Enrich Your Child’s Summer

Summer may be a few months away, but, for many, planning is in full swing.

Some families may be scheduling fun-filled vacations; others will choose to frolic on the beaches close to home. With almost 10 weeks off, school-age children will have more than enough time to play, relax and have fun.

Even if you are fortunate enough to have time off, your vacation will most likely not last for more than a week or two. Daily responsibilities create challenges for parents looking to balance family time, work and enriching opportunities for their children.

Fortunately, there are many great summer programs that provide well-rounded experiences for Hawaii’s keiki. Parents can be assured their children are having fun while learning to overcome fears, building confidence, and being nurtured and supported in programs designed to keep them active and healthy, introduce them to new friends, impart new skills and learn life lessons along the way.

Overcome Fear and Build Confidence

Summer programs are great ways to foster confidence in a child who may be shy and hesitant to try new things. At Kamaaina Kids, the leaders work toward turning “I can’t” into “I can” through support, patience and reassurance.  “We’ll see children overcome their fear of heights (on a high-ropes course), learn how to work together and sail across Kaneohe Bay (under staff supervision), or even learn to be more outgoing and expressive (through songs and cheers). Such lessons are hard to come by in the classroom and yet are just as vital to the overall development of a child,” says Randy Miyashiro, Kamaaina Kids’ program director.

Ben Komer, vice president of Leahi Swim, is used to seeing new students filled with fear of getting their faces wet. “We take them from being scared to feeling comfortable in the water, in a very short period of time,” says Komer. “Conquering fear is a lesson they take with them through life,” adds Komer.

Receive Nurturing and Support

Children are impressionable little souls, so programs that instill values, good manners, gratitude and respect are impactful to developing children.

Club Charm is an all-girls’ program that provides a loving and consistent guidance. The program is built on the tenet that children should be responsible for their actions, to be kind and considerate to others. Violet Shimoko, founder of Club Charm, refers to members as “charmlings.” Club Charm’s “clubhouse” is inviting to all those who step through its doors, because it is a safe, fun, beautiful and respectful environment designed to help young girls develop into articulate, confident, supportive, strong women who will make meaningful contributions to society.

Keep Active and Healthy

For many kids, biking to the playground and playing kickball in the backyard have given way to watching television, playing video games and spending hours online. According to the Mayo Clinic, children and adolescents age 6 and older need at least an hour a day of physical activity. Most of the hour should be either moderate or vigorous aerobic activity. In addition, children should participate in muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week.

Hawaii Optimum Performance (HOP) training provides a comprehensive injury- prevention program that integrates sports medicine, traditional strength training and functional movements to enhance physical performance and fitness for the entire family. The program specializes in improving athletic ability and building confidence.

Make Friends and Learn New Skills and Life Lessons

Summer school is a great time for children to broaden their horizons, make new friends, pique their interests, and develop skills that they can bring into the new school year.

The Curriculum Research Center & Development Group (CRDG) summer program at UH Manoa offers a summer science-enrichment program that provides field-based learning opportunities for students beyond what they usually have in school.

CRDG offers a unique environment for students who want a different and expanded learning environment. Classes are hands-on and activity-based, and allow students to grow and explore their own areas of interest.

Classes at La Pietra are also hands-on and interactive, often taking students out of the classroom to see how the concepts they are learning are applicable in real-world settings.  Let’s Go Beach— Seashore Science course provides daily expeditions to various marine environments. Students in the Abracadalgebra! class will take the concepts of slopes, linear relationships and rates of change outdoors while also engaging in games and model building to solve the unknown and think three dimensionally.  

Girls and boys can spend the summer at Sacred Hearts Academy, with a wide selection of academic and elective courses such as reading, math, sewing, ceramics, jewelry making, Lego robotics, WebQuests/GoogleDocs, flexibility/conditioning, sports, musical theater, ballet and chorus.

Elementary-school students enrolled at Mid-Pacific Institute can choose from math adventures, reading and writing workshops, sewing, Ikebana, moviemaking, Lego, inventions, ocean/island explorations and photography. Students can explore new interests in art, theater, technology, dance and music, and sharpen their skills in math, history, language arts, science, tennis and swimming.  

Students at Myron B. Thompson Academy (MBTA) can hold a summer job, get a jump start on credits for the next year, or make up a class or two, while still participating in leisure activities.

Dance is not only a beautiful art form; it is an engaging activity that teaches discipline and respect, while helping to build confidence and self-esteem. Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy teachers provide support, stability and experience to all students who participate in the program.

This summer, be sure to take advantage of the many diverse programs available to broaden and enrich your child’s life.