 "wildlife, forest")
Lakeside adventures
What if you could spend your days like the Famous Five, wallowing in the cool waters of a lake, embarking on treasure hunts and sniffing around for adventure? Every child’s dream is now available at Kshitij World’s lakeside camp in Takwe village, near Kamshet, 100 kilometres from Mumbai. Perched atop a hill, surrounded by forests, the kids can embark on treks, read maps, participate in obstacle activities, enjoy a bonfire and soak in the outdoors. In the process, they’ll learn some life skills too, such as co-operating with kids from different parts of the country.
WHEN: April 24-27
COST: Rs 7,500
CONTACT: kshitijworld.com
Play with paint
How to find out if you’re raising a future Raza or Husain? An art camp, being organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, might well be the way to uncover surprising aspects of your young ones. In May, Pepper House in Fort Kochi will turn into a lab with materials and ideas, as children between 8 and 14 will be allowed to unleash their creativity. Besides workshops in clay modelling and painting led by contemporary artists, there will also be field trips to studios and exhibitions to help children develop an eye for art.
WHEN: May 1-25 (multiple batches)
COST: Free ;
CONTACT: info@kochimuzirisbiennale.org
Feel inspired
Children interested in enhancing their summer holiday with good works should consider volunteering with Wildlife SOS. The organisation runs a five-day volunteer programme at its Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, and at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility. The programmes can also be customised. As a volunteer, duties include building hammocks for sloth bears to rest in, constructing enrichment structures for play, and assisting keepers on daily afternoon feedings. In addition, there’s the jolly activity of feeding and bathing elephants. Each day is different at Wildlife SOS, with the first day consisting of an orientation session and a full campus tour.
WHEN: Five-day ongoing programmes
COST: Rs 20,000
CONTACT: wildlifesos.org/volunteer-with-us/7351455544
Photo: courtesy wildlife sos
The adventurous spirit
Endurance, endeavour, exploration and excitement define the summer camps at Youreka. Divided into three categories: White Star (9-12 years), Red Star (12-14 years) and Black Star (14-17 years), these adventure camps are located in seven picturesque destinations — Yercaud, Sitlakhet, Tirthan, Jayalgarh, Chakrata, Dharamshala and Junga. The seven-day capsules feature an endurance activity, exploration and games. To ensure the safety of kids, there is a doctor, women instructors, security guards and more.
WHEN: Through the summer
COST: from Rs 18,900
CONTACT: programs@youreka.in
Off the beaten track
Children who think differently need achance to do different things. Here’s one: spending their summer with the Thakars, a tribe of painters, puppeteers and storytellers in the village of Pinguli, in the Sahyadri hills. Members of this tribe were once spies for Maratha kings. They were also skilled artists, creating Chitrakathi paintings and leather puppets. These arts would have been lost if not for award-winning artist Parshuram Gangavane. Children can now stay here and train in the tribe’s traditional form of painting, done with natural colours on handmade paper.
WHEN: One day, year-round
COST: Rs 1,500
CONTACT: pingulichitrakathiart.com
Warrior arts
The martial art form of Kalaripayattu has to be among the most beautiful ways to build grace and strength. Pack the kids off for a dose. Ranjan Mullarat of Kalari Gurukulam, in Bengaluru, has developed a unique pedagogy to introduce children to this form. The Kalari Sadhana takes a child through the basic regimen. The Kalari Anubhava programme is designed for children already exposed to the martial arts. The Kalari Pradarsana capsule lets kids engage with movement artists.
WHEN: Monday to Thursday, through April
COST: Rs 25,000
CONTACT: kalaripayattu@gmail.com
Star trekking
Science-fascinated kids who love the thought of spending a night simply star gazing, tracing shapes of constellations in the skies and looking out for other celestial bodies, should head straight to Saguna Baug in Neral. Here, Khagol Mandal — Mumbai’s largest organisation of astronomers — has organised a sky show, complete with laser lights, telescopes and presentations on astronomy. Participants can choose to buy a dinner ticket or carry their own meal, along with a mat and some blankets. The show will be followed by an interactive session with experts.
WHEN: April 14 (7 pm-4.30 am)
COST: Rs 400 (students between 8 and 16)/free for kids under 8
CONTACT: khagolmandal.com
Back to the wild
Frolic Boonies is offering residential camps in the Maldives, Coorg, and Bandipur-Mudumalai. Children aged 10 and above can head to the lush camp in Coorg for nature walks or kayaking. At the Bandipur Mudumalai camp, surrounded by evergreen forests, kids (12 and above) can indulge in bamboo rafting, sky gazing and bird watching. The camp at Hangnaameedhoo island, Maldives, will feature snorkelling and night beach walks. Through behaviour analysis of animals conducted by experts, children develop a different perspective of nature and conservation. No more shrieking at insects or reptiles.
WHEN: Various, starting April 23
COST: Rs 13,500 (domestic), Rs 65,000 (Maldives)
CONTACT: camping@frolicboonies.com
Magic mountains
A chance to experience the mountains in all their glory, while also imbibing life skills, at the Nanda Devi Institute of Adventure Sports and Outdoor Education’s inaugural course. Starting May 20, kids aged 12 to 16 can head to the camp, located at Kuflon, upstream from Uttarkashi in the Assi Ganga valley. The course will take them to Dayara Bugyal. Participants also get to stay overnight at Raithal village, and head to the Tekhla rock climbing area.
WHEN: May 20-31
COST: Rs 20,000
CONTACT: ndi.kuflon@gmail.com
