How to Prepare for Summer Camp

Summer camp is an amazing experience for kids to take part in and we want it to be a smooth trip from start to end. This blog is here to give you an insight into the rules at camp, what to pack and some other useful bits of information to help you prepare for summer camp. Anything we’ve missed? Just give us a call and we will be happy to help. Arrivals Our residential campers tend to arrive after lunchtime on Sunday allowing them time to unpack before getting to know new friends in the evening. If you are dropping your children off to camp, please let us know what time you expect to arrive at the camp. If your children are flying in, and you have booked an airport transfer, please ensure letting us know their flight number, landing time, departure airport and also if they are booked as an UM (Unaccompanied Minor) Electronics Policy We strongly believe that children should make the most out of their experience at summer camp and for this reason we have a policy that all electronic equipment is handed to camp staff at the beginning of the camp. Children then have access to these during the free time each day (16h-18h) only. This is to ensure that children fully participate in activities and also to reduce the risk of these items being lost. Dietary Requirements It is very important to us here at Altitude to provide healthy meals for children. Our fantastic team of chefs prepare food freshly on the day using local nutritious ingredients. We cater for all dietary and religious requirements so please do send any requirements you have through to us before arrival. If you have any concerns about meal times, please get in touch and we can discuss requirements and work with you and our chefs in advance. Medical Forms and Information If kids have any medical conditions, it is important for us to be made aware in advance so that we can ensure their safety whilst at camp. We can then communicate with you and organise any medication they may need when here. It goes without saying that Altitude will treat any personal information with sensitivity and total confidentiality. All medication that children bring with them is stored in a secure area and must be labelled with clear instructions and dosages. All medication administered is done so by a Duty Manager and recorded each time. Emergencies In the unlikely event of an emergency there are 3 local medical centres in Verbier as well as 3 regional hospitals within 1 hour by car, or 10 minutes by helicopter. The Swiss medical services offer first-class medical care and attention if required. In any such situation parents/guardians are notified as soon as possible. Insurance In the unlikely event that your child does need to visit the hospital or doctor, it is important to have adequate insurance in place to cover medical centre fees and hospital fees. Please send us your insurance policy details before arriving to camp. Camp Conduct Altitude promotes an environment of mutual respect, fun, enjoyment and learning. We believe that every child has an equal right to have a fantastic time with us and for that reason our staff always keep a close eye on any teasing or bullying or any other anti-social behaviour that may affect another campers experience with us. These situations are very rare on our camps and pre-season staff training covers the subject of how to look out for any signs of bullying. However, please tell your children that if this does happen then they should inform any member of our staff immediately. Altitude has rules in place regarding any child who is deliberately spoiling another camper’s experience. If we believe any behaviour is detrimental to the summer camp spirit, then we will contact the parent or guardian to decide on further action. Altitude fully reserve all rights to send any child home at the parent/guardians’ expense should we perceive their behaviour’s to be inappropriate. Such behaviours include, but are not limited to: drinking of alcohol, threatening behaviour towards staff, students or anyone else, use of illegal drugs, smoking, entering of rooms used by the opposite sex, leaving the chalet at night time after lights out and bullying. All our staff members have been police checked, and hold a valid first aid certificate and the majority of our staff are employed year round for Altitude with a proven track record in safety and professionalism. Emergency Contact Altitude is happy for you to contact us throughout the camp – especially if it is a matter of importance, or if you simply wish to hear how your child is adapting to camp life. Our phone is available for calls / WhatsApp 24/7 during camp sessions with the number +41795305224. Money Our in house bank is used to house all important documents and money. On arrival campers must deposit all funds into this bank – please advise your child about this prior to their arrival. Daily, duty managers will open the bank to allow kids to have a regular fund of pocket money. We recommend a weekly allowance of no more than CHF 100. Homesickness & Illness If your child becomes homesick or ill, a camp director will contact you, so we can work together to resolve the situation.   Packing for Camp This list is an accurate reflection of what the “average” camper needs and uses during a 2 week Altitude Summer Camp; however, we realise that it may not be perfect for all campers. If a child is participating in the mountain adventure camp it may be worth investing in some good hiking shoes. Please remember to apply name tags to clothing.

• 14 x underwear
• 2 x pyjamas or nightwear
• 4 x shorts
• 4 x trousers^*
• 14 x t shirts
• 5 x jumpers
• 1 x sweat top and bottoms
• 1 x raincoat
• 1 x backpack
• Water Bottle

^{* 1 or 2 pairs of jeans are ok but 2 pairs need to be able to be used for sport ** 1 for the beach and 1 for showering}

• 1 x sun hat
• 1 x sunglasses
• 1 x sun lotion
• 2 x swimwear
• 2 x towels^**
• 1 x flip flops
• 1 x trainers
• Toiletry Bag (including toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel etc.)
• Laundry Bag

Please remember, don’t bring any unnecessary valuables. If you bring items such as cameras, computers, iPods or musical instruments, Altitude cannot be responsible for any loss or damage. Got any questions about preparing for summer camp? Don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Screen time and your child

The subject of screen time and its effect on your child(ren) has been making headlines over the last few years. Technology is developing so quickly that the role it plays in the lives of children and adolescents today is dramatically different to how it was just 20 years ago. The huge advancements in mobile technology has also increased the integration of technology into our lives; mobile devices are now carried everywhere all the time, and this has also started to impact the lives of our children in the same way as our own. The use of mobile devices in children aged 0-8 years has risen from 5 minutes of use a day in 2011, to 48 minutes a day in 2017, an increase of over 10 fold in just 6 years. Currently, experts are agreed that we are just not sure of the extent of the effects that this increased exposure may be having on long term development, but a handful of studies so far have shown some significant effects of screen time on child development, together with other worrying impacts as children get older. We take a look at the main effects of screen time, good and bad, that have made the news over recent years as we ask – how much is too much?

 

Types of screen-time

As adults, we know ourselves that ‘screen-time’ can consist of several different things; for example many of us use computers at work or for studying, we watch television, we use smartphones or other touch devices. This is similar to children; different types of exposure to screen have a different effect. Broadly, the categories are as follows as according to the  Common Sense Census:

• Passive consumption: watching TV, reading, and listening to music
• Interactive consumption: playing games and browsing the Internet
• Communication: video-chatting and using social media
• ​Content creation: using devices to make digital art or music

Screen time and development in young children

There are a number of different recommendations for how much screen time children should be exposed to, and the benefits and costs of using screens. Most parents believe screens have an educational value, but for very young children, research to date is showing otherwise. Infants and Toddlers Broadly speaking children under 18 months – 2 years old are recommended to have no screen time at all with the exception of video-chat assisted by an adult. Even when children are not actively using or watching screens, if the television is on in the background, this negatively affects their play and they are likely to be less focused and will play for less time, and also the quality of parent or caregivers interaction with the children is reduced as they themselves are distracted by their phones or television. This can impact and reduce their ability to learn through play and from caregivers. Essentially, for young children they have nothing to gain and lots to lose from screens. Even educational TV shows aimed at young children have not shown any significant benefits, and a study of children from 8-16 months have shown the more TV a young child watches, the less words they know compared to others in their age group exposed to less TV. Pre-school age children For pre-schoolers aged 2-5, current guidelines exist that approximately 1 hour of screen-time should be the limit. However a 2017 study published in the journal Child Development, researchers looked at the impact of screen-time in relation to children’s overall wellbeing. Findings suggested that it was how parents incorporated the media into children’s lives, how they set rules and if they were actively engaged in exploring digital screens with children that had more of an impact than simply the amount of time. The message from this is therefore that limits are good, but also using screens together with your child is the best way to help them get the maximum benefits of good quality programmes, games and apps, removing the negative impacts of increased screen-time. Screen-time and Tweens and Teens Unlike younger children, and especially with the increase in mobile devices, limiting use of screens in older children can be difficult for parents, and monitoring that use, especially in teens, is even more difficult. Tweens (aged 8-12) are spending an average of 4.5 hours a day, and Teens (13-18) an average of 6.5 hours a day with ‘screen’ media, excluding homework and school-time. The majority of the time (78% among tweens and 64% among teens) they are using is still ‘passive’ or ‘interactive consumption’ – watching, listening, reading and playing with media content such as TV, videos and gaming.

So, what are the effects of all this screen time?

Studies are showing correlations, and in some cases implying cause-effect relationships between the excessive use of screen media and the following negative effects:

• Increased risk of obesity
• Developmental delays and learning difficulties
• Sleep deprivation
• Increased risk of loneliness and depression
• Risks of cyber bullying
• Consequences of exposure to violence and other explicit medias

Technology addiction is also a big concern; children’s brain has been shown to respond to technology in the same way as other addictive substances or behaviours, such as gambling. However, these negative effects are strongly influenced by the amount of use, as well as family and broader context, and understanding these interactions is key to understanding how they can be mitigated. And it’s not all bad! Arguments are that social media use can have a number of positive effects on teens. Social networks expose children to important issues, and allows them to have a voice they didn’t have before in society. Some teens have started campaigns against cyber-bullying using these networks. Many teens make friends online and use their mobile devices and social media to maintain and strengthen these friendships. Some parents and many children and teens feel that depriving them causes them to feel excluded from peer groups, and children feel that they have learned valuable computer and IT skills from their use of games, laptops and other technology which may help them at school or in their future careers.

How can parents use screen-time positively? 

The overall message communicated to us at the moment is that for young children in particular, over-reliance on screen time is not having a positive impact, and in some cases is having a negative impact on their development, reducing time spent playing with more traditional toys and undertaking activities that develop children’s skill sets at this age. Parents should instead encourage more interactive activities such as playing and talking in order to improve children’s listening and social skills, but if using a screen on occasion, they should treat it more as a picture book and interact with the screen alongside their child. However, the overwhelming evidence is most children still prefer paper books to reading screens or e-readers – so these may still be the better option! For older children, with technology addiction a big concern and consequences such as mental health issues, the message is that limits of screen-time seem to be a good idea. Using media to connect, co-view and create is the best way families can combine parenting with technology. Choosing high-quality content for kids and mediating their use of devices, either through limits or through active mediation is also recommended. Parents should discuss media content with their children, especially content involving violence, adult themes, body image or bullying. They should discuss online etiquette, empathy, internet safety, and how to regular media habits as well as realising how their own media habits may influence their children and affect their interactions with them.

The benefits of summer camp

The summer holidays can be seemingly endless when you have young children and teenagers to entertain, so it’s no surprise summer camp has become a popular choice for many families across the world, especially consifering all the benefits of a summer camp. According to the American Camp Association, over 11 million children and adults attend camps over the summer in America alone! So with so many people choosing to send their children to camp each summer, are camps just a convenient form of summer entertainment? Or is there something more behind what the camp experience can offer your child? After running our own camp for over 10 years now, we’ve seen some of the great benefits that summer camp has for children and young people. It has everything rolled into one. It is an opportunity for children to play and have fun out of school as they should, as well as for them to learn new skills or even a new subject. Summer camp also keeps kids entertained in the process and has numerous health benefits. The best part is that children want to go to camp because it’s fun, and the positive outcomes just happen along the way.

Here are our top 6 reasons to send your child to camp.

1. Improving social skills and building new friendships

On every camp we have run, the friendships and connections formed during camp between both campers and campers and staff have been some of the most impacting memories of those camps. Never is this so evident as on the last day of camp when children are often in tears saying goodbye to new friends. Camp is its own unique environment away from school where children are able to take a ‘crash course’ in social skills with a new group of people. The Canadian Summer Camp Research project has shown that camp significantly develops children’s emotional intelligence, which includes recognising, understanding and managing emotions, and is a key component in future success.

2. Leading an active outdoor lifestyle

One of the most challenging aspects of childhood for today’s parents is keeping children active and healthy. It’s harder than ever for children to stay active and outdoors especially in urban areas, and this generation of children now spend less time outdoors than any other previous generation. Enter Camp. Often in rural setting such as our own international summer camp in Verbier, Switzerland, children are able to safely explore the great outdoors and the natural world with their peers. All whilst under the guidance of camp leaders. Physical activity is often in the form of fun and games, teaching children an active lifestyle without them even realising it, which they are then more likely to take back to their home life. With numerous health benefits including increased physical fitness and a healthy body weight, active children are also better able to concentrate, do better in school and have fewer behavioural problems.

3. Unplugging from technology

Our children are more reliant on technology for entertainment and schoolwork than ever, and almost every child that comes to camp will have an iPad, iPhone, iPod or laptop, and many more will spend hours watching TV or playing video games in their free time back at home. Although technology can have huge benefits, spending some time without it is essential, but it can often be difficult to convince children of that! At camp, children are only allowed limited access to their mobiles and other devices in free-time, meaning that they can be fully engaged in activities and truly ‘switch off’ from the digital world. Learning they can be away from their technology, have fun and engage with their peers helps kids to realise that there is a world beyond video games and they will be much more inclined to be active, continue their new hobbies and get off the sofa when back at home!

4. Improving confidence and self-esteem

Camp is an environment where children are introduced to new tasks and activities, that they may not be familiar with and may not believe they can succeed at. Campers are encouraged to go outside of their comfort zone and take part in activities such as talent performances, high ropes courses or fire building. In a supportive environment of their peers and camp leaders, they learn that it is OK to try and fail, and with every success, their confidence and self-belief grows. This new found independence, resilience and self-esteem transfers not only into activities at camp, but in school and their home life children will be happier to take on new activities or challenges in areas or school subjects where they previously had little self-belief in their own ability.

5. Building leadership skills

Leadership at camp can be learned in many ways, as in the less-adult driven world of summer camp, children have to complete activities in their social groups whether that be with their bunk-mates, during activities or in free-time. Campers rely on each other to cooperate and complete an activity, and in that process they learn to have a voice in that group, and discover the skills and qualities that make them good leaders. Children at camp are also given the opportunities learn to take initiative, whether that is helping a younger camper find their way or who is struggling with an activity, struggling with understanding instructions in a second language, or simply cleaning their rooms without being asked.

6. Improving their ‘World-view’

Especially at international camps such as our own, children will meet and form friendships with those outside their normal social circle at school or at home, who are often from different cities or countries and may even speak a different language. This helps widen their world-view and helps children to be open-minded, and also gain an interest and first-hand knowledge of other cultures they may otherwise never have been exposed to. Often children will return year after year to camp simply to reunite with their friends that may live on the other side of the world!  

Languages in Switzerland

Switzerland is a patchwork of communities and peoples, each with its own heritage and story, as well as their own languages. As early as 1291, communities in the central Alps began to form an alliance to facilitate free trade and maintain peace. They remained as separate states with their own borders and laws until the creation of the federal constitution in 1848 marking their unification and the introduction of a central governing body. As of 1979, following the separation of Jura from Bern, the modern-day 26 states, called ‘cantons’, form what we now know as the country of Switzerland.

Swiss ‘Cantons’ and ‘Communes’

The founding cantons of Switzerland were German-speaking and it was only in the nineteenth century that the French cantons, as well as Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton, became part of the Swiss Confederation. In 1848 it was declared that there would be four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. In the German-speaking part of the country, most inhabitants speak Swiss-German (Schweizerdeutsch), which is considered a separate language to High German (Höhe Deutsch). Romansh is spoken by less than 1% of the country’s population, in small parts of the largest canton, Grisons. The 26 cantons that make up the Swiss Confederation are also divided into communes, giving a three-tiered political structure. For example, Verbier is in the commune of Bagnes, which is part of the canton of Valais. The state has the highest power and is responsible for foreign policy, security and monetary matters. Each canton has its own parliament, elected by its citizens, and deals with matters of education, health and culture. At the lowest level, each commune (of which there are about 2,300 in the country) is responsible for local taxation, roads and welfare provision.

Links between language and culture within Switzerland

There are many cultural differences within Switzerland which vary from canton to canton and most of which can be linked with languages. The stereotype of the Swiss-Germans is that they are more efficient and hard-working but more highly strung, whereas the Swiss-French are more relaxed. French, being a romance language, is commonly thought of as a language of beauty and eloquence, whereas German is associated with power and efficiency. Due to the multilingualism and multiculturalism of Switzerland, the existence of a ‘national culture’ is often called into question. A country is often defined, or at least shaped, by the language of its citizens; so does that mean a country with multiple languages is divided? Or, does the depth of culture and history in each canton strengthen the country’s diversity?

Language at Altitude Summer Camps

What we know for sure is that learning a language is not only a useful skill but a fundamental resource, which is why we continue to promote language learning here at Altitude Summer Camps. Every summer we welcome children from all over the world to come and practice their English and French with our highly qualified staff and tutors. Please get in touch or visit out residential language camps page to find out more!