How to Utilize the Summer Break
There are numerous options today to make these vacations enjoyable as well as fruitful for your young ones. Here are a few ideas to get you going. Explore the net and facebook for more information on local events and summer camps near you.
Whether your kids are small or college going, learning a new language is always beneficial. Berlitz language school has been operating for a long time around the globe. Its main focus has been on travelers and employees but today it caters to people of all ages and professions. Berlitz believes that children can pick up a new language very quickly and easily. Visit their website to find out if there is one near you.
Gymboree is an international brand that works in the field of early childhood development. In Pakistan, it has branches in Lahore and Karachi. It focuses on mind, body, and imagination. At Gymboree, parents accompany their little ones and nurture them and help them become well-rounded individuals. According to Sophia Kasuri
Director, Gymboree Play & Music
Pakistan, “Gymboree’s unique approach to learning arms parents with tools and skills they need to become active participants in their child’s development and learning.”
Find out about their summer school at
https://www.facebook.com/events/1125489574168264/
There are many other options you can choose to keep your children busy this summer:
Arts and Crafts
Many children do not get the time to enjoy arts and crafts during school due to the high pressure of studies. Summers are a good time to concentrate on this hobby. You and your child can look for online classes, ideas, and resources for the purpose. In Lahore, the Lahore Arts Council offers a great variety of summer classes that include painting, drama, and acting.
Music
Some kids love music and again do not get enough time during school days to address this passion. Today there are many institutes and private tutors giving music classes e.g. how to play the guitar, piano etc. Hunerkada, College of Visual and Performing Arts and the National Music Academy Pakistan are some institutes that offer summer classes. You can find private tutors on websites like OLX.
Cooking
The food industry has flourished in Pakistan. Restaurants, food catering, and cooking channels have becoming a popular sensation in all parts of the country. Hence cooking classes for small and older kids are being offered in almost every city of Pakistan. If you can’t send your kid to these classes simply help him/her learn new dishes online via youtube or through TV channels like Masala TV. To make it fun, call his/her friends over for a cooking competition.
Sports
Many sports are offered as part of summer classes like Taekwondo, football cricket etc. Let your child enjoy these sports which he/she probably misses during school days.
Universities like NUST are offering unique programs for children who have interest and an aptitude for science. For example, they offer robotics classes to help young minds explore the field of robots. The National STEM School is a set of programs that bring out the best kids from around Pakistan and gives them the opportunity to fulfill their potential. This year it offers The Makers Summer Camp at Cadet College HasanAbdal! The program will offer robotics, electronics, astronomy, aeromodelling, riding, shooting, archery, swimming, and hiking, etc. Find out more at
http://pif.org.pk/stem-school/
Unfortunately, the government is not doing much to help parents. There are no public summer schools that parents can easily afford. Middle-class parents find it difficult to entertain their children. However, there are a few parks and amusement spots that they can visit to keep their children occupied during the summer break e.g. local museums, places like Khwera Salt Mines, Badshahi Masjid, Wagah Border, Hunza Valley and many more that you can easily find online also. Do try to read up on these places before visiting so that you can educate your children about the historical significance of these locations.
Make your children do some charity work and social services by visiting places like orphanages, old age houses etc. This will give them a sense of achievement and the feeling that they did something important during their summer vacations.
