The 7 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Choosing A Day Camp

Choosing a summer camp for kids shouldn’t be that difficult. However, if you are a newbie to the process, you want to make sure that you avoid common mistakes. Day camps for kids are a fun way to keep kids involved in activities when school is out or when they are not old enough to attend elementary school. Find out what not to do below so you can be successful when enrolling your child in a day camp. 

Choosing the Wrong Activity

To get started, you want to be sure to choose an activity that your child will enjoy. Children who like music might not want to attend a camp that focuses on sports. Be sure to choose a camp that offers an activity your child will like rather than just signing up for any of the day camps for kids. If your child is unhappy with the wrong activity, they will not enjoy their time at camp. 

Neglecting to Check the Camp Schedule

It is also important to be sure you check the camp schedule. You want to be sure the time frame of the camp will work with your schedule. It is often that parent’s sign up for a day camp only to find out they have to work during the time frame and are unable to bring kids to the day camp during operating hours. 

Forgetting Lunch/Snacks

When your child attends a day camp, be sure to find out about lunch or snack needs. You want to ensure you pack a drink, lunch or snacks when needed. This is essential to the happiness of your child as well as helping to not feel left out if they are the only child without drinks or snacks. 

Not Preparing Child for Camp

Parents should always prepare kids for camp, especially children who have never been to day camps before. Talk about the camp to your child and what they should expect. Only talk about camp in a positive manner and get your child excited about going. It is never a good idea to not discuss going to camp as you want your child to be prepared to be away from home, even if only for a few hours.

Missing Out on Pricing Deals

Another big mistake parents make is missing out on camp pricing deals. You can save money on day camps if you know how. Check in to early payment deals or early sign up discounts. The type of camp you are interested in will depend on the discount or special pricing you may be able to receive. 

Not Following Camp Rules

Another big mistake is not following camp rules. Be sure to go over the rules of day camp with your child but also know the parental rules. Perhaps parents are asked to stay out of the camp area until pick up time. Follow all the rules of the day camp so your child can have a quality experience. 

Missing Signups

If your child is excited about going to a day camp, be sure you do not miss signups. Most camps have a period in which kids can sign up for the next camp. If you miss this time frame, you may have to wait months before your child can be enrolled. Be sure to avoid missing the signup time frame so your child can experience camp.

Contact Zodiac Day Camps to learn more about quality day camps and find an option that your child will enjoy.

Tips For Teaching Your Child To Swim

If you are considering enrolling your child in a summer camp or a day camp for kids that teaches swimming lessons, or a summer camp or day camp that offers private swimming lessons, you should consider their age prior to enrolling them.  There is a great amount of research available out there that recognizes that children should be at least four years of age before attending a private swimming lesson, as typical children under the age of four years old are not yet developmentally able to learn and master the skill of swimming.  If your child falls into the age category of under four years of age, you might want to go with the option of a summer camp that helps them to swim and be safe in the pool, and then tackle some tips for teaching your child to swim. Zodiac offers classes starting at three months of age with parents and then classes for three years old and up without the parents in the water.  You can also work with your toddler on water safety, swimming readiness, and other fun games and skills in preparation for them to learn to swim.

Keep Lessons Short

Children have relatively short attention spans so shorter lessons, around 30-minutes at a time, are more beneficial to their learning the skill of swimming. This is especially true for those children aged 3-5 years. 

Incorporate Games and Toys

All children love games, right?!  Incorporating games and activities into your pool time or lessons can also help maintain your child’s attention.  A great way to do this is to use bright and colorful toys and flotation devices that catch your child’s eye and keep him/her interested.  

Utilize Appropriate Safety Equipment

The type of safety equipment you will need to use will depend on the age of your child.  research the Coast Guard’s guidelines on what size and type of life jacket your child needs based on his or her age and size.  Other safety equipment, such as PFD’s, can be purchased to help them feel safe in the water. You can also find teaching platforms that allow smaller children to stand in the water. 

Help Your Child to Feel Safe

Another tip for teaching your child to swim is to help them to feel safe around the pool and the water.  For the typical child, water is a scary thing at first, until they are used to it and become accustomed to it.  Some ways to help your child feel safe in the water are to hold them in your arms, remind them that you will always be there with them, stay close to them, and remind them that you yourself know how to swim and you are here to help.  Building trust in the water is key to the success your child will feel in the water. 

If you are looking for a great day camp for kids or summer camp in which swimming is incorporated into the curriculum and activities, Zodiac Kids (Change to Zodiac Day Camp) provides a variety of camps that are able to meet those needs.  Contact them today to speak to someone about what type of day camp or activity would be best for your child. Make sure to promote positive messages whenever dealing with the water and your children. If you ask them if they are scared or nervous, this can make them feel as if they should be. Always encourage them and reassure them as they are learning new skills.

Why Every Child Should Go To Swimming Programs

Swimming is a fun past time that individuals of all ages enjoy. When it comes to learning to swim, children should be introduced to this life skill at an early age. Children are more open to learning to swim in their younger years and will be able to quickly take to the water when introduced to swimming classes kids programs. There are many top instructors who can help your child learn how to swim, allowing them to be safe and have fun in the water. Check out the top reasons why children should go to swimming programs below. 

Life Skill

Learning how to swim is considered a life skill. From an early age, children are exposed to the water be it at summer camp, birthday parties or fun with family. Children need to learn this life skill so they can be comfortable in any body of water, whether it is a swimming pool, pond, river or ocean. 

Safety

One of the most important reasons why swimming classes for kids are so important is due to water safety. As a parent, you want your child to be able to tread water and be safe. When a child that has not been taught how to swim is exposed to water, be it for fun or by accident, they can easily drown. A child that knows how to react in certain situations will be safe and ready to enjoy the water. You will be able to rest easy knowing that your child can handle the water. Children are naturally curious and drawn to the water. Young children often times fall into swimming pools trying to play and can easily drown. When a child knows how to swim, this horrible hazard can be avoided. 

Friendships

As a child enjoys swimming lessons, they can begin to build friendships. Lessons will take place with other children of the same age, so your child can find new friends while learning how to be safe in the water. Schedule play dates at the pool and watch your child grow socially as they learn how to swim. 

New Sport Opportunities

Many children who learn how to swim like the sport so much they want to join a team or become involved in individual competitions. Over time, your child can develop a great skill in swimming and perhaps even compete on a state or national level. If your child enjoys swimming, let them cultivate their love and possibly become involved with their school or local swim team as an added bonus. 

As you can see, there are many reason why a child will benefit from swimming lessons. Allow your child to adapt to the water and be taught how to swim by a professional to be safe and have fun when enjoying water activities. This gives you peace of mind that your child has the skills they need, and they gain the confidence to enjoy the water activities around them. Contact Zodiac Swim School to learn more about swimming lesson programs and options for your child based on swim level as well as age. 

What Are The Benefits Of Swimming For Adults And Teenagers?

While you may just think of swimming as a past time during the summer, that is not the case. Swimming is great all year around with winter swim programs and indoor pools available in most areas. While your child is enjoying swimming lessons, you can enjoy swimming for a variety of benefits yourself. Here are a few of the magnificent benefits you or your teenagers can reap as a part of your swimming daily. 

Low Impact Workout

When it comes to aging, sometimes the years are not kind to your joints. This can also be true if you have a significant amount of weight to lose. By spending time in the pool, you can get a great workout that does not impact your joints like running or walking on a treadmill. Swimming offers great cardiovascular benefits and helps you get in a solid workout without feeling like you’re working out. 

Very Few Injuries

When you compare other teen sports to swimming, the sport has very little injuries. Comparing this with football, basketball, or even track, there are a much smaller number of injuries associated with swimming than the other sports available. 

Improvements Overall

There are many aspects of health that are improved when involved in winter swim programs. It can help to improve balance and stamina in yourself or your teen. Those who struggle with balance issues can also get assistance with swimming programs. Another area it will help to improve is posture in yourself and your teenagers. Teens usually struggle with this area, and so do some adults. This will help to keep them walking tall and prevent future problems down the road. 

Stay Fit and Active While Having Fun

This is a great way to stay active and healthy while you’re still having fun. As mentioned before, swimming lessons kids and adults help you to stay active and you don’t realize that you’re getting healthy. You can spend hours in the pool playing around and not realize the benefits of the exercise you just performed. Staying fit and active is important all throughout your life. If you start your children or teens young in the pool, they can keep this sport as a part of their healthy routine. 

Individual or Team Sport

This is also a sport that you can enjoy by yourself or as part of a team. There are swimming teams that travel or you can do individual workouts to get your active lifestyle on track. 

These are just a few of the amazing benefits that adults and teenagers alike can enjoy. Whether you are looking for swim lessons kids for your children or you need to learn yourself, Zodiac Swim School is a great place to explore swimming. You can learn important safety rules, how to prevent accidental drownings, and how you can enjoy swimming as a lifelong sport for years to come. Enjoy their winter swim programs this year to make sure your entire family stays fit, active, and healthy even throughout the cold winter months. 

Contact them today to see how you can get your family on the road to a healthy lifestyle.

Day Camp Helps To Increase The Activity Level In Your Child

With so many advances in technology today, it is becoming more and more uncommon for children to get out into nature and enjoy a different kind of play. While technology is great, and tablets and phones have some pretty fun and even educational games on them, getting out and enjoying nature offers a type of play that is fundamental to every child. Being in nature has an infinite number of benefits for children, and a great way to get your child to experience nature firsthand is to enroll them into a day camp for kids!  There are all kinds of day camps and summer programs for kids and you are sure to find one that your little one will enjoy and benefit from. Find out how the right camp is vital for your child. 

Sense of Independence

Day camps for kids often provide a safe environment where the children who attend can learn skills to make them more independent and build their self-confidence.  Day camps allow your child to be independent by attending without parental supervision and fostering a sense of self-worth.  They will learn new skills and interests that will help build their confidence and sense of independence. That is something that a video game will never be able to teach your child.

Social Skills

Another reason summer programs are vital for kids is because they improve social skills. Day camps for kids can introduce children to other peers their age whom they might not otherwise have the chance to come into contact with. This opens up opportunities for your child to learn more about others who are different than them, and encourage social skills.  Day camps also focus on group activities and games that challenge the children to work together to accomplish tasks. Working as a team encourages children to work together towards a common goal, teaching them how to successfully work with others in a variety of different situations, which is a skill they will always use. Summer programs and day camps for kids also create lasting friendships that can often continue outside of camp.  Children find friends in unlikely places and also make friends with others who share their common interests. Sitting inside and playing on tablets and watching television does not foster social interaction, which makes camp an obvious winner in that regard. 

Physical skills

Another benefit that day camps have over technology is that they increase the physical skills in children.  Attending a camp will almost always include numerous opportunities for your child to explore their physical ability.  From yoga, softball, basketball, swimming, martial arts, rock climbing, soccer, dodgeball and other activities. Even if your child does not participate in a sport, they can build physical skills by playing games outside and exploring nature. Challenging themselves physically helps build character in children and allows them to challenge themselves in ways they might not otherwise be able to. Summer programs for kids have the children being active for most of the day, which is also a benefit to their physical health.  

If you’re looking for a great day camp or summer program for your child in the Toronto area, contact Zodiac Kids (Change to Zodiac Day Camp) to find the best program for your child.

10 Ways To Promote Water Safety And Prevent Your Child From Drowning

Enrolling your child into a swimming program for kids is an exciting time. It means that through the swimming program or class, your child will be learning the basic skills to successfully swim and reduce their risk of drowning. It means that as a parent, you can feel more comfortable when your child is swimming in the pool, as they will know how to swim. However, while swimming programs are vital to preparing children for the pool or water, parents still need to be cautious of the risk of drowning and aware of proper water safety. Here are ten ways to promote water safety and prevent your child from drowning.  Read carefully and implemented these ten tips the next time you take your child swimming.

Supervision

While your child might have learned how to swim, it is still important to always supervise your children when they are in the water. It is best to keep your eyes on your child (Needs to be “You must keep your eyes on your children at all times”) at all times to insure your children are safe. While they might know how to swim, you will want to be aware if something were to occur, so that you could help out if needed. You should always be close enough to be able to jump in and reach out to help your child if needed.
If you do not know how to swim, be sure to only allow your children to swim where there is a lifeguard or another adult present who knows how to swim. If there is a lifeguard present, but sure they are certified before allowing your children to swim. It is also a good idea for parents to take swimming lessons themselves. This will help to ensure you and your child are both comfortable in the water. You can find a variety of these types of classes to help adults learn to swim as well.

Stay alert of weather conditions

If swimming at a pool, be aware if there is lightning (fixed spelling) or storms approaching, as it is unsafe to be in the water during a storm. The same goes for when you are swimming at the beach, as well as some additional weather conditions to be concerned about.  Strong winds can create rougher waters, and strong rip currents. Rip currents are difficult to swim in and very strong, and could easily pull a child away from your sight. Teach your child to swim parallel to the shore if they are caught in a rip current. You should also become knowledgeable about the water symbols and flags and their meanings, to keep you informed as to whether or not the water is safe to swim in. The lifeguard stand should have a colored flag indicating different conditions such as dangerous marine life, strong current, etc. in order to keep you informed.

Life jackets

If you are planning to take your children out on a boating excursion, make sure that everyone has an appropriately sized and fitting life jacket. You can find recommended life jacket sizing through the United Sates Coast Guard website.
Pool Barriers
If you have a pool at your home and smaller children, be sure to place a proper barrier around the pool, such as a fence or gate. This will prevent your child from entering the pool area without your knowledge and prevent an accident.

Learn CPR

Knowing how to perform CPR better prepares you for being able to help in the event of an accident.  There are Red Cross certified classes offered all over the country.
Review safety and rules
In any situation, whether it be at the pool, the beach, on a boat, there are safety precautions and rules that enable your child to be safe and have fun.  Review these guidelines each time you take your child swimming, so that they have it fresh on their minds.
Teach your children about 911
Always tell your children that calling 911 in an emergency is important, so that they know how to react in the event of an emergency. Reminding them of what to do before each time they go swimming is equally important.

Learn how to swim

Remember, swimming lessons are not limited to children. Many adults do not know how to swim, and as stated earlier, it is important to know how to swim when supervising your children in the water. Maybe you can take classes with your child and you two can learn to swim together.

Stay out of rough water

If you’re visiting the beach and the waters seem to be rough, stay away. Even if it is the last day of your vacation you want to be safe.

Always be alert

No matter what is going on, be alert to the surroundings. Make sure that you have your eyes on your children at all times in the water. Drownings do not always appear as they do in the movies so it’s very important to keep that watchful eye.

What Is Slowing My Child’s Progress In Learning How to Swim?

Swimming programs for kids are a great way to introduce your child to the sport of swimming or to teach them safety in the water. With a proper swimming program, your child will learn how to stay safe in the water and they will learn different swimming techniques to reduce their risk of drowning and allow them to have more fun.  Not to mention there is an added benefit that as a parent, you can now feel less worried when your child is swimming, once they learn to swim successfully. However, swimming programs can be difficult for children as well, and you might feel as though their progress is on a decline. Perhaps they started off building skills very quickly and their skills were very strong, but now you feel as though their progress has tapered off.  There are several reasons why this could occur. It is important to identify the reason your child’s progress is slowing in order to correct the problem and help them continue on to swimming success!

Interest Level
How interested is your child in the swimming lessons? Maybe he/she started out with a strong interest in learning to swim but are now not quite as interested. While pushing for them to continue the swimming lessons as a sport might not be a good idea, you should continue them in the class if they are still lacking the basic skills to stay safe in the water.  For this reason, it is important for your child to find some type of motivation and interest in order to continue the lessons. This can be accomplished by talking with the teacher about different class options they offer, so that you can find a class that might include games or toys in order to keep your child’s interest. Or perhaps the current teacher can incorporate something your child would be interested in into their lessons.

Class Size
We all know that class size can make a significant difference in how much a child is learning in an educational classroom, but class size can also impact swimming programs for kids as well.  For example, if your child is taking a class in which there are more than 5-8 children in the class, chances are the instructor is not able to dedicate as much one on one time that your child needs in order to learn as quickly as you would like for them to.  The typical swimming class should have 2-3 children per instructor, in order for all children to be kept active and learning throughout the entire class.  Consider looking into a smaller class size for your child if you notice his/her progress slowing.

Practice
We’ve all heard the saying “practice makes perfect.” If you’ve seen a decline in your child’s progress in learning how to swim, perhaps he/she isn’t practicing those skills enough at home.  As with any new skill, simply attending a class once a week is not going to do the trick. Your child will need to practice their swimming techniques on a regular basis. A way to combat this is to attend the lessons or speak with the instructor about what the lesson entailed, and then practice with your child at home. The more they practice, the better they will become and their progress should start to increase.

It is good to remember that even though your child may be quite athletic in other areas, that does not always translate over into swimming or in the pool. It is perfectly normal for children to slow down in phases of their learning. Everyone develops at their own pace and they need time to build up their endurance.

Try out one of the swimming programs with Zodiac Kids (Change to Zodiac Swim School) to help your child continue on pace and track with their swimming skills!