Summer Activities For Kids

While summer is something all kids look forward to, it's also the time most parents with toddler aged kids and up dread because it means having to fill up days with activities that will keep kids busy and active as opposed to have them just sit around and watch TV or iPad the whole day.

There are so many activities you can get your child in to.. sports, art, music, etc. As a first time summer activity parent, things can get overwhelming and super exciting at the same time. I remember  the first year my son was "eligible" to attend summer sports, I signed him up right away for a sport that turned out to be something he was not interested in. I guess you could say I was one of those "photo mommies" that just wanted that 1 great pic to upload on Instagram and FB. haha! But now I know much better. This time around, my kids are , 4 and 1 respectively and I more or less have an idea already of what they want and what is worth spending on (these activities are not cheap!).

Depending on what your kids interest is, you will be able to find something for him/her. In my case, I'd like to share the activities that either my kids are in or that I think are worth trying out this summer.


SPORTS
A good sport to try for beginners are Basketball, Soccer/ Football and Taekwondo. Futbol Fanatics for Football or in your kids school, they usually offer summer classes. For Basketball, there are a number of summer clinics you can enrol into or go for the bigger ones like Milo best. Schools also offer summer classes for all kids of sports. For Taekwondo, there's AAK in Megamall and I heard Monsour del Rosario also has a Taekwondo school.

Personally,  my 6yr old son too shy to be part of a big group. So we did not enrol him in any summer class, but what my husband does is that he brings our son with him during his weekly basketball games with friends and allots some one-on-one time where he teaches our son the basics. This way, Santino develops confidence and there's no pressure. :)

Not to mention it's a really good bonding experience for my boys. :) Excited to wear their basketball outfits. haha!

BALLET / DANCE
Now for all the little girls out there, it's definitely either ballet or gymnastics! Although there are older ones that also like other alternative dance classes or hip hop. And for those in the middle school age, you can usually try piano or voice lessons too. There are numerous places that offer these activities.

For my daughter, since she had gone to baby ballet the previous year and she still expressed interest in doing ballet again, I felt like it was time for her to attend a real "ballet school" which had more structured lessons and would also have a culminating activity such as a recital at the end. After searching, I chanced upon the Ballet Philippines newly opened school in the Fort, SM Aura.

There are a total of 15 of them in their class. A bit big, but still manageable. I've sat through 2 classes so far and Belly has been very dedicated and follows instructions to a T. haha. Although if there was something I would want, it would be that the teacher have an assistant ballet teacher to manage the class better. Let's see how the next few sessions progress. This is also more structured in a way that it's a regular MWF class so it feels much more "serious" and official... plus I love her cute little pink ballet tutu! <3


ART / WORKSHOP
If kids are not that into sports or dance, there is also art! This is pretty universal since for kids, you don't need to be an expert or know how to draw so well. It's just another great way to express their creativity! Last year, I had an art teacher come over. I gathered friends who wanted their kids to join some sessions and we put up "a class". This is another alternative to sending kids to art class where there are so many kids vying for the teacher's attention.

For my son, I noticed that he always likes to make and build things. So imagine my joy when I chanced upon this workshop beside the Gymboree place my youngest would go to. The place is called BEME and it's basically a workshop where can kids can pick which "projects" they want to do.  Then each session is them completing the project. No time limit and no minimum number of kids/students necessary. at your own pace.

Here Santino picked a plane. He was given the different parts. He used glue and a hammer (under supervision) to put it together. Then he got to paint it in any color he wanted. Pretty cool, right?


SWIMMING
An all time favourite! Perfect for kids of all ages and such a good skill they should learn! So many places to enrol for this. Basically may be any venue with a pool will most probably be offering lessons! For me, I contacted a swim coach and ask her to come once a week to our village pool where she does 1-on-1 sessions with my kids. It's logistically easier and more focused for my kids.

There is really so many things that kids can do. At one point I was even considering enrolling my kids to be part of a fast food kiddie crew. but my son backed out. haha. It all just depends on what your child wants to do or is interested in. There's also no need to rush them into an activity if they're not really into it because it will just end up being a waste of money!

The search for the right Pre-school.

Every time summer starts to come to an end and June is just around the corner, I, along with other "last-minute" moms are frantically in search for the right pre-school for our kids. We recently moved to the Pasig area (from Antipolo) and being new to the area, I was anxious to find a pre-school for my very curious, hyper-active and eager to learn 3.9 (in June :)) year old boy. As of today, I have enrolled my son in a pre-school already. I am happy with my choice.. for now.. but just like any mom, I am hoping that the teachers will be able to address the needs and bring out the best in my son.

Just as I know there may still be a few moms out there looking for a school, it's never too late to post the different schools I personally went to and inquired at. I would also like to make a short definition between Traditional and Progressive schools, as this is always the area which parents decide among when it comes to picking the right school for their children. Knowing the different teaching and classroom styles are important in making a choice between schools.

Traditional	Progressive
School is a preparation for life.	School is a part of life.
Learners are passive absorbers of information and authority.	Learners are active participants, problem solvers, and planners.
Teachers are sources of information and authority.	Teachers are facilitators, guides who foster thinking.
Parents are outsiders and uninvolved.	Parents are the primary teachers, goal setters, and planners, and serve as resources.
Community is separate from school, except for funding.	Community is an extension of the classroom.
Decision-making is centrally based and administratively delivered.	Decision-making is shared by all constituent groups.
Program is determined by external criteria, particularly test results.	Program is determined by mission, philosophy, and goals for graduates.
Learning is linear, with factual accumulation and skill mastery.	Learning is spiral, with depth and breadth as goals.
Knowledge is absorbed through lectures, worksheets, and texts.	Knowledge is constructed through play, direct experience, and social interaction.
Instruction is linear and largely based on correct answers.	Instruction is related to central questions and inquiry, often generated by the children.
Disciplines, particularly language and math, are separated.	Disciplines are integrated as children make connections.
Skills are taught discretely and are viewed as goals.	Skills are related to content and are viewed as tools.
Assessment is norm-referenced, external, and graded.	Assessment is benchmarked, has many forms, and is progress-oriented.
Success is competitively based, derived from recall and memory, and specific to a time/place.	Success is determined through application over time, through collaboration.
Products are the end point.	Products are subsumed by process considerations.
Intelligence is a measure of linguistic and logical/mathematical abilities.	Intelligence is recognized as varied, includes the arts, and is measured in real-life problem-solving.
School is a task to be endured.	School is a challenging and fun part of life.

Source: http://www.wingraschool.org/who/progressive.htm

Ok, with that in mind, I was in the search for a progressive school since I knew that my boy needed this type of education in order to really bring out his talents and basically bring him out of his shell since he does have moments when he is very shy and introverted. Some of the schools I was able to visit in the Pasig Area:

Aheadstart Developmental Center

www.aheadstartpreschool.com

Britesparks International School

www.britesparksschool.com

LEAP School

www.leapschoolforyoungchildren.com

Kids Academy

www.kidsacademy.com.ph

Creative Beginners

www.creativebeginners.com

There are also an increasing number of parents out there who have turned to homeschooling, bit just because of how expensive education has become, and if I only had the drive and discipline to do this (am not one to pretend I can do this), I would definitely pursue it.

I found my school for my son, I hope you also find yours! Good luck! :)