What Animals Teach Kids
Posted by J.J. Lorenz | Under Travel & Leisure Monday Feb 8, 2010Animal Summer Camp ? Let your kids play with animals this summer as a part of the fun they can have at summer camp. Find a science camp, or a more broadly defined summer camp that includes animals as a part of their program offerings.
Connecting with animals in a natural setting can put a child at the beginning of a lifelong sense of relationship with nature. A deep respect for nature as an adult often starts with experience as a camper.
Swift Nature Camp’s pond aquarium offers a unique way to see the world from the perspective of another animal: pond life from a frog’s point of view. The Wisconsin camp also maintains a live animal collection they call Nature’s Neighbors. Campers can bring their own small animals to camp with them where the animals can live in the camp’s Nature Center and be available to all the children.
Working in conjunction with the Wisconsin DNR and the U.S. Park Service, Swift Nature Camp has also developed a hands-on environmental learning program which includes field trips, such as visits to a fish hatchery and state parks; hands-on field projects, like goose banding and butterfly counts; and exciting camp presentations, including visits with live owls.
Campers are individuals, and Swift Nature Camp has created a voluntary merit program that allows each child to mix skill development and play in ways that suit his or her personality. Experience with animals can be refined into skills in areas like pet care, insects, bird watching and horseback riding.
Today’s children grow up too fast and need time to play. The summer camp you are looking for should challenge your child to try new things, but not in a stressful way. Camp is not school! Interaction with animals can be a perfect way for a child to learn by the natural discovery of play. Besides all the fun and excitement of a traditional camp, the kids have the joy of discovering Nature and the world we live in.
Finding a Summer’s Camp takes work. Here are some hints from SummerCampAdvice.com
Swift Nature Camp is a Summer Youth Camp in Wisconsin. Boys and girls ages 6-15 enjoy traditional summer camp activities while while learning about nature and the environment. at this Summer Science Camp