Hey!
Jacob here, I will be in the Nature Center this summer teaching you all about the big beautiful outdoors.. I like to fish, hunt and play sports. This is my first summer at camp but at school I’m studying youth programming and camp management. I love being outside and making new friends... ( this is my new friend here in the picture :) It is going to be a great summer!
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
Tagged under
Hey Parents,
Grab your child's hand and head in to Nature! Any adult who has a personal relationship with nature was once a child, hungry for knowledge and FUN...
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
Hey Parents,
Grab your child's hand and head in to Nature! Any adult who has a personal relationship with nature was once a child, hungry for knowledge and FUN new experiences outdoors. It is not only a parents desire but their responsibility to foster a love of the outdoors at a young age. This effort, and for some it will be, not only will you be get the two of you to do some physical exercise, but you will also be introducing them to an endless amount of new information about the world around them. Hikes are a wonderful activity at any time of year. Spring offers the first flowers of the season. They may be wild or carefully planted in someone’s back yard. Either way, children enjoy the hunt for new buds and examining the different types of blooms that the season brings. At spring we also see an influx of birds. Younger kids are content to merely watch a bird fly, yet older children can find enjoyment in noting the different characteristics and identifying the breed of the bird they've discovered or even smearing some peanut butter on a pine cone and hanging it from a tree.
In summer, animals of all varieties are most active and easier to spot. Even in the city you can find a few squirrels in the trees. Carry your flower and bird watching activities into summer as well. Don’t forget to keep you feeder full and water in your birdbath.
Most folks do not see Autumn as the season of harvest and reproduction for nature. With a bag in hand start to collect pine cones, acorns, seeds and other items that can be used for crafts or displayed as is. Be sure to have your child identify each and tell you how it might be used in nature. A bouquet of colorful fall leaves is incredibly easy to create and will give your child a constant reminder of the fun they had outdoors.
Winter may not be the most hospitable season for many, nature hikes can still be incredibly rewarding. Try seeding a spot by picking out a specific area and throwing out seeds, bread, apple chunks or bird feed. Upon your return, examine the snow for tracks then determine which animals have been enjoying your feast. If you continue to supply the same area all winter, you will most likely get the chance to see if your guesses were correct before the snow melts. Remember, most animals are nocturnal so go out after school at dusk.
Don't feel the need to be constantly hiking to enjoy the outdoors. You can entertain your child plant a few early blooming flowers and keep the bird feeders full. A budding naturalist will want to check every day and see what’s new. Make sure to give them a journal to record their finds. Younger children may be happier drawing their finds, while an older child will be happy with a disposable camera to commemorate the changes they notice.
Gardening is a wonderful way to get children outdoors. Keep their attention span in mind while planning the size and number of plants, otherwise it will be extra work on your hands. Vegetables like carrots, leaf lettuce and radishes are almost foolproof, But the most rewarding and fun is getting one or two pumpkin for jack o' lanterns.
For most families outdoor activities are most often done in the summer. Yet, for most parents making the time to get out in nature can be a challenge. Camping is a great way to expose kids to nature, but rather than giving yourself the hassle of planning a week-long trip there are some options. First, just set up a tent one morning in the backyard. Cook your meals outside, fly kites and play tag. When it's time for bed, crawl into your tent and tell stories by flashlight. Second, have the pros help you out. Look for a day or an overnight summer camp that specializes in Nature and the outdoors. For many parents this might seem like a whole new area that they might be reluctant to get involved with, but once you do your research you will find that Summer Camp is so much more than just a break from your kids...it’s child development!
To learn more about Summer Camp visit www.summercampadvice.com
Swift Nature Camp is a Wisconsin Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities while increasing a child's appreciation for nature, science and the environment. They also have a special “first time at summer camp” program that is dedicated to providing kids a wonderful first time experience.
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Start your child on their own thousand mile journey through life today.
The most important Hint is to remember when looking for things to do in nature is to get OUTSIDE. Almost any indoor activity can be done outside in nature.
Tagged under
Environmental Science Camp was held in early September for the 5th grade class of the Minong and Solen Springs Schools. Over 40 children participated at this event. It has been nearly 20 years since the schools have come out to Swift Nature Camp to have their Science Camp. During the 3 days and 2 nights campers participated in some of
classes just like camp. They had Bart the Wildlife Rescuer come out with his animals as well as the local Fire Department and Cliff the Dog Sled Musher. Additional classes included looking for weevels in the milfoil plus taking out the nest and doing a life cycle of bugs and animals off the fishing dock. Alot of stuff lives there! . One really cool classes offered was a canoe class were kids went out to Picnic Island for a cook out . They even had a guest who did Taxidermy in front of the crowd to a big bass. Each night we had a campfire with all the standard camp songs. it was a great taste of camp life for each of the children , with many of them want to return in the summer... This was much like SNC Camp for First Timers .
Tagged under
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has issued a health report called Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit Through Outdoor Play. The report reveals how America's addiction to time indoors affects our physical and mental health. Reviewed by an independent panel of medical experts, Whole Child explores how...
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has issued a health report called Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit Through Outdoor Play. The report reveals how America's addiction to time indoors affects our physical and mental health. Reviewed by an independent panel of medical experts, Whole Child explores how regular, unstructured outdoor play can boost the health of a child’s mind, body and spirit.
The nature of childhood has changed: There’s not much nature in it. It is not just about a detachment from all things growing and green; it's a public health issue. In the last twenty years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled. In addition to obesity, Whole Child highlights the rising rates of childhood diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, asthma, and vision problems, all of which can be tempered with adequate outdoor time. The United States has become the largest consumer of ADHD medications in the world and the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients has risen sharply. American kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out because they’re missing something essential to their health and development, unstructured time playing outdoors.
Whole Child includes recommendations for caregivers, healthcare providers, educators and leaders so that, together, they can change America's indoor habits. NWF has also created the Be Out There movement to give back to American children what they don’t even know they’ve lost: their connection to the natural world. Complete Details
The nature of childhood has changed: There’s not much nature in it. It is not just about a detachment from all things growing and green; it's a public health issue. In the last twenty years, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled. In addition to obesity, Whole Child highlights the rising rates of childhood diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, asthma, and vision problems, all of which can be tempered with adequate outdoor time. The United States has become the largest consumer of ADHD medications in the world and the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients has risen sharply. American kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out because they’re missing something essential to their health and development, unstructured time playing outdoors.
Whole Child includes recommendations for caregivers, healthcare providers, educators and leaders so that, together, they can change America's indoor habits. NWF has also created the Be Out There movement to give back to American children what they don’t even know they’ve lost: their connection to the natural world. Complete Details
Tagged under
Despite cooler temperatures and most leaves have fallen from the trees allowing those who want to get out and see nature a much better chance for success. However, watch out for hunters as well, several hunting and trapping seasons are underway in Price County, including Ruffed Grouse & other game birds, several small game animals, and White-tailed Deer Bow which continues through November 18 and White-tailed Gun Deer Season begins Saturday, November 20, and continues through Monday, November 28.
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
Most leaves have fallen from the trees allowing those who want to get out and see nature a much better chance for success. However, watch out for hunters as well, several hunting and trapping seasons are underway in Price County, including Ruffed Grouse & other game birds, several small game animals, and White-tailed Deer Bow which continues through November 18 and White-tailed Gun Deer Season begins Saturday, November 20, and continues through Monday, November 28.
Don't put your fishing gear away just yet, turnover has occurred on the majority of area lakes and fishing forecasters are predicting record numbers for muskie this fall due to less than optimal conditions for them feeding this summer. Advantages of fall fishing include fewer anglers, no baking in the hot sun, bugs are almost obsolete, fish tend to congregate and are feeding actively all day, plus some of the year's biggest fish are caught now.
Most of you campers knows this furry..not so much guy. Yep it is Apollo the bearded dragon. Some might think he was named after the space program. However, I think it was a Greek God. Currently lives with us but if you would like to adopt him till next summer give us an email and we can work it out. Want to learn more about Apollo...click below
Apollo is depicted as a beardless young man (ephebe). His attributes are the tripod, omphalos, lyre, bow and arrows, laurel, hawk, raven or crow, swan, fawn, roe, snake, mouse, grasshopper, and griffin.
Although often associated with the sun, Apollo was not originally a sun god. In Homer, Apollo is god of prophecy and plagues. He is also a warrior in the Trojan War. [Gods in the Iliad shows which side the gods favored.] Elsewhere Apollo is also a god of healing and the arts -- especially music (Apollo taught Orpheus to play the lyre) -- archery, agriculture . His arrows could send plague, as happens in the Iliad Book I.
Although often associated with the sun, Apollo was not originally a sun god. In Homer, Apollo is god of prophecy and plagues. He is also a warrior in the Trojan War. [Gods in the Iliad shows which side the gods favored.] Elsewhere Apollo is also a god of healing and the arts -- especially music (Apollo taught Orpheus to play the lyre) -- archery, agriculture . His arrows could send plague, as happens in the Iliad Book I.
Tagged under
Summer school, all-year academic school, summer sports programs, and electronic media have become the elements of children’s summer activity in recent years. Children are kept occupied with indoor play activities. The playground has come indoors and narrowed in focus. The flickering light of computer monitors and handheld game screens has replaced sunlight and fresh air.
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
Modern times have come to call for change in the way we prepare our children to live life in the world they will inherit. Our kids simply must find a way to reconnect with our natural environment as they grow up. The global effort to restore ecological balance will need aware participants at every level. Environmental awareness always begins with a personal sense of connection to nature.
Parents can bring back awareness of nature to a child’s experience. Summer camp has been around since the 1920’s and is still an effective way to bring back balance to a child’s life. Trained staff members of modern summer camps can guide kids back into an alliance with nature through the pure fun of camp activities. The challenges of summer camp activities are fun rather than stressful, making them even more effective for learning how we are a part of nature.
Most directors of quality modern summer camps have developed policies that encourage camper experience that reconnects the camper to nature without sacrificing the great fun and memorable friendships that are the classic benefits of summer camp. One such policy is simple and sweeping: beginning by not permitting cellular phones, BlackBerries, pagers, radios, iPods, cassette or CD players, laser pens, TVs, Game Boys or digital cameras. Children forget that life is possible without these ubiquitous accessories. Not including them in the camp experience brings children a revelation: they find out that they can actually have fun and enjoy themselves living without those things.
A camp that combines traditional camp activities such as hiking, canoe trips and horseback riding with modern ways for campers to learn about nature will succeed in instilling environmental awareness in campers. Learning is potentially much more effective because it is associated with fun and friendships.
Summer camps have added modern awareness of health and nutrition to the established means of meeting physical needs such as good hygiene, exercise, and teamwork. Modern summer camps can offer a healthy menu that still includes foods that kids enjoy. A salad bar at lunch and dinner that includes a choice of fresh vegetables and salads is an example of this. Vegetarian meals should be made available to campers who have that preference. Fresh fruit can be made available all day for snacks. Nutrition is a part of a modern summer camp’s “green” approach to total wellness that includes providing means to develop of a camper’s positive self esteem, build friendships, and promote having FUN.
When they are discussing a possible choice of a camp with a camp’s directors, parents should ask about the sustainability of that camp’s own day-to-day ecological practices. How do they conserve energy and water and recycle? What is the camp doing to take responsibility for its own environmental footprint? Learning is a combination of information and participation. If a summer camp’s practices don’t reflect their talk, campers aren't going to absorb important messages about their own relationship with nature. Summer camps are becoming aware of the effects they are having on their immediate environment. Camp directors should be looking at the big picture and showing care for the earth as well as their campers.
During our winter stay at camp a local camp neighbor, Delon came by with his snowmobiles and offered to take Forrest and I on a nature tour. It was exciting we had a sunny day with balmy high 20 temps. As we zoomed past Picnic Island ( see video) our first stop was to look for the eagles. They were both their and sitting near the nest. It is about this time that eagles start to lay their eggs. So a good sign that we will see eaglets this summer. From their we went off across the lake and to a snowmobile trail system that covers most of the state of Wisconsin. As we traveled we saw many deer trails cutting through the woods. Often they would cross the snowmobile trail, they seem to like snow that is packed down and easier to walk on. As we looked deep into the woods, we saw deer looking at us being careful not to move so as not to be seen. In all we saw... click to read and see more photos
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
, over 10 deer in our 20 some mile travels. We even came across a deer rubbing post, a place where deer rub their new velvet antlers. As we watched for tracks we saw many, many, many tracks of wolves. The packs near camp are growing judging by what we saw. The most interesting thing we happened across was a small dead deer. It was fresh and we could not determine how or why it died, must have been illness or starvation. Being that nothing gets wasted in the natural environment, the next day we returned and nearly 1/2 of the deer had been eaten. From what Delon says, he went back 3 days later and nothing was left but a few hunks of hide carried off into the woods. Nature is all around camp yet in winter many animals have left or are hibernating, yet the tracks of the snow make for an excellent way of story telling.
Read why todays families are getting a Nature Prescription, No pills required. Just get out and walk, explore and enjoy the outdoors. Summer camps are one place where Nature is an every day part of life, free of cell phones, ipods and the web. The only thing streaming has water in it. Learn more about the Nature Prescription.......
Here's what Matias Rojas Perez first saw on a trail walk in the Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge: a wild rabbit dashing past, a 3-inch-long endangered fish, soaring birds and creeping snakes.
Instead of an order for pills, pediatricians at the Children's Heart Center in Las Vegas have given Matias, his mother, who is diabetic, and his 9-year-old, 136-pound little brother, a "nature prescription."
More than 100 of the 553 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges such as Moapa are part of a national consortium of federal parks and the National Environmental Education Foundation now using this prescription tactic. It's funded by a $75,000 grant to improve family health through a two-year pilot project linking the federal agencies with health care providers. The aim is to turn doctors, nurses, teachers and therapists into "nature champions" who steer children and their parents into the outdoors.
It's a whole lot more than just saying, "take a hike."
The prescription, an "Rx for healthy living," prompts families to eat more fruits and vegetables, step away from the TV or video screen and go outside to breathe fresh air, awaken their senses, and shed some weight.
Using the prescription format gives the psychological oomph of doctor's orders to simple suggestions for diet and workouts disguised as nature walks. Each prescription comes with easy-to-follow maps to nearby refuges and parks where outdoor experiences are led by rangers and volunteers.
- By Kristen BourqueFamilies hike in Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge during a Jan. 29 trip organized by the Children's Heart Center.
Instead of an order for pills, pediatricians at the Children's Heart Center in Las Vegas have given Matias, his mother, who is diabetic, and his 9-year-old, 136-pound little brother, a "nature prescription."
More than 100 of the 553 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges such as Moapa are part of a national consortium of federal parks and the National Environmental Education Foundation now using this prescription tactic. It's funded by a $75,000 grant to improve family health through a two-year pilot project linking the federal agencies with health care providers. The aim is to turn doctors, nurses, teachers and therapists into "nature champions" who steer children and their parents into the outdoors.
It's a whole lot more than just saying, "take a hike."
The prescription, an "Rx for healthy living," prompts families to eat more fruits and vegetables, step away from the TV or video screen and go outside to breathe fresh air, awaken their senses, and shed some weight.
Using the prescription format gives the psychological oomph of doctor's orders to simple suggestions for diet and workouts disguised as nature walks. Each prescription comes with easy-to-follow maps to nearby refuges and parks where outdoor experiences are led by rangers and volunteers.
'Phenomenal difference'
Matias, once unwilling to play outside, has already lost 10 pounds since joining the fledgling program this winter, says his mother, Ma De Lourdez Perez Mata, 44. He now looks forward to the walks — and so does she.
Perez Mata says, "It's so beautiful, and you learn about nature. It's been so long that I breathed fresh air and so long since I've hiked and been surrounded by nature. The rangers tell you about life in these places, their history. It's very interesting."
Since December, the Children's Heart Center in Las Vegas, has already organized three field trips to nearby desert refuges with about 100 participants such as Matias and his family, says Angelina Yost, visitor services manager for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes Moapa.
They hiked up a little hill "that definitely gets your heart racing" and visited a viewing chamber carved into the desert floor that let them get face-to-fin with an endangered fish, the Moapa Dace, Yost says.
The initiative began last September with a national training program where nearly three dozen health professionals from 11 states met at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia, to be schooled in the value of nature prescriptions.
Dubbed "nature champions," they were charged to each train 30 more advocates. One was pediatrician Noah Kohn, medical director for Clinics in Schools, the free medical clinics funded by private donors and the United Wayof Southern Nevada. He sees this as a smart new tool to combat complex problems:
"We have a very significant obesity problem. Ninety percent of my patients have no health insurance. These are low income families with few resources. It's hard enough to convince them to eat a vegetable. And they don't live in neighborhoods where there is a safe place to go out and play.
"A prescription makes a phenomenal difference. It says, 'Rx for healthy and active outdoor living.' Once you get kids outdoors, away from the inner city, they are just completely bamboozled by the science and the natural world and they never think they are exercising," says Kohn, who will start sending out prescriptions as soon at the Spanish translations are available.
Perez Mata says, "It's so beautiful, and you learn about nature. It's been so long that I breathed fresh air and so long since I've hiked and been surrounded by nature. The rangers tell you about life in these places, their history. It's very interesting."
Since December, the Children's Heart Center in Las Vegas, has already organized three field trips to nearby desert refuges with about 100 participants such as Matias and his family, says Angelina Yost, visitor services manager for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes Moapa.
They hiked up a little hill "that definitely gets your heart racing" and visited a viewing chamber carved into the desert floor that let them get face-to-fin with an endangered fish, the Moapa Dace, Yost says.
The initiative began last September with a national training program where nearly three dozen health professionals from 11 states met at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia, to be schooled in the value of nature prescriptions.
Dubbed "nature champions," they were charged to each train 30 more advocates. One was pediatrician Noah Kohn, medical director for Clinics in Schools, the free medical clinics funded by private donors and the United Wayof Southern Nevada. He sees this as a smart new tool to combat complex problems:
"We have a very significant obesity problem. Ninety percent of my patients have no health insurance. These are low income families with few resources. It's hard enough to convince them to eat a vegetable. And they don't live in neighborhoods where there is a safe place to go out and play.
"A prescription makes a phenomenal difference. It says, 'Rx for healthy and active outdoor living.' Once you get kids outdoors, away from the inner city, they are just completely bamboozled by the science and the natural world and they never think they are exercising," says Kohn, who will start sending out prescriptions as soon at the Spanish translations are available.
Multiple benefits
Susan Morse, a spokeswoman for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says each region is taking its own approach to the prescription program.
In Santa Clara, Calif, Kaiser Permanente clinic pediatrician Charles Owyang has already written 67 prescriptions to the Don Edwards Preserve, an urban nature enclave in the San Francisco Bay Area. Owyang also teaches other doctors about studies that show outdoor activities have intellectual and emotional benefits, too — brightening kids' moods, sharpening their concentration and cutting down on stress.
In New Jersey, a nature champion connected health care provider AtlantiCare with a network of home schooling parents to begin forming "Family Nature Clubs" that meet every second Saturday for a walk in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge that weaves exercise and education.
"The days when Mom could send you out the front door to play have changed," says Sandy Perchetti, volunteer coordinator, at Forsythe, 15 minutes from Atlantic City.
"Once the children come with their 'prescriptions' we stamp them and give them an incentive like a nature journal or a pedometer to track their walking," says Perchetti.
The national project includes tracking whether families visit the refuges and parks, their physical progress and whether they came back again.
The answer is in for Matias and his family. They've already been back to Moapa.
Contributing: Marisol Bello
In Santa Clara, Calif, Kaiser Permanente clinic pediatrician Charles Owyang has already written 67 prescriptions to the Don Edwards Preserve, an urban nature enclave in the San Francisco Bay Area. Owyang also teaches other doctors about studies that show outdoor activities have intellectual and emotional benefits, too — brightening kids' moods, sharpening their concentration and cutting down on stress.
In New Jersey, a nature champion connected health care provider AtlantiCare with a network of home schooling parents to begin forming "Family Nature Clubs" that meet every second Saturday for a walk in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge that weaves exercise and education.
"The days when Mom could send you out the front door to play have changed," says Sandy Perchetti, volunteer coordinator, at Forsythe, 15 minutes from Atlantic City.
"Once the children come with their 'prescriptions' we stamp them and give them an incentive like a nature journal or a pedometer to track their walking," says Perchetti.
The national project includes tracking whether families visit the refuges and parks, their physical progress and whether they came back again.
The answer is in for Matias and his family. They've already been back to Moapa.
Contributing: Marisol Bello
For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
Tagged under
Summer school, all-year academic school, summer sports programs, and electronic media have become the elements of children’s summer activity in recent years. Children are kept occupied with indoor play activities. The playground has come indoors and .....
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
narrowed in focus. The flickering light of computer monitors and handheld game screens has replaced sunlight and fresh air.
Modern times have come to call for change in the way we prepare our children to live life in the world they will inherit. Our kids simply must find a way to reconnect with our natural environment as they grow up. The global effort to restore ecological balance will need aware participants at every level. Environmental awareness always begins with a personal sense of connection to nature.
Parents can bring back awareness of nature to a child’s experience. Summer camp has been around since for over 150 years and is still an effective way to bring back balance to a child’s life. Trained staff members of modern summer camps can guide kids back into an alliance with nature through the pure fun of camp activities. The challenges of summer camp activities are fun rather than stressful, making them even more effective for learning how we are a part of nature.
Most directors of quality modern summer camps have developed policies that encourage camper experience that reconnects the camper to nature without sacrificing the great fun and memorable friendships that are the classic benefits of summer camp. One such policy is simple and sweeping: beginning by not permitting cellular phones, BlackBerries, pagers, radios, iPods, cassette or CD players, laser pens, TVs, Game Boys or digital cameras. Children forget that life is possible without these ubiquitous accessories. Not including them in the camp experience brings children a revelation: they find out that they can actually have fun and enjoy themselves living without those things.
A camp that combines traditional camp activities such as hiking, canoe trips and horseback riding with modern ways for campers to learn about nature will succeed in instilling environmental awareness in campers. Learning is potentially much more effective because it is associated with fun and friendships.
Summer camps have added modern awareness of health and nutrition to the established means of meeting physical needs such as good hygiene, exercise, and teamwork. Modern summer camps can offer a healthy menu that still includes foods that kids enjoy. A salad bar at lunch and dinner that includes a choice of fresh vegetables and salads is an example of this. Vegetarian meals should be made available to campers who have that preference. Fresh fruit can be made available all day for snacks. Nutrition is a part of a modern summer camp’s “green” approach to total wellness that includes providing means to develop of a camper’s positive self esteem, build friendships, and promote having FUN.
When they are discussing a possible choice of a camp with a camp’s directors, parents should ask about the sustainability of that camp’s own day-to-day ecological practices. How do they conserve energy and water and recycle? What is the camp doing to take responsibility for its own environmental footprint? Learning is a combination of information and participation. If a summer camp’s practices don’t reflect their talk, campers aren't going to absorb important messages about their own relationship with nature. Summer camps are becoming aware of the effects they are having on their immediate environment. Camp directors should be looking at the big picture and showing care for the earth as well as their campers.
Modern times have come to call for change in the way we prepare our children to live life in the world they will inherit. Our kids simply must find a way to reconnect with our natural environment as they grow up. The global effort to restore ecological balance will need aware participants at every level. Environmental awareness always begins with a personal sense of connection to nature.
Parents can bring back awareness of nature to a child’s experience. Summer camp has been around since for over 150 years and is still an effective way to bring back balance to a child’s life. Trained staff members of modern summer camps can guide kids back into an alliance with nature through the pure fun of camp activities. The challenges of summer camp activities are fun rather than stressful, making them even more effective for learning how we are a part of nature.
Most directors of quality modern summer camps have developed policies that encourage camper experience that reconnects the camper to nature without sacrificing the great fun and memorable friendships that are the classic benefits of summer camp. One such policy is simple and sweeping: beginning by not permitting cellular phones, BlackBerries, pagers, radios, iPods, cassette or CD players, laser pens, TVs, Game Boys or digital cameras. Children forget that life is possible without these ubiquitous accessories. Not including them in the camp experience brings children a revelation: they find out that they can actually have fun and enjoy themselves living without those things.
A camp that combines traditional camp activities such as hiking, canoe trips and horseback riding with modern ways for campers to learn about nature will succeed in instilling environmental awareness in campers. Learning is potentially much more effective because it is associated with fun and friendships.
Summer camps have added modern awareness of health and nutrition to the established means of meeting physical needs such as good hygiene, exercise, and teamwork. Modern summer camps can offer a healthy menu that still includes foods that kids enjoy. A salad bar at lunch and dinner that includes a choice of fresh vegetables and salads is an example of this. Vegetarian meals should be made available to campers who have that preference. Fresh fruit can be made available all day for snacks. Nutrition is a part of a modern summer camp’s “green” approach to total wellness that includes providing means to develop of a camper’s positive self esteem, build friendships, and promote having FUN.
When they are discussing a possible choice of a camp with a camp’s directors, parents should ask about the sustainability of that camp’s own day-to-day ecological practices. How do they conserve energy and water and recycle? What is the camp doing to take responsibility for its own environmental footprint? Learning is a combination of information and participation. If a summer camp’s practices don’t reflect their talk, campers aren't going to absorb important messages about their own relationship with nature. Summer camps are becoming aware of the effects they are having on their immediate environment. Camp directors should be looking at the big picture and showing care for the earth as well as their campers.
Tagged under
Testimonials
-
3 weeks was not enough, next year I want to stay for 6 weeks.
3 weeks was not enough, next year I want to stay for 6 weeks. -
I really liked the Animals in the Nature Center.
I really liked the Animals in the Nature Center. -
I like the new friends I made, we still chat on Facebook.
I like the new friends I made, we still chat on Facebook. -
In the cabin our counselors made it feel like a respectful loving family.
In the cabin our counselors made it feel like a respectful loving family. -
I cried for days after leaving my SNC family of friends.
I cried for days after leaving my SNC family of friends. -
I liked swimming every day in the lake.
I liked swimming every day in the lake. -
When I returned home I loved telling my parents about my SNC adventures.
When I returned home I loved telling my parents about my SNC adventures. -
The New Lego building is a wonderful place to be creative and make friends.
The New Lego building is a wonderful place to be creative and make friends. -
I like being out in Nature and away from the city sounds and lights.
I like being out in Nature and away from the city sounds and lights. -
The Canoe trips are the best, I always feel like an explorer.
The Canoe trips are the best, I always feel like an explorer. -
Being independant and making my own decisions was great.
Being indépendant and making my own decisions was great. -
I liked that it was non-competitive and everyone was kind.
I liked that it was non-competitive and everyone was kind. -
I was surprised how most of the kids were like me, kind, fun and liked being outside.
I was surprised how most of the kids were like me, kind, fun and liked being outside. -
I thought I would miss my electronics, but it was no problem.
I thought I would miss my electronics, but it was no problem. -
I was excited to get my Archery Achievement Award, it took dedication.
I was excited to get my Archery Achievement Award, it took dedication. -
I want to go back to SNC.
I want to go back to SNC. -
I like learning about Nature and hearing the Loons at night.
I like learning about Nature and hearing the Loons at night. -
I gained so much independence being at camp for 2 weeks.
I gained so much independence being at camp for 2 weeks. -
This is my 5th summer, I love it.
This is my 5th summer, I love it. -
I liked that all the activities were in a non-competitive atmosphere.
I liked that all the activities were in a non-competitive atmosphere. -
Their is something Magical about SNC, Friends, Activities, Nature, It's all Great.
Their is something Magical about SNC, Friends, Activities, Nature, It's all Great. -
I like making beaded animals and friendship bracelets in Arts & Crafts.
I like making beaded animals and friendship bracelets in Arts & Crafts. -
Riding horses on a trail in the woods was Awesome.
Riding horses on a trail in the woods was Awesome. -
The 1st timer camp was good cause we were all the same.
The 1st timer camp was good cause we were all the same. -
When we went hiking it was hard but the sites from the hill were breathtaking.
When we went hiking it was hard but the sites from the hill were breathtaking. -
My friend had been here and he was right... it's a blast.
My friend had been here and he was right... it's a blast. -
I'm kinda sad, this is my last summer, wish I had started younger.
I'm kinda sad, this is my last summer, wish I had started younger. -
Meeting new people from around the world is amazing.
Meeting new people from around the world is amazing. -
I liked that my counselors were friendly and encouraged me to try new things.
I liked that my counselors were friendly and encouraged me to try new things. -
SNC is about NO cliques.
SNC is about NO cliques. -
I liked daily picking the activities I wanted to do.
I liked daily picking the activities I wanted to do. -
It's the Funnest camp in the world, I got along with everyone.
It's the Funnest camp in the world, I got along with everyone. -
SNC is my home away from home.
SNC is my home away from home. -
I really enjoy meeting new kids from all over and counselors every year.
I really enjoy meeting new kids from all over and counselors every year. -
So many activities to choose from, we are never bored.
So many activities to choose from, we are never bored. -
Every year is a new adventure in camping, community and nature.
Every year is a new adventure in camping, community and nature. -
I enjoyed seeing what America was like.
I enjoyed seeing what America was like. -
Kindness and understanding is what camp is all about.
Kindness and understanding is what camp is all about. -
I loved it all... Don't' change a thing.
I loved it all... Don't' change a thing. -
I like that we got to shoot sling shots.
I like that we got to shoot sling shots. -
Camp is so much better than staying home all summer.
Camp is so much better than staying home all summer. -
It took a few years but my swimming really improved.
It took a few years but my swimming really improved. -
I feel completely included and accepted.
I feel completely included and accepted. -
It is amazing having your Birthday at camp.
It is amazing having your Birthday at camp. -
The small size makes SNC excellent.
The small size makes SNC excellent. -
I liked learning about nature and ecology.
I liked learning about nature and ecology. -
SNC is a down to earth experience without junk food or electronics.
SNC is a down to earth experience without junk food or electronics. -
I liked the shorter first timer camp & my councilors were fun and caring.
I liked the shorter first timer camp & my councilors were fun and caring. -
Living on a lake with all the water activities is wonderful.
Living on a lake with all the water activities is wonderful. -
SNC is down to earth and not a rich kids camp.
SNC is down to earth and not a rich kids camp. -
I liked SNC because it was not a sports camp.
I liked SNC because it was not a sports camp. -
Free time is the best.
Free time is the best. -
I like being away from home and out in the woods.
I like being away from home and out in the woods. -
Camp friends are the best friends.
Camp friends are the best friends. -
SNC is about trying new things, meeting new people and being on my own.
SNC is about trying new things, meeting new people and being on my own. -
Counselors were great.
Counselors were great. -
I really like the Arts & Crafts Castle.
I really like the Arts & Crafts Castle. -
This was my best summer ever.
This was my best summer ever. -
I gained confidence trying new activities and meeting new folks.
I gained confidence trying new activities and meeting new folks. -
This is my 5th summer, I love it.
This is my 5th summer, I love it. -
I feel accepted and loved at SNC.
I feel accepted and loved at SNC. -
Tubing was the most Fun.
Tubing was the most Fun. -
I feel like I belong to something bigger than me, a community.
I feel like I belong to something bigger than me, a community. -
Friends is what brings me back to SNC.
Friends is what brings me back to SNC. -
I really look forward to Pizza Night.
I really look forward to Pizza Night. -
Swift is a good fit for me, I love nature and being outside.
Swift is a good fit for me, I love nature and being outside. -
I got to shoot a real gun.
I got to shoot a real gun. -
My counselors were very encouraging when i was unsure of new activities.
My counselors were very encouraging when i was unsure of new activities. -
Making new friends is easy at Swift.
Making new friends is easy at Swift. -
Counselors made sure I felt included in the cabin.
Counselors made sure I felt included in the cabin. -
I liked coming to SNC with my sister.
I liked coming to SNC with my sister. -
Sleep in Sundays are one of my favorite days at camp.
Sleep in Sundays are one of my favorite days at camp. -
I got to bring my pet from home to SNC.
I got to bring my pet from home to SNC.
- Arts Camp (3)
- Best summer camps (27)
- Camp Counselors (14)
- Campers R Talkin' (6)
- Canoe Camp (7)
- Children's Summer Camp (94)
- Coed Summer Camp (2)
- Eco Friendly Summer Camp (8)
- Environmental Camp (36)
- Girls Summer Camp (5)
- Green summer camps (2)
- Hiking Camp (4)
- Horse Camp (1)
- Kid's Camp (36)
- Minnesota Camp (19)
- Movies (2)
- Nature Camp (57)
- Old Fashioned Summer Camps (11)
- Outdoor Youth Camp (33)
- Playing Outside (13)
- Riflery Camp (3)
- Science Camp (42)
- Science Summer Camp (20)
- Shooting Camp (1)
- SNC REVIEWS (1)
- Sports Camp (4)
- Summer Camp (72)
- Summer Camp Advice (46)
- Summer Camp Discounts (5)
- Summer Camp Savings (9)
- Summer jobs (18)
- Summer Youth Camp (25)
- Swimming Camp (3)
- Teen Camp (12)
- Traditional Summer Camps (10)
- Travel Camp (3)
- Wisconsin Camp (18)
- Parents (78)
- More Camp Information (1)
- Camp News (37)
- Camp Newsletters (64)
