensuring your kid’s safety. A professional horseback riding instructor knows how to do things such as show your kid a proper mount and dismount that protects them from injuries that could occur during a fall. Professional instructors also know how to develop and implement lesson plans that are carefully crafted to meet the current skill level of your child.

Wear the Appropriate Safety Gear

Riding boots are not simply to look adorable on your kid. They also protect them from serious injuries. They help them keep their feet properly in the stirrups and add a layer of protection against scrapes if they fall. Talk to your child’s horseback riding instructor about the appropriate safety gear your child should wear. For instance, riding helmets should be properly fitted to your child’s head, and your child should wear one every time they are working around horses. Boots, riding pants and padded vests all increase your child’s safety in the saddle.

Practice in a Safe Location

A short tour of your child’s riding facility reveals many things. Knowing what to look for when you visit the stables is very important. Ideally, you should see that the barns are organized and that the riding gear is clean and in good condition. There should also be defined riding rings. These allow your child to practice their lessons in a controlled environment overseen by their instructor.

Your child’s first horseback riding lesson is an exciting experience and you should be able to trust that your child is safe every moment. From outfitting them in the appropriate gear to selecting a patient instructor, you can look forward to watching your child ride atop their favorite horse with confidence.

Let your kids enjoy the experience horseback riding 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. Maplewood also offers bus service to kids who live in Canton MA. Visit the site at http://www.maplewoodyearround.com to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Teaching Kids to Love Fishing

Fishing is one sporting activity that encourages kids to get outside and discover the wonders of nature. While it does take time to successfully learn how to fish, all it takes is reeling in a big one for the first time to spark a lifetime interest in outdoor pursuits. Whether your child is begging to cast a line or you want them to develop an interest in one of your greatest passions, use these tips to help them learn how to love fishing just as much as you do.

Choose the Right Location

Avid fishermen all have their favorite spots to head to when they want to catch a fish. Choosing the right location increases your child’s chances of catching a fish, and it also gives you reassurance that your child is safe. For example, learning how to fish at the lake at your child’s summer day camp allows your child to benefit from instructors who emphasize safety and are familiar with where the best fish are caught. Once your child gets the basics there, you can reinforce their day camp lessons by checking out local streams and lakes near your home.

Make Fishing a Social Activity

Adults often welcome the quiet and solitude that fishing provides. However, kids will sometimes find this boring and quickly turn to other activities to satisfy their need for socialization. For this reason, fishing lessons for kids tend to go better when they are in a group. Try to avoid hushing your child as you fish together, and consider providing them with opportunities to fish with other kids their age who get excited about feeling a grab on their line.

Turn Lessons Into a Discovery Opportunity

Children are naturally inquisitive, and those who love science and nature are bound to have tons of questions about their new hobby. Help your child look up the answers to things such as the differences between a trout and a bass. You can also experiment with different types of bait to see which one works best. Talking about the life cycle of fish, where they like to hide and their predators all help to pique your child’s curiosity about fishing while also teaching important science lessons.

Celebrate a Successful Catch

Whether you are planning to eat fish for dinner or just like to fish for sport, it is important to make a big deal when your child reels in a fish. Keep in mind that it does not matter how big the fish is when your child is simply working on learning to make a catch. When your kid pulls in a catch, keep your camera ready for a picture that proves it wasn’t just a fish story. You can even start an album that your child can use to display their future catches. Then, provide them with plenty of praise, and keep up those fishing lessons.

Fishing with your kid is a great bonding opportunity that allows you to enjoy knowing that your child is learning about science and the outdoors. As with any new sport, make sure to keep things interesting by practicing in different locations and involving their friends. With just a little practice and the right environment, your kid will be grinning with excitement as they reel in a successful catch.

Let your kids enjoy summer 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 Challenging Summer Campers

Keeping kids entertained during the summer is a full-time job for parents, and it is important to keep kids stimulated so that they retain the things that they learned during the school year. Fortunately, summer camps are designed to keep kids challenged with exciting activities that carefully disguise the fact that kids are learning. While summer should always be a carefree time for kids, it is also important to keep them inspired to reach their fullest potential.

Types of Challenges Offered at Summer Day Camp

Summer camps carefully balance activities so that kids always have their familiar favorites to look forward to, but they are also encouraged to try new things each day. From learning how to scale a rock climbing wall to participating in a sports competition, kids are given chances to challenge themselves to set goals and meet them. Over time, kids begin setting their own challenges up such as swimming across the lake or learning how to ride a horse.

Benefits of Meeting Challenges for Kids

Kids need challenges to help them grow. This is why summer camp staff members also prioritize celebrating each kid’s achievements. Whether a camper dives off the diving board for the first time or finally manages to win a chess competition, everyone joins in the cheers. Meeting challenges increases a kid’s confidence so that they are willing to tackle even bigger ones in the future.

Helping Hesitant Children Conquer Their Fears

Many children are naturally hesitant when it comes to trying new things. Yet, it is important for kids to build their confidence through engaging in challenges. This is why summer day camp counselors are sensitive to each kid’s personality, and they provide gentle support to kids who need a little extra encouragement to step out of their comfort zone. From planning smaller goals to help a kid work their way up to a challenge, to helping a child overcome their shyness, camp counselors make it possible for every kid to rise to a new experience over time.

Building on Each Child’s Successes

It is important to continue following completed challenges with new ones that reinforce a kid’s skills. For instance, a kid who learns how to float on their stomach during swimming lessons will then be challenged to start learning strokes. In academic tutoring, a kid who finally masters a math skill may be challenged to solve a more difficult problem that uses a similar strategy. Making sure that kids see how conquering one challenge helps them do another shows them the importance of personal growth.

Keeping Summer Fun with Well-Rounded Challenges

Summer day camp programs offer a carefully balanced schedule of activities that teach academic, social and physical skills. This keeps things from getting boring while also making sure that each part of a kid’s developmental needs are met. As kids grow, they are less likely to get into trouble when their days are filled with new adventures at camp.

When that last school bell rings, kids are given the opportunity to explore new interests for the next several months. Partnering with your kid’s summer day camp staff is the best way to keep them challenged so that they get the most out of every moment of their favorite season.

Let your kids enjoy summer 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.

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.

Nurturing Your Child's Strengths at Summer Day Camp

One of the greatest joys of parenting is watching as your child masters new skills that bring out the positive attributes of their personality.

Giving your child new experiences is the best way to stimulate their development, and summer day camp makes this easy by providing a full schedule of activities every day that encourage children to discover new abilities.

This summer, you can look forward to your child enjoying these benefits of day camp for nurturing their strengths while they have the time of their lives.

Broaden Horizons with Specialty Programs

The school year is often too busy for lessons such as horseback riding and tennis. However, those summer days are full of long hours to let kids dive into their favorite interests.

Whether your child enjoys learning to play golf or wants to go on an equestrian adventure, training under a professional instructor in specialty programs at camp lets them immerse themselves in a favored hobby for several hours each day.

Step Into Leadership Roles

It is important to nurture your child’s developing independence, and summer day camps make sure that kids are given new responsibilities as they get older.

Counselor-In-Training programs at your child’s camp reward maturity by placing children in leadership roles that enhance their communication and decision-making abilities.

Having these positions to aspire to encourages younger children to always do their best, and older children feel honored to be able to help with the younger campers in their group.

Strengthen Academic Skills Over the Summer

Parents often lament that their child loses the skills they learned during the school year over the summer months. This is never a problem when your child goes to summer day camp because tutoring programs offer a way to continue developing your child’s academic strengths without leading to boredom.

Many day camp activities teach academic skills in fun and exciting ways. For instance, participating in chess competitions helps kids with their problem-solving abilities, and gardening gives your child hands-on experiences in science that they can take back to class.

Reveal New Strengths Through Challenging Experiences

A happy childhood is full of constant opportunities for your child to make new discoveries of things that they do well. Yet, new strengths can only emerge when your child is placed in an environment that encourages taking safe risks. Setting a goal to finally reach the top of that rock climbing wall and meeting it fills children with confidence that they can tackle the next challenge.

Watch Your Social Butterfly Thrive

The summer months are also the ideal time to help your kid learn how to make new friends and nurture their current relationships.

Whether kids are learning to paddle a canoe together or they are participating in a soccer competition, social skills are always being strengthened. These social ties also extend into the school year when children participate in after school programs at camp that keep them connected to their friends.

Summer day camp may only last a couple of months, but the lessons that children learn last a lifetime. Make sure that your child is surrounded by positive role models who plan stimulating activities at day camp so that their natural abilities will be brought to the surface.

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.

Kids Bored at Home? Find Kid-Friendly Events in Your Community

It’s amazing how kids can claim they are bored when they have a room full of toys. And there’s often a backyard that looks like a playground. However, kids crave new experiences. They fulfill the need for exploration and socialization. That is why it is always important to have a running list of activities for the “bored” kids in your life. Create a fun-packed calendar by looking for activities happening right there in your own community.

Search Your Community’s Website

Today most communities have websites. And a calendar of events is usually just a few clicks away. Head to your city or neighborhood website. You will likely find seasonal events that are free for your community such as a party celebrating a new park opening. From volunteer opportunities to school festivals and holiday parades, you can always find something happening around town that will help keep your kids busy.

Check Out What’s Happening at Day Camp

There is never a dull moment at summer day camp. Attending one of the many camp events available lets you meet your child’s best friends and their parents. The casual atmosphere at day camp makes it easy to mingle with your neighbors. Themed events that encourage dressing like a superhero or taking a step back into the days of the wild west make it easy to get your kids excited about enjoying some family time. The best part is that you will have fun at these events since there are always other parents to talk to as your kids run and play.

Expose Your Kids to The Local Arts and Culture

Throughout the year, community cultural centers offer special events to encourage kids to learn more about art and science. For example, your library may host a summer reading club. Or the local art museum may plan craft activities for kids on certain days. Zoos, planetariums and science museums are a few more fun places to check out. Some communities also host street festivals. They highlight local artists and musicians. And the low-key atmosphere is a great place to introduce kids to culture without disrupting others.

Create Your Own Community Event

When all else fails, you can always host an event on your own. Just invite your kids and their friends to do one of their favorite activities. Consider hosting a birthday party at day camp. All the neighborhood kids can play laser tag or hop on bumper boats. Alternatively, you could take your kid’s team to a ropes course so that they can strengthen their confidence and cultivate better teamwork skills.

Having a few boredom busters in your parenting tool kit is an absolute must. And your kids benefit from getting out in the world. They can learn new concepts and skills to help them reach their full potential. With vacation break just around the corner, now is the time to start planning for exciting, wholesome activities that will satisfy your kid’s need for constant stimulation.

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.

Can Chess Help Kids Make Better Decisions in Life?

Teaching kids how to make better decisions in life is a goal of every parent. Yet it often seems to be one of the hardest skills to teach. 

Giving kids safe risks combined with the right type of guidance is a delicate balance. It requires setting up the right circumstances. 

When parents discuss finding ways to encourage better decision-making in their children, the game of chess often comes up. 

This is because playing chess promotes the development of these skills by addressing the following areas that impact the choices a kid makes in life.

Develop the Mindset That Luck is Not Everything

Kids are naturally drawn to magical thinking. Parents often hear them exclaim how someone was “lucky” when they pulled off a major achievement. 

While there is an element of luck in many games, chess is not among them. Playing chess demands strategic thinking to place oneself in a position of advantage. As your son or daughter learns to play chess, they also gain an appreciation of the potential to control their own destiny through common sense. Working with their coach and other chess players also lets kids discover that strategic thinking is something that is learned. It is not just something that lucky people are born with in life.

Learn to Identify Positive Choices

Chess lessons often focus on helping kids recognize which strategies will help to improve their positions. True even when they are faced with two undesirable or equal moves. This concept can also be applied to life. 

Kids learn how to weigh their options when faced with two choices that carry the same weight. For example, a child may wish to attend their friend’s birthday party that happens at the same time as their sports practice. Both options may appear equal on the surface. Applying what they have learned in chess encourages your child to consider which choice will take them closer to reaching their goals.

Hone Critical Analytical Skills

Critical thinking requires kids to take what they have seen work in the past and combine it with present circumstances to determine probable outcomes. Chess lessons at summer camp give them a chance to observe the time-tested strategies used by both professional and beginner players. 

Then, they get to test out their theories on new strategies they think will work. Since there is always another chance to play a new game, kids are more willing to take risks that strengthen their deductive reasoning. When faced with tough decisions outside of the chess arena, they can apply these same analytical skills with greater confidence that they are making the right decisions.

Learning to play chess changes kids. Parents find that attending lessons pays off in more than just academic benefits. From strengthening their self-confidence to teaching them how to effectively analyze a situation, chess lessons address all the areas a kid needs to be able to make better life decisions.  

To maximize this effect, as your son or daughter makes choices that affect his or her life, simply stay involved in their lessons. Help them find ways to implement the skills they are learning.

Let your kids enjoy chess games 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.