Society ‘still not convinced’ of summer activities for kids

Layan Damanhouri JEDDAH — Society is still not aware of the importance of enrolling children in summer activities and camps, according to several education professionals. With the summer vacation lasting almost four months this year, many parents do not have a plan for their children while some have decided to invest in summer programs so that the children can spend their spare time usefully. The benefits of summer activities are a lot, says education entrepreneur Warqaa Alwazir, who founded the Future Vision Program that collaborates with schools to offer training in skills development and extra-curricular activities. Centers that offer summer activities for children are healthy and encourage students to do something useful, she said. “Kids remain active during vacation. It also helps working moms who are not at home during the day. When kids start school again, they won’t be in a lazy mood, especially since it’s a very long vacation this year. Most importantly, they’re socializing and getting to know new people. Children should always have a routine even during vacations.,” Alwazir said. The disadvantages to staying at home include wasting time, boredom and unhealthy eating and sleeping habits. Many parents, including those who deemed it expensive at first, were happy with the results, she said. The average cost for a day camp ranges from SR800 to SR1,000 a week. Summer vacation is a chance to learn different activities and take up new hobbies since many are busy with studies during the year, according to Dr. Mariam Fardous, a national champion in ice diving at Domino Divers, and a pediatrician who practices sports, including horse riding and archery. She said activities organize daily life and give structure and routine. However, there is a limited number of centers that offer summer activities in the Kingdom. There is a lack of commitment not only on the part of the participants who don’t attend the full program due to other summer plans but also on the part of the centers that don’t always have a committed team of staff or have difficulty in hiring employees throughout the year, said Fardous. This is a factor that could impact parents’ decision to pay for expensive extra-curricular activities or summer programs. In addition, many are not used to investing in such programs. “Many parents don’t know the importance of the activities and prefer their kids to have total free time and sleep and play,” she added. Asked about the opportunities and availability of activities, Fardous said boys have a higher chance of finding activities than girls. Furthermore, most summer programs are only available in large metropolitan cities such as Jeddah and Riyadh. Society is not still convinced of investing in learning and development for their children. However, there’s a growing segment that is accepting and encouraging such habits, said Dr. Mohammed Bajunaid, education program supervisor at Rehlat Travels & Tourism, which helps teenage boys travel abroad and enroll in language institutes. “Unfortunately it’s absent among most people but it’s beginning to change slowly especially with highly educated parents leading the way for this trend,” he says. Bajunaid who organizes the trip for high school students has received positive feedback from participants as it simultaneously offers education and entertainment. “It’s important for this age group to learn time management, communication skills, language, etc. They benefit so much in developing their character and benefiting from their time,” he added. “We’ve received lots of positive feedback.”