Selecting a Summer Camp

Have you been enjoying the warm weather? Thinking summer already? School’s going to be out soon enough and that means it is time to think about summer. Many parents look to summer camps to offer a range of activities and playmates for their children during the summer.

There are two basic types of camps – day and overnight. There are camps designed to meet almost every child’s individual interests and needs – parents have lots of choices when selecting summer programs for their kids. There are camp specialists you can hire to help you choose, websites that list camps and the tried and true – ask your friends where they send their children.

Think of your child’s needs and interests when selecting a camp. What do you hope for your child to take away from a camp setting? If your child is old enough, you might want to have a conversation with them about why they want to go to camp this summer; their ideas have probably changed from last summer’s reasons.   Do a little homework and you’ll find that there are themed camps to meet so many interests – camps that cater to age-groups, learning needs, sports and arts.

Camps should be licensed (in MA camps are licensed through the local board of health department) and have a set counselor to camper ratio. Camps are not required to hire teachers, and often just insist that the e camp leader be a few years older than the oldest camper. Camps often have daily and weekly schedules of activities. Camps run for different lengths – usually by the week, session or month.

Our friends at Home/Health & Child Care Services shared some great

resources for finding the right camp for your child with us. These include their

own FREE referral service – call 1-877-898-1667 or online at

http://www.hhcc.org/.  There is also the American Camp Association at  

http://www.acacamps.org/ or if your child has special needs, check out the Federation

for Children with Special Needs Summer Fun 2012 guide:  

http://www.fcsn.org/2012_camp_handout.pdf. 

Of course we would be remiss if we didn't mention the Children's Museum'

very own Summer Mini Camps!  They are a great "first time" camp experience

for your littlest ones or a wonderful chance to dig deeper into a great theme

for your older child. Here is the link to all of this summer's awesome

themes: http://childrensmuseumineaston.org/summer_mini_camp0.aspx

With so many choices and ideas to consider it is probably time to start

planning for the summer  - before you hear the “…but I’m bored…” the day

after school lets out!

Jane Rotondi has a Master’s degree in Special Education, a 

Child Development Associate certification and holds additional teaching 

certificates in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. She is
the Museum’s Outreach Manager and Director of Summer Camps. You
can contact her at jane@childrensmuseumineaston.org.

New England Winter Road Trips

Ready to get out of your yard? Skiing, snowboarding, tubing, sledding, maple sugaring, skating and winter walks are just more of the great family time activities to be done locally. Weston has a ski trail with rentals available at skiboston.com and Blue Hills in Milton offers night skiing at an affordable rate. Ask neighbors and friends for recommendations for local sledding sites – some golf courses are very open to winter sledding guests. There are many local sites to visit maple sugar houses – we love pure maple syrup and found the process really neat to see up close as we traipsed through the mud and snow and finally arrived at the sugar house.

There are area skating rinks both indoors and out and area ponds, lakes, reservoirs and cranberry bogs well sited for skating – call ahead if you need to rent skates to see if they are available. If you have favorite summer walks – try one in the winter. Borderland Park here in Easton has wonderful trails to meander through. DCR has a web site that lists many winter events. We have also enjoyed winter walks on our favorite beaches and ponds.

Whatever you choose – get out in the snow and have some fun! And as my daughter would say when I finally force her inside… “and now can we have some hot chocolate?”

Trim the Holidays, but not the Fun!

Holidays are celebrations of beliefs often filled with traditions and time for good cheer. They bring lots of opportunity for happiness, yet may also bring cause for stress. Take time to plan some simple steps that may decrease the pressure and hopefully add to your holiday fun. Whatever your reasons for celebrating, remember them and look for the joy in each of the small, daily happenings.

When thinking of gifts, plan what you can afford to spend and stick to your budget. Impulse buying and over buying usually only add to the after holiday stress load – especially when the charge statements arrive. Consider focusing on memory makers – supplies for scrapbooks, family journals and gifts of time to assist others you care about.

If you do decide to buy a gift, think of something special. Spend time thinking of the recipient, where they are, what they enjoy, maybe what they truly need and try to match your gift to something that would be appreciated by them. Perhaps a coupon promising a weekly or monthly meal, shoveling or babysitting I.O.U’s can help you check off your “to do “list. Maybe making photo journals, personalized calendars which include a selection of cards ( birthday, get well, thank you and anniversary) or an embellished bulletin board or memory board embellished with stickers, paints and funky thumbtacks for the recipient will help you when deciding what gift to give.

Take time to consider your time. Can you give your time to someone who needs it? Do you need to say “yes” to every social event you are invited to? Plan time to be with those who you consider “family”, you can decide who you want to spend time with. Plan time to sit and relax with your family – reading stories, playing a game or taking in some sights of the season.

Bring the festive season into your house, but remember your budget when you decorate. Try your hand at making homemade decorations. Consider decorating an outgrown pair of ice skates or using a sled as backdrop to create a winter theme outside of your house. Save the kid’s artwork and showcase their work around your house to reflect the season. Create labeled storage boxes to store favorite, reusable decorations from year to year.

Plan meals and holiday foods ahead of time. Enlist help – ask your family to make specific dishes or which one they each want include to help you manage and breakdown the workload. Drink water throughout your day to keep you hydrated, healthy and to help curb opportunities to pick at holiday treats. There are lots of great web sites ( do we need to list any) that help you cut calories from traditional recipes. Keep cut fruits and vegetables on hand to munch on and serve them with every meal.

Plan time for yourself, including time to exercise or walk. Adding a few extra steps to your day and getting a good nights sleep will help you to feel recharged to enjoy whatever the day brings.

Warm wishes to you! Enjoy your holiday season and celebrations!