Camp - It's Not Just For Little Kids

We held our Summer Camps & Activities Fair in April and nearly 3,000 people came to see the 93 booths we had representing camps, birthday party venues, schools, health care professionals and more.

 As they were leaving, parent after parent told us how excited they were to find new camp programs for their kids. Most of these parents had preschoolers or elementary-aged kids.

What we don’t see a lot of at our Camp Fair is middle and high school students looking for summer programs and that’s a shame. It’s really too bad because as we gather all the information we can find about camps in the Bluegrass for both our April and May issues, we find dozens of great opportunities for kids in the 12 and older age bracket.

We’ve been putting together our Camp Directory for 16 years now and one of the trends I’ve seen grow just in the last few years is colleges and universities offering programs for middle and high schoolers to give them a week or two living on campus trying out some of the programs the college offers.

Take a look at what Asbury is offering this summer. They have nine, five day, overnight, college-like experiences for high school students that include all food, housing, equipment, and evening activities. Older kids can explore equine, film worship arts/audio production themed programs as well as creative writing, film, environmental science, theatre and music.

Midway College offers day camp opportunities for girls up to 14 years old including their famous “Between the Ears” equine camp, plus the Girl Power camp for ages 6-12, and co-ed camps for writing art, exploring the out-of-doors and science.

Speaking of science, Newton’s Attic has hands-on science and engineering camps for kids from 6-18. Learn robotics, create wrestling robots, make a catapult and other ingenious mechanisms and even a bow like Katniss’.

Local private schools like Seton Catholic and Sayre have program of interest middle schoolers as well as younger kids. Learn interactive web programming at Seton and a whole variety of things like horseback riding and chess at Sayre.

For kids with an interest in the arts there are a whole slew of programs for teens. Broadway Bound Summer Camps offer programs for singers and actors and the Lexington Children’s Theatre and Camp Shakespeare also offers acting camps all summer. Kentucky Mudworks and The Mad Potter hands-on clay and ceramic camps for all ages (even grown-ups). The Living Arts & Science Center has programs that also go all the way up to the teen years. Lexington Music Education can put your teen in a rock band this summer. Morehead State University also has a summer arts program for high schoolers.

For teens with special needs check out Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, Parks & Rec’s Therapeutic Recreation Fun Camps and Seton Catholic’s All Abilities Drama Camp.

For teens interested in sports check out some of the residential sports programs at Central Kentucky colleges and universities. UK, Transy, Midway, Asbury and Morehead State all offer them.

Whatever their interests, your teens have NOT outgrown camp yet, and while they may be holding down jobs this summer, a week or a few days of summer camp might be just as beneficial to them as money.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Win Our Writing Contest

Over the past 2 weeks I've visited nearly 600 students in Central Kentucky, talking to them about our 10th annual Writing Contest. Nearly all of them (or their teachers) assured me that they plan to enter the contest. Add that to the hundreds of essays I'm expecting from other classrooms and the 50 entries I already have in hand, our total number of entries will be well over 1,000 this year. With only 6 grand prizes to hand out and only 12 Honorable Mentions, only the best 1-2% of the stories we receive will be chosen as winners.

So how do you write a winning essay for Lexington Family's Writing Contest? Here's a few hints from the head judge (me!):

1. The first question I ask myself when I read an essay is: Did the writer follow my topic? This year the assigned topic is "The Day I Traded Places with My Pet....." That means that somewhere in the story there had better be a pet and somebody better be trading places with it. Here's are some good rules to follow:

YES, your main character must trade places with a pet.
YES, it can be a real pet that you already own, your neighbor's pet, a pet you imagine, or a pet you wish you had.
YES, it can be a creature you image: a rainbow-striped unicorn, a three-headed dog, or a flying horse.
YES, it can be a pet from your favorite book, like Clifford the Big Red Dog, or Hagrid's pet dragon.

While visiting the 5th graders at Eastern Elementary in Scott County, a young man asked me if he could write his story about the day he walked into his classroom and found his teacher had traded places with a pet. I thought that was a very creative idea, so YES, you may write about the day your teacher traded places with a pet.

NO, you cannot trade places with a superhero. Now, if you trade places with your dog and then turn into a dog superhero, that works!
NO, you cannot trade places with a robot, or transformer, or a space alien (unless that alien is your pet).

2. This is a WRITING contest so do your best writing. That means give me your best hand-writing (or careful typing), check for spelling mistakes, use the grammar rules your teachers have been teaching you, and for older students, use good story development.

YES, you may hand write or type your story. Stories may be e-mailed or snail-mailed in.
YES, neatness counts. If I can't read your story I can't judge it. Don't send me your "sloppy copy," once you get your ideas on paper, read it over and re-copy it. 
YES, you are limited to 100 words. I don't count the words in each essay. I'd never get time to read them all. But, after 10 years I can spot an essay that is way too long in a heartbeat. If your story is 105 words or 106 words, I'll never know, but try to keep it as close to 100 as possible.
YES,  I expect good story development from older students. Stories with a good "hook" at the beginning will draw me in. A good fiction story has an element of conflict in it, and there is action and there is a resolution.
YES, younger students or special needs students may dictate their story to a scribe.
NO copying off your neighbor. It's fine to discuss your ideas with a friend, but you and your friend should not submit stories that have the same plot.
YES, your story may be written as a poem (I love getting poems). YES, your story may be written as a play.

3. Be creative! Winning stories are always interesting.

YES, turn on your imagination before you write.
YES, spend a little time daydreaming before you write. Not during math class, but perhaps at recess, or while you are brushing your teeth, or riding the bus.
NO, you may not put me to sleep with your story. "The day I trade places with my dog I drank water from my water bowl. I ate food from my food bowl. I went outside and barked at the neighbors." ZZZZZZzzzzzz. That story would put anyone to sleep! After you trade places with your pet, be sure to do something fun, or exciting, or interesting.
NO, once you trade places with your pet you do not have to do something extraordinary, like flying into space or becoming the first canine bullfighter. Just imagine what life would be like if you became your pet. Imagine if you turned into hamster and had to navigate your way across your classroom, where table legs seem like enormous tree trunks and students look like giants.
NO, you do not need to start your story with the words "The Day I Traded Places With My Pet....."

You can find all the details on entering our contest right HERE. I can't wait to hear from you. Entries are due by March 28.

Moms, Dads, Teachers - if you have any further questions please feel free to call me, Laurie Evans, at our office at 223-1765.

Do Something Now to Improve Our Schools

Last spring my daughter was involved in a play at the Lexington Children's Theatre called "One Hundred Dresses." It was the story of a little girl who was being bullied. It was told from the perspective of a little girl who stood by and watched the bullying happen but did nothing to stop it.

She says to her mother, "But I didn't do anything." Her mother responds, "That's right, you didn't do anything." The play reminded children that in some cases doing nothing is as bad as doing something wrong. The young actors at LCT came up with a motto for themselves while working on the play - DO SOMETHING!

Right now our Kentucky legislature is making decisions about our state's budget for the next 2 years, and a colation of Fayette County parents, community members and local education organizations have decided that they need to DO SOMETHING to increase school funding for our children.

Led by James Wagers, a Beaumont Middle School parent and Liza Holland, past president of the 16^th District PTA, this group is planning a rally at 7 p.m. on January 23 at Wellington Elementary, 3280 Keithshire  Way.

“A student has just one chance to get a quality education,” said James Wagers, an SBDM parent at Beaumont Middle School. “Simply put, our kids can’t wait.”

In addition to the rally at Wellington, a Children’s Advocacy Day rally at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort is planned for 10 a.m. Jan. 16.

The Coalition is seeking opportunities to speak with local civic groups and at public meetings and generally urge residents to communicate their support for more school funding. To schedule a presentation, email Liza@LizaHolland.com or call (859) 533-3038.

Make plans now to attend one of these rallies. Call your state legislator and tell him or her that our children need to be a priority. DO SOMETHING!

Are Smart Phone Smart for Our Kids?

Wow, its been a while since I posted. The holidays and a broken bone in my hand have slowed down my posting. Let's get back to it!

We've all seen it, and in fact, we may have done it ourselves. Sitting in a restaurant waiting for the food and the 2-year-old is getting antsy, so Mom hands over her smart phone to entertain the toddler. Harmless, right?

Maybe not, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children under two years of age, they say, “learn best by interacting with people, not screens.”


In Japan, where cell phone use is even more pervasive than in the U.S., the Japan Pediatric Association is so concerned about cell phone and other digital advice use by toddlers that they have begun an advertising campaign to education parents.

“When children become upset, many parents give them a smartphone to keep them quiet,” JPA’s executive director,Hiromi Utsumi, told The Japan News. “But if parents do this, they have fewer chances to communicate through pacifying their babies while watching how they react.”

So, are we parents using digital devices so we can ignore our kids while we finish a meal in a restaurant? I'd say, sometimes we are. So what should a parent do when a fussy toddler interrupts a dinner out? What did our parents do?

I'm not going to go all John Rosemond and tell you that kids should be seen and not heard. I do think, though, that parents should have a plan if they are going to take a toddler out to eat. Bring crayons, small toys, favorite lovies. Also, expect to be interacting with your toddler during the meal. Expecting a young child to sit for an hour and a half while the adults talk is ridiculous.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has some suggestions on how to teach your kids to have healthy interactions with digital devices:

 

·  Parents can model effective “media diets” to help their children learn to be selective and healthy in what they consume. Take an active role in children’s media education by co-viewing programs with them and discussing values. In other words, if you spend all of dinner time texting on your cell phone, your kids will, too.

·  Make a media use plan, including mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices. Screens should be kept out of kids’ bedrooms.
 

·  Limit entertainment screen time to less than one or two hours per day; in children under 2, discourage screen media exposure.

What do you think? Are smart phones okay for keeping toddlers quiet? Or should they be "Mommy's Toy" only?

Parents can model effective “media diets” to help their children learn to be selective and healthy in what they consume. Take an active role in children’s media education by co-viewing programs with them and discussing values.  

Make a media use plan, including mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices. Screens should be kept out of kids’ bedrooms.  

Limit entertainment screen time to less than one or two hours per day; in children under 2, discourage screen media exposure

- See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Managing-Media-We-Need-a-Plan.aspx#sthash.twsjWQA9.dpuf

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Managing Media: We Need a Plan

10/28/2013

American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidance on managing children’s and adolescents’ media use

 

ORLANDO, Fla. -- From TV to smart phones to social media, the lives of U.S. children and families are dominated by 24/7 media exposure. Despite this, many children and teens have few rules around their media use. According to a revised policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Children, Adolescents and the Media,” released Oct. 28 at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, the digital age is the ideal time to change the way we address media use. 
While media by itself is not the leading cause of any health problem in the U.S., it can contribute to numerous health risks. At the same time, kids can learn many positive things from pro-social media. 
“A healthy approach to children’s media use should both minimize potential health risks and foster appropriate and positive media use—in other words, it should promote a healthy ‘media diet’,” said Marjorie Hogan, MD, FAAP, co-author of the AAP policy. “Parents, educators and pediatricians should participate in media education, which means teaching children and adolescents how to make good choices in their media consumption .” 
Dr. Hogan will describe the recommendations in the policy statement in a news briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET Oct. 28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.  Reporters wishing to cover the briefing should first check in at the press room, W203B, for media credentials. The policy statement will be published online Oct. 28 in Pediatrics and will be included in the November 2013 issue of the journal. The policy statement replaces one issued in 2001. 
The AAP advocates for better and more research about how media affects youth. Excessive media use has been associated with obesity, lack of sleep, school problems, aggression and other behavior issues. A recent study shows that the average 8- to 10-year-old spends nearly 8 hours a day with different media, and older children and teens spend more than 11 hours per day. Kids who have a TV in their bedroom spend more time with media. About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones, and nearly all teenagers use text messaging. 
The amount of time spent with screens is one issue, and content is another. On the positive side, pro-social media not only can help children and teens learn facts, but it can also help teach empathy, racial and ethnic tolerance, and a whole range of interpersonal skills. 
Pediatricians care about what kids are viewing, how much time they are spending with media, and privacy and safety issues with the Internet. 
“For nearly three decades, the AAP has expressed concerns about the amount of time that children and teen-agers spend with media, and about some of the content they are viewing,” said Victor Strasburger, MD, FAAP, co-author of the report. “The digital age has only made these issues more pressing.” 
The AAP policy statement offers recommendations for parents and pediatricians, including:
For Parents:

• Parents can model effective “media diets” to help their children learn to be selective and healthy in what they consume. Take an active role in children’s media education by co-viewing programs with them and discussing values.  
• Make a media use plan, including mealtime and bedtime curfews for media devices. Screens should be kept out of kids’ bedrooms.  
• Limit entertainment screen time to less than one or two hours per day; in children under 2, discourage screen media exposure. 

- See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Managing-Media-We-Need-a-Plan.aspx#sthash.twsjWQA9.dpuf