When summer arrives, many parents think about the possibility of enrolling their children in camps so that they can enjoy their days off while they learn, have a good time and also make friends. It is usually an option that working parents value so that their children do not notice their absence too much while they have to be away from home for work reasons.
But not just any camp will work, it is necessary that the children be safe and happy in the camps, therefore, before enrolling your children in one and paying the fee, it is very important that you make sure that it is a good camp and that it meets a series of essential requirements to ensure that your children will be well cared for at all times.
Professionals with the corresponding qualifications
There may be many people who like to spend time with children and who have fun with them by doing playful activities. But spending time with them is not the same as spending several days in their care. It is very important that you make sure who will be the people who will be with your children in the camp.
It is necessary that they be professionals in health, education and leisure and free time. Of course, they must have their corresponding qualifications and work experience. When they are going to spend several days with children outside their homes and in a remote place from home It is necessary that the adults who are in charge of them have the necessary knowledge to be able to attend in all circumstances.
Training of monitors
In addition, it is also necessary for professionals to have training of monitors and free time to ensure that they know all the rules, first aid and that they have training for leisure and free time. In the training of monitors you can not miss continuous training so that they can recycle the knowledge and thus learn more things for the benefit of the children in the camp.
In addition, in the training of monitors, it should be very clear what the ratio of students per adult in charge is. It is necessary that parents also know these data so that they know that if a specific number of children go there will have to be a number of professionals also specifically to be able to cover all the circumstances that may arise.
Clear security measures
When you want to find out about the camp, they should explain to you what the security measures will be once your children are there. If they have a website, it is essential that they clearly explain what the daily security measures will be and in each and every one of the activities that they have prepared to do.
Once again, the importance of professionals with corresponding degrees is retaken, since knowledge and experience are essential so that they can correctly follow the established security measures. If you feel that something is not coherent, you have the right to ask for explanations, the safety of the children is the most important thing at all times.
Camp Values and Rules
The camps can follow different values and norms, so that you can target your children and rest assured that everything will be fine. They should be values that are in accordance with your parenting ideals or that promote things that you want your children to learn in a playful and fun way.
For example, there are camps that promote Christian or religious values with an emphasis on activities that enhance them. Others may carry out activities or be oriented to learning a new language, others to strengthen the bond with nature, others perhaps to promote good behavior and appropriate attitudes for life ... In each of these camps they must have professionals who can carry out activities according to these values and that improvisation is not something that happens. The activities should be planned in advance so that parents know them and assess whether or not they are suitable activities for their children.
Emotional Intelligence
In addition, it is crucial that the Emotional Intelligence is taken into account in the camp. In these places many children tend to gather and there must be a good coexistence on the part of adults and children and make sure that the experience will be something positive for each and every one of the children who attend the camp. The main objective is that in addition to promoting the values and carrying out the proposed activities, it also Emotions should be worked on so that children feel good at all times.
In order to work on emotions, it will be important to take them into account in each of the activities carried out regardless of the theme of the camp. Likewise, it will be necessary to work on conflict resolution to be able to give adequate strategies in daily life. The presence of a child psychologist or emotional education technician among the camp professionals can ensure that this is worked on properly and that children learn great lessons for daily life at home and in interaction with others.
Menus suitable for everyone
Another really important aspect that all camps must take into account are the menus for children. Today there are children with diabetes, celiac disease or multiple allergies and the professionals who run the camp must take all this into account to avoid dangers in the lives of children. It is necessary that if there are children with diabetes, celiac disease or with any other type of consideration to take into account, they must have adequate menus for them and take the necessary safety measures.
As well, it is important to have other menu options available such as those that mark different lifestyles such as vegetarianism. There are many families that follow this feeding model and children also follow itTherefore, all kinds of menus must be provided according to the characteristics of the children who come to the camp.
Transparency in all information
In addition to everything discussed so far, it will be tremendously important that the organization that runs the camp has absolute clarity and transparency in the information, that it has all the papers in order and that they are a well-established company that provides you with security above all.
What else do you think should be considered before enrolling children for camp?
What complete information! Thank you for this post. The truth is that taking care of children in summer camps or colonies is a great responsibility, and there are times that parents only consider the most playful aspects, without thinking that there are many details that must be managed to offer quality and safety.
Free time or leisure training is still largely forgotten, and the companies that work in this sector (especially those that do it well) know it: planning, insurance, first aid training, selection of monitors, attending to emotions (as you say) of children ... I have even seen monitors who after working hours attended to parents as if it were a tutoring (and they are temporary jobs).
In these activities a great social need is covered (the little ones are on vacation and the parents are not), but nowadays it is no longer done in any way, but with the will of a service that offers multiple benefits, and does it in a period much shorter than the school year.
I believe that the article fulfills two objectives: to recommend that parents look for quality and safety, and to make visible an activity in which many monitors, many monitors (or coordinators) put a tremendous illusion.
A greeting.