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Shortly, nearly 10 million children be going to Summer Camps. But before they go, health experts are issuing strong new advice to both parents and camp directors, and recommending new precautions to protect campers’ health.

Recent guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the ACA (American Camp Association.) suggest parents be aware of their camps health and safety policies. Dr. Walton, is lead author of the paper and official policy statements.

the key to this policy is parents need to thoroughly determine whether a camp is right for their child’. Don’t just assume its great because your childs friends are going. One need to assess if it meets their childs mental, emotional and physical well-being, as well as their interests and skills.

Walton says, “camps should provide parents with a complete picture of what their programs involve”. Look at the total package and be sure it is safe an healthy for your child.

Long before camp starts parents need to be talking about homesickness with their child. Parents need to use their resources like with the doctor who does the child’s pre-camp health assessment and fills out the health form.

Parents should also avoid making pre-arranged plans with their children about picking them up if they get homesick. This only gets kids thinking about the way out of camp. Only should parents discuss camp positively, avoid expressing doubts about a child’s ability to avoid homesickness.

The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines say the pediatricians need to be involved with camps in their local have up to date protocols and help as medical backups for camp health personnel.

Asthma and allergies also bring new challenges for camps. Parents need to teach their children how to use rescue inhalers or EpiPens (allergy-calming epinephrine injection devices). With or with out the summer camp. Camps need to help children have them nearby at all times.

“The delay that can occur when another camper or counselor has to run to the camp nurse’s office to grab an inhaler for a child who is having an asthma attack or an EpiPen for a child who has been stung by a bee can have real health consequences,” says Walton.

The new guideline do not give recommendations for summer camps that serve of children with special needs. However, it suggest that local pediatricians take part in such camps, and help establish programs specific to them.

Selecting the best Summer Camp for your child is easier with a FREE resource Summer Camp Advice Find a Summer Camp

Swift Nature Camp is a Illinois Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional outdoors summer camp activities with that of a Science Summer Camp. that promotes an appreciation for nature.

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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

Black Bear, Loon & Walleye: A Fable from the Northwoods a story by Sara Button holds a special place in our hearts. As Directors of Swift Nature Camp an Nature Summer Camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin,our campers can see this story unfolding right in front of their eyes. It is so special we keep a copy in our camp library for all to read.

Black Bear, Loon & Walleye tells the story of three friends–one furry, one feathered, one sporting fish scales–and each wishes for the gifts of another. Black Bear longs for shiny scales to look flashy and impress his friends; Loon wants to sport and enviable fur coat; and Walleye wants to fly. But when their wishes mysteriously come true, each realizes a disadvantage: Bear’s scales can’t keep him warm, Loon can’t fly with fur weighing her down, and Walleye has bad eyesight and is no good at flying even with feathers.

Black Bear, Loon and Walleye take a wild adventure that teaches them lessons that are timeless universal truths. The friends learned a valuable lesson that day, to appreciate each others gifts, but most of all to value their own. Trying new things is important, because you might find something that you really enjoy. But if it doesn’t work out, you still get to know yourself better. So each characters learned that they each have special gifts and that they need to always appreciate the others gifts, while valuing their own.

This is a story for all generations and a reminder of the importance of trying new things, understanding our own true nature, and having faith that we are all perfectly designed to fulfill our own unique purposes in life. Know yourself well! Value your gifts!

At our summer camp a wonderful opportunity arises to promote each child’s personal development by providing fun, friendship and leadership in a supportive and noncompetitive environment away from the daily life of a child’s home. Camp provides children an opportunity to act on their own, be self-reliant and try things for themselves, always knowing that if it doesn’t work out they can start over with little consequences after all it’s camp. This is like the books’ stars Black Bear, Loon and Walleye.

Ech night as our camp counselors read stories to the children a familiar call is heard in the background. As the loon calls it brings this story to life and makes it a special evening. If coming to the Northwoods is not as easy for you use the CD that comes with the book has loon sounds along with a guitar and the story read aloud.

If you are looking for a summer camp for your child try Summer Camp Advice a free reference for parents looking for the perfect Children’s Summer Camp.

Swift Nature Camp is a Wisconsin Minnesota Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional Overnight Summer Camp activities with an appreciation for nature, animals and the environment.

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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.

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The North woods of Minnesota is more than the pristine beauty of lakes, forests and eagles flying overhead. To me it’s Minnesota Summer Camp! Swift Nature Camp is so much more than another home with another family.

This summer camp is filled with acceptance, love, encouragement, and true, down to earth friends. Your counselors are more like older siblings. They are fun, understanding and want you to make good decisions. You will want to look up to them. The campers are from all over and will be friends for life. Know one makes you feel uncomfortable because of who you are. Your uniqueness is celebrated. This is what makes Swift Nature Camp so important to me.

There is so much to do, you can never fit it all in a day or week. Fun activities include archery, swimming, fishing, boating, tubing, and riflery. I loved being active all day. What is real neat is regardless if you are a expert or its your first time, the counselors are there to support you and help you get better. Fun is the most important part of all activities, so they are noncompetitive.

As a cabin group we went International Wolf center in Ely Minnesota. It was an adventure unlike any other. We even got to sleep near the wolves! The Nature was spectacular, we saw hawks, bald eagles, deer, ospreys. This is why I wil always want to return to Overnight Summer Camp in Minnesota.

Cabin life is all about learning about others. We come from all over America and even other countries, to meet at a Minnesota Summer Camp. In each cabin there are 10 campers and 2 very kind counselors. Our goal is to become a team for the 3 or 6 weeks we are there. Sure, we had our fights, but always they are resolved and we grow closer because of them.

The Camp Zoo is a great place to learn about Nature and the Environment. This is nothing like school. It is all done hands on and fun. There are all kinds of animals, you can even bring your own. I think of this as an Animal Camp first with all sorts of other things to do.

I’m returning to Swift Nature Camp for all these reasons. I love camp and hope to be a Counselor in training when I’m sixteen and then a counselor when I’m eighteen. So, I’ll see yawl in the North woods of Minnesota this summer!

Looking for a Minnesota Summer Camp Visit SummerCampAdvisor.com at Find a Summer Camps in Minnesota

Swift Nature Camp is a Non-competitive, Overnight Coed Minnesota Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15. enjoy Traditional activities along with Nature, Animals at this Science Summer Camp.

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