This isn’t meant to embarrass my parents, but as I got older, I started hating summers more and more until I moved on to college. I love my parents very much, but when it comes to summers, I’ve decided to break away from the pattern my parents set.
When I was young, summers were easy as all I wanted to do was play in the yard and hang out with my friends. Since my older brother and sister were both teens, it was easy for my parents to facilitate that even when they needed to work. Once I moved into middle school years though, we often defaulted to watching TV or playing video games after my summer reading list was completed. Even the one summer we went on a typical family road trip, was largely spent, well, on the road, listening to music and trying not to get carsick (though I admit Crazy Horse Monument was worth the trip). All my summers, as an older child and in retrospect, were wasted on mindnumbing “entertainment” I can’t even recall, except for bits of scenes from Final Fantasy 7 and Morrowind.
Chicago remains once of my favorite tourist spots.
Weak poses at a museum on our long cross-country trip.
Though a road trip highlight, I didn’t appreciate the bird poo.
Now don’t get me wrong, educational games are cool and worth the time if they accomplish their purpose. The point of this note is not to knock the amazing advances happening in gaming and tech industries, but why limit the child to just playing the games? Why not encourage a place and space where the child can make a game?
Summer is a precious time for children and students where they can explore their own interests in ways they never have before. For older students, it’s a chance to intern to start learning more about potential future careers. Here at beijingkids we had a fantastic intern this past summer who was only 13 years old at the time she was with us.
So, to help make plans for an awesome summer, we packed this issue full of summer camp options that are available overseas (p 53) and in Beijing (p 32). The Warner brothers, featured on our cover, shared with us their passion for one overseas camp in particular, and how they have turned their love into an entrepreneurial pursuit (p 48). We rounded up the gear that kids would need to make a trip overseas (p 18) and asked Dr. Melissa Rodriguez to give us a few home remedies for jet lag and tummy aches which are safe for kids (p 26). We asked Chris Lentner at Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) how students can cope with shyness or “trouble fitting in” and when it’s more serious (p 40).
In addition to this summer topic, Stefen Chow talked with us in Dynamic Dad about his bonding moment with his toddler as they climbed up part of Mt. Everest together (p 42). Tristan Macquet shared with us the benefits of gardening and how Nurseries for Nurseries reaches out to Beijing schools in Playing Outside (p 28). Dan Sandoval spoke with Year 7 students at the British School of Beijing, Shunyi about his trip to Antarctica to photograph the wilderness and wildlife for When I Grow Up (p 36).
We hope you enjoy this issue, and that planning is a bit easier this season.
This article originally appeared on p 6 of beijingkids March Issue. Download a copy here.
