How the Counselor Affects Your Child's Camp Experience

When a parent is looking around the best day camps for kids, the main focus usually is on the facilities and the number and types of activities the camp has to offer. However, a wiser parent should always take a look at the counselors available in a day camp before choosing one.

Since this step may seem a little daunting for many, here are a few good reasons why it is so important and a few pointers to tell you if the counselors are among the best.

Safety and peace of mind above anything else

As we can all agree, children are not always known for making the most mature choices in life. Throwing rocks or even daring each other to do dangerous things are among the usual things a parent may expect. But when they are at a camp and away from your reach, someone else is responsible for looking out for them.

I’m sure we can agree that a counselor is just a human being and there is a limit to what they can do and how many kids they can be looking after at any given moment. That is why you should always check the counselor-children ratio. The best ratio should be about one counselor per five or six children, even if it is in a major city like day camps in Toronto where you are bound to find a lot more children. If a counselor has too many children to look after at once especially young ones who tend to occasionally run wild and go out of sight, it is likely possible that he or she will not be able to attend to the all the kids and someone might potentially get hurt. As such, day camps with the most number of counselors looking after an agreeable number of children are the best options to choose from.

Unfortunately even with someone constantly looking after them in day camps, it is still possible that something can go wrong. Tantrums, fights, and even preexisting medical conditions among children like allergies can also be triggered. Counselors with experience in dealing with children and knowledge in first aid can make a huge difference. They must know what to do in any situation especially when there are emergencies.

It should be of little difficulty to go online and check out the number people who are working at the day camps for kids at the top of your list.

The above covers a vital role of the counselor. Yet there is much more to them than a safety precaution measure.

Counselors guide, educate, and inspire.

More than anything else, the most important role a counselor has in day camps is being a mentor. A counselor does not only look after a child, but he or she also guides, educates, and inspires the children in day camps.

Counselors should have all the patience in this world to be able to attend to both the friendly and the difficult kids. They are the light of the party so they should be fun and lively. They should enjoy being around young children and most of all knowledgeable and persistent to be able to educate, inspire, and encourage the children to excel in their chosen program.  

We all know how vicious children may be and they can really behave differently at times. As such, it takes the skills of a counselor who is patient, relaxed, and a good role model who will show the children how to behave properly and how to be responsible even at a young age.

All in all, camp has evolved a lot during the past few years. Just one look at Toronto day camps and you may already start to envy the luck of the younger generation. Bottomline is, day camps are an ideal location for your children to go attend to during summer. It is a place where they can try out different things, hone their talents and skills, get to know people, and develop a variety of social skills that they can use later when they are on their own.

With Zodiac Summer Day Camps in Toronto, you can never go wrong. They have plenty of exciting specialty programs, sports, and educational activities for little kids and young adolescents to choose from. They have top-notch and state-of-the art facilities, committed, caring and experienced counselors, and convenient Door-to-Door Bus Zones. Zodiac also offers the following: Culinary Arts, Dance, Horseback Riding, Mega Sports, Science & Magic, Swimming, Tramp Sports, Adventure Sports, Fashion Design, Jewelry Arts, Robotics, Science & Rocketry, and Tennis. All these activities at Zodiac are guaranteed to make your kids summer fun, exciting, and worthwhile!

How Teenagers in Day Camp Become More Responsible Adults

Teenagers nowadays are more absorbed with the virtual world than ever before. With the rise of technology, more and more kids are being left with their own devices. While learning has become more expansive and accessible, teenagers fail to develop many skills which they need to face the more complicated post-adolescent life.

Because our children are so absorbed in their devices, they spend less and less time interacting with other people on a personal level. More likely, they are glued to their couch or beds without doing any physical activity. This prolonged sedentary lifestyle can be detrimental for your child’s psychological and physiological growth. 

As parents, we want the best for our children. One way to help them is to limit their virtual time and let them engage in activities that can enhance other facets of their personality. One fun way to make them do this is by enrolling your teen in a day camp. 

You may be asking why? Just what do teenagers learn in day camps that could transform them into more responsible individuals? 

In day camps, teenagers are given specific tasks for the day and sometimes they rotate on these chores. This makes teenagers who have been in day camp more flexible to many things they may need to do in the future. Learning how to cook, how to clean, fix their own beds, and many other chores will help them become more independent and will be able to face their lives easier especially when they finally live on their own. These are things that they cannot learn from video games.

Another advantage of enrolling your teen in a summer program is that they learn the value of social interaction and how it affects them and the people around them. They learn that their actions have corresponding consequences, and they learn to bear the weight of their decisions. Day camps offer various group activities where teenagers lead and learn how to decide. They will realize that their actions lead to certain situations, most of the time not just involving them, but their teammates as well. This is an essential life skill that they need when they become adults in the future. 

Moreover, day camps implement rules and these help discipline the teenagers. They learn to recognize the importance of order and know the workarounds to improve certain situations. They know when to weigh their decisions, and know that disregarding some rules will also lead to certain consequences. They learn how to let go and sacrifice things to contribute to the order of the system.

In day camps, your child will also be exposed to different socio-civic programs like outreach projects by The Red Cross. Exposing teenagers to these kinds of programs develops their awareness and respect for human diversity and global welfare and how they can make a difference in the society. With this exposure, you develop a well-rounded adult who can become a catalyst for positive change. 

As you can see, there are a lot of skills and values teenagers can develop in day camps. These summer programs for kids are aimed to developing your child in a holistic way. Give your teenagers the right push so they become more ready and prepared for their future by enrolling them in day camps.

How Sports Can Improve Study Habits

For many years, sports enthusiasts have been stereotyped as bad students mainly because they tend to focus too much on playing and on their time preparing for competitions. Most, if not all, belong to those who are out-of-school or are in school but are not performing really well in academics. However, recent studies suggest that competitive sports can actually help young people focus more on their studies and achieve greater academic success.

It is all about having the proper mindset

What separates an average or a bad student from the best ones is definitely their levels of motivation. No matter how many obstacles or struggles one may have, it all comes down to whether you really want to study or not. Having clear goals and proper time management are important as well.

So the next time you think about arranging for your child to have lessons during the summer, you may think twice about it and choose to send them to one of the many day camps available in your area. Yes, it may seem a little counter-intuitive, but it is true that in day camps, your kids can have a start on their favorite sports.

There are so many things day camps for kids have to offer your child. Children will be in an environment where they will be able to grow as a person. Playing in competitive sports is one of the best ways you can train your brain to start setting clear goals and strive to achieve them. And since archery or tennis is a lot more fun than algebra, you can tell which course is more appealing to get the proper skills necessary.

Another thing that will start to be clearer is that when you want to succeed, you will need to manage your time and effort properly. There needs to be time for training, but the time to rest and clear your head is vital as well. As such, at a young age, your child must already have a proper schedule where there is ample time to study and play as well as a time off and have some fun. When they learn to manage their time at day camps, they will also learn how manage their time in school.

Grades are not the most important thing in life

The one thing we can all agree upon is that people are creatures made to live in groups and form societies later. In short, having your child spending their entire free time studying is probably going to hurt their social skills. Remember, a child must not only be brain smart. Your child must be people smart and street smart as well to be able to make it up the ladder of success. And that is what day camps promise.

Once again, you can see now why day camps for kids may be a good idea. Viewing your studies and academic courses as a competition is one thing that will give them a proper head start. But at the same time, while they are having fun and putting their best efforts to succeed in sports, they are also going to learn how to work as a team.

This is not something that can be achieved only with group sports, even a sport like archery is not a solo competition. They still have their counselor and maybe even a team where they compete with or against. Either way, it is a win-win situation.

Lastly, it is also in sports that a small child will learn the value of discipline. At day camps sports activities, they will surely learn to discipline and behave themselves accordingly and they will likely adopt such values towards their studies.

At day camps for kids, not only will your child have fun during their summer while doing what they love, but they will also gain a valuable set of skills. There are plenty of day camps in Toronto that offers a wide array of sports activities that will instill in your child’s mind the value of discipline, time management, patience, perseverance, and the will to excel. Your child can and will surely adapt these traits towards his studies going forward.

All in all, the time for the stereotypical dense athletes has come to pass. What any student needs is motivation. Once they have enough experience in sports, it is only a matter of time before they start viewing their studies in the same way. At Zodiac, there are plenty of sports activities your child can choose from. All options are guaranteed to make your child’s summer not only fun and exciting but worthwhile as well. No other Toronto day camps offer the same.

How Early Should You Send Your Child to Camp

Camp offers children with enriching experiences that will build their self-esteem, social skills and discover talents. Before enrolling your kid in a day camp, you must determine if they are ready.

Some children have yet to reach a certain level of independence for camp. This may cause bad experiences throughout their stay. Your child may not want to return to camp because of these. You must consider the maturity or age of your kid before you enrol them.

Determine the Readiness of Your Child

The ideal age to send kids to summer camp is approximately nine years old. At this age, most children are responsible enough for things such as bathing, dressing and being accountable for their own things. However, some children have reached a level of maturity to do these things without help at an earlier age. Some are ready to go to camp as early as six or seven years old.

One of the ways to determine the maturity level of your child is, by observing the way he or she takes care of their things. Do they put them away after playing? If your child knows how to return things to where they should be, they are ready to join summer day camp.

Is He or She Mature Enough?

Some kids lack the maturity to be away from home for a long time, especially if their parents are not around. These kids tend to feel anxious at day camp; they will not have fun because all they think about is home.

If your child feels nervous whenever you are not home for a long time, it is an indicator that they are unprepared for camp. They need to mature and be accountable for their actions before joining a program.

Is Your Kid Ready for Camp?

It is difficult to know how your child will feel when you leave them for some time. If they enjoy staying at a friend’s home for the whole day or at grandpa’s, you can send them to camp.

Does your child show curiosity about their environment? Do they like the outdoors? Do they like being with other kids they just met? If your answer is yes to these questions, your child is confident and mature enough to join a camp.

Interests of Your Child

Determine the interests of your kid to know if they will feel excited about camp. You have several choices as to the program your child can join. Show them photos or videos of the activities and go on a personal visit to the camp to help your child learn about the experience. Some children prefer sports and some like the arts. Determine what your child likes to enrol them at a program they want to join.

How Day Camps Can Be A Positive Influence in Youth Development

Integrating Youth Development through Day Camping

Youth is that particular stage in the life of a person that brings about many changes in one’s personality and character. Children are most receptive when it comes to opportunities for interpersonal development. As such, a day camp for kids are created to make use of our chldren’s idle time and transform it into a productive program of enriching activities. There are many day camp centers in and around our country and all serve one vision and one purpose: child development through social interaction. Society has always been a part of your child since being brought into the world, and the only way to survive its never-ending challenges is to equip the child with the proper tools to help overcome these. Day camps can help children socially, and also guarantee that every child will gain more knowledge from various activities provided.

Advantages of Joining a Summer Camp

Camping has always been considered a worthwhile activity. Consisting mostly of spending time outdoors and interacting with nature, participants learn about camaraderie, trust, responsibility, and most importantly, unity amongst themselves. Summer camp brings the great outdoors and many fun programs together to make a memorable summer for your children. The advantages of joining a day camp are too many to mention; however, we can mention three of these that top the list. First is personality development, second is social development, and third is maturity.

Personality development is achieved when a child acquires a unique set or pattern of thinking, feeling, and behavior that makes him/her unique.  Social development, on the other hand, is achieved when a child understands the importance of being a person for others. This means the child would have been equipped with tools required to extend sympathy and to show empathy towards other people.

Maturity is much deeper in scope. Though still a child, maturity can still be achieved in day camp for kids with the help of both camp leaders and parents. And this is one of the primary reasons day camp is a rewarding activity for children not to take for granted. They grow in wisdom and in self-awareness not feeling forced or stressed out. Instead, children develop maturity in the spirit of fun and camaraderie. Various activities line up a summer camp program and no two program lists are the same.

Encouraging your kids to attend summer camps will open opportunities for them to succeed in their personal and social development. Do not let this chance slip by. Guide them. Support them. Inspire them to be the best person that they can be. Youth only comes once in their lifetime. Ensure that your kids make the best out of this phase.

Developing Friendships in Day Camps and Its Impact On Your Child

Your children’s emotional and psychological growth is heavily reliant on the social interaction that they get from the people around them. The way we communicate, enforce discipline and show our affection cultivates how they will grow up in the future.  

This social interaction almost always start at home with the parents but as our children grow older, they get exposed to many different people such as your neighbors, their babysitter, schoolmates, teachers and so on. Along the way, some of these social interactions turn into something deeper and our children develop friendships with other people.

In some cases, developing friendships does not come easy especially when there is a limited opportunity for your child to be exposed to different kinds of people. One way to help them is by enrolling them in a day camp for kids where they will be exposed to kids their age and get to know them though the different summer programs offered at these camps.

In these summer programs for kids, your children will be introduced to many activities that will promote social interaction. They will be exposed to different kinds of personalities and will be more likely to find other kids who share the same interests or passions as theirs. Given this, they will be able to find a common ground where they can freely share thoughts and experiences. Eventually, these children develop a stronger bond as they go through the different activities that these day camps for kids offer.

But how does developing friendships in day camps help your child?

• Your child will develop a sense of belongingness because they have finally found their clique who can understand what they are going through and who can share the same interests as theirs. Day camps offer programs that cluster like-minded individuals. For example, Zodiac’s specialty programs are catered to children who share the same interests and passion such as sports, performing arts, culinary arts and the like. Because of this common ground, children find it easy to interact and be comfortable with each other.
• These friendships also help build your child’s self-esteem and self-worth. As your child grows up, he or she may encounter some identity crisis. Because of camp activities, they get to know kids who are like them and this thought is very comforting knowing that they are not alone.

In many cases, the friendship that your child develops in day camps continue even after these summer programs are over. This is something that you should nurture as your child needs a healthy amount of social interaction with people his/her age.

Enroll your child this summer in day camp for kids like Zodiac. Choose from the many programs that they offer and let your child find his/her way to self-discovery while letting him/her develop a strong bond with other children.