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To Send or Not To Send Children to Summer Classes -10 Activities to Engage Your Kids This Summer

 

Even before the summer holidays begin parents begin their search for summer camps and classes so as to keep their children out and engaged. There are innumerable options available for kids nowadays even in small towns from music to dance, yoga to swimming, drawing and crafts and even making small machines and so on. Parents in fact are driven by peer pressure to send their children to these classes without having much idea if their children have an interest in these fields or whether they really would pursue these activities later on.

In actual sense many children are sent to these classes just to be with other children of their age and have fun. However, since most of these classes are run in school campuses which remain closed due to summer holidays. Children have to attend these classes in peak summer in these same class rooms which are filled up more than their capacity.

Advantages of Summer Classes

Summer classes have their own advantages too;

  • Your child would learn a new skill which mostly would not be present in his or her curriculum.
  • Many activities such as clay modeling, drawing, painting and such craft making develops the mental perception skills of your child.
  • Motor skills develop with games and outdoor activities.
  • Children do not spend more time in front of television which in itself is a big relief.
  • You do not have to always be concerned about engaging your child.
  • Sport activities cannot be concentrated during school days.

Disadvantages of Summer Classes

There are a number of disadvantages of summer classes especially when it comes to the emotional expectations of your child. Here is a list of disadvantages

  • You would not be able to spend quality time with your child.
  • Your child would be missing the real sense of vacation when he has to go to these classes.
  • Some classes such as swimming would begin too early in the morning and your child has to sacrifice his sleep even during the vacation.
  • Any skill learnt to pass time would not have any use in the long run.
  • Classes are overcrowded and this may affect the health of your child.
  • Child would not be given special attention especially to check whether he is taking enough water to keep himself hydrated, this may case dehydration.

Group Activities vs. Individual Activities

With people moving away from their base in search of better paying jobs and sophistication, most families are nuclear families and thus do not have elders at home to look after the children during holidays. In such conditions parents in need to keep the children in company of other children send them off to such classes.

Group activities, in many senses, are very good for the overall growth of the children, but that is what they learn in their schools too. A vacation in real sense spent in these summer classes does not serve the purpose. Children have to get ready for these summer classes as usual and return after a couple of hours, they most often have the feeling of going to school even though they might have fun at the classes.

Activities At Home

Instead of sending your child to summer classes you could concentrate on one sport in the morning or evening and engage your child in other activities at home. If you stay at home you can do these activities with him, however if you are a working mother, you can give him tasks, and check every evening after your return.

Here is a list of 10 such activities your children during this summer

  1. Finger Painting

There are numerous finger painting patterns available online, all you have to do is just download one of these and begin printing. Finger painting is very easy and can give a lot of fun. Once your child develops expertise you could buy some fabric paint and paint on plain T-shirts.

This will give satisfaction to your children and you too when you see them wearing those self painted T-shirts.

  1. Clay Modeling

This is another fun activity children would love to do. You can buy colored non toxic clay from store and use them to make models of animals, flowers or anything your imagination takes you to.

You can also teach your children to use real clay and make jewelry, the whole process of making such jewelry is very interesting and children would love to learn the intricacies and how to shape, cut and burn clay to be used as jewelry.

  1. Flower Making

Stockings, glass beads, coloured papers, ribbons and so on can be used for making flowers. These flowers can be arranged in vases so that children learn color patterns of different flowers and how o arrange them.

  1. Paper Quilling

You get a number of paper quilling kits both online and in stores such as ones for making animal shapes, dolls, puppets jewelry and so on. You can buy one of these and get going.

  1. No Stove Cooking

Children could be taught to make different kinds of snacks that do not need cooking per se. Many snacks such as sandwich, pani puri, bhel puri, fruit salads and so on can be done in the evenings. You engage your children as well prepare their favorite snack with them. This makes them happy too.

Children can also be engaged in making papads and vadagams that need to be dried in summer. Children in fact enjoy these activities.

  1. Puppet Making

Finger puppets are easy to make and are real fun. These can be made from paper, small clothes, chart sheets, wool, and thread and so on. You can make these puppets and paint them with different colors making them attractive.

  1. Paper Mache

 

Paper Mache is one thing that can actually be used to make many shapes and if learnt well will be useful for making school projects too. Paper Mache can be used to make small to large shapes and is very useful in making any kind of shapes or flat surface, raised structures and so on.

  1. Ice Cream Stick Baskets

Many utility items and baskets can be made from Ice Cream Sticks, you can learn to use them and make different item such as pen stand, flower vase, baskets, book marks and other such items. These when used would give immense pleasure to your children.

  1. Rock Painting

Stroll around in the nearby beach or river bed and collect small rocks. Separate them according to their shapes, you can now paint these rocks into the shapes you have visualized and decorate. This is a time consuming process and children would love it.

  1. Wall Painting

This is one thing that will be a lot fun if you are ready to take the risk. You can plan to paint a whole wall or just a small patch. Just foot and hand prints too would do a great design if you were doing the children?s room wall.

Likewise you could plan any other wall and join hands with your children for the makeover.

Children become emotionally attached to you with time and the more time you spend with them the more influence you can extend on their proper growth and development

 

Dr Menaka Bharathi
Dr Menaka Bharathihttps://www.simpleindianmom.in
Dr Menaka Bharathi aka Simple Indian Mom is an Agricultural Microbiologist and helps moms to keep their family and kids naturally healthy both mentally and physically.
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