Summer Camp: How the Arts are Important to Child Development

The world is a wonderful place, and every child has the ability to see the world in his or her own unique way. Why should we not nurture this beautiful gift? There is indeed no reason not to, which is why we encourage all parents to let their children express the wonders of their worlds. In this way, we can take a glimpse of how they see and understand their surroundings.

Art has been known as a liberating form of expression of our imaginations and feelings. It is also a mirror of our outlook in life. Being exposed to the wonders of art not only helps us connect with one another, but it also lets us explore the talents our children have. Art lessons not only promote creativity, but also give room for social interaction. It is a form of learning that releases the stress and pressures from school and is one aspect of development associated with fun and freedom.

You may think art is just all about fun and expression and develops nothing more but creativity in the process. The truth is, there is more to art than just enhancing your child’s right brain! Today, we show you some other ways art can help in the development of your child:

1. Children learn to communicate with their parents and other people – visually.

You may think that children involved in visual arts choose the colors they use in random or what just appeals to them.  Maybe. But maybe not. Do not miss the idea that colors may actually represent their feelings. When your child feels happy and satisfied for the day, you may notice him/her scribbling bright colors, drawing her experience at the park. Also, every time your kid paints that paper with his small paint-dripped fingers, he may actually be expressing something about himself. Art helps children communicate their thoughts and feelings without the need for words.

2. Children learn to control different mediums of art such as pencils, crayons, scissors and brushes! In the long run, your kids will be able to develop their penmanship and brush strokes, in a fun and artistic way. Exposing your kids to the experience of handling these things will develop their control and will mean that you won’t have to worry how they might handle future materials in school. It is a good way to hone their fine motor skills and at the same time, a good training on flexibility and adaptability.

3. Children develop their problem-solving skills through thorough practice and experimentation.

Creating something stimulates the mind and art is about creating something out of one’s imagination and thoughts. Children explore many ‘hows’ in order to create what they want. This gives their brains good exercise and will be developed as they grow as artists. This will consequently help them with school and other activities later in their lives.

With all these reasons, it is necessary to expose your kids to art especially if they have an artistic inclination. Summer and day camps, like Zodiac Camp, run art activities to help nurture this gift. Zodiac Camp offers kids of different ages an open opportunity to learn and enhance their skills while enjoying their time. Here at Zodiac, we believe that your children will find art as an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. Let us all inspire and encourage our children as they embark on this creative process!

How Swimming is a Holistic Sport for Kids

Are you worried about your child spending countless hours in front of a screen playing games? There are adverse effects of letting your child spend several hours in front of his or her mobile device. This sets up a sedentary lifestyle that they might carry into adulthood.

Sports provide a great way for your child to break gaming addiction and start an active lifestyle. There are many sports out there, but swimming stands out among the rest because of the many advantages it offers participants.

Swimming is the Total Package
Why swimming? You must be asking yourself. This sport has many health benefits that help your child develop a healthy mind and body.

Swimming targets several major and minor muscle groups from the upper to lower body. It exercises the back, shoulders, arms, and chest through the movements made in its strokes. These strokes increase your child’s upper body strength and muscle mass. The legs get equal work whenever your child swims as this sport strengthens the quads and calves and improves lower body strength.

Swimming also improves cardiovascular health. It boosts your child’s respiratory strength and stamina. With the stamina training your child gets in this sport, he or she will be less fatigued during the day and will be able to do their chores without getting tired as easily as before.

Aside from the health benefits your child gets from swimming, he or she also learns life lessons. Swimming programs require discipline as it entails training to master its strokes and learn how to stay calm while in the water. Your child will learn how to stay focused and determined as he or she goes through the different lessons.

The discipline children learn in swimming carries over into daily life. Children will learn how to listen to instructions, obey their parents, do their chores, stay attentive in school, and remain focused as they do their homework.

Joining swimming programs are also an excellent place to meet and make new friends. There are a number of eager kids looking forward to camp to learn how to swim. Your child will be among a group of children all excited to hit the water. Swimming camp build camaraderie in its participants as kids of the same age group learn various swimming strokes and breathing techniques. The shared interest may lead to lifelong friendships outside of swim camp.

Swimming is a holistic sport that provides your child with exercise, training, and possible lifelong friends. Find out more about the benefits of a swimming program by enrolling your kids at Zodiac Swim School.

Day Camp Fun-Filled Activities

Is your child constantly in front of a screen? Staying in front of a screen for several hours a day leads to a sedentary and anti-social lifestyle. Kids need to be kids; they need to play, have fun, discover, and enjoy the company and thrill of making new friends.

Day camp is a great way to teach kids life lessons, start them off on a healthy lifestyle, make new friends, and learn new skills. You or your child may be reluctant to enroll at day camp, but these worries are unfounded as camp is filled with fun and exciting activities.

What can you and your child expect at day camp?

Day camp has a variety of activities that your child will definitely enjoy; from arts to swimming to extreme sports the different activities will leave your kid wanting more.

Swimming is not only a fun sport, it also teaches kids discipline and perseverance. This sport inculcates life lessons in participants long after camp has ended. These lessons help shape kids to become holistic adults.

Children at swim school also learn new strokes that target specific parts of their body. Swimming is an excellent sport to build stamina and strength. The resistance provided underwater train the muscles and respiratory system. The increased stamina allows kids to stay energized throughout the day.

Learning the arts at day camp boosts a child’s confidence even if they do not pursue it beyond the confines of camp. Theatre arts, set design, and other aspects of art encourage a creative mind that questions and discovers the world. Kids who are often shy, begin to open up once they get the confidence to speak or act in front of a group.

There are some day camps that offer ball sports such as football, soccer, basketball, and volleyball. These sports teach teamwork and selflessness for a common goal. The games are not just about learning a new skill or playing together, it lets kids have fun and form a bond with others.

For adventurous kids, there are day camps that offer extreme sports such as biking, hiking, wall climbing, and others. These sports pump adrenaline right into the body, keeping your child excited for a long time.

The instructors, counselors, and staff will be present to keep your kids safe throughout their stay.

There are different programs offered at Zodiac Day Camp, ask your child what he or she is interested in to help you determine which program is best for your kid.

Choosing a Camp: Understanding the Camp Philosophy

Summer camp is a memorable experience for kids. The fun and exciting games, new friends, and a happy atmosphere all make for an unforgettable summer. There are different summer camp programs for kids, but not all of them provide quality facilities and services.

Choosing a Camp: Understanding Camp Philosophies

Camp provides kids with plenty of opportunities to grow and learn new skills, but children will be unable to get the full benefits of camp, if the camp they go to is subpar. Before enrolling your child in a summer camp, you must consider a few things.

Camp Programs

The summer camp programs are vital to the success of a camp. Check the programs of the camp you want to enroll your child. Is your child interested in the programs offered at your prospective camp? Are the counselors and staff capable of administering meaningful activities for the programs? These are two of the questions you must consider before enrolling your child at a camp.

Review the summer camp programs with your child. Reviewing the programs help, your child choose which he or she likes best. It also helps your child get comfortable with the idea of spending a few days at camp. It relieves your child from the anxiety of being away from home with other people.

Check if your child will need certain equipment or apparel for the program that he or she will join. There are sports or arts programs that require apparel or costumers other than the necessities.

Fun & Excitement

Look for a camp that has fun and exciting activities. Camp is all about the experience. A fun and exciting atmosphere helps your child absorb all of the new things, lessons, and skills that he or she learns at camp.

Help relieve the anxiety your child feels by accompanying them to camp before the official start. Seeing the facilities, the people, and trying the activities allow your child to envision all the fun he or she will have.

Life-long Lessons

The camp experience would be incomplete without the people and new friends your child will meet. Camp provides life-long lessons that your child will take with them long after they leave the camp premises. Learning discipline, respecting others, accountability, team work, build self-esteem and self-confidence, and learning a new skill such as swimming, basketball, singing, and acting are just a few of the things your child experiences at camp.

Zodiac Camp has great programs, amazing facilities and a caring and supportive staff to make your child’s camp experience memorable.

A Sedentary Lifestyle Leads to Childhood Obesity

With the advent of technology, children are most likely to stay indoors and play mobile or computer games rather than go out and play under the sun. This may lead to a sedentary lifestyle that is detrimental to your child’s development.

What is Childhood Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a growing concern in the United States as it affects over 30% of children; this number has ballooned since 1980.

With the increase in the cases of obesity in children, there are now more instances of diabetes, hypertension, and other related diseases in kids. A child is considered obese when his or her body mass index for age is higher than 95%.

Factors such as environment, lifestyle, and diet affect your child’s health. If your child is bombarded with commercials of unhealthy food or if these are easily accessible, the chances of obesity increase.

Lack of physical activity will make your child obese. The accessibility and prevalence of computers and mobile devices have made it easier for children to amuse themselves. They do not have to leave the comforts of home to run or bike in parks. This leads to poor health, weakness, fatigue, and it paves the way for cardiovascular diseases, once your child reaches old age.

The risk for certain diseases increase, if your child is obese. Your kid may get heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, high levels of cholesterol, and sleep apnea just to name a few.

How Can Your Child Avoid a Sedentary Lifestyle?

Now that you know the risks associated with childhood obesity, you must do what you can to avoid it. Enroll your child in summer camp for kids to encourage them to participate in various sports that keep them active during weekends or the summer.

At summer camp, your child gets to join various sports such as swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and other fun sports that keep them active and healthy. Your child needs to sweat a bit and get a few bumps and bruises to help them develop into a stronger and holistic person. There are also extreme sports such as wall climbing, and others, if your child is the adventurous type.

The variety of sports at camp helps your child learn different skills and discover talents that he or she might have. Your child will also meet other kids their age, which helps develop camaraderie among campers. Making new friends is another benefit of enrolling your child in a summer camp. Find a program that best suits your child at Zodiac Day Camp or Zodiac and Swim School.

Make the Weekends Count with Day Camp

Nowadays, children sit at home glued to the screens of their mobile devices playing games and surfing the Web. Being tech savvy has its benefits, but it has drawbacks when abused.

Children who are constantly in front of a screen is unable to communicate properly without the veil of social media or mobile devices. They will also miss fun activities that kids do such as playing outside, participating in sports and meeting other children face to face. These activities build confidence, self-esteem and lead to an active lifestyle.

To make weekends count, why not enroll your child in day camp? Day camps have several sports and arts programs for kids with varying interests. It is also a great way to meet other children and make new friends.

Fun & Exciting Activities

Your child will never be bored at camp because of the activities lined up. There are different sports that your kid can join such as swimming, basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, mountain biking, wall climbing and others.

Your child has plenty of options, which sport he or she wants to try. The facilities at camp are well-maintained and safety equipment are top-rate. There are also trained and experienced instructors to guide and facilitate the activities.

Aside from sports, our day camp offers arts programs for kids gifted with creativity. There are performing arts programs, set design, vocal lessons and other similar activities.

Through day camp, your child can discover a skill or improve on an existing one. Take your child with you to get a glimpse of the fun things they can do when they enroll.

Socializing

Socializing face-to-face is important to the development of children. Technology has made it easier to communicate with others without meeting in person, but it lacks the connection people make when they see each other personally.

Camp exposes your children to other kids with varying backgrounds. It helps them get out of their comfort zone and broaden their horizon. It teaches them how to interact with different personalities, learn teamwork, improve communication skills and boost self-confidence.

Life Skills

At day camp, your child will learn how to be independent. They will have to be responsible and accountable for themselves and their belongings throughout their entire program. They learn how to follow rules and adapt to different situations while having fun.

Make your child’s weekends worthwhile by enrolling them at day camp. Look for a program that your child will enjoy to make the experience unforgettable.

Build Confidence at Performing Arts Camp

Are you looking for a program that helps your child become more confident? One of the best ways to build confidence in a child is to enroll him or her in a performing arts camp.

Why performing arts camp?
The performing arts boosts confidence in children because it exposes them to performing and speaking in front of a crowd. At first, shy kids will have a difficult time opening up to complete strangers, let alone perform on stage. But the program goes through stages before a culminating performance.

Kids are taught the basics of acting and mustering the courage to speak and act in front of a crowd. These activities slowly help your child come out of their shell. Performing in front of a crowd does not only teaches them new skills, but helps boost your child’s self-confidence and self-esteem. These two life skills are carried over until they reach adulthood; they can use these skills even after school.

Campers enjoy the thrill of preparing for their stage performance where they will audition, rehearse and have a polished final performance that comes with professional staging, sound, light, and costumes. The culminating event will show their hard work at camp.

Creativity is a necessity in whatever field, enrolling your child in arts camp brings out their creative genius. Creativity is not just about singing and acting on stage, it has many aspects.

Choosing a Camp for Your Child
There are several arts camps out there offering creative programs, but how do you find the best one for your child?

Look for a camp that has an experienced staff and offers personalized programs for participants. Staff must be aware of and sensitive to the self-confidence and self-esteem of each child in the program. They must be able to emphasize the importance of each role in the program.

Enroll your child at a camp that provides small group rehearsals and workshops because these work on each child’s weaknesses and improves their strengths in their chosen programs. Smaller groups allow instructors to focus and provide attention to each child under their care.

Zodiac Camp has extensive experience in this arena and maybe the right choice for your child. Visit us today to find out more.