Let’s Talk About: Summer Camps with Galileo

This post is sponsored by Galileo Camps but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

 

I love having playdates with my daughter. I am sure that doesn’t surprise you since I am a play therapist and try to incorporate play into our daily lives. We try to have as many playdates outdoors if we can because there is just something invigorating about fresh air and sunshine. And as a therapist, I know how important having a creative release is for a child’s emotional and mental state. In fact, there has been some research that children who play – especially with others, are not only more physically healthy, but also have a better self image and higher emotional regulation. And although my daughter is getting to be at that age where she wants to have more playdates with her friends, I am trying to soak in as much play time with her as possible while I still can.

 

 

Being a working mom, trying to balance being home with my children and working can be a challenge, especially over the summer when she doesn’t have school for months. There are times when I have no choice to send her to a camp during the summer when I go to work. Like most children, she doesn’t mind, because if she spends too much time at home, she gets bored – even if I try to fill the day with various activities. She’s a child and needs to be outside having fun with peers – at least some of the time. It’s all about balance. But I am careful on where I send her each summer because I want a program that is safe, fun, and enriching socially, emotionally, mentally, and educationally. And even if I wasn’t working outside the home, my daughter thrives in a social environment and it’s heathy for her to play and learn with peers outside the home – especially during the summer when she’s not in a typical structured routine.

 

And as you know, I love programs and products that help children have fun and also learn simultaneously. I recently became aware of Galileo Camps – a summer camp established in 2002, that balances learning and play that you and your children can get excited about! Their mission is to “develop innovators who envision and create a better world!” Nothing sounds better as a parent than a fun space where children can explore, use their imaginations, and be innovative. Galileo Camps accomplishes this by teaching children using a framework called the Galileo Innovation Approach (GIA), which utilizes knowledge, mindset, and process. With this framework, children are supported in learning the steps they need to bring their creative ideas to life.

 

Galileo Camps, based in Oakland, CA,was inspired by Stanford University and provides enriching curriculum programs for children pre-K through 8th grade. There are about 75 camps offered in California and Illinois that provide innovative skills that can be transferred into life situations beyond projects they work on at camp. New themes are designed every year to help children spark imagination, learn via trial and error, and encourage them create and innovate! The camps also help facilitate empowerment, courage, determination, and confidence despite life’s challenges and failures. Learning insight, critical thinking skills, and creative ways to manage life issues on how to navigate friendships, jobs, and school problems, is something children need opportunity and practice. Learning skills on how to collaborate and reflect with others are skills learned through life experiences, which these camps foster via experiential learning and social situations.

 

As a mom and educator, I love everything about STEAM learning. If you aren’t familiar, STEAM learning, it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. To me, this type of learning is a way for children to use the right and left sides of their brain to prepare them for general life skills and future careers. Learning via this environment has been growing bigger and bigger in popularity among parents and children for many reasons. To me, learning experientially and having a creative hands-on approach to solving problems – individually or collaboratively is so beneficial.

 

 

To bring a little of the magic of Galileo Camps come to life in our home, we recently received the Zoom, Fly, Bolt, Blast Steam Handbook in the mail and my daughter immediately wanted to do a few of the activities in the book. The handbook is filled with 18 different activities you can build together using brain power! And the first section is solely dedicated to building toys! I love when she uses her creative side and gets excited when I introduce new activities to do with her. The handbook activities can easily be adapted to play with your children and or have your children play with their peers on a playdate. The activities are also broken down by age and difficulty.

 

 

We didn’t have all of the supplies for some of the activities, but we were able to find one that we could both work on together. The first one we chose was a building structure project called Straw Tower, recommended for 6+-year-olds. We immediately grabbed all of the supplies, which included bendable straws, masking tape, a piece of a cardboard box, and a weighted clip.

 

 

The handbook provided step by step instructions and helpful tips along the process and before we knew it, we had worked together as a team and built a tower! Next time we are going to invite a few of her friends over and build an even taller tower like the one in the book!

 

 

The second activity we chose was called the Rubber Band Dulcimer and is intended for ages 4+. You will need cardboard, scissors, tape, cups, rubber bands, plastic straws, and an empty toilet paper roll. It was honestly super quick and super easy and most of all, fun! When we were done with our playdate, my daughter was begging to do more activities. She kept looking through the book asking if we had time for one more. She was happy and excited to learn, create, and discover. And I can’t wait to do more with her.

 

I encourage you to look into the Galileo summer camps by clicking this link. When you register your children, use the code SUMMER30 to save $30 on your camp purchase!The discount is valid at any Camp Galileo (Pre-K-5th) or Galileo Summer Quest (5th-8th) locations for the 2019 season, where space is available. It’s combinable only with Multi Session and Refer A Friend discounts.