FAMILY TRAVEL, SUMMER CAMPS & DAYS OUT 21 JUNE 2014 FAMI LY VALUE S 21


‘Summer progression’ at Super Camps


Much of the recent debate about the length of school holidays has focused on the summer — and the well-known propensity for most children to slide backwards mentally and physically during the long lay-off. Te cumulative effect of the body and brain being


allowed to drift into a two-month limbo is being labelled ‘summer regression’ by child psychologists and educational experts. Most parents would agree that having children


at home for nearly two months is a mixed blessing. It’s lovely to be able to enjoy one’s children, to forsake the morning routine for a while and allow a bit more pyjama time, but for adults work still needs to be done and tasks need to be accomplished. For children too, being at home for that long can


become a tad tiresome, especially when parents are at work and friends are away. And at times like that it’s all too easy to switch on the box or start surfing — far from safety – on the computer. Particular concern has been expressed about the


latter half of the summer holidays, when boredom can quickly turn to mischief — or worse. So pronounced are the effects of this summer


condition that schools have complained that it can take months to get children back up to speed and able to focus again when formal education resumes in the autumn.


Te Super Camps experience Super Camps prides itself on its summer


programmes for children that keep both their mind and body stretched even while they’re having maximum fun. Te company has been putting on holiday activities across the UK since 1996. Children are the absolute focus of what the


company does, and every day is structured to provide opportunities for them to learn new skills and try new past-times,


from archery to quad


biking to Clay Modelling. Te instructors introduce subtle themes that


create an opportunity for informed conversation between


children, about different cultures,


animals, plants, world events and sporting heroes. Younger children are looked after by Early Years


Foundation Stage (EYFS) staff who understand the vital importance of these tender years in a child’s general development. Older children, meanwhile, are encouraged to


enjoy a terrific variety of activities that trigger all kinds of great conversations. Try making a volcano that erupts when lemonade is poured down the spout and not talk about it! For budding Jamie Olivers, Super Camps has an


awesome new culinary experience — ‘Cultured Cooking’ — in which classic dishes from around the world will be created and then devoured. And for those Mary Berrys in the making, ‘Te Great Super Camps Bake Off’ is a wonderful way to let


loose in someone else’s kitchen. Many children choose the Super Camps ‘RAW


Adventure’ option — a week-long bushcraft experience for girls and boys aged 7-14, taught by instructors who know how to survive — and thrive — in the great outdoors. Many of the instructors are army-trained, and


while the course may be about bushcraft, they also impart the importance of team-work and companionship, self-regard and hygiene. Learning how to prepare and cook your own Aussie-style damper-bread may be great — but you’d better ensure your baking stick is clean and your fire is properly extinguished when the meal is finished. Surveys show that while many children love


being outdoors, others are more into creative pursuits. So Super Camps’ ‘A Passion For... Arts and Crafts’ introduces new creative techniques from different centuries and countries. Children can try their hand at making papyrus, creating Japanese fans, or, in another session entitled ‘Turning Trash


into Treasure’, at upcycling discarded household items into really ingenious devices.


Back to school — NOT! Super Camps was started in a single school in


Oxfordshire. If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, the company must be doing something right, because there are now scores of competitors. Most of these newcomers come and go with monotonous regularity, but Super Camps has gone from strength to strength, with camps at leading UK schools including Winchester College, New Hall School, Radley College, Te Royal Masonic School and Malvern College among 80 schools overall. All Super Camps are Ofsted registered and


subject to regular inspections. Last summer every single Ofsted inspection resulted in a very positive ‘Good’ assessment for the camps. Open from 8am until 6pm, busy parents are allowed plenty of flexibility with regards to dropping off and


collection. And there is no extra charge for activities like swimming and quad biking. Despite the lovely school surroundings in which


the camps are located, Super Camps is emphatically not about school. Tese are the summer holidays, after all, and children need time to unwind and relax, too. What they get is the chance to discover new activities, learn about new possibilities, meet new friends — and have a great time. For those children lucky enough to be sent to


camp by their parents, it’s not summer regression, it’s summer progression. Super Camps looks forward to welcoming your children this summer.


To find out more about the 74 Super Camps on offer this summer: T: 01235 467300 www.supercamps.co.uk


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