Why is camp only for children? The benefits of a children's camp: why you should send your child there. By the way, about nutrition

MOSCOW, February 20 - RIA Novosti, Irina Ovchinnikova. Summer camp is a traditional format for children's recreation: teenagers live in nature, learn to build relationships with peers, and have fun. Unlike Soviet ones, modern camps are very diverse: they have a humanitarian, technical, or natural focus; you can choose a shift in accordance with the child’s hobby.

At the same time, for many parents the cost of a trip to the camp is quite high: sometimes they are forced to sacrifice their vacation or take out loans. When is the best time to buy discounted tours? Read in RIA Novosti material.

Should I go or not?

Lawyer Ksenia Ivanova sends her ten-year-old son to camps four times a year and is sure that this teaches the child independence and responsibility. A trip abroad costs on average 170 thousand rubles. To Crimea - about 65 thousand plus flights (the price depends on the time of purchase of the ticket), and another 15 thousand are required for expenses.

“Of course, it’s very expensive,” says Ksenia, “so I buy all the trips on credit, and then I have to pay off the debt. But it’s better than leaving the child at home while the parents earn money.”

When choosing a camp, Natalia Tverdysheva, director of tourism for the Ost-West operator, advises paying attention to the recreation program, teaching staff, safety of the territory and the recreation region itself, clarify what kind of food is expected, as well as how ready the child is for certain living conditions.

What does the price consist of?

Quality and cost are not always related. You can get a ticket to state camps - "Artek", "Smena", "Orlyonok", "Sirius", "Ocean" and others - for free after passing a competitive selection. The cost of a three-week vacation on a general basis is 60-70 thousand rubles.

In commercial camps, pricing depends on their popularity. “The better the camp, the more children go to it, the less it can restrain the cost of the trip,” says Valery Astanchuk, founder of the Khaglar children’s camp. “This happens because fixed costs are divided proportionally by the number of children.”

According to the expert, there are camps so popular that they are simply forced to artificially inflate the cost of the trip in order to reduce demand.

With children's vouchers, the same rule applies as when purchasing regular tours: the earlier the payment, the cheaper. In most cases, the early booking promotion for summer arrivals is valid until the beginning or end of March, the average discount is 10%, but there are exceptions.

Moscow and region

The Moscow region camp "Applause" holds creative rides for children from six to 17 years old in the summer at the Pokrovskoye recreation center (30 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road) and offers a discount of 11 thousand rubles if paid before February 28 (40,990 instead of 51,990 rubles).

You can choose from six races, each of which lasts 13 days: for fans of fantasy, fine art, dance, quests and more. It is also possible for a child to stay in a camp without accommodation for 20 thousand rubles.

A ticket to the New Wave camp, located in the Serpukhov region 110 kilometers from Moscow, can be purchased for 47,900 rubles until February 26, then the price will increase to 62,900 rubles for a 19-day shift. The price includes five meals a day, visits to creative laboratories and themed parties. The camp welcomes children from six to 16 years old.

St. Petersburg and Leningrad region

In general, there is a trend: the more expensive the trip, the greater the possible discount. Of course, the cost will not decrease significantly, but saving a few thousand is still nice.

Thus, in the equestrian health center "Solnechny Ostrov" (48 kilometers from St. Petersburg), if paid before February 28, the cost of a 10-day shift will be 32,500 rubles, after that - 34,500 rubles. This price includes accommodation in tents, five meals a day, and horse riding lessons in the arena. Each shift has its own theme: “The Wild Wild West”, “Through the Looking Glass in the Footsteps of the White Rabbit”, “Pirates of the Sunny Island”, “Galloping Across Europe” and others. The camp welcomes children from 10 to 16 years old.

Vacation certificates

In St. Petersburg, so-called certificates for children's holidays have been introduced, available to parents who are officially employed. With a certificate, residents of St. Petersburg can expect to pay 777 rubles per day or 16 thousand per shift of 21 days in camps from.

Unlike compensation common in some other regions (Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don and others), St. Petersburg is of an advance nature. That is, you don’t have to wait for the government to return the money after the trip: the certificates are used at the stage of purchasing the trip.

This advantage, plus early booking (until February 28), is felt, for example, when paying for a children's summer holiday in the Chaika camp (Leningrad Region): the cost of a voucher for a 21-day shift is currently 23 thousand rubles.

Sochi, Anapa

Black Sea resorts rarely offer early booking discounts, but there are options for every taste and budget. And yet, it’s better not to delay the decision to travel - by mid-April there may not be any inexpensive trips left.

In the Anapa camp "Energetik" 21 days under the "Summer of Adventure" program costs 33 thousand, for the same period under the "Yunarmeets" program with accommodation in a tent camp - 25 thousand (for children from seven to 17 years old).

A three-week trip to the Ural Gems camp (from seven to 15 years old) costs from 28 thousand rubles, and to the Pearl of Russia (7-15 years old) - 34 thousand rubles.

Sochi "Atlant" (from seven to 17 years old) offers a three-week thematic session "District Game" for 32 thousand rubles.

Change "Morskaya" from the St. Petersburg chain of camps "Very!" (7-17 years old) in Sochi for 21 days until February 28 costs 46 thousand.

Moreover, the camp is included in the list of vacation certificates participating in the program, which means that the price for residents of St. Petersburg can be reduced to 30 thousand.

Crimea

According to the travel booking service incamp.ru, Crimean camps are now the most undervalued: in 2017, demand for them decreased by 21% compared to the previous year.

“And in vain,” says Elena Ryzhenkova, general director of the company. “I could recommend the camp for children from six to 17 years old “I am a Leader” in Alushta, in which the cost of a 21-day trip with early booking before March 1 is 56 thousand "You can choose from two thematic sessions: "Leadership Heat" and "Quest Season", each of which includes training on motivation, study and leadership."

There are also quite budget holidays in Crimea: 21 days in the Blue Wave camp (city of Saki) will cost 26 thousand, in the Brigantina camp (Peschanoe village) - 39 thousand rubles.

If you have ever been to a children's summer camp, then you probably know the beauty of being there, if, of course, you were there as a child. This is a pretty good life experience, which in one way or another affected your current life and brought changes to your worldview. If this experience was successful and positive, then you will definitely want to send your child on the same “journey.”

Below is a list of reasons why so many parents send their children to camp for the summer.

At summer camp children:

1. Make real friends

Yes, at camp children often make real and, sometimes, even best friends. Here they are free from the social framework in which the school puts them, and in the general atmosphere of relaxation it becomes easier for them to make friends with someone. All the fun that is in the camp involves collective activities: singing, dancing, practical jokes, games - all this allows you to unite children together.

2. Communicate with nature

Camp is a wonderful place to connect with nature and a good antidote to the limitations of modern city life. The opportunity to spend more time in nature will enrich and diversify a child’s worldview, and will also benefit health.

3. Receive social behavior skills

Camping involves socializing and working together in a close-knit community where everyone learns to cooperate with others and respect each other. When children live in the same room together, they learn to do housework together, resolve disputes and disagreements, and understand the need for sincere and open communication.

4. Play and relax

Here children are free from school schedules, lessons and other routines that accompany them at home. This allows them to simply relax and play, which is also necessary for the normal development of the child.

5. Become more independent

Camp is a great place for a child to practice making decisions independently without the help of parents and without the control of every step by school teachers. The opportunity to manage your own affairs in a relaxed atmosphere will allow the child to open up and see new horizons of development for himself.

6. Gain skills and abilities for later life

Usually the camp has everything for sports, entertainment and other activities. This allows the child to try himself in different activities and find out what he likes best and discover his abilities.

7. Take a break from civilization

When children take a break from TV, mobile devices and the Internet, they joyfully discover their creative powers and connect with the real world - real people, real activities and entertainment, and real emotions. They then realize that there are many more interesting things to do in the world.

8. Restore strength

At the camp, children receive a good dose of inspiration, which helps them gain strength before the new school year. They try themselves in activities that are new to them, some of them are even a little scary, but all of these are living emotions that arouse interest in something new and unknown. Hence the inspiration.

9. Learn to succeed and become more confident

Camps allow children to develop a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. At school they are constrained by social boundaries, such as getting grades, etc. At camp, competitions are of a different nature; they take place in a joyful, humorous and informal atmosphere. And small victories in such an atmosphere spur and give self-confidence, and will help in the further formation of personality.

10. Spend your day physically active.

At home, children usually have to prepare for lessons, which involves a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle. The camp has a whole bunch of different outdoor activities, such as swimming, running, football, volleyball, basketball and much more.

Ekaterina Morozova

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As soon as the summer holidays loom ahead, this question is asked by every parent who does not have the opportunity to send their child under the wing of a caring grandmother to rural painting. Complex issue. It seems that you are thinking about the child’s health, and at the same time about whether he will feel good there? Not to mention the duration of the shift, the price of vouchers, the distance to the camp, etc.

Children's summer camp. Child's opinion

A child aged 11 to 14 years is no longer a baby, but a mature person, capable of thinking, understanding, and making decisions. Therefore, it is simply impossible to solve the issue with the camp bypassing it (unlike). Moreover, if such a trip will be a debut for a child. Discuss going to camp with your child . What to remember?

• All children are different. Some are quiet, others are sociable and cheerful, and others are bullies. Some children find it very difficult to find contact with peers, and the slightest insignificant quarrel can cause unpredictable consequences.
• Does your child want to go, but is afraid? Together with him, you can send his friend or child of one of his relatives to the camp. Together, it will be easier for them to adapt to new conditions.
• Does your child absolutely not want to go? You should not force him into the camp. Look for another vacation option.

Choosing a summer camp for a schoolchild aged 11-14 years old

If your child has agreed to the trip, it’s time to start looking for a camp. Of course, May is no longer suitable for searching. That's why searches should begin in advance - at least in early spring, and even in winter.

Advantages of a child's summer holiday in a children's camp

Summer children's camps did not disappear completely after the collapse of the Union, which, of course, cannot but please parents. The traditions of such children's recreation are gradually being revived. And, despite the cutbacks in funding for such programs, children's camp remains an excellent opportunity to diversify a child's life, while simultaneously treating his health. What are main advantages of camping ?

Summer, vacation, children's camp... Why doesn't this chain of words evoke positive emotions in everyone? What are children afraid of, what are parents worried about, and how can they cope with these worries so that their holiday at the camp is a success? Kidpassage addressed these questions to teacher, methodologist, organizer and director of children’s camps, Dasha Efimenko.

- Dasha, is it good for children to relax in the company of their peers?

Children spend a lot of time in the company of their peers in everyday life. And this is very important, because for children a peer is someone who is on “their wavelength,” who is able to understand, support, accept, and assist.

But communication in a school or section over time acquires a certain established system, framework and familiarity, develops a special style of behavior and reactions, and therefore does not provide the opportunity to develop communication skills, prevents the child from understanding his own characteristics and socially adapting outside the system. The camp, on the contrary, facilitates all this.

• Communication with unfamiliar children in an informal camp setting provides an opportunity to develop the ability to make acquaintances and communicate.
• In the camp there is the opportunity to communicate with older people (counselors) outside the framework of the usual systemic behavior.
• The camp is a place where few people know the child, which allows him to be himself, not to play a “diligent student”, “hooligan” or other social roles; this provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your own strengths and earn authority among your peers.
• Life in the camp teaches independence not only in everyday life, but also in emotional terms (independent decision-making).

- Are there any disadvantages to staying in children's camps?

A very difficult question. The camps are different, the children are different, the approaches to them are different, and accordingly, the pros and cons of the camps in each specific case are different.

From the point of view of a methodologist, a camp can both motivate development and demotivate, both develop skills and abilities and suppress the desire for their development, both promote personal growth and interfere... And if you can talk about the advantages in general (about which and written above), then we can talk about specific disadvantages exclusively for each individual camp.

Here, rather, you need to remember two emotionally intense moments that can cause discomfort and unpleasant experiences in the child. These are two obligatory events in any camp - arrival and departure.

This is the time of acquaintance and the first meeting, which are tolerated differently by children, and the time of farewell - parting with new friends, understanding that the vacation is over and it’s time to return to business as usual.

Let me note that camp is a process in progress. That is, each participant in the camp as a process experiences his own internal process in parallel, and in this case the camp is capable of causing a variety of reactions, which, in turn, depend solely on the individual characteristics of the child.

- How to choose a camp for a child?

Now there is an incredible variety of camps, which, on the one hand, makes it possible to choose, but on the other hand, makes the decision-making process very difficult. In addition, an important point is the price of the vacation, which is influenced by the time, place, staff and their experience, the program and dynamics of the camp, the presence or absence of excursions, the creative component, etc.

- Dasha, what should parents take into account before sending their children to summer camp?

Since I am not only an employee of various camps, but also the mother of an 11-year-old child, I will give some recommendations specifically as a mother.

1. Don't choose a cheaper camp. Municipal camps run by students of pedagogical universities are relatively cheap, that is, the same system as in school. In such camps there are usually no stationery, equipment, or materials for creativity. In addition, it is worth thinking about the interest of the counselor himself in motivating and engaging children with a low salary. Professional trainers and counselors, savvy in the informal education system, are not cheap.
2. Don’t force your child to “your choice”, “your own failed camp,” “your own place where you haven’t been.” Try to choose a camp based on your child's interests. It is useless to send a child with a mathematical mind to a camp, for example, in a creative direction. Specialized children's camps are suitable for children who are athletes and musicians.
3. Don’t rely solely on other people’s recommendations and reviews.- it is more important that your child is interested in the offer. It is better to ask the organizers for the camp program in advance and familiarize the child with it in order to know for sure whether the children will glue crafts or climb mountains.
4. Be sure to find out about the composition of the employees and their work experience- very often children go to camp because there will be a “cool counselor” there. Also, the presence of a doctor in the camp is mandatory and the presence of a psychologist is highly desirable.
5. If the child is going for the first time, prefer a camp where your child’s friends will have a rest.
6. Place, of course, plays an important role... for a parent. For a child, the place is either unimportant or cool (abroad, for example). Therefore, here you can choose based on the goal. To improve your child’s health, choose good children’s camps by the sea. Foreign language camps are good if a child wants to learn a foreign language.

- At what age should a child be sent to camp?

There is no clear answer to the question at what age to send a child to camp. I worked in a camp where children 6-10 years old spent their holidays, and more than once organized a camp for teenagers in the summer. And in 16 years, only 2 people wanted to leave the camp. It is almost impossible to know if a child is ready until you try.

- Is it possible to prepare a child for the camp?

The main recommendation is that there is no need to intensively prepare the child. Often the child is already ready. The parent is not always ready, so he begins to shift his fears onto the child, preparing for something that may not happen, while causing the child unnecessary fears and worries.

Another mistake that parents often make is to soothe the child’s experiences and their own with untrue facts, which subsequently leads to disappointment and indignation.

The child must understand that there is a camp format, there is an order that needs to be adjusted to - with this understanding, the child’s adaptation to the camp is successful.

- How to mentally prepare a child for a trip?

For a child, a trip to camp is an adventure, a kind of risky undertaking. It's a feeling of euphoria. And if he agrees to it, then he is ready for the trip. When the parent begins “explanatory work,” the taste of adventure is lost, and the child is no longer so interested.

To have a good rest at the camp, children must be able to take care of themselves and know how to behave in public places and in transport. Remind your child that he has the opportunity to make new friends, have fun and useful time, and how he uses it is up to him. Let him know that in case of difficulties he can turn to counselors or a doctor.

- Parents themselves need to overcome the anxiety associated with the child’s departure.

To avoid worrying too much, learn to trust and believe in your child! There is also no need to overestimate the fact that almost every child in the camp misses their parents - this is rarely stronger than the positive emotions from independent relaxation.

If the fear of leaving your child is great, try sending your child to day camp. This way you will watch your little one’s mood change every day and make sure that the child is able to adapt to a new society.

City day camps help to understand how ready a child is to break away from his parents for a while.

- Is it worth sending a child to camp if he doesn’t want to?

These cases are very individual. Often the child does not want to go to camp until he gets on the train and waves to his mother. And that’s it - the mother is forgotten, and the child is surprised to meet her on parent’s day at camp.

Before making a decision to satisfy a child’s reluctance, it is worth finding out the reason for his reluctance and talking about it. Calm fears and worries. Set you up for a wave of adventure, knowledge, and interest. In addition, the task of adapting children falls on the camp organizers.

It is good if children and parents are surveyed before the camp in order to better know and understand the child and know how to work with him. The best children's summer camps have a psychologist and a methodologist on staff who will help especially sensitive children survive the adaptation period. They are the ones who know best what to do if a child cries at camp.

- Difficult age: what does camp give to teenagers?

The non-formal education system does not use the concept of “difficult age”. Summer teen camps with a well-thought-out program and properly selected methods provide children with an excellent opportunity to realize their own uniqueness, interact on equal terms with other children and counselors, take initiative and discover their talents, self-realization and self-affirmation, develop independence and responsibility for decision-making.

But since teenagers are acutely aware of their isolation from the usual system, way of life and the fact of finding themselves in a new environment, they require special attention and support from a counselor, a properly selected group, a special approach and methodology in following the rules. In my opinion, camps for teenagers are very useful, but they should be selected very carefully.

If you have doubts about whether to send your child to summer camp, read our reassuring article about how summer camps have changed for the better lately, what your child can learn and why you should send your child to camp.

Why does your child need a vacation at a country camp?

Many will agree that almost every modern parent, thinking about what he himself did when he was a schoolchild, first of all remembers the carefree time he spent in the camp, which many people habitually call pioneer camp. And indeed, if you look at it, no one has yet come up with a better form of children's leisure.

Summer camps significantly expand children's social circles and develop their communication skills. In other words, they influence the process of socialization of the child, as psychologists and teachers say. Being surrounded by peers around the clock, doing everyday activities together, and attending extra classes, the child learns how to behave in a team. He will successfully take these useful skills with him to school in the new school year.

But you can make new acquaintances on a trip to the sea or to the village, you say.

To travel on vacation, at least one parent must be free in order to be able to transport the child to the place of deployment. Unfortunately, it often happens that parents do not have vacation in the summer, so the child is left without a summer holiday outside the city.

Summer country camps are usually located in the suburbs, in ecologically clean areas, which is important for children's health. In the company of friends, your child will change his usual environment and take a break from the bustle of the city and school problems. In addition to freedom, the child will have a reason to take a break from gadgets and virtual life on the computer.

But don’t think that in such camps children are just chilling out..

The camp supports the development of the child non-stop. For example, spending summer holidays in the countryside, at sea or in the city almost always means the absence of any daily routine - and the child is left to his own devices. This is wrong both pedagogically and in terms of child development. The baby is constantly developing both physically and mentally, so even in the summer he needs special developmental activities. Of course, the number of these classes will be significantly less than in the middle of the school year, but this does not mean that the child’s development should be left to chance.

What can your child learn at a country camp?

Over the past 10-20 years, the summer camp program has changed dramatically. Now you can be sure that your holidays will be useful and enjoyable. It’s enough to choose a summer camp theme that will be close to your child: from sports to nano-camps with a scientific focus.

From year to year, an increasing number of parents give preference language training camps.

A training camp differs from a regular camp in the presence of an educational program. When choosing a place for your child to relax, it is useful to ask what your child will be taught. In language training camps, children have 2-3 lessons per day. The atmosphere there is quite relaxed and informal. After lunch, as a rule, there is a cultural and entertainment program. Language lessons are divided into General English/German/French/Spanish/Italian, and regional studies. A big advantage of a language camp will be the opportunity for live communication with foreigners. When choosing a camp, pay attention to the teaching staff. Good language camps always involve native speakers of the target language.

Language camps promote rapid development in a foreign language environment and mastery of the school curriculum in a short time, because the main thing for children is not cramming, but interest in the subject! There are a lot of interesting programs that enable parents not to send their children far for the first time, but at the same time comfortably immerse them in a language environment with experienced native speakers.

Why is it worth sending your child to camp?