By the end of the break, your child will be a stronger individual – with increased team building skills, lifelong friends and unforgettable memories. Choosing the perfect summer camp can be tough. The most important decision to make in choosing the best summer camps are – sleep away vs. day camps. Day camps often take kids from around 9 to 5pm (the typical workday for the average adult) and involve outings such as trips to pools, museums and the movies.

Sleep away camps are a bit different. They mostly take place outside on campgrounds set up for the occasion and heavily rely on carefully planned out outdoor activities. They usually last for around a week or two, but some can go almost all summer depending on the program you choose. An important thing to do before making the choice is to sit your child down and have a serious discussion about what both of you want out of the summer camp experience. What is your child looking to gain? What do you want them to gain? If you’ve previously attended a summer camp maybe look into its recent programs, and try to give your child the same life-changing experience you had as a youngster.

If it is a sleepaway camp, make sure your child feels comfortable with being away from home for an extended period of time and assure them that you are merely a phone call away if there is ever any trouble. Also determine what kind of size you are looking for in a camp – do you want your child to bond with a small group of individuals or thrust them into a larger environment?

Be sure to research the costs of the camps you are considering, because prices vary considerably. Day camps are usually only a few hundred dollars, especially if you choose to place your children in programs held by the local Y or other nonprofit organizations. Sleepaway camps can be a bit more expensive. One week usually costs around $500 and for a full summer season the cost can be anywhere between $3500 and $11000 depending on the quality of the camp and the activities it provides. Most camps usually put a heavy emphasis on outdoor sporting activities as a way of increasing team building skills and getting people to feel comfortable around another. These include standard sports such as basketball and baseball, but outdoor camps usually employ activities such as zip lines and relay races to enforce the idea of trusting your other campmates.

Many camps offer performing arts programs where campers engage in rigorous preparation for a performance at the end of the summer, usually crafting the sets and putting together the production all by themselves. Academic camps can help your child get ahead in the competitive academic world and prepare them for the challenges that the next school year might present.

These are just a few of the things you should consider when selecting a summer camp for your child. Regardless, it is sure to be a great experience they won’t soon forget. The memories they make at camp will live in their hearts forever, and they will have you to thank. Select the perfect camp today!

One of the nice thing about using a pot as the basis of a craft activity is that it offers a different “canvas” than usual. Unlike the flat expanse of white paper, the shape and size of different types of pots can make for a wide variety of projects, and can remain interesting to kids, so they won’t easily be bored because they feel like it’s something they always do. In fact, you can fill more than a few lazy summer afternoons with a pot decorating project and each time the project can be different and interesting.

The best part about using flower pots as the basis of a summer craft project is that when the kids are done creating, you are not left with an art project that you put on your fridge for a few days out of obligation or send to the trash after a few initial “oohs” and “aahs”. Instead you are left with a functional item that can be used around the house, either inside or out, to plant some flowers, herbs or a plant or two – or you can earmark the finished flower pots as the perfect personalized gifts to give to teachers, grandparents, neighbors or anyone that you think could use a little pick me up.

So what do you need to get the kids creative juices flowing? Here are a few ideas, although there is really no right or wrong way to proceed with this type of craft project.

• Pots (you can buy clay or plastic pots in home improvement or craft stores and they’re pretty cheap)
• Acrylic paint
• Oil pastels
• Colorful gems, stones, shells, rocks or other small trinkets
• Glue (make sure it is strong enough to hold larger items like rocks, if used)
• Photos, magazine pictures, wrapping paper, or colorful strips of paper with modge podge – your kids can create a colorful collage right on the pot!
• Ribbon of varying widths (just glue in place)
• Waterproof sealer – if the kids are painting, using pastels, or creating a collage, you should apply a waterproof sealer over their finished artwork so it doesn’t get ruined the first time you go to water the flowers inside.

Just about any type of craft items you have in the house can be used to decorate the pots – just let their imaginations be their guides. Then, if you want, you can fill another afternoon by getting a bag of soil and some seeds, flowers or small plants, and having the kids plant them in their newly decorated pots.

This summer fun craft idea was contributed by Andrea Cohen, an editor at DIY Her Way.com,a site filled with home improvement advice, how-to info, and creative project ideas geared to women of all ages.

Cut off the upper third of a 2- liter clear plastic soda bottle. Fill the bottom with a little dirt or sand. Then create a hiding place using some vegetation, a crumpled piece of paper towel, or a paper cup. Next, wrap a piece of nylon stocking or cheesecloth around the spout of the bottle top and secure it with a rubber band. Once you’ve got your new tenants inside, simply invert the bottle top and insert it into the bottle bottom.

Before your guests move in make sure you;

1. Spend some time observing them in their natural environment so you’ll know how to best provide for them. If you can’t identify a bug consult a guide or a web site so you’ll know if it’s safe to catch.

2. Provide water buying lightly misting the interior of the container or by placing a bit of clean damp sponge inside.

3. Don’t forget food! Plant eaters are easier to satisfy since you’ll often find them on or near their preferred food. Predators will require you to capture prey. Either way, or for a fresh supply daily and to remove any food that hasn’t been seen.

4. Keep your insect apartment out of the direct sunlight or your bug may overheat and die. Plan on releasing them within a day or two and place them back in the same spot you found them you can then look for new residents.