When summer holidays end and school resumes, children usually reminisce about the fun they had in summer camps. With the arrival of May come a variety of summer camps -- some that uphold traditional activities and the ones that promote a child’s creative side, and then a blend of both.
Stamp collecting used to be the norm, much like painting and baking are popular pastimes for many children and youth of today. However, Praveen Babu A.J., a third-gen stamp collector, is changing that with his summer camp in collaboration with Inspired at Fika aimed at 6 to 14 year olds in Chennai. “My grandfather A.V. Jeyachandran was an avid philatelist, and lots of people back then were too. But now, it isn’t a go-to hobby,” says Praveen.
“So, this May we are organising a stamp collecting workshop to introduce children to the stories behind each stamp, anatomy of stamps, letter writing, and spark their curiosity,” adds Praveen who collects stamps in the interest of history rather than triumph. The second batch of this stamp-collecting camp runs from 20-24 May in Fika, Chennai.
Among various summer workshops, pottery is booming, with many children spending a day on both wheel-thrown pottery and hand-built pots. The shift from ‘don’t touch the mud’ to ‘get your hands dirty’ reflects a new focus -- a game-changer -- on the significance of creative endeavours.
“There is no good or bad pot, it is more about art expression of your emotion,” says Poojitha, a studio potter from Kilpauk, Chennai, who has been conducting pottery events for kids throughout May. “Pottery is not just about art. In building the pot, they have their creative freedom and execute their imaginations. It also imparts patience through the creative process and discipline on keeping your workspace clean when you finish. I provide the children with unlimited clay but at the same time, ensure they learn not to waste,” she explains. She also talks about how pottery helped her to execute her ideas, overcome procrastination and tackle various life challenges.
Potter Poojitha teaches the art of pottery for children in the summer camp
A note on safety measures for Summer Camps
Vidya Reddy from Tulir: Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse, emphasised that putting in safeguards at summer camps is a two-way process, meaning they safeguard both children and organisers. She stressed that coordinators of summer camps should complete a brief orientation on the code of conduct. She also mentioned it’s crucial for children to build new learning experiences, but it’s also the responsibility of the parents to verify the summer camp’s environment, understanding the background of the coordinators, the physical environment including the toilet facilities, and to know who will assist the child when a staff member is absent.
Published - May 19, 2024 07:56 pm IST
