Posts Tagged ‘education’

What Animals Teach Kids

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Summer camp is the place for kids and animals to meet, whether the camp includes animals as a part of traditional camp programs or makes a more formal approach . Either way Animal Camps have alot to offer.

Connecting with animals in a natural setting can put a child at the beginning of a lifelong sense of relationship with nature. A deep respect for nature as an adult often starts with experience as a camper.

Swift Nature Camp’s pond aquarium offers a unique way to see the world from the perspective of another animal: pond life from a frog’s point of view. The Wisconsin camp also maintains a live animal collection they call Nature’s Neighbors. Campers can bring their own small animals to camp with them where the animals can live in the camp’s Nature Center and be available to all the children.

Working in conjunction with the Wisconsin DNR and the U.S. Park Service, Swift Nature Camp has also developed a hands-on environmental learning program which includes field trips, such as visits to a fish hatchery and state parks; hands-on field projects, like goose banding and butterfly counts; and exciting camp presentations, including visits with live owls.

Campers are individuals, and Swift Nature Camp has created a voluntary merit program that allows each child to mix skill development and play in ways that suit his or her personality. Experience with animals can be refined into skills in areas like pet care, insects, bird watching and horseback riding.

The joy of discovering nature is the joy of discovering the world we live in. Living in a natural environment with access to animals is a perfect invitation for expansive play. Camp is a place where children can learn about animals as a participant rather than just receiving information. Camp is more fun and less stressful than school, and the world becomes the classroom.

Still looking for the Best Children’s Camp Se SummerCampAdvice.com

Swift Nature Camp is a Summer Youth Camp in Wisconsin. Boys and girls ages 6-15 enjoy traditional summer camp activities while while learning about nature and the environment. at this Summer Science Camp

The Most Critical Strategies To Keep In Mind When Playing On Clay Tennis Courts

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

If you’re an active tennis player and you’ve never played on red clay, this is a surface that you’ll surely appreciate. There’s a ton of history behind red clay, and playing on it is a truly magical experience.

Playing on clay can be an extremely enjoyable experience, though anyone living in North America may have a hard time finding a court. Regardless, it’s a surface that many lovers of the sport truly cherish.

If you’ve never played on red clay courts before, I’d like to share a few pieces of knowledge that you may find informative about them.

First of all, the most effective strategy on this surface has always been one from the baseline. Players traditionally rely on powerful ground strokes as a means of winning their matches.

Unfortunately, players with big serves and proficient net games simply won’t find as much success on clay courts. The impact of a hard hit serve or a quick rush to the net simply doesn’t have the same effectiveness.

Why is this the case? Well, it all has to do with the surface that the matches are being played on. You see, clay is a thick surface and one that slows the ball down as a result.

This is very different from what you’d observe on grass and even hard tennis courts, as the ball almost skids off the ground on these other surfaces. These are faster courts, unlike clay ones.

The ball bounces very slowly off the ground on a clay court, as the surface literally slows down its speed. This is a good thing if you’re a baseline player, as you’ll have more time to prepare for each shot.

Rallies are typically longer, and what you’d normally never be able to get to on a hard or grass court may be well within reach when it comes to clay.

If you’re a fast runner, you’ll certainly enjoy this aspect of the courts. It should come as no surprise that some of the best clay court players are the fastest ones.

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categories: tennis,exercise,fitness,sports,recreation,entertainment,travel,leisure,hobbies,teens,advice,education

Help In Picking The Right Camp

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Sending your child to a Minnesota Summer Camp is a great idea if you have done your homework.
The ACA. suggest you ask these top 10 questions.

1. What’s the camp’s ideology?
Are you comfortable with this ? Is it a good fit for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? What religious observances or practices are part of the program? I

2. How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff?
Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing?

3. What about return rates?
How many counselors are returning this year? How many campers are returning? ask the director why?
Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Minnesota Summer Camps

4. What’s the ratio of staff to camper?
Guidelines for overnight camps are for a 1:6 ratio for ages for younger children, and 1:10 for older teens.

5. How old are the counselors?
The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

6. What medical staff work at the camp and what backup facilities are nearby?
The ACA recommends that an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site every day, and that day camps should have direct phone access. If your child takes medication, has food allergies or a chronic medical condition, be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child’s needs.

7. How does the camp Punish and Discipline?
Know what your camp’s rules are and what breaches would send a camper home. You should be comfortable with these.

8. What does a typical daily schedule look like?
This will help you decide if your child will be happy with the level of physical activity or the amount of time devoted to arts and crafts. Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.

9. How does the camp provide transportation?
How often are the van inspected? Who is driving, what’s the training.

10. Ask for references.
Finally and most important, get the names of parents with children the same age who have attended the camp.

If you are still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Overnight Summer Camps

Swift Nature Camp is aSummer Youth Camps for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities with Animal Summer Camp that increases a child’s appreciation for nature, science and the environment.

categories: summer camp, kids camp, parenting, picking a camp, travel, advice, education, homeschool, recreation

Advice For Tennis On Hard Courts

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

There are a handful of different tennis court surfaces. Each one has its own unique set of attributes, adding an interesting element to this already exciting sport.

More tennis courts these days have a hard surface than any other kind. This wasn’t always the case, as the origins of the sport trace back to grass and clay courts. Still, there are many reasons that many choose to build hard courts, most notably the fact that they’re low maintenance.

Let’s go into a few of the details about this type of court to see what makes it unique. If you’ve ever played on one, I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to some of the things that I point out here.

This is a fast type of surface to play on, and this may work for or against you when it comes to playing a match. If you have a big serve, you’ll thrive here as your serve will skid once it bounces, making it fast and difficult for your opponent to return.

When it comes to ground strokes, you can do some damage here too by hitting the ball hard and with heavy spin. This will keep the pressure on your opponent, especially if the ball is kept deep. Beware though, your opponent could do the same to you, giving you a hard time in the process.

If you’re a fast runner, you won’t be as well off as you will be when playing on clay. Since the ball moves quickly, you’ll have a harder time tracking down balls.

Still, this isn’t to say that your speed won’t be an asset during a match, because it absolutely can and will. You’re far better off as a fast runner playing here than you would be on grass, and a speedy player is certainly difficult to defeat if there are other weapons that player possesses as well.

If you enjoy volleying, you’ll like the perks that come with volleying on hard courts. Since the surface is fast, some hard hit volleys to the corners of the court will be extremely difficult for your opponent to return.

In light of the above, develop a strategy on these courts that lends itself well to your game. Most of all, have some fun in the process.

The writer also frequently blogs on commercial walk in freezers and the commercial refrigerator and freezer combo.

categories: tennis,exercise,advice,education,recreation,fitness,sports,hobbies,teens,kids,men,women,travel,leisure

Summer Adventures for Teenagers

Monday, January 25th, 2010

While raising Teens have a certain challenge, choosing the right Teen Summer Camp may be more complicated than selecting other activities. As a child get older we see the physical change more important are the emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social changes. We need to met our child’s needs with the proper program

Although finding the right summer program for teens is different than finding a program for a nine year old, some of the basics are the same: you still want a safe, secure, and appropriate environment. However, teenagers need and are ready for new challenges and greater independence. As your child matures, you may find that you need to reexamine your choice each year as his interests expand.

Remeber, interests, and abilities of a 13 year-old are quite different from that of a 17 year-old. So, when thinking programs, you should always keep in mind your child’s maturity. Supervision in many of the programs designed for teens is less than for younger children, so be sure to ask. One great resource is Summer Camp Advice, a free website that offers all sorts of information on how to select a summer camp.

As you know a teenager is part kid and part adult. So planning way in advance may be difficult. Yet, good programs may fill-up fast. Early registration will give you the widest range of selection.

It’s best to start your search for a Teen Summer Program is to sit down and talk with your child. Often this time together can strengthen your relationship with your teen. Help him or her figure out their interests, concerns, and values. You need to talk with your teen about what each of you want the summer to be. However, be ready to hear that they “don’t want to do anything.”

Many teen programs exist its important to try to find the best one. Sometimes you have to really look hard to find the right answer. The internet is a very useful tool for this. It is helpful to know the kind of program you are looking for: sports, serving, traveling, adventure or a little bit of each.

Sometimes, the best ways to meet your goals with your child’s is to piece together the summer with activities. This it is more difficult to figure out, your teen will get a broader experience for your extra work.

If you decide that your teen will choose a local program, it is important to establish summer rules, expectation, chores, and schedules. This will be especially important if this will be the first summer in years that your youngster is spending at home.

Swift Nature Camp may be the perfect fit for your teenager. Swift Nature Camp is unique among teen summer camps in that we provide teens a special opportunity to make friends in a relaxed and fun-filled environment, to build self-esteem and independence, and to challenge themselves with new physical and creative activities. We realize teenagers want to do things for themselves and are bored by a “normal” camp. So we provide an Adventure Camp program with loads of opportunities cabins often leave camp and go out into the big open wild and see the Apostle Islands, go to the International Wolf Center or find themselves canoeing down the Mississippi River.

Remember, no Last adult ever looked back at their youth and and remembers the good old days of video games and TV!

TO learn more how to select an Summer Camp visit Summer Camp Advice. Summer Camp

Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, Coed Summer Camp for teenagers. Campers enjoy Adventure trips along with in camp activities: Scuba, Sailing, Skiing and more. To learn more click Minnesota Summer Camps

categories: summer camp,recreation,teenagers,parenting,teens,children,family,vacation,education,moms,travel,outdoors,summer programs,summer ideas