If you have been to camp, you won’t be surprised to hear about the benefits of summer camps. Studies have shown that camps can be a positive environment for youth development and valuable life skills can be learnt. Experiencing life at camp yourself as a child, you know the positive effects that still matter to you as an adult, and you also know that you want the same thing for your own kids.
If you didn’t go to camp as a child, you may not realise how good the experience is for children and you may not understand why so many parents are committed to sending their kids. So, here is a list of the most important reasons to send your kids to camp.
1. They spend their days being physically active - rather than sitting inside camp gives them a reason to move. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that kids aged from five to 17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity, physical activity daily. It may seem like fun and games but camp offers kids the opportunity to get healthy without even realising it.
2. Camp helps build self-confidence and allows them to experience success and become more confident. It can help children build self-confidence and self-esteem as it removes the academic, athletic and social competition that shapes their lives at school. Offering plenty of opportunities to succeed and lots of non-competitive activities camps can be a real boost for your kids.
3. Camp can help conquer fears. The nurturing environment and encouragement they receive makes it the perfect place to endure setbacks, try new (and occasionally scary) things and learn that improvement and fear conquering comes with giving things another try.
4. Unplug from technology. When kids take a break from the TV, mobile phones and the Internet, they rediscover their creative powers and engage the real world.
5. Develop life-long skills. Camps provide the right instruction, equipment and facilities for kids to enhance their skills in every area. The sheer variety of activities offered makes it easy for them to discover and develop what they like to do.
6. Grow more independent. Camp helps kids to develop who they are, to practice their decision-making skills without a parent, guardian or teacher guiding them. Okay, so they may not be making huge decisions but even small choices help give them the freedom to blossom.
7. Have free time for unstructured play. Free from overly-structured, overly-scheduled routines of home and school, camp gives children the much-needed free time to just play.
8. Learn social skills and build teamwork skills. Going to camp, even just for short time, means joining a close-knit community everyone must agree to cooperate and respect each other. One of the major benefits of camps is the social skills that develop and often even the shyest child can learn how to interact with others in a positive way.
9. Make new friends. Camp is a great place to make new friends. Free from the social expectations pressuring them at school, camp encourages kids to relax and make friends easily as camps draw kids together.
10. How to lead. Camps can teach children how to be leaders through everyday play and experiences. Learning how to lead essentially teaches them how to be a good citizen, a valuable life skill in today’s society.
Here’s some of Dubai’s top camps.
Mathnasium
Mathnasium is offering a great opportunity for your kids this summer! Their full and exciting programme covers the whole summer holidays. The summer programme has more than one option for you to choose from. It is a well-known fact that children lose 20% of math concepts and skills developed during the prior school year! Don’t let your child slide this summer; allow them brush up on their math skills in a fun and engaging manner. The Mathnasium Regular Hour Camp Version is for 4 to 17 year old’s, the Mathnasium Workout Programme is for 6 to 17 year old’s, the Mathnasium Summer Special - 5 hour Camp is for 6 to 12 year old’s and the Mathnasium SAT PREP Programme is for SAT Candidates. The summer camp runs from 12th June to 25th August from 10am to 5pm. www.mathnasium.ae
Chubby Cheeks Nursery
This Ramadan, Chubby Cheeks Nursery wants to teach children the importance of kindness and performing one good deed each day! Join them for “Ramadan Fun for Little Ones: 30 Days of Good Deeds” starting from 25th May to 23rd June. Morning timings are 8am to 11.30am and are priced at Dhs 2,500. Afternoon timings are 12.30pm to 3.30pm and priced at
Dhs 2,000. The programme is aimed to teach children to perform one act of kindness each day and is available for both Muslim and mon-Muslim children. www.chubbycheeksnursery.com
British Orchard Nursery
Acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children, Eric Carle will come alive at the British Orchard Nursery Summer Camp as children get to explore and engage in his beautiful storyland. Scheduled to start from June 25th and running for 9 weeks until 24th August, this fun, educative and engaging summer camp, will introduce young children to various life concepts, values and skills through Carle’s popular stories. www.britishorchardnursery.com
ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
At the ICC Academy Junior summer camp you can expect an expertly designed and delivered fun-filled 8 weeks of cricket coaching, games and cricket skill development, all inside the world-class, fully air-conditioned indoor centre. The first batch of camps will start on Sunday 2nd July and run until Thursday 27th July. The second batch of camps will begin on Sunday 30th July and run until 22nd August. It is for both boys and girls aged between 6 to 12 years old. Whether it’s your first experience of cricket or you are an existing ICC Academy Warrior, they guarantee fun, improvement and challenge! Children that sign up camp will also be able to participant in the bring a friend day for free. Prices start from Dhs 350 per person for three days’ cricket coaching and matches. www.iccacademy.net
GEMS Nations Academy
This one is for tech geeks! Whether your child is an aspiring coder, game designer, engineer, or entrepreneur, their tech pathway starts with iD Tech. America’s #1 STEM camp is in Dubai at GEMS Nations Academy this summer. For students aged between 7 and 19 years. Courses will be held at GEMS Nations Academy for eight weeks starting 2nd July. www.idtech.com
DuDive
Du Dive summer camps are a great way to keep cool, while keeping fit and active over the hot summer months. The camps are the perfect introduction to diving, with intensive lessons offering the opportunity for new divers and experienced divers to make fast progress through the DuDive assessment levels. Starting 25th June until 7th September, at Hamdan Sports Complex, Dubai. www.dudive.com/summer-camps-dubai
Kidsdxb
At the Kidsdxb summer camps sports loving kids can try their hand at basketball, football, golf, tennis, and cricket. The camp runs from 25th June to 29th July at Dubai College. www.kidsdxb.com
Kids HQ
Kids HQ are running a summer camp with a difference, offering great value and the best fun for mini campers! Starting on 25th June and available right through until 7th September, this is the ideal camp if you are not jetting off for the summer holidays or if you just need to fill in a few days. Offered by the day, week or for the full camp term (11 weeks total), there are flexible options for all requirements. Each week will celebrate a different theme based on favourite kids’ animations - from Moana to Frozen, Trolls to Inside Out - with activities including arts and crafts, gym time, circle time, stories, movies, physical fun and loads more. And to top it all off, the kids will have daily access to the award-winning Kids HQ soft play area complete with trampoline, slides, climbing structures and building blocks. The camp is available daily from 9am to 1pm, priced at Dhs 85 per day or Dhs 60 per day for weekly bookings. There’s also a 10% sibling discount. www.kidshq.ae