As many kids pack their trunks and are set to leave for a holiday, local summer camps are all braced up for a season of fun, adventure and serious learning activities. More and more parents and kids alike are finding the need for summer camps, which provide a nurturing environment for educational and cultural development of children and teenagers. “The sedentary lifestyle of children makes them dull and frustrated; as such camps provide a healthy antidote to this problem,” said Mrs. Jassim Al-Nazir, a parent. “I feel bored in summer vacations due to lack of activity. Participating in a summer camp can help me learn skills while spending quality time in a candid atmosphere,” said Ali Abdullah, 14. “Since we do things together and perform activities in groups, it helps us to develop team spirit and eventually become a better human being,” Zeina Al-Marvan, a student in her teens, said. A few summer camps have begun earlier this month, and will continue till the end of August. My Crib Daycare Summer Camp is running a program for children between 1-13 years of age, excluding boys above 8 years. “Our camp focuses on enhancing children's mental and physical strength,” said Abla Shogi, Principal and organizer of the camp. The camp activities include: English and Arabic language courses, art and craft, computer, cooking, and Qur'an classes. She said children will be encouraged to work in groups. Professionals Institute for Professional Training and Development (PIPTD) has a summer camp called “Ihteraaf” for different age groups and has different shifts for boys and girls. Crash courses in English, computers, behavior skills are on offer. “We want to instill qualities of maturity and responsibility among children. The camp will teach them to manage time and explore their abilities in a friendly atmosphere,” said Rayeesa Syed at PIPTD. Future Center (FC) has also come up with a summer program: “I can discover!” The program has science classes with practicals, swimming, cooking, gardening, story time, arts, painting and dancing. A fun trip once a week provides added adventure to children, Meerna Yamout at FC said. Summer camps have now assumed a whole new meaning with many targeting higher age groups along with kids and teenagers. Some like the New Horizons Institute offers professional courses to girls, on the lines of secretarial training and customer handling for girls of all ages. Future Experts (FE) have wide range of summer programs for almost every age group ranging from 4-9 years, 7-14 years, 12-16 years, and 17-22 years. The last two are exclusively for girls, said Hada Litim manager of the camp named “Let us think”. “The program focuses on inculcating social values among young children,” she said. Litim noted that a summer camp for orphans in Madina is operating under the patronage of many companies. “Future Expert is all about helping the community to grow into a civilized and cultured society.” __
