For many families in developed countries, summer is the ideal time to help children grow up in ways that schools can hardly teach. In those short weeks, children can pack their own things for the first time, leave their parents for the first time, plant a tree for the first time or build a volcano model. Each experience is a piece that nurtures curiosity, independence and maturity.
Temporarily leaving the arms of parents
In the US, summer camp has become an indispensable cultural feature every summer. Many children, only 7 - 8 years old, have gone to the campuses in the middle of the deep forest to camp, swim, row boats, set off camp fires, work in groups... for several weeks without the presence of their parents. According to The Guardian, every summer, more than 26 million American children and adolescents participate in summer camp of all kinds, from traditional to specialized in art, programming or programs specifically for children with special needs.
Children need to have experiences that are completely their own, without parents, without anyone to guide them. It is the feeling of mastery that is the first step for children to learn to be independent, psychologist Michael Thompson, author of the book Homesick and Happy, said in an interview.
At the summer camp, children take care of their personal activities, decide what to do, what activities to participate in and take responsibility for the results. According to author Thompson, this is a gift that parents cannot give to their children - they have to discover it themselves. In that environment, children not only learn life skills but also develop the ability to adapt to society, get acquainted with strangers, live in a group, handle conflicts, overcome homesickness.
In particular, many summer schools in the US apply a "no screen" policy - no TV, no phone, no tablet. Research from the University of California shows that after 5 days of living without electronic devices, children's facial recognition skills improved significantly compared to the group of children who did not attend summer camp. This result shows that screen addiction helps children communicate more naturally, enhances empathy and reduces psychological stress.
Not only good for the spirit, the summer camp model also supports physical development. Children are exercised every day, from swimming, sports to hour-long outdoor activities. The regulated pace of life in summer Camp also helps children form healthy living habits, avoiding irregular eating and sleeping compared to summer vacation at home.
Many American parents were worried when they first took their children to summer camp - afraid that their children would be sad, and that they would miss home and get into trouble. But when welcoming their children back, most of them admit one thing: They return with confidence, strength and maturity. "I have never seen my child so cheerful and talk so much. I told him about his new friend, about his first time in a kitchen group, about his jump from a waterfall... I realized that summer had really made my child grow up, a mother told the Washington Post.
A summer to grow up
In contrast to summer camp far from home every week like in the US, Japanese children often spend their summer vacation right in the locality, lasting only about 30 - 40 days. However, their summer is still filled with experiences: From traditional festivals, small science experiments at home to early morning exercises with friends and people in the neighborhood.
Primary school students in Japan are often given a package of quite interesting summer exercises including daily diaries, reading books, painting, planting trees, observing insects or performing self-study projects. The most popular form of exercise, although also the most difficult, is free research, where each student chooses the topic, finds out and presents the results in the most creative way possible. Some have built mini volcano models, some have written deep-rooted diaries to observe the life cycle of butterflies...
A survey from the Japanese education website Nippon shows that more than 80% of Japanese parents said that they and their children are implementing these projects. Some help children find ideas, some suggest presentations, prepare materials... These exercises also help family members become closer and are an opportunity for children to practice their sense of responsibility when completing assigned tasks.
"I don't want my children to spend their summer vacation just around their phones. Therefore, every year, my whole family and children choose a theme and turn it into a family project. Last year we made a small hydropower model with cardboard and plastic bottles, my child has learned a lot, said Keiko Tanaka, a mother living in Saitama Prefecture.
In addition to studying, Japanese children still have free play. Summer festivals, fireworks, folk dances, and traditional games are indispensable highlights. Many families take their children back to their hometowns to visit their grandparents, immerse themselves in the Obon holiday atmosphere or simply make snacks with them, go to the night market, walk around the park...
A special thing is the habit of exercising in the morning. Every morning, children in Japanese neighborhoods gather in parks or schoolyards, practicing simple movements to music on the radio - a tradition that has been around for nearly 100 years. Those who participate enough will be given small rewards such as candy or colored pens. Nowadays, although the activity is fading away, more than half of primary school students in Japan participate regularly every summer.
From exercise to exercise, from festivals to playing time with parents - all contribute to keeping the rhythm of activities regular for children in the summer. Children are not pushed into a stressful school cycle but are not completely " released". That is how the Japanese maintain a balance between rest and study, between entertainment and discipline.
Despite differences in form, both the "American summer camp" and "Japanese family summer vacation" models aim at one goal: Helping children have a summer that is both fun and useful. A summer helps children become more confident and independent. A summer helps children's intelligence not sleep and emotions are unsaturated in electronic devices. A summer in which children have more knowledge, skills and even beautiful childhood memories, becoming their spiritual luggage throughout their lives.
