The joy of summer camp - VnExpress

Khả Minh, a participant in a fire-fighting summer camp, enjoyed rappelling down from a high floor to the ground. At the end of the semester, she wished she could stay at the camp longer.

A few days after returning from the firefighter summer camp in Hoa Binh, Vu Tran Kha Minh, a 4th-grade student at Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School in Hanoi , still vividly remembers and recounts in detail the activities of the week spent there.

"I'm very happy. I'd love to stay another week," Minh said.

Minh's camp has over 100 participants, divided into groups in private, air-conditioned rooms. Each coach is responsible for 5-7 participants. Minh and his friends have to do everything themselves and are allowed to go home twice during the entire course.

Minh enjoyed the experience of escaping from the high floors the most. After tying the ropes, he was instructed on how to descend slowly from the second floor, while the older children descended from the fourth floor.

"The feeling of being dropped from a height is exhilarating," said the 9-year-old boy, adding that he was also taught how to tie figure-eight knots for rescue from high-rise buildings. The figure-eight knot is used to connect ropes together to make them longer, while the figure-four knot is used for tying, helping him climb down.

In addition, Minh learned how to escape from an artificial smoke chamber. The thick smoke obscured his vision, causing him to crash into a wall and suffer a nosebleed. He used a water-soaked mask and crouched down to find his way out. The boy was also excited about trekking in the forest and using a fire extinguisher for the first time, feeling proud of having overcome his fear and put out a real fire with his own hands.

The boy said he adapted quickly to communal living, ate well, and slept soundly, although he felt a little homesick at first.

Minh is one of thousands of children participating in summer camps organized by youth organizations, the military, or private organizations. For a cost of under 10 million VND, these camps offer children new experiences, taking them away from books and screens.

Minh and his friends participated in a rescue training activity in the forest. Photo: Provided by the subject.

For Tran Linh Dan, two weeks at summer camp helped her learn about nature and acquire basic skills such as cooking and cleaning. Linh Dan's mother, Hoang Linh, said she wanted summer to be a time for her children to participate in extracurricular activities to recharge before the new school year begins.

Linh Dan's summer camp is a day camp, with children traveling to and from Hanoi in the evening, costing around 4 million VND. Each session has about 20 children participating, divided into groups, with assigned tasks such as cooking meals, preparing simple dishes, and cleaning the house.

In addition, Linh Dan gets to go swimming or learn about various animals such as bees, earthworms, frogs, and toads. She learns about the life cycle of a butterfly, starting from egg, larva, pupa, and butterfly; she is curious to see the journey of a silkworm spinning silk to weave fabric, or to understand the color change of leaves.

"I also enjoy doing crafts like making beehives and frogs out of paper. These meticulous tasks train my hands to be more agile and enhance my creativity," Linh Dan shared.

Ms. Ly was emotional when she came to pick up her child after completing the firefighter summer camp. Photo: Provided by the subject .

Summer camps in Vietnam emerged about 10 years ago and have become very popular in recent years. While there are no statistics on the number of students participating, it has gradually become an annual activity for many children, especially in cities where parents are busy working and lack childcare. In the US, summer camps are a $4 billion industry annually, with approximately 26 million children participating.

To ensure that summer camps provide children with useful and enjoyable activities, the prerequisite is the competence of the organizer, according to early childhood education experts. There are many good facilities, but there are also "summer camps" that are merely childcare centers in urban homes, even terrifying children due to poor infrastructure and services.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Khanh, Director of the Southern Youth Center of the Central Youth Union, the first unit to have a military-style summer camp model, advised parents to choose reputable organizers to minimize risks.

Ms. Ha Thu, a representative of a company specializing in organizing summer camps on gender issues, suggested that if possible, parents should visit the campsite to assess the facilities before making a decision.

Some summer camps allow children to call home at a specific time. During this time, parents should ask their children about their day's activities and feelings to identify any problems immediately. Parents should also communicate regularly with the organizers, requesting photos of their child's activities.

If you skip researching summer camps and assessing whether they are suitable for your children, summer camps can have the opposite effect.

Ms. Nguyen Giang Nhu's 11-year-old son, from Yen Xa village, Tan Trieu commune, Thanh Tri district, was terrified after being beaten by a classmate at a summer camp in Thanh Oai district. He recounted not being allowed to shower due to lack of water, the toilets being dirty and frequently clogged, and having to sleep on the bare ground. Ms. Nhu also regretted not going to check the conditions of the summer camp, even though it was only 3 km from her home.

Ms. Trinh Thi Hoa's 9-year-old daughter once suffered from a stomach ache at an English day camp. Because she had to prepare her own lunch to bring to the camp, but the camp didn't have a refrigerator, the food spoiled without her knowing.

Contrary to the advertisements promising outings and city tours, Ms. Hoa's child spent almost all day in her room, coloring and doing crafts.

"My child complained that the activities were boring, like kindergarten," Ms. Hoa said. After doing some research, she learned that this center was organizing a summer camp for the first time, so she decided to withdraw her child from the program.

After returning from summer camps, children may begin to develop good habits. To maintain these habits, parents should regularly remind, reinforce, and help their children remember and repeat the skills they have learned at home.

Jack Ly, the mother of Minh, a fourth-grade student, is happy with her decision.

"I'm happy that my child returned healthy, cheerful, loving towards those around her, and appreciative of life," said Ms. Ly. "Next year I'll enroll her in summer camp again."

Dawn

*Names of some characters have been changed.

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/niem-vui-trai-he-4620186.html