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The coolest summer ever! And why is it important? Tips for parents

Summer is the most cherished season for our children, with the prospect of a long vacation and unlimited time to spend the day doing their hobbies

The Jakarta Post
Tue, April 30, 2013 Published on Apr. 30, 2013 Published on 2013-04-30T12:20:47+07:00

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S

ummer is the most cherished season for our children, with the prospect of a long vacation and unlimited time to spend the day doing their hobbies. The challenge is for you to prepare some activities that help them stay engaged during the long break and not find themselves.

Furthermore, there are benefits of having various summer activities for your children, instead of letting them sit in front of the TV or playing computer games all day long.

Although a summer program can have a deep impact on a child's development, not all activities have what it takes to be meaningful to their development. Parents must carefully select a suitable summer program for their children.

A solid program with a well thought-out philosophy, a mature and attentive staff, and counselors who are excellent role models, may give children both a fun time and meaningful moments. It is a wonderful experience for a child to come to a place where he or she is an unknown entity and freed from his or her usual context.

A summer program can combine knowledge from the home and the school environments, thus serving as a potentially important brick in developing a child's thoughts towards adulthood.

The following are some of the benefits that you should look for when choosing summer activities for your children:

Learning new skills

Regardless of the type of summer program you send your child to, they are going to learn some kind of skills. It is recommended to encourage new skills; for example, skills related to developing self-esteem, social awareness, appreciating the environment, etc.

Even though they are in a basic day camp and what they learn might change daily, they will still be learning. Through learning skills from a trustworthy role model, they will be encouraged to learn skills they need to know to improve.

Social interaction

A summer program is fantastic for your child because it allows him or her to learn about socializing and working with his or her friends, while doing other things. Instead of hanging out in the house and being unproductive, your child will have an opportunity to learn how to socialize with other children who enjoy the same types of things, and do so while learning new skills, exercising, having fun, and the like. It is a whimsical way for children to get that life-experience social time in, as they are being productive.

General intelligence

One of the benefits of sending your child to a summer program is that it exposes children to the concept of experimental learning, the method of learning by direct experience, a first-hand role in their education and enjoyment.

Just as the science class offers a hands-on and interactive philosophy, an environmental program encourages awareness of the earth's treasures. A summer program potentially offers a learning-rich setting for children to experience a great number or a very specific thing.

Having fun

The most important attribute of a summer program is that it should be fun for children to follow. They may get to touch animals, socialize, perform or enjoy many other types of new experiences, and always have something to look forward to every single day.

The bottom line ' the ultimate reason of sending your child to summer program is that they will have a blast.

Summer programming is very important for children to make sure they are feeling active and engaged with their environment. Summer programs differ broadly in the way they are run, what kind of facilities they are managed on, precisely what sort of programs they offer to make sure that the resources and opportunities are there for children to stay active and engaged.

Despite various differences, better summer programs hold in common a vision that positively aims to provide learning-rich opportunities and holistic benefits to children through direct experience and hands-on activities.

The writer is early childhood education specialist

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