Sending Kids to Camp - A Great Way to Keep Kids Away from Video Games

Kids love to play games outside!

It is August, summer time in Canada! It's also VBS time for me and many kids in Toronto and the GTA! I have been running summer camp as a volunteer community service for children in my community some twenty five years ago.

Teen Leaders performing and having fun at VBS camp

This year I ran a youth leadership camp in early August for  a dozen youths in Waterloo.

We did safety training, prepared songs, read bible stories,  prepared crafts, games and sports activity.

Presenting bible stories in a play

 In order to utilize the strengths of the youth, we did a strengths and weakness analysis, and assigned each one tasks and responsibilities accordingly.

In order to provide the youths opportunities for leadership, I assigned two seniors leaders, Michelle and Joe to be assistant directors for the VBS.

Some counsellors are adored by the campers!

I am very proud to know that three teen leaders who volunteered at the camp for the last few years have gained enough work experience and developed confidence  that enabled them to gain full time summer paid jobs at various camps in Ontario.

Our VBS camp provides opportunities for youth to become leaders!

They told me it was because of the experience they had gained from volunteering at the camp that helped them to get their very first summer paid job.

Fum social time for teens volunteering at the camp

Many parents have asked me how to get their  kids away from their computers,  ipads and video games!

 The best way is to send them to camp, either an overnight camp, sports camp or a day game will be fine.! However,  not everyone could afford their child to overnight camps which could be pricey for some.

Constructing a sturdy structure using marshmallows at our camp

A day camp in the city such as the ones run by the local churches, YMCA, Parks and Recreation. or school board would be a good choice.

Fun with marshmallows!

Since I am running a VBS camp in Waterloo, I have decided to make this camp electronic/ computer games / wifi free and help the children and teens to rediscover the joy of doing other things and playing board games.

With the help of my team of volunteers we set up five tables around the room and placed various material on them to create five Activity Centres which included:

Story sharing time

1. Reading  Centre

 I got a collection of books from home and from some second hand stores such as Value Village and Salvation Army's Thrift Stores and got these books at very cheap princes.

 We sorted these books, put them into different categories, labelled them and set up a Reading Centre at  a convenient location of the room.

Kids loved the Monkey Madness Game at our VBS camp

2.  Junior Game Centre - For kids aged 4 - 10, we put the following games on a low table:

-  two Memory Match Games
-  a couple of Giant Floor Puzzles including an Alphabet Floor Puzzle
- a Pop Up Game
- a game called Monkey Madness
- a guessing game called Guess Who?
- a quick connection game called Rapid 4




3. Senior Game Centre - For kids aged 8 and up, we placed the following games on a regular height long table:

- Connect 4
- Junior Scrabble
- Canada & US Geo Puzzle
- Block Tower
- Chess Game

Drawing time!

4. A Drawing / Writing Centre - To encourage campers' creativity and their desire to draw and write, we placed a table right in the centre of the room with  the required drawing and writing supply at their finger tips - writing paper, lined and graph paper as well as boxes well labelled with pencils, pens, pencil crayons, markers of various sizes.




5. A Stationery Supply & Basic Craft  Centre - with the essential stationery and basic crafts supply easily accessible and within the reach of every child regardless age.

Leave the electronic games behind; rediscover the fun of board games!

This set up in intended to encourage children to use the art and games supply in the activity room.

On the first couple days the VBS , there were two campers who kept taking out their cell phone and asking us for the wifi password.

We got the puzzle done!

We calmly told them that our facility was a wifi and video game free environment and that camp participants were encouraged to engaged in other games and social plays with others.

Puzzles and board games encourage kids to collaborate together

It took the campers a few days to get used to the idea before stop asking.

We were  firm but kind in our replies. It warmed my heart today as I quietly observed that both the junior and senior groups of our campers pulled out the puzzles, word games and collaborated together to solve their puzzles and had fun at the same time!

Teens playing games and looking after the little ones

                                             From our camp's experience, we found that the effective ways of keeping kids away from computer and video games were:

1. Sending our young people to a good quality summer camp; for older teens, encourage them to volunteer at camp

2.Getting kids to engage in outdoor activities as much as possible

3.Setting up a mixed of activities for kids to do at home

If parents wish to prevent their youngsters  from the computer and video game addiction,  be sure to put your children/ young people with others of the same age. People including kids are social beings. Given the supplies they need for activities, children will play and entertain one another. When kids are having fun doing other activities, they would not need their computer/ video games.

Sending you child/ young person to an electronic device free camp will be a good  first step to take if you are trying to help with the young person's addiction to video games.

R.T.
Director - TECA
Toronto Education &
Communications Associates
Conducting VBS Camp
Waterloo, Ontario
August, 2014

  

Stratford, Ontario - a Pretty Little Town Full of Music and Culture

Visitor Centre and a Water front Cafe, Stratford, Ontario

We have been living in Toronto for over thirty years. However, we travel every summer outside of Ontario and hardly have the time to visit the cities and towns in our own province.













This year, we have promised ourselves to spend more time and explore Ontario's little towns.

We did just that this weekend and drove to Straford, Ontario - an hour and forty minute drive from Toronto.

Lots of historic buildings in the town

Since I was already in Waterloo for the week, the drive was only forty minutes from where we were. It seemed like no time at all before we got to Stratford.


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Entrance to the Shakespearean Gardens with the Court House in background

Lucky for us, it wasn't  too difficult finding a parking spot downtown.

To get more information about the town, we went straight to the Visitor Centre located right at the waterfront of Stratford.

 Armed with the information and self guided brochures given to us by the friendly Visitor Centre staff, we went to explore the town on our own.

Free music performances by the Stratford riverfront

There were a couple of free concerts scheduled on this Saturday afternoon.

Concert by the river front

We took advantage of it, ordered some food by the waterfront cafe and enjoyed our lunch serenaded by musicians playing live music.

Shakespearean Gardens

The music performance went on for about an hour and it was a beautiful day sitting on the grass just listening and enjoying the sunshine.












Though a small city with a population about 30,000 inhabitants, there were quite a  few things to see in Stratford.

Beautiful flowers and paths in the gardens

After enjoying a free concert in the park, we strolled over to the Shakespearean Gardens, a stone throw away.

In the Shakespearean Gardens, we admired  flowers and plants described in the Shakespearean  plays.

Shakespearean Gardens, Stratford, Ontario

Though  I regret that I do not know much about flowers and shrubs, the gardens were beautifully  designed and the brilliant flowers have been carefully and lovingly planted.

Gazebos and stone arches dotted the gardens adding to the charm of the Shakespearean Park.

Unique art pieces in one of the downtown art stores

After spending a good couple of hours by the river front, we wlaked up to Ontario Street, the main street in downtown Stratford.

Ontario Street is a pretty street lined with interesting shops and historic buildings.








 We saw some unique art work in one of the art shops and spent some time there admiring the art pieces.

Visitors could rest and play a game of chess for free outside a downtown toy store

 What I really liked about downtown Stratford was that it was very family and kid friendly.

Outside a number of shops, there were areas set aside for visitors to just rest and relax.

One of the toy stores had tables and chairs set out for people to play chess and for kids to play with some of their toys.

What a thoughtful gesture for tired moms and dads with kids in tow!

Kyle and his pet -Naraleen, entertaining passerby 

At the corner of Ontario and Downie Street, we were entertained by Kyle, a street musician playing classical music on his violin while Naraleen, his faithful dog waiting patiently by his side.

Kyle came from Texas, traveling across Canada and earning some money by buskering and taking part in various busker festivals. 

Beautiful Strafford,  the hometown of our Canadian teen idol - Justin Bieber,  is truly a lovely place to visit!
















We were glad that we finally took the time and visited this  famous little Canadian town!

R.T.
Stratford, Ontario

Vegetables Growing From a Compost Bin!

In life, how often can you get something good for nothing? Never!

All my life I have worked hard for every single little thing we have in life.
Therefore, I was tickled pink this morning when I went out to our side yard and discovered something we never expected to happen.

The compost bin in our backyard

We have a compost bin in our backyard where we deposit all the vegetable peels, left over food ( except bones and meat) at the end of the day.

A couple years later, these left over food, vegetable peels and fruit skins will turn into rich black soil which we put back into our garden.

I thought :Wild plants & weeds growing near our compost bin

This is expected and is what we call composting - turning kitchen waste, putting it into a compost bin where the micros such as warms etc will do their magic, breaking the food waste turn and turning it into soil - a natural recycling process.


 However, what we didn't expect was vegetables growing out near our compost bin!

A healthy squash plant plant on the ground itself

We have been very busy and I haven't been out to our side yard much lately.

  Now we have found healthy squash and tomato plants both growing well on the ground!

This wild plant has gigantic size leaves growing near our compost bin

About a couple of weeks ago, when I was out watering the hanging baskets, I noticed a plant growing on the ground with great big green leaves.

I did not give it  much thought thinking it probably was some wild plants or weeds.

A flowering bud about to bloom on the squash plant

Then a little later I saw flower buds coming out of this plant big wild plant.

Not a green thumb person and possessing little knowledge about planting, I had not a clue what would happen next.








A week or so later,  some bright yellow big flowers started to bloom from these buds.

" They are pretty flowers," I thought to myself.

Pretty bright yellow flowers from the vegetable plant

Big beautiful yellow flowers are blooming; some have bloomed, withered, and the plant is now bearing fruits!!!

Squash from our side yard, I think, or are they cucumbers? Not sure

Home grown organic vegetable ready to be picked and enjoyed right in our own backyard!

A healthy tomato plant growing on its own near the compost bin!

How about that?  We have not done a thing ourselves.

This morning as I took a careful look near the compost bin, I found a healthy tomato plant and  some robust chives flowering ready to seed themselves.

 We will have more fresh vegetables in a few weeks ( if the racoons do not eat them first) !

Chive ready to seed themselves

It just dawned on me me that the seeds from the left over food we threw in the compost bin have germinated and taken on a life of their own!

However, we are city slickers who don't know much about growing things. We are not really sure what seeds have grown from our compost bin.

Getting something out of doing nothing has never been a part of our lives.  How lucky are we? This is a real pleasant surprise for us!


R.T.
Our Garden
Toronto, Ontario

Creating Beautiful Things from Recycling Natural Material

Beautiful things can be created from recycling material!

I always admire people with their creative abilities. Creative people can use anything and turn them into something useful and beautiful.

A Towel Holder

A Fence for a Backyard

In my travel aboard and mostly in North America, we have come across a lot of beautiful useful items made from recycled or waste material.











Be creative and think outside of the box!

All the fence posts do not need to be cut at the same height.

A Fence Made of Branches

 Attractive door signs and decorations made from twigs

This fence made from branches adds character to the rustic surrounding of this cottage place. 













It's amazing to see what how many practical uses and purposes these branches can serve around our homes and garden!

Don't throw away the crooked or twigs with forks. They look perfect on these doors at a country retreat!

A bowl made from twigs

After a storm, there are an abundance of twigs on the ground.

Use your creativity
and make something out of them such as this decorative bowl.

A twig basket made of twigs from my brother's backyard

I made a basket out of tree branches gathered from my brother's backyard in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

This basket has been around for over fifteen years!

An interesting piece at Algonquin Park

Surrounded by rocks, an old tree stump can be interesting by itself such as this one in Algonquin Park, Ontario

A  modern centre piece made of twigs and small branches

Small branches and twigs can  be turned into gorgeous home decorations like this one displayed at a botanical garden.

Collect an assortment of small branches; cut them at various height,  paint them white. Arrange in a way you like it. Nail the branches to a piece of wood.

You've got an elegant piece centre piece!

Wall Art Made from Branches, Niagara Falls, Canada

Another beautiful and elegant  piece made from branches was this wall decoration we saw in Niagara Falls

Very similar to the smaller piece, this one was also painted white and set against a navy colour wall.


 Very eye catching indeed!

Wall decorations made with natural recycled material

 It you have to cover a large wall , another economical way to create a gorgeous wall decoration piece is:

a. Paint a piece of canvas or wood of desired size to fit the wall size

b. Place the branches down on the canvas. wood in a way that you like

This wall decoration cost very little to make

 c. Glue them down with a glue gun

d. Other elements such as small pebbles, leaves, feathers and dry plants can be used to add texture to the finished art piece

A bird house made of twigs and small branches

Here is a rustic idea for twigs!

Cut the twigs and small branches at desired length and glue them together to make a bird house for the birdies!

Children's Museum, Rochester, USA

Why spend money on expensive signs when you can create a beautiful unique sign like this one using twigs, small rocks and shells?
















 In Thornbury, Ontario, we saw these stools with legs out of small branches and twigs. I wish we kept some of the birch branches we bundled up for garbage pick up a few weeks ago. Very rustic stools for our backyard indeed!

White Birch branches used as hangers at a Christmas booth to display its craft items

Long pieces of bark branches are used as hangers and for decorating purposes

Branches are very versatile and people have found many creative uses for them.

 At the Toronto Christmas Market, a couple of merchants used White Birches branches as hangers to display their craft, clothing and other seasonal items. Birch branches are often used to decorate inside the stores. They looked beautiful, rustic, and festive for the season!

A long bench made out of logs and a wooden plank

At the Collingwood summer festival, we saw how logs of wood were used to make this nice outdoor bench.

Old cable wheel recycled into a coffee table

If you come across some old big cable holder, don't throw them away.

The recycled cable wheel blends in nicely with some modern furniture

They can be turned into pretty nice coffee table like the one we saw in an Ontario town.









I really enjoy looking at how pieces of logs, twing can be turned into pretty things to decorate our house. This basket to the right is rustic.

These small pieces of branches were ideal plant containers to bring in the nature in small living space.

Small hollowed out logs pieces make beautiful mini planters for small plants

We saw these pretty mini planters in a mall in Guangzhou, China.

Leftover oyster shells decorate the entrance of the Oyster Bar in China

On the same trip to China, walking by an oyster bar in Guangzhou, we came across some simple but pretty landscape scenery outside the restaurant.  The beautiful white shinny rocks at the entrance to the restaurant caught my attention. They looked natural, beautiful, and were in unusual shapes.

Empty oyster shells

On a closer look, I discovered that these beautiful objects were not ordinary rocks at all; they were empty oyster shells from the restaurant.

What a smart idea! Making use of the leftovers of the oyster dinners and recycling them to decorate the outside landscape of the place!

In the Toronto Island School where I visited not long ago, I came across a display on a school bulletin board with the creative uses of some very common objects.

painted bottle caps

Students painted a large number of bottle caps in various colours to form both the leaves and the trunk of the tree for the display.

Very pretty, unusual and eye catching indeed!








I am interested in how twigs, branches, little rocks and pebbles any simple common everyday items could be turned into lovely and useful things to decorate their homes or for everyday use.

Hope you'll enjoy them!

R.T.
Toronto
latest updated - Dec 24, 2015