The Goddard School
Children can sign up for the summer program at the Goddard School in Watertown and have fun and learn at the same time.
A Watertown early childhood center will offer 11 week-long sessions, each with a different theme, but all designed to be fun for the children.
The Goddard School in Watertown will offer its summer program for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years from June 19 and runs through the end of August.
While the school is part of a group of nationwide early childhood development centers, most will not have a summer camp of this style, said Sunny Verma, who owns and runs the school along with his wife Simmi.
“We are a new school – we’ve been around for seven months,” Verma said. “Most new schools would be conservative and have a more generic theme.”
Summer can be a long break for students, and without re-enforcement they will forget some of what they learned during the year.
“The whole goal is to have a lot of fun,” Verma said. “A lot of research shows that if kids are having fun they are engaged and they are learning.”
The Goddard School
Each week The Goddard School in Watertown’s summer program will have a different theme, including music.
Each week The Goddard School will have a different theme for its students, with daily themes related to that week’s focus. Some of the themes include Animal Adventures, which includes a visit from the New England Aquarium, and days focused on the zoo, pets, and the ocean; and during the We Rock! theme students will have a visit from a musician from Playful Times while other days are called dance appreciation and create your own instrument.
Along with the fun activities, the campers will also be learning, said Kaitlyn Nerpouni, program director at The Goddard School. As an example, teachers will work in a math lesson into day’s theme of camping.
“Maybe the dramatic play area becomes a camp site,” Nerpouni said. “We might play roast marshmallows and count the marshmallows.”
The school has a large outside area, Verma said, and the staff might even set up some real tents outside to give them a real-life experience.
Many weeks, students will have a water day, where the older children will be able to play in a sprinkler, while the youngest might be able to touch water in the sensory board.
Students do not have to sign up for the whole summer.
“Families might go away during the summer,” Verma said. “They will not be tied into signing up for the whole summer. They can attend one week. Most sign up for a month.”
For more information about the summer program, call 617-402-5330 or email watertownma@goddardschools.com