Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Hello everyone, this is my first post! I have just joined and have found it fascinating reading all your excellent ideas, I work in a centre in Ireland and work with the 3-5 age group. For the months of July and August we run Summer Camp, this will be our second year running it. Last year we found it difficult with the themes? Does anyone here run a summer camp and be kind enough to share ideas with me. Many thanks in advance!
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Welcome Miss Sparkley, What specific difficulties did your evaluations from last year identify? Do you have time / access to the children who will be attending before summer camp starts to involve them in the planning, to listen to their ideas?. Have fun Peggy
AnonyMouse_79 Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Hi Miss Sparkley and welcome! What an intriguing name. There has been a discussion about this sort of thing before and I know at least 1 member plans with the children at this time. No doubt'll she'll be along later and will help you out. If I can find the previous topic, I'll put in a link!
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Hi Miss Sparkley Welcome to the forum. What themes did you use last year? And do you still just have children aged 3-5 years? Linda
Guest LucyQ Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Can't offer advice on which theme to do but I was reading an article from the following American website about themes. If you copy and paste in the following http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/diges...8/katzpr98.html and have a read. I found it very interesting. Its called Issues in Selecting Topics for Projects.
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Do the children come for the whole two months or just a week at a time. If this is the case you could repeat some weeks this cuts down on the number of resources you require.
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Thank you for making me feel so welcome! Ye are a friendly bunch! From looking through the forum, it seems your system in England is lightyears ahead for planning, short term, medium term, and long term! we would have very little of this here. Mimi, majority of children would be there most of summer, some children would be part time. At the moment we would be a Montessori in the morning and mostly free play and group time with the theme. Peggy, I do have access to the children, they would be the children we have year round. It would be very interesting to see what they would say! I really found they bore quickly from the theme, it didnt capture their attention, but i blame us rather than them, obviously our themes weren't grabbing their attention. Would many of you run a number of themes at the same time? we stuck to one theme for the week last year, we did colours and shapes, holidays, the seaside... thats all i can remember off hand! we wouldnt really be able to go on many trips, although we can go for plenty of walks in the neighbourhood! Thanks again for making me welcome!
AnonyMouse_64 Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Hi Miss Sparkley, Perhaps the thing to do is not plan too rigidly but leave your themes more loose so that you can run with the children. So don't go into it with too many preconcieved ideas of what you're going to do but see where the children lead you instead. (And welcome!)
Guest Posted May 2, 2005 Posted May 2, 2005 Welcome Miss Sparkley What part of Ireland are you in? If you have these children all year round then you probably know them really well. You could get them to help you plan the activities for the Summer, perhaps concentrating on what they really enjoy doing rather than having a theme. I sometimes (well too often, if I'm honest) find planning around a theme a bit restricting. Good luck with your summer camp, and I hope you enjoy the Forum. If only I could remember how to say "a hundred thousand welcomes" in Irish... Maz
Guest Posted May 4, 2005 Posted May 4, 2005 Beau, I agree with you, perhaps we would see their routine with Montessori regimented all year around, we find it difficult to convert to fun themes! Maz little, i live in cork city, which is europes capital of culture this year! Céad Míle Fáilte is a hundred thousand welcomes! thanks for your ideas!
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