[youtube:gb98QQhvIdY;[link:Nature Summer Camp];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb98QQhvIdY&feature=related] March 19, 2011-(MCT)-Want to nurture a healthy, motivated student? Advocates of the No Child Left Inside movement propose that sending your child outside for a daily dose of nature is one of the best ways to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Now that the cooler temperatures and shorter days are over, giving children access to green spaces, sunlight and fresh air can do everything from reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to improve mood and academic performance, studies suggest. Spending time in nature makes us feel more alive, according to research published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology; some say this vitality can translate into increased motivation and capacity for learning.

Each day, try giving your kids one hour of unstructured play in the natural world, suggests the National Wildlife Federation, an advocacy group. For children who live in areas where unsupervised outdoor play isn’t safe or accessible, a “green” hour can take place in a park, backyard, or even on a porch.

Some tips to encourage outdoor play:

Go with them. If you’re excited about going outside, your kids will be, too, said Tanya Berry, a physical education researcher at the University of Alberta. She suggests limiting media use to reduce the pull from the indoors.

Adopt something. My boys love picking up “treasures” (aka garbage) in the alleys, so we recently signed up for an “adopt a beach” cleanup program. Parks, forests, highways and yards all need cleaning up.

Find an event. Children are enthusiastic detectives; check out local nature or ecology centers for scavenger hunts, which help develop problem-solving and visual-discrimination skills. Or try naturerocks.org to find activities close to home and tailored to your child’s age.

Get gadgets. Transform the yard by equipping your children with headlamps or flashlights and letting them explore at night. During the day, pitch a tent in the yard or give them a small magnifying glass to watch bugs and other creatures. Try binoculars and compasses, too.

Create or join a family nature club. When families get together-to hike, garden or even take part in a stream reclamation-the kids tend to play more creatively by themselves or with others than during single-family outings, said Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, who coined the phrase “nature-deficit disorder” to describe our modern disconnect with the natural world. The Children & Nature Network promotes nature clubs for families and has a free guide on how to start your own; go to childrenandnature.org.

Play games. Create a backyard obstacle course and time each participant. Or play the alphabet game by finding letters hiding on the ground, in the trees or in the sky, suggests the National Wildlife Federation, which encourages outdoor activity in its Be Out There campaign. A branch can form a “y”; a blade of grass can be an “i.” Have older children spell words.

Learn more on picking the right Kids Summer Camps

(c) 2010, Chicago Tribune.

Swift Nature Camp is an old fashioned Overnight Summer Camps for boys and girls 6-15. Our small size allows us to change kids lives. Learn more about this Children’s Summer Camps

[youtube:g1cWU1bmP90?fs=1;[link:Overnight Summer Camp];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1cWU1bmP90?fs=1&feature=related] Trying to find that specialOvernight Summer Camp? Try a free website called www.summercampadvice.com. It was prepared by experienced summer camp directors of Swift Nature Camp. This article will offer you some basic guidelines that can help you in making a well-informed decision.

Choosing a Summer Youth Camp taking into account the requirements and desires of your youngster beyond your own preferences. Include your child in the search process and have an ongoing discussion about the important things that you and your child want from going to an Overnight Summer Camp.

A child is going to want to do what he or she thinks will be fun, and that really IS important. As a parent do you want your child to enhance particular skills, learn independence in a safe environment, or develop self-confidence? Together, take note of his or her special interests and determine if your child has any intellectual, social or physical issues that require consideration.

Summer camp populations may be all girls, all boys, brother and sister or co-ed. At co-ed summer camps, boys and girls do participate in many supervised camp activities together. They share use of amenities such as dining halls and swimming and waterfront areas. Brother and sister camps provide opportunities for socials, yet most of the time the genders are separated.

Private summer camps are more costly than nonprofit summer camps, but price does not always equate with the quality of a young camper’s experience at that camp. It is best to anticipate extra expenses involved in choosing and going to summer camp such as extra canoe trip or activity charges and the cost of your visit to the camp. When you contact a camp you are considering, the director should be happy to give you complete information about the true cost of that camp. Keep in mind as you discuss this or other topics that the attitude of a camp’s directors and staff will have more bearing on your child’s experience than the cost.

Consider your child’s willingness to be away from home when selecting the time frame. Be sure to have continued dialog this will be helpful, especially for balancing fear with anticipation and excitement. A first time camper will often face an adjustment and that may be temporarily challenging for some kids. Some camps have “A first time camper” program for only kids that have not gone to overnight camp before.

Summer camp is a time for friends. It is natural for your child to want to go with her friends, yet there is value in being independent. When it comes to developing self confidence there can be an advantage to starting fresh in an unfamiliar environment.

Daily school and home life can be full of stress for many children, however at summer camp they try new things with new friends. With the help of knowledgeable staff campers find out what works best and what doesn’t in terms of interpersonal relationships. Visit www.summercampadvice.com to learn how to find the best summer camp for your child.

Learn more about Wisconsin Summer Camps, then visit Swift Nature Camp a coed, traditional camp for boys and girls 6-16. Our programs blend fun activities with that of a Environmental Summer Camps

[youtube:pTbm0BuWg84;[link: Summer Camp] ;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTbm0BuWg84&feature=related] There is a wide range of Summer Camps to be found all over the country. Most traditional camps offer similar programs, activities and adventures for your child. Specialty camps offer activities that emphasize a particular area of interest or have a subject theme. If your youngster is ready, he or she can take advantage of an overnight resident summer camp, which offers opportunities for learning independence while still setting certain boundaries.

Choose a Youth Summer Camp by taking into account the requirements and desires of your youngster beyond your own preferences. Include your child in the search process and have an ongoing discussion about the important things that you and your kid want from attending the camp.

A child is going to want to do what he or she thinks will be fun, and that really IS important. As a parent do you want your child to enhance particular skills, learn independence in a safe environment, or develop self-confidence? Together, take note of his or her special interests and determine if your child has any intellectual, social or physical issues that require consideration.

Summer camp populations may be all girls, all boys, brother and sister or co-ed. At co-ed summer camps, boys and girls do participate in many supervised camp activities together. They share use of facilities such as dining halls and swimming and waterfront areas. Brother and sister camps provide structured opportunities for social interaction but most of the time facilities and activities are separate for girls and boys.

Private summer camps are more expensive than nonprofit summer camps, but price does not always equate with the quality of a young camper’s experience at that camp. It is best to anticipate extra expenses involved in choosing and going to summer camp such as extra canoe trip or activity charges and the cost of your visit to the camp. When you contact a camp you are considering, the director should be happy to give you complete information about the true cost of that camp. Keep in mind as you discuss this or other topics that the attitude of a camp’s directors and staff will have more bearing on your child’s experience than the cost.

Find out your child’s needs. Keep in mind that every kid is different and they have various needs and desires. Make sure to choose a camp that is appropriate for your child’s age and it should meet the emotional, mental and physical his or her needs.

According to experts independence should be established slowly and in an environment where the price of mistakes is not high. This way, your child can learn different skills such as caring for others, working hard to meet goals, making good decisions, searching for information they need to make the right choices and being [accountable|responsible] for his or her own actions. These skills cannot be learned or developed instantly – your youngster needs a variety of experienced activities in order to learn.

If you want your child to have an unforgettable and beneficial camp experience, begin with research and follow up with good old fashioned human contact. Be sure to include your child in every step of your decision. Looking for a a list of information and questions you want to ask to the director of the camp? Visit www.summercampadvice.com

Swift Nature Camp is a Children’s Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend a traditional summer camp activities with that of a Science Summer Camp

[youtube:g1cWU1bmP90?fs=1;[link:Overnight Summer Camp];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1cWU1bmP90?fs=1&feature=related] So summer camp is the choice you have made now what. Stop by a free website called www.SummerCampaAvice.com developed by experienced summer camp directors to help you choose the best camp for your child. This article will offer you some basic tips that can help you in making a finding the best Overnight Summer Camps.

Choosing a Children’s Summer Camp involves taking into account the requirements and desires of your youngster beyond your own preferences. Include your child in the search process and have an ongoing discussion about the important things that you and your kid want from attending the camp.

A child is going to want to do what he or she thinks will be fun, and that really IS important. As a parent do you want your child to enhance particular skills, learn independence in a safe environment, or develop self-confidence? Together, take note of his or her special interests and find out if your child has any intellectual, social or physical issues that require consideration.

Camp genders do vary from may be all girls, all boys, brother and sister or co-ed. At co-ed summer camps, boys and girls do participate in many supervised camp activities together. Often, they share use of facilities such as dining halls and swimming and waterfront areas. Brother and sister camps provide structured opportunities for social interaction but most of the time facilities and activities are separate for girls and boys.

Camps are generally Private or Non-profit. summer camps that are private are usually more expensive than nonprofit summer camps. With this higher cost often the services are higher, like better food, better supervision and nicer facilities. Call the camp director and ask for complete information about camp and costs. remember the cost of camp is only once while the memories your child has will be around for another 80 years if not longer..

Typically the duration of a camp can range from one to eight weeks. Consider your child’s willingness to be away from home, for days or overnight. Ongoing discussion with your child will be helpful, especially for balancing fear with anticipation and excitement. A first time camper will often face an adjustment and that may be temporarily challenging for some kids. Find out how the camp accommodates and deals with a first time camper’s homesickness and the initial adjustment to camp life. A conversation about this area with a camp’s director can also show you if the attitude so important to a good experience of camp is going to be there when your child arrives.

It is natural for a youngster to want to go to camp with his or her friends or relatives, this can have a negative effect on the camper. Time away from friends can promote learning independence and developing self confidence providing many opportunities for personal growth.

Children usually have restrictions and achievement pressures when in school and at home, but at summer camp they are free to try different things with new friends. With the help of knowledgeable staff and counselors in the camp, campers of all ages can safely find out what works best and what doesn’t in terms of interpersonal relationships. You can find out more about how to bring these opportunities to your child’s life by visiting www.summercampadvice.com.

Swift Nature Camp is a Eco Friendly Summer Camps for boys and girls 6-15. We blend traditional summer camp activities with that of Environmental Summer Camps to help children learn about nature and the environment.