Tuesday, March 29, 2011

On the road to Camp Narnia!

With Spring Break either over or on its way out it's time to start thinking about summer and camp! Registrations are already coming in and we encourage you to send yours in soon as our space is limited this year. You have 3 sessions in August to choose from and they are all available to both children (ages 6 - 12) as well as teens (ages 13-15).




There are lots of local camping and B&B type accommodations in the Nanoose Bay/Parksville area for parents who want to have their own holiday while your children are at Camp. This site has many of suggestions:

http://www.visitparksvillequalicumbeach.com/

Please do not hesitate to contact Camp Narnia's office either via phone or email if you have any questions about Camp and what we can offer your child. We hope to see you this summer!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Camp is great for kids!



So why should you send your child to camp? How will camp benefit your child; how will it positively impact their life, build skills and help them grow? Every camp offers something different; there really is a camp for every child. There are over 700 summer camps in Canada not to mention the thousands of camps in the rest of the world!

If I were to chose aspects of camp that I believe to be most beneficial to kids it would be providing them with a place where they can truly be children, where they can explore and invent, where relationships are built, where they learn to live in community, where imagination is valued and where they create connections to and within the natural world.

If you want to learn more about why summer camp is such a valuable experience and how it will benefit your child I would suggest taking a look at the link below. Although the camps listed are, for the most part, in the East coast, there is a lot of valuable information about camps in general including the chart below. Do something wonderful for your child and send them to camp!

http://www.ourkids.net/camp/why-go-to-summer-camp.php

Camp Builds Skills for Life

Concrete Skill Development Soft Skill Development
School, work and life skills
problem solving, self-discipline, perseverance, goal setting and time management and team building
Gaining confidence and self-esteem
Leadership and personal growth
learning to inspire and to work as part of a team, achievements at camp build self-esteem and confidence
Becoming more independent
Igniting future career interests
an actor, an astronaut, an athlete, an astronomer
Internalizing morals and values
Specialty training
mastering sailing, horseback riding, hockey, swimming, computer skills or debate transfer back to classroom work
Gaining better self-awareness
Learning to try new things
Kids discover and explore new sports, crafts and challenges like high ropes or an adventure trek
Improving interpersonal and social skills
Learning through success and failure
There are no grades at camp. Kids are encouraged in a supportive environment to test and master new skills and try again and again if they fail
Becoming a good community member and good citizen
Physical activity and increased strength
kids are up and active and using their bodies as well as their minds
Taking responsibility for self and others