Summer Fun Make It Active

By Gail Troussoff Marks

Silver Stars Gymnastics

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Summer Fun Make It Active

Summer is a great time to try new activities or participate in new experiences that dont fit into the school year schedule. Since schools are cutting recess and physical education time, summer is a great time to increase your childrens activity. The broad variety of camps, as well as participating in the swim team at your local pool, present many summer options for children. Your child can benefit from new social experiences, increased fitness, and different modes of learning. Think of your individual child and balance their need of activity and down time to recharge over the summer.
One new activity to try is gymnastics camp. Gymnastics camp provides opportunities for a range of ages to participate in gymnastics at a variety of levels from beginner to advanced. Gymnastics develops the whole body physically, as well as developing coordination, confidence, and body awareness, which are useful in any sport. Attending a camp indoors has benefits since activities go on as planned whether it is raining or sweltering hot. Along with gymnastics and trampoline time, campers complete crafts as well as learn and perform a gymnastics infused dance.
Camp is also a way to try out an activity your child is considering for the next school year. Specialty camps offer gymnastics, lacrosse, theater, dance, baseball, sailing, soccer and fencing. Look for a summer camp in that sport or just work on general fitness through yoga, gymnastics or dance. General fitness and familiarity with sports helps instill healthy fitness habits.
Summer activities can also help children build focus and concentration while they are perfecting a sports skill or learning a part for a summer theatre production. Different types of learning occur with summer activities. It is easy to see how hand-eye coordination develops with ball sports, but that coordination also develops when completing arts and craft projects, gymnastics, or playing a musical instrument. Summer activities are useful in promotingfine motor and gross motor skills, which contribute to the ability to be a successful learner.
What about the summers of yesteryear when kids just played at home all summer? Its appealing if you have someone who can stay home with your kids, but chances are there wont be many other neighborhood kids around. Camp offers children a chance to meet new kids and make new friends. Campers get to interact in a new social environment away from the classroom. This experience broadens their social network and confidence. The dynamics are very different outside school and can give children a chance to blossom in new areas.
So, the school year is ending, is your summer planned?
Do you have some weeks that arent filled? Check into camps that offer weekly camp sessions throughout the summer. Such local camps may still have openings. Create a plan for an active summer that broadens your childs base of experiences.