CAMPS & CLASSES
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FINDING INSPIRATION THROUGH HOBBIES AND EDUCATION
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By Sarah Pratt One of the greenhouse workshops was about air plants, and we created this Star Wars landscape. Photo: Sarah Pratt
s we welcome spring, with its long days and warm sun, we shake off the dust of winter and eagerly anticipate our warm-weather hobbies. It is a time to look at the camps and classes available for all ages, and especially for youth as summer holidays approach. How do you know where to put your child? Start with their interests. My son loves plants, insects, birds and nature in general, really. Our long winters mean we have a lot of time to read, plan and talk about seasonal happenings in our yard. When spring arrives, we take our love of nature outdoors and start planning and planting. My first step this past year was to join Nature Alberta’s Young Naturalists Club, a group for youth and. Nature Alberta’s events calendar alerted us to
guest speakers, and we started with a talk about hummingbirds. We learned about making a hummingbird bed and tips about attracting them to our yard. Our next step was pretty clear: a trip to the public library. My son browsed the shelves, choosing a stack of books. We also visited the Canadian Wildlife Fund’s website to learn more about hummingbird beds. We then took a fieldtrip to some local greenhouses and found workshops and a lot of ideas amidst the fragrant, moist air of the plants. Our first choice? A seedling workshop where we could start growing flowers that will attract hummingbirds. A large tray and many seed packs later, we brought our seedlings home and found what was hopefully the perfect spot for them. Next we sat down with blank paper and coloured pens and did some landscape architecture. We drew out a rough sketch and put together a folder of plans, ideas and tips.
We were now ready for a trip to a wild bird store, where we found a selection of books, feeders, seeds and so much more. Gardening is, of course, one of many classes you will find in and around Edmonton. I am always thinking about ideas for engaging my son and encouraging his hobbies, especially ones that are educational. Camps and classes are a beautiful way to explore interests and really the world in general. You never know where that first dance class will lead, or if your child will discover a lifelong love of soccer or gymnastics. Art classes teach personal expression, colour, perspective and fine motor skills, while martial arts teach discipline and self-confidence. Think of all there is to learn in the world, and how each of us evolves from our experiences. Camps and classes are wonderful way to engage mind and body, and have a lot of fun.
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The reality of summer camp for kids with special needs K
ids with special needs can be just as excited about summer camp as any other child. Parents certainly have a lot of questions and concerns, such as how can you be sure your child will get the attention he or she needs? Will your child be able to participate fully? Will your child make friends? Will they understand your child’s special needs? There are camp choices for kids with special needs, but you need to do research and find the right camp for your child. Some camps do just what their name implies include kids with special needs in their groups of children with regular needs, while some camps are designed just for kids with special needs, including kids who have learning or behavioral problems, those with specific chronic illnesses, and kids with mental or physical impairments. Many accept kids with a variety of needs, but some only accept kids with specific problems (such as camps for kids with diabetes, cancer, speech or hearing impairment, etc.). You also have to consider the length of stay, the camp’s philosophy, location and transportation, and the cost. There are nonprofit and for-profit camps, religious camps, camps run by national organizations, private camps, day camps, camps that run weekend sessions, and more.
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The benefits of camp for kids with special needs are often the same as for any child: • increased confidence and independence • activity and exercise • the opportunity to interact with other kids, develop friendships, and build relationships • positive role modeling by adults • a chance for parents to have a much-needed break Consider which type of camp might best suit your child: • inclusionary (or mainstream) • camps for kids with a specific special need or camps for kids with many different kinds of special needs Involving kids in the camp search will help to ensure that they get the most out of the camp selected. So, ask your child: • What do you want to get out of summer camp? • Do you want to go to a coed camp, or just be around kids of the same gender? • Would you be more comfortable going to a camp with kids who do or don’t have special needs? • Are you comfortable being away
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from home? If so, for how long? • Do you have classmates or friends who have gone to a summer camp? If so, which ones? And did they like it? If it turns out that the idea of camp is a bit overwhelming for both you and your child, you might want to try starting small, like weekend sessions at a special-needs camp.
• If physical accessibility is an issue, what’s the layout of the camp? What provisions has the camp made (or can it make) for wheelchairs or crutches? • If your child needs a special diet, can the camp provide appropriate meals? If not, can you provide food for your child? • Do staff members have a background working with kids Some basic and special-needs with special needs? specific questions you’ll need to • If your child has behavior have answered include: problems, are camp staffers • How long are the sessions? trained to handle such problems? • What’s the cost? • Do the counselors have first-aid • Are scholarships available? training? • Is it coed, girls-only, or boys-only? • What kind of medical and nursing • What’s the age range of campers? staff is available in the infirmary • Where is it located? How far away and during what hours? Can the from your home is it? staff administer any medications your child needs? • What’s the staff-to-camper ratio? • What’s the procedure if your child • How old are most of the develops a complication related counselors?What type of to his or her medical problems? certification do they have? How far is the nearest hospital? • What’s the camp’s philosophy? Does it fit with your goals for your If your child needs specialized treatment, is it available at that child? hospital? • What’s the camp’s transportation - with information courtesy kidshealth.org system like?
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magine spending two weeks at a summer camp, gaining skills in a variety of outdoor pursuit activities and achieving up to 11 Alberta High School credits, all while earning certifications toward careers in camp leadership and guiding. HeLa Ventures and Progressive Academy’s Mountain Adventure School provides exactly this opportunity to students. Professional teachers and guides facilitate this hands-on learning experience in a setting that is positive, supportive and fun. The three-year professional development program at MAS provides students with vital, realworld certifications in Standard First Aid, Alberta Waterfront Instructor Certification and Canadian Moving Water Skills Tandem. Just minutes outside of Rocky Mountain House, all meals and accommodations are included in the fees, and transportation to and from the camp by bus from Edmonton is provided free of charge. Students outside the Edmonton area can be dropped off and picked up at the camp. EDGE is a sponsor content publication developed by the Edmonton Journal’s advertising department in collaboration with clients for commercial purposes.
Editor: Sarah Pratt sarahpratt@edmontonjournal.com • 780.429.5554 Designer: Kelle Cloutier, CGD
The next EDGE publication is May 2, 2014
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