Nearly every child looks forward to going on summer vacation. Not only do they get the opportunity to relax away from their books, but many of them get the opportunity to go for exciting summer camps in various parts of the world.
For years, Switzerland has been one of the preferred summer camp places and the country has hosted many young children and teenagers from different parts of the world. As a parent, you should prepare your child adequately to maximize their camping experience. The following tips can come in handy to ease the process.
View the Camp as a Learning Experience
Going for summer camps in Switzerland allows your child the opportunity to explore the world at large outside the locality they are used to. Further, the experience will teach your child how to be independent. They will learn how to nurture new social skills, how to make new friends, and understand the importance of teamwork. Your child will also develop his or her creative skills. On your part as a parent, you can leverage on this opportunity to focus your energy on taking care of yourself, relaxing, exercising, or reading that book you’ve always wanted to read before your child finally comes back.
Involve Your Child in the Camp Planning
Collaborate with your child to make decisions regarding the camp. For instance, you can choose the ideal summer camp location together, choose what to pack, and discuss the perfect activities your child is comfortable engaging in. Give your child a chance to participate in the decision making and you’ll maximize their chances of enjoying it
Discuss any Concerns you may have
As the camping day approaches, your child is likely to become more anxious and perhaps afraid of leaving. This is where you need to encourage them to speak their fears or concerns out. This way, you can understand what’s bothering them. Assure them that everything will work out well and express your confidence in their potential to cope with being far from home.
Set Practical Expectations
Just like any other part of life, a summer camp will have its highs and lows. Some moments will be exciting while others will be low key. It’s important to let your child know this and have a practical and reasonable view of the camp. Talk about some of the highs and lows your child is likely to experience while on camp.
Encourage them to be themselves and avoid feeling pressed for success while on camp. After all, camps should be an opportunity to have fun, relax, and achieve their best depending on their potential without feeling the urge to compete with their peers.
Exciting Child-Friendly Summer Camp Activities in Switzerland
Depending on your career, you may not get summer off in time to either take your children on holiday or take care of them during their summer school break. Still, parents who have their off during summer can get overwhelmed by having active children at home throughout the day.
Luckily, you can send your children to summer camps in Switzerland and still be contented that they will not only be safe, but they will also enjoy their time at camp. Switzerland is a beautiful country which offers numerous child-friendly activities to engage in ranging from educational and fun. Here are some exciting things for your child to do while on Switzerland summer camp.
Sports
If your child is a sports enthusiast, attending football camps can be one of the most exciting activities. Many of the football camp service providers in Switzerland accommodate football activities for both girls and boys of different ages. Your child can participate in the camp from the age of three years.
The camps are spread across various regions in the country such as Geneva, Zurich, Zug, Versoix, Aubonne, Vevey, Lausanne, Basel, and Montreux. All the coaches are fluent in English which is an advantage to many of the foreign students attending the camps during the summer holiday. If you are looking for girls-only camps, you will find them in Versoix and Basel.
Water-Related Activities
Children love swimming and playing with water. What’s more, various locations in Zurich and Geneva offer sailing lessons which your child will be delighted to participate in. Your children will have fun and entertainment engaging in various water-related activities during summer camps Switzerland such as kayaking, and waterskiing.
If your child is going for their summer camp in Zurich, they will enjoy a wide range of outdoor swimming areas which include: rivers, lakes, and pools. The Strandbad Mythenquai, for instance, is ideal for children of different ages. The facility features shallow swimming places ideal for younger children and beautiful sandy beaches. There is also a park and a playing ground with lots of grass where children will enjoy running and playing their favorite games. There is also a grilling area where children can learn how to grill.
Hiking
Hiking is a tedious activity that many children may be reluctant to engage in. However, summer camp organizers can make them exciting for the sake of the children. One way of doing so is by creating a nature trail. Involve a section of the children right from scratch to make the activity more exciting, and to ensure that the remaining section can participate in the activity as the nature hunters.
To create a nature trail, the children with the help of camp organizers will need to plan their route. They will need a notepad, a pen, a camera or a phone to take photos, and search for exciting things to incorporate in the trail such as unique trees with special characteristics, large stones or logs, an animal home, exotic flowers, or shrubs.
After the children have identified these items, they should proceed to design the nature trail by sketching down a map of the trail and writing down instructions for the nature hunters to follow. The organizing group will need to come up with a treasure hunt or a nature trail quiz for the hunters.
This can include things to do during the hunt such as naming the trees they encounter along the way. The final step for the organizing group involves making copies of their map, spotter sheets, and instructions and handing them to the hunters. This activity can be exciting and fun for both groups. What’s more, it can also be used as a learning experience.
Arts and Crafts Related Activities
Children can engage in creative activities while at Switzerland summer camps depending on their ages. The younger children can practice doodle art where they will need drawing materials such as crayons, markers, and pencils, and paper. The children will then use their drawing materials to fill the blank paper with colors and drawings of different shapes. The older children can create bead jewelry.
Seeing that many children are fascinated by beads, this activity will be ideal for both girls and boys. All they will need is a container filled with beads and pipe cleaners or yarn. This activity is simple and children get an opportunity to demonstrate how creative they can get. Make sure to include the beads in varying colors and shapes and you’ll be surprised at the beautiful pieces the children will create.
Visiting Adventure Parks
Children, especially teenagers are energetic and many of them will be excited to try any adventurous activity they can come across. The Adventure Park Davos Färich, for instance, lies beside the Flüela mountain pass foot. It’s a high wire cycle park where your children will enjoy exciting times. It features a mountain bike course and five rope courses with varying difficulties, all of which are suitable for both children and adults.
There are assistants at the wire courses ready to offer the necessary assistance and guarantee safety. Parents, therefore, don’t have to worry. If your child loves biking, then this summer camp Switzerland activity is a must-do for them. The bike trails at this camp come with a pump track, tables, north shore structures, and jumps.
The younger children can also enjoy their child-related activities at the available playgrounds. There’s a restaurant on site too where children can enjoy their favorite snacks after an event filled afternoon.
Horse Riding and Mountain Biking Activities
The idea of going for summer camps in Switzerland is to get children out of their comfort zones and allow them to participate in activities they hardly engage in back home such as mountain biking and horse riding. One ideal place that offers these activities in Switzerland is the Graubünden campsite.
Nestled beside a lake and surrounded by picturesque pine trees, the campsite comes complete with modern facilities, pitches, a restaurant, and a recreational room beside the lake. Your children will not only enjoy the beautiful views and cool breeze in their Switzerland summer camp, but they will also go horse riding and make new friends while biking around the mountain. Sports lovers will also enjoy playing various sports such as tennis, mini-golf, and golf
