We spoke with Deb Winsor, the Founder and President of ConstructionKids Camp to find out what’s new this summer in one of Brooklyn’s favorite camps!
Hi Deb! We know that ConstructionsKids has a very loyal following and your programs are known to fill up fast! Is that why you have expanded to new locations? And what else is new this summer?
Yes, we’ve expanded to 4 new locations for the coming summer. It’s very exciting and we have terrific staff who have been hard at work preparing during the winter and spring.
It’s true that our programs fill up quickly, but we are really glad now to be able to offer more locations and give parents more options in terms of convenience….and children of course more options for new programs! We have a bunch of new themes and projects for every week, something exciting for both new and returning children of all ages. We are very excited about the coming summer!
“Safety is a culture with us, not just a set of rules.”
Tell our readers a little about your teaching philosophy especially when it comes to young kids and real tools!
I’m so glad you asked! As you can imagine, the centerpiece of our program is safety. For many parents what their children learn to do in our workshops is nothing short of miraculous (and that includes not only learning to build and make things, but also learning to clean up!) To teach young children to use real tools we’ve had to invent an age-appropriate wholistic teaching philosophy that enables children to be successful and safe. To do this we’ve considered every tiny detail about how children and their small hands interact with tools.
We’ve learned by observing children! What makes our program unique is that we create a culture of self-responsibility and personal pride. Our staff gets extensive training on how to be helpful and supportive to children without “doing-for” them. We teach children to make healthy, considerate choices about the the tools, the workspace, and the friends sitting nearby.
Tell us about your counselor training and safety precautions?
Our staff training from the Site Director level to our camp counselors is extensive. A large percentage of our staff returns each year, so we have the advantage of their experience and familiarity with children, as well as their being reliable team members and colleagues. All of our staff is background checked, most have first aid training, and we have several comprehensive staff training days in advance of our summer programs. Whenever possible we use safety protocols that children are familiar with from school… we practice fire drills, street crossings, sidewalk protocols. As I said earlier, safety is a culture with us, not just a set of rules.
Our training program is supplemented with a detailed Project Manual, we have training for our staff on both how to use and how to teach the tools and projects. Folded into this is an overview of childrens’ cognitive, social, and emotional development at the different age levels.
What does a full day at ConstructionKids Camp look like? Do the kids get outside to play?
We model our days after the school day routine that children are accustomed to : drop off, a morning meeting, a building session, snack, building session 2, lunch, outdoor time, quiet or reading time (if they want), afternoon building session, snack, finish up, clean up, parents arrive.
That said, our day is about building and making things and learning how to use cool tools. It’s a busy day. Children are grouped by age, and they have counselors assigned to their group. All of our locations employ and open floor plan, and children have the opportunity to see what other kids are doing and socialize across age groups. We find that older children often step into being role models, and younger children are excited to be around older peers. This is something they dont often do during the school day where most activities are same-age groups, and it’s one of the things that makes summer camp a special experience.
What is the main thing you want your campers to come away with by the end of the summer?
Well, we know that in order to get each camper to take away a positive experience by end of the summer it’s a lot of projects and materials and all the stuff of kids, and that every small piece of the day counts. We work very hard in our staff training to emphasize the importance of the camper’s daily experience, and the parent’s experience as well. Every day we try to stay on top of this, from our phone and office communication to our materials and our staff training.
For campers we have 4 main goals:
To build cool projects and learn new things.
To do so in a safe and considerate manner, and in a way that makes them proud.
To make a new friend, or friends.
To make friends with your counselor and experience that unique bond of having an older role model.
For parents we:
Want you to feel that your child is in good hands, that they are in a space that is safe, and they are in an environment that fosters their confidence, curiosity, creativity and social well-being.
