Halloween: a time to practice social skills and have fun!

    

Tomorrow is Halloween! Halloween consists of  make-believe play, social interactions, and a lot of candy! It is a time to have fun, but for many of our kids it may be difficult to comprehend what Halloween is all about. Make sure to communicate with your child what happens on Halloween and what all takes place during the night:  costumes, trick or treating, candy, etc.  It may be more helpful  if a schedule is made in order for the child to know what to expect. Pictures can be added to the schedule to create a visual aid.

    Because kids are surrounded by other kids and adults, it is such an opportune time to encourage social skills.  Help your child interact with other children and help prepare them to properly go trick or treating.  Little LOTL is a great tool to use on this night! Little LOTL can be decorated before going trick or treating and can accompany your child. Explain to your child that Little LOTL is there to have fun with him or her and that he wants to make new friends! Be creative with Little LOTL, and utilize him to help you explain and provide comfort for your child during Halloween. And don't forget: take a picture with Little LOTL and your child while in Halloween costume and send it in to kathleen@learningonthelog.com!

Many exciting things are occurring during Halloween so if you can tell your child needs a break, give them one. It is essential to communicate and show  your child that if they feel overwhelmed at any time during Halloween you are there to support them.  

BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN!

The power of creativity

     

Getting ready for noodle chain train! 
(Kids grab on to their noodle and their friend's noodle beside them..forms a water train!)

Yesterday was the launch of session two for the fall! It has been so great to see new and familiar smiling faces! 

By the time  kids come to Learning on the Log, they have already had a full day of school where school work and meeting classroom expectations can sometimes become overwhelming. At our programs we aim for the kids to not only make new friends, communicate their feelings, and share their ideas, but also to have fun playing and trying new things. For this reason, our staff love to introduce new and exciting games! Creative games such as "Noddle Chain Train" allow kids to experience something completely different than they would at home or school. The outcome? The kids work together, accomplish a goal together, and more importantly, get to share the excitement of a new adventure!

A little creativity goes a long way in our programs because it opens up the door for new ways to interact and engage with others in a fun environment!

PVC pipes turned into a fun, new, and challenging obstacle course!

Free LOTL Carnival

Commitment to our goals, makes us unique

Commitment to our goals, makes us unique

There are many aspects of our group programming that make us unique, but it is our commitment to our goals that set us apart. In order for a camper's experience to be meaningful, the activities need to be compelling and fun. With that thought in mind, our staff work with the formula of group dynamics + activity = goal achieved. For example, during our sports group the main idea is for the group to experience being part of a team sport such as soccer, baseball, kickball, and basketball. Within our time together, we do not simply dive into a large game, but rather tweak or adjust many drills or sports related activities. Decisions on specific games are based on reading the individual skill levels and the engagement of the group. In short, last week the engagement level of the group was high + half court team game = successful basketball experience.

There is more to hiking, than just hiking

There is more to hiking, than just hiking

Ever wonder what goes on in the woods when you send your kids to Learning on the Log? As in all of our groups, the designated activity (hiking, swimming, tumbling, karate, etc.) is only the catalyst that brings the group together. What the kids actually learn and experience, is so much more than that. We have numerous games and activities to try, never the same activity twice. We play hide and seek, imaginative games like "pet shop", we utilize all of our different senses with games that require the kids to use only one sense at a time, we work on strength and balancing, we build boats out of materials we find in the woods and we launch them in the water, we challenge the kids to try things they might be uncomfortable with, and we support them through each and every one of these experiences. As there is in any group, fights and arguments break out, and kids have melt downs when things don't go their way. But we see these behaviors, as nothing more than a great opportunity to help the kids work through these complex emotions, and start to feel confident in communicating what is going on. They leave feeling like they have been heard, their opinions and their feelings matter, they can try new things and they will not be judged, they can fail and/or succeed and they will have all the support necessary to make it through. In the end, there is much more to "hiking" with Learning on the Log, than "just hiking". 

Team Work at it's finest

Team Work at it's finest

This activity was incredible. 
These kids had to hold onto the parachute-together, walk around the field-together, pick up objects without letting go of the parachute-together, and deposit the items to a designated area-together.
It took several attempts to make this all happen, but these kids kept trying and trying until they got it right. They had to be reminded to not use their hands, to communicate the direction they were moving, to not move too fast or too slow, to keep the parachute at a certain height so as not to drop the item, etc. But they did it! 

At Learning on the Log, we know that all children should be challenged, and you should expect that they can succeed, no matter what their needs are. The kids we work with can meet higher expectations, just like any other kids, they just might need some additional support.
This theory was proved in this particular exercise, and we see it proven every single day.
We challenge them to try new things and to do things that are difficult and sometimes scary, but they try and with support, they accomplish the task. Sometimes they do fail or come in last, but this just gives us an opportunity to help them deal with these hard feelings and they leave with tools that help them cope. They also leave with more confidence that they can try new things and they can rejoice when they succeed, but even if they don't, they still feel good because they tried and they did their best......just like anyone else. 

Good bye Summer Camp

Goodbye Summer, we are sad to see you go

But, HELLO School year and all the joys of Fall

We are excited to get back into the swing of things

Goodbye Summer Camp, but HELLO Fall

Our School year programs are here! With that, we have to say goodbye to summer. Within this transition, we welcome back many kids from past programs, as well as say hello to new campers.  There is no choice but to reflect back on the summer that was amazing and what to look forward to in the Fall.
Here are some highlights:
In the Summer, we get to go on the boats every week, we get to enjoy the outdoor pool and soak up the  sun when we need a break, we get to play at the "beach" of the Chattahoochee,  we get to enjoy all the leaves on the trees and colors in the woods, we get to lather on sunscreen over and over and over, we get to see old friends and the special summer staff, and most of all, we get to play play play!
In the Fall, we see the leaves change colors and fall from the trees, we can explore the caves and play hide and seek, we learn about musical instruments and have dance parties, we swim indoors and get to jump off the diving blocks, we DON'T have to lather on sunscreen over and over and over, we get to catch up with old friends and meet new ones, we get to practice our Karate moves, and we learn new sports skills.
The common theme in all of our programs is making friends, communicating our feelings, sharing our ideas, playing and trying new things, and having fun!

---Come on out and join us this year---