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According to the American Camp Association® (ACA), camps today are committed to good nutrition, proper exercise, and the importance of developing healthy habits. Some of the many ways that camps can help children, youth, and adults include:

• Healthy Nutrition — Camps are making concentrated efforts to include healthy choices in menus. Over two-thirds of camps accredited by the American Camp Association® (ACA) say that they’ve started serving more fruits and vegetables.  About four in ten have explicitly reduced the use of fried foods and sweets or sugary foods.  Camps are working to prepare food in healthier ways as well. In addition, today’s camps are much more aware of food allergies and special diets. Read More

It’s a tough time to raise, teach or be a highly gifted child. As the term “gifted” and the unusual intellectual capacity to which that term refers become more and more politically incorrect, the educational establishment changes terminology and focus.

Giftedness, a global, integrative mental capacity, may be dismissed, replaced by fragmented “talents” which seem less threatening and theoretically easier for schools to deal with. Instead of an internal developmental reality that affects every aspect of a child’s life, “intellectual talent” is more and more perceived as synonymous with (and limited to) academic achievement.

The child who does well in school, gets good grades, wins awards, and “performs” beyond the norms for his or her age, is considered talented. The child who does not, no matter what his innate intellectual capacities or developmental level, is less and less likely to be identified, less and less likely to be served. Read More

With instant messaging, texting and e-mail as primary sources for “written” communication today, many children are growing up without enough practice and understanding on how to structure their thoughts formally in written English.

A recent study found that 64 percent of U.S. teenagers use slang in their written schoolwork, including abbreviations like LOL (38 percent) and smiley face emoticons (25 percent). More alarming, only 56 percent of teens surveyed considered “good writing” to be essential later in life. Many parents, recognizing this, lament that writing, at least as they know it, is becoming a lost art. Read More

Children who eat better do better in school, suggests a study published in the Journal of School Health.

According to registered dietitian Liz Weiss, co-author of “The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers” and co-host of the family food blog Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen, eating nutritious foods including fruits and veggies and limiting fat at meals and snack times can be an attainable goal.

“With just a few mealtime modifications, healthier eating can be right around the corner,” says Weiss. Here are a few simple tips to help get nutritious foods on the table and in the lunch bag fast: Read More

A child’s normal growth is one of the key indicators of good health. Often, when a child doesn’t grow at the same pace as his or her peers, parents just assume the child is a late bloomer, says Deborah Bowlby, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist and expert in children’s growth at the Medical University of South Carolina. But for some children, a slow growth rate is a sign of a growth disorder. Dr. Bowlby answers a few commonly asked questions about the problem.

Q: Why is it important to monitor a child’s growth?

A: In general, healthy children grow. Your child’s doctor should measure and plot both height and weight on a growth curve at every visit.

Q: What are some reasons a child may not be growing?

A: Children can have poor growth if they are not getting enough food or are unable to absorb nutrients from their food, as is the case with celiac disease. Children with chronic medical issues such as cystic fibrosis can also have poor growth. Some children have problems with their bones or have genetic conditions that cause them to be short. Hormone deficiencies can also cause poor growth. Read More

Few experiences can match the thrill of becoming a parent. And for new parents, few things can be as daunting as their baby’s cries. Fortunately, by deciphering those cries, parents now have the ability of understanding what their newborns are “saying.”

Following nearly a decade of research and observation in countries worldwide, Dunstan Baby Inc. has discovered that all newborns use a universal set of sounds, or “words” to express basic needs, such as hunger, gassiness or tiredness. From this research evolved the Dunstan Baby Language–a revolutionary system that teaches parents how to identify the words that all babies use.

After launching on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the system is now helping parents understand their newborns’ needs, thus forming the cornerstone of loving relationships and effective parenting. Read More

For parents with growing children, finding clothes they can wear that are comfortable, practical and will be worn on a day-to-day basis isn’t exactly child’s play. But it can be done if you remember there are some looks in kids’ fashion that never seem to go out of style. It is important to find those pieces and center the rest of your child’s wardrobe around them.

Happily, investing in key pieces for a growing child and learning what to do to maximize a child’s wardrobe can be both economical and satisfying. Here are some suggestions from the experts at Crazy 8, a children’s clothing manufacturer that offers an entire line of basics, seasonal and active wear to outfit kids every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Focus On Key Categories

Buy clothes in several key categories, including jeans, T-shirts, sneakers, pajamas, socks and weather-appropriate pieces for rainy days (a rain hat, rain jacket, galoshes), snowy days (a hat, jacket, snow pants, mittens, boots) and for a sunny summer day (a sun hat, T-shirt, shorts, sandals). Read More

Students today may seem to have more homework than ever before, but helping youngsters succeed in school could be easier than many parents realize. While parents who have been out of school for many years may struggle to help with subjects such as advanced math and science or foreign languages, they can still create a positive learning environment that fosters a productive homework experience.

The best way to support homework efforts is to design a framework for students to do their best work. Here are some helpful tips: Read More

Parents and students looking for help answering the confusing questions surrounding student loan financing now have an easy-to-use resource center to turn to for step-by-step guidance. The Smart Borrowing campaign, launched by The First Marblehead Corporation, offers information about the lowest-cost ways to finance a college education.

The campaign begins with www.smartborrowing.com, a Web site that serves as a “study guide” for anyone seeking to undertake a self-education in higher education financing. The site is divided into five sections that focus on smart financing moves: Read More