Need ideas for summer camp learning groups

amother

Burgundy

Sun, May 01 2016, 4:07 am

OK so I'm going to go on chinuch.org and look for ideas, but also fishing here.
I'm going to be running some learning groups for a day camp this summer. Little girls, one group around grades 1-3 and one 4-6. Not huge groups.

I'm thinking this will be easier if we do a theme of some sort for the entire summer, so it feels like we're working toward something rather than just random lessons.

There's going to have to be some parsha mixed in, and at some point the three weeks/nine days/tisha b'av comes in, but I don't know how far that will take me.

It's possible the learning sessions would be long enough to do a little of both - spend some time each day on an ongoing project and then do some parsha or whatever. I'm told the periods are around 40 minutes but I haven't done this before so I don't know how much to allow for coming and going.

Going to need some interactive/hands on activities to go with whatever it is, because I am not going to fill up a whole learning session with just talk. Some kind of prize-earning measure as well, perhaps - raffles? Whatever.

I don't have experience running this type of learning group for this kind of age group so could use some voice of experience to help flesh out my ideas.

seeker

Sun, May 08 2016, 10:58 pm

Thanks for the idea!

OK I'm out from amother. So what if everyone knows I'm planning learning groups for this summer. I think when I first posted it may have been before I officially took it on.

Anyway, I was worrying maybe something like that would be too corny, but now I'm thinking that's a silly concern, and how can you ever have too much "bein adam l'chaveiro."

So, brainstorm with me: Maybe an overall friendship theme? They can each make a scrapbook collecting little projects and activities over the summer? Definitely lends itself to lots of role-playing.

Can you tell me more about this book? I don't know when I'll have a chance to get a look at it personally except to just buy it. The kids I'm working with are from more modern backgrounds, from what I've noticed in my work in various schools is that certain ideas about respect are limited to specific cultures, if you know what I mean. Like in a Bais Yaakov they probably teach that you shouldn't say "you" to a teacher, parent, or rabbi (I know very few people who actually practice this but I do know it's taught as a sign of respect, to talk to authority figures in third person) whereas in some more modern groups there are adults and kids on first-name basis, and then there are a whole range of other cultures in between where they may not be on first-name basis but talking in third person is way off the radar. So where would you rate the lessons and examples in this book - are they more universal or more... ok I had a word but lost it, do you know what I mean?

It's a shame it's by feldheim, I actually have a gift credit to Artscroll that I still haven't decided how to use Tongue Out

I wonder if there's a lesson plan guide to go with it. Save a little more effort.

Kumphort

Mon, May 09 2016, 12:01 am

They definitely have discussion questions

If u PM me I can try and take a pic of the table of contents but it's much more basic than not using you to talk to adults.

Off the top f my head what I Remember

If u hurt someone by mistake
If someone hurts u
Using facial expressions to be mean to people
Not being sarcastic
How to compliment ur friends
How to react to a compliment
If u think someone is telling u something boring

They do have a section about working with your parents

If ur parents ask u to do something
Reporting back to them after u completed ur job etc

Really basic social skills which unfortunately kids seem to be missing these days

seeker

Mon, May 09 2016, 12:10 am

There were some sample pages including table of contents on the feldheim website. It looks interesting. Like a ready-made starting point to build on. It's a little hard for me to figure out exactly who the book was meant for - it looks like it's written for kids, but I can't really see a kid just crunching through it as-is. But as a parent/teacher looking at it I can see ways to take out one piece at a time and use it in the context of a broader lesson.