K-12

 Fun activities that can help to make your children more eco-friendly over the holidays
 

As the summer holidays approach, it's great to have a number of arrows in your activities quiver for when you kids get bored. Combine education with fun and make your kids more environmentally aware.

 People power
 Encourage your kids to help you reduce your family's carbon footprint. Use a carbon calculator to determine your current carbon footprint. Get the kids to outline a plan for reducing this carbon footprint. They can get everyone in the family to use their own volition to get places rather than relying on the car. This means that your family should walk or bike to destinations in your neighborhood. They can help you to switch your light bulbs, install water-saving shower heads and use electronic equipment less. They can work out how much they reduce their carbon footprint and get some exercise too! You can set carbon goals with rewards to make it more interesting.
 

Urban farming
 Growing your own food is enormously rewarding and a really great opportunity to educate your kids about the natural world. Dedicate a portion of your garden or use containers to grow vegetables and herbs. Not only will you save money, but you will have a carbon neutral source of locally grown organic food all summer long. Making an urban farm can be as simple or as complicated as you like. You can just grow a couple of herbs in a pot, make a vegetable garden, build a green house or explore hydroponics.

 Internet research
 There are tons of green documentaries and websites which are designed for the younger viewer. Make sure the content is age appropriate, but get your child involved with issues that they care about. They can sign petitions, help spread the word or raise funds for causes that preserve our planet. Teens with a social conscience who get involved with causes that they care about get to network with other like-minded individuals, are more well-rounded and care about the world and community that they live in.

 Eco-travel
 Many of the most beautiful natural places are being lost to progress and climate change. You can take your kids to see endangered animals or habitats before it's too late. You can also go on adventures that increase your knowledge of the natural world or give you an opportunity to volunteer. Volunteer holidays enable your kids to see other parts of the world and help to preserve them.

Every parent wants to provide their children with all the tutoring help they need. For many Canadian parents, providing extra-mural activities for their children's development has not been possible due to financial constraints. Now parents are getting a welcome reprieve from the costs of tutoring and other developmental activities thanks to two tax credits offered by the Canadian Economic Action Plan. The Children's Fitness Credit and the Children's Art Credit refunds parents a portion of the money they use to pay for tutoring and other activities.

Children's Art Credit

If your student is enrolled in an activity such as fine arts, performing arts, outdoor wilderness training, learning a language, studying a culture, music or tutoring, you can get a tax refund from the government come tax time. The credit is a non-refundable 15 percent up to $500. Through the tax credit, the government hopes to increase participation in activities that help to develop the creative skills of children in artistic or cultural activities, encourage greater natural and wilderness awareness and improve intellectual skills by funding tutoring vital to the academic development of students. This funding of academic development incorporates one-on-one tutoring companies like Tutor Doctor. If your child is struggling, has learning problems or wants to excel at their studies, one-on-one tutoring is an excellent way to help them succeed. If your teen is preparing for the SAT or ACT exams, then one-on-one tutoring give them the personal attention they need to get the best colelge entrance scores. For a comprehensive look at the Children's Art Credit, watch the video here.

Children's Fitness Credit

Effective since January 1, 2007, the Children's Fitness Credit focuses on promoting the health and development of children. While tutoring, sports and cultural activities contribute positively to children's development, parents are often not able to afford these extra-mural programs. Now help is at hand; the Canadian Government has instituted the Children's Fitness Credit to help alleviate the financial burden and encourage parents to enroll their children in programs that contribute to their academic and cultural development as well as their health and wellbeing. Like the Arts Credit, parents get a 15% non-refundable credit for children's activities up to $500.

An example of how the Arts and Fitness credits works from the Canadian Economic Action Plan website:

Rick and Andrea have two young children, Adam and Chloe. Every year, Adam plays in a minor hockey league and attends a week-long music camp in the summer, while Chloe plays competitive soccer and takes art lessons. With the introduction of the Children’s Arts Tax Credit, Rick and Andrea may claim between them up to $500 for Adam’s music camp and up to $500 for Chloe’s art lessons—this is in addition to eligible expenses of up to $500 they may claim for Adam’s hockey and up to $500 for Chloe’s soccer under the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit. As a result, in 2011, Rick and Andrea may claim a credit on up to $2,000 in expenses for their children’s activities.

As the summer vacations loom, you may be wondering what to do with your summer vacation. Although it's nice to have free time to spend with your friends, you will soon find yourself with more time than you know what to do with. With busy school schedules and heavy workloads, you seldom have time to do anything extra for yourself. Summer is the perfect opportunity to learn something new, have an adventure or make a little cash while developing your career skills.

Get a job Employment is a great choice for the holidays as you can earn a little extra cash while learning vital life skills. Gain independence, learn to manage your own finances and learn how to conduct yourself in the workplace. Experience gained at summer jobs can give you the edge over other candidates when you apply for a job after school. Try to choose something that you are interested in or a job that gives you experience towards your career. There are a number of sites you can utilize to find the perfect summer employment opportunity.

Teens4Hire

YMCA

Summerjobs

Grow your own food

For those who are environmentally minded, growing your own food is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, eat locally and grow food that is organic and higher in nutrition than the produce from the store. It's also tons of fun! If you grow more than you can eat, sell your produce to friends, family members, neighbours and at local farmers markets. Utilize unused garden space, empty lots or allotment gardens in your local park. There are resources online on how to grow your own veggies, but most garden centers will help you with tips, tricks and ways in which to grow the best veggies in town.

Mother Earth News

Tallahassee

Develop a new skill

Ever wanted to learn a musical instrument? Or speak Spanish? Set yourself realistic goals for the summer and spend just a couple of hours every day acquiring a new skill. By the end of the summer you may not play tennis like Serena Williams, but you will be well on your way! New skills need not cost lots of money; if you don't have the cash for lessons, there are plenty of resources online. You can also ask friends and family members to help teach you special skills that they have. If you learned a new skill every summer, you'd be a regular renaissance genius by the time you graduate.  Choosing something to keep yourself busy this summer can really help to develop you as a person. Of course you must leave yourself some time to relax and enjoy the weather too! Planning ahead is key, so decide what you want to do before the summer comes and make sure you have all the resources you need. 

Spring is here and summer is not far behind. If your student is going to be home for the holidays, you may want to consider summer camp. Aside from learning a new skill or cultivating an existing talent, summer camp offers a wealth of benefits for students of all ages.

Healthy lifestyle Playing games outdoors and exercising makes summer camp a really healthy choice. Balanced meals and the absence of junk food will be great for the health and welfare of your students. It's also a great place to learn about nutrition and develop healthy eating habits. Peer pressure plays an enormous role in the behavior of students and, when they are exposed to healthy food and exercise in a fun environment with their peers, they are more likely to assimilate these behaviors into their routines.

Environmental conscience Developing a love for natural places and a respect for the ecosystems vital to our own survival is difficult to instill in children who live in the city. Exposure to the great outdoors in a setting that is fun and constructive will help your students to feel a connection with nature. This connection will encourage a more environmentally conscience approach.

Independence It's really healthy for students (and parents) to form a sense of independence. Students who are independent are aware of their own abilities and confident that they can handle any situation on their own. This is an especially helpful quality for successful college students. Although students may become homesick at first, the support of their peers and the wealth of fun activities will have them enjoying themselves in no time at all. Time away from home also broadens their perspective and helps them to appreciate their home situations. It gives parents time to recharge and prepare for the coming school year.

Social impact Social skills are developed at camp where students must cope with a range of different circumstances and personalities without the parental guidance they are accustomed to. This experience is invaluable in helping them to socialize with peers and form new friendships. Not only do they learn to socialize with students they gravitate towards, but also with those they would not normally be friends with. This is crucial experience that will help them to deal with people in college, at school and in the workplace.

Responsibility Away from home and responsible for their environment, students must take ownership of their space and learn to keep it clean. They are responsible for making their own decisions and maintaining their camp space. Ownership invokes a sense of responsibility and self determination that improves their decision-making abilities. The students learn to take pride in their identity with their fellow campers as a group. They are given responsibilities they would not have elsewhere and must display leadership skills. Summer camp is a great development opportunity for your student. Camps develop social skills and give your child a sense of responsibility and independence.