For the ones that for any reason will stay in Gothenburg during the summer break there are as well a lot of things to do during this period. You might want to change your accommodation and it is a good time to do that, or to look for an internship or a summer job that can help you improve your budget for the winter.

We have had a cool spring so far here at the beach. Yet I am ready to declare it summer!!! I can do that in Florida!!! I have finally swept the lanai…moved my plants outdoors…potted my herbs…cleaned the furniture…now

the doors stay open to reveal the lanai

the peaceful fountian area

ready for my famous basil lemonaid…

1983 tune from Central Line Time For Some Fun. 1983 tune from Central Line Time For Some Fun.
FunkTime For Some Fun (12' Brit-Funk 1983).

Basil Lemonade

Makes 4 servings

If you love herbs, this yummy lemonade recipe can be made with fresh lemon thyme, mint, lemon verbena or tarragon.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh basil, rinsed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 sprig fresh basil
4 cups water

Directions

Combine basil and sugar in a large pitcher. Crush basil and sugar together wit a wooden spoon.
Pour water and lemon juice over sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let basil steep in lemonade for about one hour. When ready to serve, strain lemonade into glasses and garnish with a sprig of basil.

now i need a new grill

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Years ago, summer holidays used to be marked by visits to grandparents and long hours of playing – everything under the sun – with cousins and friends. The holidays are still as long for today’s children but, these days, the time tend to be a bit more structured. There are summer camps or activity classes meant to teach children something new and keep them happily engaged, at least for a couple of hours a day.

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Gerry Martin’s outdoor activity (Pic courtesy: Gerry Martin)

Small wonder then that come summer and most parents are on the lookout for the right activities and camps for their children. The question is, with the mushrooming number of camps, how do you go about selecting one that suits your child? We asked parents, activity experts and camp co-ordinators across Bengaluru to get an answer.

Safe, short and familiar

Safety first, is what everyone had to say. “I look out for basic stuff like staircases, enclosed balconies and the cleanliness of the toilets. Safety and hygiene are the two most important issues for me when it comes to selecting a summer class for my boy,” says Purobi Banerjee, mother of a seven-year-old. Banerjee says she preferred sending her son Vinayak to his pre-school for summer activities when he was younger. “Around three or four years of age they prefer a familiar environment so it’s better to stick to tried and tested places like the school, if they are holding some activities,” she adds. Several parents of pre-schoolers second her opinion. “If you are keen to enrol your child for something at an entirely new place, then be prepared to accompany her and probably sit throughout the activity class, at least for the first few days till she settles in,” says Meghna Malhotra, mother to four-year-old Vanya.

Click here for the complete list of activities in our events section

Indu Lobo prefers to keep her children’s summer schedule short and simple. This gives them all the freedom to go on a holiday if they want, instead of tying up the children for the whole of summer. Lobo, who works with the activity centre Doodle Den, feels that instead of enrolling children for too many activities, parents should first enrol them for short term camps, see how that goes and then decide whether they want to continue. “Kids have short bursts of energy and instead of whole day camps, ideal ones are those that last for a few hours, especially for younger children,” she says.

What’s your child’s interest?

Are you enrolling your daughter for ballet lessons this summer? Ask yourself if it is what you want her to learn or something she’s genuinely interested in. “I like to closely work with my children and decide what is likely to interest them,” says Gitanjali Sarangan, pre-school coordinator at Magic Puddles, an activity centre for children. She adds that for older children, you can select something that the child can continue.

Gerry Martin’s summer camp (Pic courtesy: Gerry Martin)

If your child is around six or seven, you could select something on the lines of a ‘Fun with Science’ programme or a theatre workshop. Whatever you decide upon, do it only after a thorough discussion with your child, says former National Geographic adventurer and herpetologist Gerry Martin. He also advises that you keep peer pressure in mind, as many children would probably “want to do the things that their friends are doing”. Most importantly, talk it out with your child. Former Olympic swimmer Nisha Millet, who conducts extremely popular swimming camps in summer for children at several clubs, suggests that parents should “never push their kids”.

How is the activity centre?

The reputation of an activity centre or the person conducting it, is also a factor parents need to keep in mind. Bengaluru has several places like Active Canvas, Doodle Den, Claytopia, Ranga Shankara and others conducting special summer activities for children. “The advantage of a place reputed for their classes over the years is that they have a system in place and you know what kind of results to expect,” says Padmaja Nagaraj, who has enrolled her son for Shiamak Davar’s classes.

Be careful since a franchisee may not be as good as the original, so you do need to check the safety factor, amenities and services being offered. “Avoid places that seem too commercialized and do not give you much options to choose or the freedom to make short term payments,” suggests Lobo.

Ramya Angadi from the NGO, Evolve, has been running summer camps for children on life skills and fun stuff for the last six years. She says that despite a good reputation, parents always have a few standard questions to ask and fee related queries are the last of them. “They always check on safety and hygiene and find out how many children are there in one batch as a smaller number ensures better attention. They also want to know if the child is being offered something different from what they learn in school as well as the commuting time to the centre.”

Who are the activity experts?

If it is an outdoor residential camp, you need to first ensure that your child is mentally ready for it. It is imperative that we know the people who are taking our children out on a camp, says Martin, who organizes adventure and outdoor skills camps for children. “Meet the people conducting it and ask all the questions you have. Ignore the ones who are trying to sell. Check on who else is there in the faculty, their backgrounds, who they work with and what they bring to the table.

Gerry Martin’s Summer camp (Pic courtesy: Gerry Martin)

It is best to go with programmes that offer a healthy adult to child ratio, are prepared for physical and emotional contingencies and understand child learning and dynamics well. Make sure the people who conceive the programme are going to be on the programme,” he says. Safety is of utmost importance here so don’t be ashamed of asking relevant questions like whether there are doctors in the team and checking credentials. Martin, a trained wilderness medic, says that’s the first thing on most parents’ mind when they send children to his camps.

In fact, getting to know the people behind a camp is a good idea even if your child is attending a regular activity class this summer on a daily basis near home. After all, summer camps and classes do not come cheap and both you and your child ne

Time For Some Summer Fun!