Palisades-News-March-18-2015

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Page 4 Palisades News Special Section — Summer Camps & Schools March 18, 2015 Camps Should Be Fun By LAUREL BUSBY Staff Writer As the school year came to a close last year, my then-nine-year-old son announced that summer would be his rest time, so he wouldn’t be participating in any activities. When I list the number of activities he had been participating in, you might think that he had a point that it was all a bit much. He did gymnastics, chess, saxophone, drama, chorus, Chinese, strategy games, art, soccer and an occasional nature class. On the other hand, he didn’t have to go to school, because he’s a homeschooler. At home, we took a laid-back approach to homeschooling. We read books, did some casual math when he was in the mood, played board games and explored science kits. He also had lots of time to draw, make his own cards and otherwise engage in activities that called to him. In addition, we went on field trips to plays and museums. He was also tired of the field trips, though, and was insistent that he just want - ed to hang out at home. So we did . . . for a while, and it was nice. He listened to audiobooks and made cards. He created an origami animal game where he was the game master, and he made teams of animals and special power boosts for them. We also watched some movies and continued to play board games. We didn’t even plan a vacation. I have to admit that I was exhausted, too, and cherished the down time. We both needed a break from driving all over the L.A. basin to so many activities. But what about camp? I had loved camp as a kid and didn’t want him to miss out on the fun. He turned down my suggestion that he might like the camp that his chorus director had created. Even though he enjoyed chorus, he thought a singing and acting camp would be too much for him. He eventually agreed to try the same Chinese camp that he had attended the year before. He enjoyed it, and he was ready to try another camp. He did so, and we also decided to travel a bit, venturing to San Francisco and Yosemite for a laid-back vacation. Both the camps and the trips seemed to inspire him to want a bit more in the way of activities again. Not too many, though. For the fall, we scaled back. He dropped chorus and drama. I decided that the drives I had been making for chess, art and saxophone were just too long for me, so those were dropped too. Instead, Chinese, gymnastics, soccer and the occasional nature class or field trip became the remaining regular activities. Suddenly our lives were more manageable. In the process of overdoing it and perhaps at times underdoing it, I discovered Linus Busby Thompson works on his gymnastic skills. that for both our sakes, we needed to pick and choose activities with a bit more attention to burnout. As spring approached, my son realized that he was missing chorus, while soccer came to an end. So he rejoined the chorus. He also was ready to add back chess and was intrigued by the gymnastic sport, Parkour, so he began sporadically attending a class. The whole family did a bit of volunteering—working at a state park to help remove invasive plants and install native ones, and we all felt enlivened by it. Over the holiday break, my son tried a winter camp, which was a big hit with him. He has already asked to attend more summer camps this year. Strangely enough, during the previous school year, my husband had been experiencing the same thing at work—too much work and too little downtime—and the combination was affecting his health and well-being. So, now we all are on the lookout for burnout. We cherish our moments at home, and we take more time just to be together. We also take care to pick and choose our activities with more thought, so that we choose those that we really want to do. My son was right. He needed a rest time. We all did. (Editor’s note: Laurel Busby, a veteran newspaper writer, lives in Culver City.)
March 18, 2015 Palisades News Special Section — Summer Camps & Schools Page 5 Fitness by the Sea: Endless Possibilities Kids should have fun in the summer: a camp should not be another job for a child, it should be a break from a structure schedule. Fitness by the Sea is a place kids love to go because “We encourage children to ‘learn by doing’ and our experienced staff members are there to serve as mentors and participants during all activities,” said camp founder Eric Colton. “While we call it ‘Growth, Caring & Endless Fun’ . . . the kids just call it ‘the time of their lives!’” Who wouldn't want to boogie board, swim with the dolphins, jump over the gymnastics vault, get their faces painted as their favorite animal, and just have a fun day on the beach? Fitness by the Sea offers this and more, right here locally at Will Rogers State Beach. Designed for children from 4 to 14, campers are allowed to choose from more than 80 activities. Physical sports such as baseball, volleyball, kickball and capture the flag help kids develop interdependence, confidence and sportsmanship. Arts and crafts, dance, face painting, and music help foster creativity, imagination and self-expression, while surfing, swimming and boogie boarding promote an active lifestyle, self-esteem and perseverance. Gymnastics, boxing, cheerleading and martial arts all cultivate self-discipline, determination and courage. “We believe that active kids are happy kids,” Colton said, noting that many of the kids who have come to his program proclaiming not to have an interest in sports, once encouraged to try something new, find a niche that they love. Founded in 2000, Fitness by the Sea has become synon - ymous with excellence in the field of day camps. The FBS formula for success blends an experienced and spirited Eric and Billie Colton, owners of Fitness by the Sea, with twins Maia and Willow and sister Violet. Photo: Courtesy of Eric Colton staff (average age 28) with dynamic and creative activities, offered in an encouraging, nurturing environment. With the camp’s growing popularity with children, Fitness by the Sea has expanded to four locations: Palisades at Will Rogers (June 8 to August 28), Palisades North (June 15 to August 21), Santa Monica (June 8 to August 28 and at the Jonathan Club (June 15 to August 21—members and sponsored guests only.) Safety is a number one priority. “The former Chief of LA County lifeguards called FBS the safest beach camp he’s ever seen,” continued Colton. “A staff to camper ratio of 6 to 1 is strictly maintained, and during surfing, we maintain a ratio of 3 to 1 to further improve our safety measures.” Sunscreen is applied liberally and often. The Coltons, who are Pacific Palisades residents, have three children. Twins, Maia and Willow are 8 and younger sister Violet is 5. The sisters are often amongst the campers at the Pacific Palisades camp location. Because they are also parents, the Coltons understand the importance of allowing campers to make their own choices. A recent study by the American Camp Association revealed that kids need more opportunities to practice leadership and decision-making and that is available at Fitness by the Sea. Campers are encouraged to become involved in activities and staff members watch kids on the sidelines and work to bring them in. It goes without saying that teasing and bullying is not allowed. This is a place a kid can reinvent him/herself. Many come to the came with labels, such as nerd or jock. Encouraged to try other activities, they discover that they may not only be good at basketball, but also good at painting, something they had never tried. Counselors constantly work with kids, encouraging them to go outside of their comfort zone, which ultimately results in increased self-confidence. Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extended care available in the mornings and afternoons from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Parents can register their children for a minimum of five days and these do not have to be consecutive days. Call: (310) 459-2425 or visit: fitnessbythesea.com or e-mail: info@fitnessbythesea.
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