Learning Social Skills in the Summer

Nothing has plagued the homeschooling movement more than the idea that a child, who is not immersed in a traditional classroom setting, would be deficient in social skills.  In fact, some families have shunned the idea of educating their children at home because they feel the choice would turn their kids into social outcasts. This is a complete fallacy. There are a myriad of opportunities for homeschooled children to learn how to get along with their peers, though, summer often provides the most varied choices.  Some of the most popular include: Camps:  Some homeschool co-ops organize their own summer camps, … Continue reading

Summer Travel: Camp For The Entire Clan

I’ve dedicated numerous blogs to various summer camps for kids of all ages with differing interests. From military camps to luxury camps to summer camps for “American Idol” wannabes. It seems there is a camp for everyone. Well, here’s a new twist on summer camps that may have you calling a family meeting—a single camp destination for the whole clan. Talk about thinking outside of the box. Typically, when you think of a family vacation you might think of flying off to an exotic locale or taking a cruise together. But these days there is a new trend in summer … Continue reading

Fun at Farm Camp

Last week, my nine year olds went to a 4-H and Extension Service sponsored camp that we called “farm camp” or “goat camp”. We called it “goat camp” because they actually got to care for pygmy goats for the week. I loved that my city dwelling children got to learn about and care for farm animals. Other animals were available too – miniature horses, llamas, dairy goats, and rabbits. Each child got to pick an animal to be “theirs” for the week. My boys got to learn how to wash a goat and how to brush it. Their goats were … Continue reading

Luxury Summer Camps For Kids

If you are a parent of a summer camp loving kid then you know what a challenge it can be to narrow down your options. There are literally thousands of summer camps out there. I know because I’ve written about many of them. From cash camps and camps for youngsters whose parents are heading off to war to summer camps for “American Idol” wannabes. Those blogs discussed the fact that sending your child away to experience a summer adventure in a log cabin can really put a dent in your wallet. However, I realize that not every reader is in … Continue reading

Cash Camps

My 10-year-old niece left for camp yesterday. It is an overnight camp run by the YWCA. She has been attending it each summer since she was 8-years-old. (Personally, I thought that was kind of young for a child to be going to sleep-away camp, but she loved it and hasn’t looked back since.) My niece’s camp is your typical summer camp. She’ll be swimming, canoeing, doing crafts, and making s’mores. Your kids may be attending a summer camp as well. Nowadays there are a seemingly endless amount of camp choices–from Space Camps and Fitness Camps to Bible Camps and Foreign … Continue reading

Backyard Neighborhood Summer Camp For Kids!

Last year, my kids and I got it into our heads that we ought to create summer camp right here in our own back yard. This is a fun, inexpensive way to encourage kids from the neighborhood to pay a visit and stay for awhile and a great way for kids to enjoy a summer camp experience without spending the money, doing the car-pool thing or spending days away from your favorite buddies. Step One: Create a time frame that you will hold camp. This might be every day for a week or one day a week for the whole … Continue reading

Summer Sports – Camps and Alternatives

Sports are a great way to get your kids out of the house and building a better fitness lifestyle. The problem is that sports can be expensive and time-consuming for both you the parent and for your child. It can be hard to decide what sport to get them involved in, after all – different sports focus on different skill sets. The majority of them do help build teamwork skills, socialization and physical fitness. But how do you choose what sport your child will participate in? The first step to this decision is asking your child what interests them. By … Continue reading