“The building blocks of self-esteem are belonging, learning and contributing. Camps offer unique opportunities for children to succeed in these three vital areas and even beyond home and school.” —Michael Popkin, family therapist and founder of Active Parenting

“The biggest plus of camp is that camps help young people discover and explore their talents, interests and values. Most schools don't satisfy all these needs. Kids who have had these kinds of (camp) experiences end up being healthier and have less problems which concern us all.” —Peter Scales, noted author/educator and Senior Fellow, The Search Institute

Both of these quotes come from the American Camp Association, which shares the benefits of summer camp for kids, including social development benefits. To be successful in life, according to the ACA, children must learn to be resilient, and that includes developing self-esteem and self-reliance, life skills and strong social behaviors. Summer camp provides this development because children get to participate in a true community environment. These camps encourage and facilitate healthy development that includes large doses of fun, where children “interact with positive role models who have time to listen, talk, relax, and reflect.”

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Topics: Summer Camp, Social Interaction

The social skills we learn as children prepare us for adult life. Socialization techniques learned during early play and daycare experiences– sharing, taking turns, forming friendships, playing well with others, problem solving, etc.—form the foundation for later relationships with family members, friends and co-workers.

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Topics: Child Care, Social Interaction

A mere 20 years ago, children used to play outside all day, riding bikes, playing sports and building forts. Masters of imaginary games, children of the past created their own form of play that didn't require costly equipment or parental supervision. Children of the past moved a lot, and their sensory world was nature-based and simple. (The Impact of Technology on the Developing Child)

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Topics: Social Interaction, Tech Tips

If you are a natural social butterfly, it may be hard for you to understand why your child is content to play by himself or herself. Your child may or may not display signs of social anxiety – and in fact may feel none. He or she just is okay playing alone. What do you do to prepare your child for preschool?

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Topics: Child Development, Preschool, Social Interaction

Perhaps, when you drop off your preschooler at his or her school, it seems as though every child in the group eagerly begins greeting one another and engaging in play – all, that is, except yours. Yours is the shy child.

Maybe you’re shy yourself and so you don’t want your child to struggle to make friends, or maybe you’re the life of the party and so you can’t understand why your little one isn’t more like you. In either case, it’s important to remember that there is nothing wrong with a child – or anyone else for that matter – because he or she is shy. It’s a personality trait, not a problem.

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Topics: Preschool, Social Interaction

Change can be uncomfortable for anyone. For tweeners who are desperate to fit in with their peers, change is often devastating. They have a hard time recognizing that others are dealing with the same issues that they are.

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Topics: Social Interaction, Afterschool

Whether you're interested in educational programs, after school care, low-income day care, or after school programs, there's one thing each has in common; kids can learn and reap the benefits of sharing, interacting and socializing.

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Topics: Toddler Care, Social Interaction

Siblings may sometimes be best friends and at other times detest each other. As a parent, it can be frightening and frustrating to watch your kids rave and rant about each other. Thankfully, you don’t have to witness these squabbles and fights for the rest of your life. We, at Horizon Education Centers, have developed a few family tips to instill camaraderie into your family, so that your kids will be more than willing to help out each other.

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Topics: Child Behavior, Horizon Education Center, Family Time, Social Interaction

You keep them safe at home, and we take care of them in our afterschool programs. Yet no matter where they go, kids are surrounded by technology—and that brings both benefits and risks. While the internet powers modern education, we also need to stay aware of how social media affects tweens, who often need help navigating the waters.

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Topics: Horizon Education Center, Social Interaction, Tech Tips, Afterschool

Helping your children develop the social-emotional skills of empathy and kindness are essential to helping them become successful adults. Child development techniques that help children understand how their behavior affects others offer a life-long payback, helping children realize they are not the only person in the world and giving them greater insight into the perspectives of others.

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Topics: Child Behavior, Child Development, Social Interaction