Enriching summer ACTIVITIES

With the Covid-19 pandemic having ruined two consecutive summer holidays, parents and children are set to celebrate the first postpandemic summer holiday with vengeance. We present some enjoyable, enriching and immersive summer activity options

- CYNTHIA JOHN, MINI P. & CATHARINAL SILVIA. M

With the summer holidays approaching, there’s a discernible buzz of excitement in the air which is getting louder by the day. After the Covid-19 pandemic having ruined two consecutive summer holidays, parents and children are set to celebrate the first post-pandemic summer holiday with vengeance. Even as children are drawing up plans to vacation in India and abroad, newspapers and social media are awash with ads offering summer camps and upskilling activities ranging from computer coding, art and crafts, music, dance, and theatre classes to sports coaching, adventure and outdoor activities.

The consensus of opinion among educators and parenting experts is that children should be encouraged to utilise the long eight-weeks summer vacation not only to frolic in sun-n-sand, but also enjoyably learn new skills, engage in immersive learning experiences while taking a break from stressful school routines. Therefore, while consciously avoiding the temptation to hurtle children from one summer class to another, parents are advised to encourage children to learn a new skill, play games/ sports and co-curricular activity (music, dance, theatre) which interests them.

In this summer issue of PW, we present some enjoy able, enriching and immersive summer activity options:

CODING/ROBOTICS CLASSES 

During the pandemic lockdown of education institutions, a popular upskilling activity for children was to sign up for online robotics and computer coding courses. This summer, several edtech companies are offering in-class courses for children to learn the basics of robotics design and engage in hands-on practical learning in labs and maker spaces.