kyrill

I'm a teacher and you can see clearly when a child is just hyper and when their ADD is pathological. There's a very wide spectrum and as far as ADD restrains the ability to function adequately, it exists.

Hi, I'm volunteering for Camp Quest and this year our theme is "The Mind" but I can't come up with a challenge for the week. The kids will be getting into groups and working on the challenge throughout the week and need to have something to show for it at the end of the week (some kind of presentation to the rest of the camp). This will be happening alongside talks and workshops about neuroscience, philosophy of mind an psychology so they should have access to some broad knowledge to base their challenge projects on. It needs to be simple It needs to involve lots of different types of skills (some people doing arts and crafts, some people doing drama or researching the science or doing some experiments etc) It needs to be viable without access to the internet or a computer It needs to have something to do with the mind / the brain Last year our theme was "Evolution" and for the challenge we gave them out random geometric shapes which they had to arrange into an animal in their groups. Then when they created their animal, they made an environment for it and we gave them an event or adaptational pressure that would alter life in their environment (on their planet) - they then redesigned their animals to adapt to the new conditions. Some kids used drama to pretend to be animals on the planet, some painted the habitat in watercolours, some made collages, some wrote poems about the animal, some thought a lot about the biology and gave a scientific report. It was amazing and I'd hate to let the kids down this year. Any ideas? Thank You!! Kyrill

Hi, I thought that people in this forum (especially the ones with kids) might be interested to hear about Camp Quest UK. Camp Quest UK are Britain's premier religion-free science and philosophy camp for kids. Our volunteers are dedicated to providing a “godless alternative” for atheists, agnostics and anyone who is bringing up their children in a non-religious household. We want our campers to have a fun, challenging and inspiring time at summer camp, in the company of their peers; without the need for an allegiance to a particular tradition or ideology. Camp A – Kilve Court, Somerset The first camp will be held from Monday 26th July to Friday 31st July 2010 at Kilve Court in Somerset. This centre will host a variety of activities, and its close proximity to the beach will mean that the children will have the opportunity to go on a fossil walk. This camp is aimed at those who enjoy walking and nature, or perhaps who suffer from a heavy school schedule and are in need of a break. Campers will be staying in cabins. Camp B – Caythorpe Court, Lincolnshire The second camp will be held at a PGL centre, Caythorpe Court in Lincolnshire, from Monday 23rd August to Friday 27th August 2010. Campers will be staying in a Grade II listed manor house, and enjoy access to PGL’s fantastic facilities. This camp would be suitable for those campers who want plenty of activities. This year our theme is "THE MIND". We have many exciting workshops and activities planned to reflect this and we might even have a talk from a special guest. This will take place alongside our usual critical thinking, crafts, drama and adventure sport activities. We accept camper applications from anyone anywhere as long as they are between 9 and 16 years of age, capable of looking after themselves and their own possessions (our counsellors supervise the welfare of every camper but we like our campers to take on new responsibilities) and can respect the opinions of others. If you are travelling from far away we can meet your child in London and take them to and from the camp. We are also trying to raise money to sponsor campers from low-income households. If you think this sounds like something your kids will enjoy or have a question you'd like to ask, send an e-mail to our camp director: samantha@camp-quest.org.uk or visit http://www.camp-quest.org.uk All the best, Kyrill