All play makes summer camps a dull destination

Dubai - Activities are a great solution to kids being stuck indoors during holidays

Since the beginning of June, Dubai residents Aadarsh Venugopal (12) and his sister Devika (8) have been waiting for their school summer holidays.
For the brother-sister duo, summer is usually the time when they travel to their hometown in Kerala, India, to visit their grandparents. However, this year their parents dropped a not-so-pleasant surprise when they informed the children that they were not going to Kerala for the holidays.
The kids' mother, Anjali, has a 28-day summer camp planned for them. "Outside of sports, I think summer is a great time for kids to catch up on their other skills ... like public speaking, baking and other activities," said Anjali.
Aadarsh said: "We don't dislike going to school. But we've never experienced a camp before, and I'm really looking forward to it."
Summer camps for schoolchildren are not just a great stress buster, but it is a time to polish their soft skills. Children are presented with several learning opportunities and the older ones can look out for internships or summer job opportunities. Though many children find it hard to explore traditional camp activities like hiking, mountain climbing, and exploring the wilderness here in the UAE, schools and children's learning centres here are offering an array of indoor activities for kids of all ages.

Learning reinforcement
David Ottaviano, principal of GEMS International School in Al Khail, said: "The research on learning consistently shows that students who do not have 'learning reinforcement' in some form during the summer, are prone to return to school with a regression in learning.
"Summer learning programmes really help to slow this regression down. Many summer camps provide a more relaxed pace so that children really enjoy the fun and interaction with other students."
Ian Jones, Principal of GEMS Metropole School, said: "Summer camps offer a range of exciting and interesting activities and sports that, as well as being fun, help develop important skills such as team work, cooperation and communication in a relaxed environment."
However, unlike a few years ago, summer camps are becoming more innovative in their offerings as well. For example, Full Circle Design is offering an interior design course for teenagers in DUCTAC this summer.
In collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent, 100 children from low-income families in Dubai will be part of a charitable activity camp called BOOST. It has been organised to tackle the problem of children being confined to cramped indoor spaces during the summer months.
How camps help parents
Jones added: "Summer camps provide variety and interest for children through the holiday period. The activities allow children to remain in contact with their peers and to develop new friendships. The balance between taking part in family activities and summer camp activities is important and needs to be thought through to gain the maximum benefit for both children and parents."
He added that there should be a balance between activities that develop curricular performance and extra-curricular opportunities. "Children need a break from studies and the change of pace that the holidays provide. However, holidays also give an opportunity for children to develop skills that will benefit their studies, such as English language learning."
Summer jobs
For older students and teenagers, summer jobs and internships are a great idea to give them a full understanding of the working world.
Ottaviano said: "Summer work for students is an excellent way to experiment in different industries and a way for teenagers to understand the importance of perseverance, on time behaviour and accountability - all good skills for school.
"When my own children were teenagers, we helped them find employment and they worked for a month or two in bakeries, restaurants, and offices. Although it was more problematic for my wife and I (driving them to work each day), working really taught them the value of education."
Jones said summer jobs are great for older kids. "Within sensible limits, older students benefit from taking on small-time summer jobs or internships. Experiencing the world of work is a very rewarding activity that benefits students' further study. It offers real-life contexts to the subjects studied in school as well as developing important life skills."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com