ELG’s Therapeutic Summer Program kicked off to a great start last week. Each week of the program has a different theme; last week’s was camping. A different activity was assigned to each day of the week: Art Monday, Shopping Tuesday, Science Wednesday, Ice Cream Thursday, and Summer Fun Day Friday. Each day’s themed activities provide the kids with fun, structure, and an opportunity to learn important skills. In addition to daily activities, the kids get to participate in other fun games and outings, including the daily “Trail of Courage” obstacle course to promote gross motor skills, led by Physical Therapist Regina Nicolas Schaufelberger, gardening in ELG’s brand new Grounds for Growth Garden, as well as exciting field trips around Shanghai.
Week 1: Camping
Art Monday: Bonfire Bonanza
Since last week’s theme was camping, the Summer Program kids got creative and made bonfires out of colored paper for Art Monday’s art project.
Shopping Tuesday: Sushi Special
Staff and volunteers took the kids out to the local supermarket to buy ingredients to make some delicious sushi. This gave the kids an opportunity to learn some important day-to-day life skills, such as organizing shopping lists and planning a budget. When they were cooking, the kids not only had fun learning how to create their culinary masterpieces, but they were also developing gross and fine motor skills. The bonus, of course, was eating the sushi at the end.
Science Wednesday: Volcano Venture
Everyone lavas a fun science experiment! Last Wednesday, the kids made volcanoes out of water bottles, glue, and glitter. The weekly science project teaches kids integrated skills through practical activities: reading instructions (language skills and following a sequence), measuring amounts (math and fine motor skills), and working in a group (social skills).
Ice Cream Thursday: Blueberry Blast
Using ingredients bought on Tuesday, the kids got to make blueberry and chocolate ice cream, ready for Friday’s movie afternoon. How they managed to resist temptation and eat the ice cream then and there is a mystery to us all.
Summer Fun Day Friday: Water Wars
If any of us were feeling tired after a long week, Friday morning’s water games got us the wakeup call we needed! The kids made water balloons, splashed about in the inflatable pools, all the while developing gross motor skills. After a fun-filled and action-packed week, the kids got a well-earned rest, winding down by watching “The Croods,” and eating the blueberry and chocolate ice cream they made the day before.
The first week flew by so quickly, and we’re really excited to share what we’ll get up to in the next few weeks of the Therapeutic Summer Program! Registration for the Summer Program is on a rolling basis, so it’s not too late to sign your kids up!
Details
Dates: June 19 – July 28, 2017 (registration is on a weekly basis)
Cost: ¥5350 per week (incl. taxes) Location: ELG Puxi Campus, No. 19-20, Lane 209, Zhen Nan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai
To register, call 4006 129 423 or (21) 5206 6273.
For more information, email [email protected].