Summer School: 5 Kids’ Camps to Spark Creativity and Fun

With schools closing for the summer holidays, many parents are enrolling their children in speciality courses so they don’t spend the whole break in front of the television.

Just because school is out of session doesn’t mean kids need to hit “pause” on their learning. In fact, summer camps offer some of the best ways to stimulate kids’ interests in a wider range of activities. By immersing themselves in a new hobby, children expand their intellectual and emotional frontiers—and discover passions they didn’t know they had. Summer camps also provide a fun way to bolster vital skills for the future, whether by studying a new language, learning how to swim or improving technology skills.

Here are five of Bangkok’s most popular kids’ camps and programmes:

Nihao Academy

Many parents believe that speaking Mandarin Chinese will be vital in the next generation—just as understanding English for the current generation gave them a huge leg up. Nihao Academy, a language school, offers camps for children between four and 12 years old. With native Mandarin speakers teaching all courses at Nihao, your child will grasp the nuances of tones and pronunciation. The Songkran camp, like other courses at Nihao, includes fun-filled activities including DIY science experiments, arts and crafts, and dancing—all in Chinese. Kids love it!

For more information, visit www.nihaoacademy.com

A Little Something

From cakes to curries, your kids will try their hand at preparing a wide range of delicious dishes at this popular cooking school for children and families. A Little Something’s summer camp, which runs until May 14, is suitable for kids between three and 12 years old, and they will learn to prepare two different meals each day.

For more information visit a-littlesomething.com.

Bangkok Dolphins

Operating since 1997, Bangkok Dolphins is the only swim school in Thailand accredited by the Ministry of Education. They have taught more than 10,000 youngsters in Thailand to swim! With temperatures soaring in April, there’s no better way to cool off than a dip in the pool. At Bangkok Dolphins, babies as young as three months old learn to feel comfortable in the water, while older kids develop confidence holding their breath underwater and learning swimming strokes. Elite-level children train for competitions. Swimming camps at Bangkok Dolphins involve plenty of time in the water, in addition to other activities such as arts and crafts.

For more information visit www.bangkokdolphins.com.

Kids Robotics Learning Center

Robotics classes for kids have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, as technology occupies ever-more aspects of our daily lives. At the Kids Robotics Learning Center’s summer camps, your child will dive deep into the excitement of technology while learning how to build up to 10 different kinds of robots. Lego Young Explorer camp involves the use of Legos in expressing ideas, developing storytelling skills, and building working models. What could be more fun than creating and commanding robots to do what you want? A range of classes are available for kids aged three to 16.

For more information visit www.kidsroboticsbkk.com.

Paron School of Art

Is your little one a future Van Gogh or Picasso? Let them discover their passion for self-expression and visual creativity at Paron School of Art on Sukhumvit Soi 26. The school is hosting special art camps during the holidays this month, in addition to their regular ongoing classes. Programmes are age-appropriate introductions to the basics of painting, drawing and more, designed for children, teens and even adults. Classes are led by artist Paron Mead in a beautiful central-Bangkok studio.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/ParonSchoolofArt or email [email protected].