camp guide A Camp For The Little Ones Temple Shir Shalom’s Camp Teva helps kids grow and learn. T t . 0 6 / 5" * / # * , & 4 t 5 3 " 1 & ; & t $ " / 0 & * / ( “Experience the Magic” CA TA N MP t8FEEJOHT UG A 000000 t8",�"3%*/(t)034&#"$,3*%*/( t 8 "5 & 3 4 , * * / ( t 4 1 0 3 5 4 - & " ( 6 & 4 Over 65 60 Years of Tried & True Camping Tradition! t'BNJMZ3FVOJP t8FEEJOHT t'BNJMZ3FVOJPOT t#BS#BU.JU[WBIT t$PSQPSBUF&WFOUT tUIUI#JSUIEBZT Entrust your Children t1SJWBUF3FOUBMT to a Camp with Nurturing Staff, Entrust your Children Camp Supervised Activities to & a Spirit with Nurturing Staff, Call Supervised for a free, Activities no obligation in home & Spirit video presentation 248-258-9150 www.camptanuga.com 248-258-9150 www.tanugaevents.com www.camptanuga.com 2051720 t4"*-*/(t30--&3#-"%&)0$,&:t)*()301&4$0634& 2138430 2137670 54 December 7 • 2017 jn emple Shir Shalom’s Preschool: The Learning Center offers a summer camp that takes every- thing they do during the school year and splashes it with the summer sun. Camp Teva is designed for preschool children who are looking for a sun- filled summer with new friends learn- ing about nature and Judaism. A typical day will start at 9:30 a.m. and for many it ends at 3 p.m. Camp Teva is a place that is every preschool child’s dream come true as they build their Jewish identity. Children come to camp knowing they will be playing outside as much as they can. Most children go home tired with a smile on their face, wanting to come back the very next day “Because children are playful by nature we provide every opportunity to enhance a child’s play and creativ- ity,” says Marsha Mitnick, director of Early Childhood Development at Temple Shir Shalom’s Preschool: The Learning Center. “Our parents know their child will be hands-on all day with an assortment of art mediums, sensory exploration and gardening investigation. We take pride in our outdoor classroom during the school year. During the summer, everything we can do in the classroom we do outside.” Shir Shalom rabbis spend a lot of time with the little ones, she adds. “Of course, they are always here for Shabbat but because our rabbis are very playful they usually stop by and join the fun. They help in the garden alongside our campers, knowing they can eat what is ready to be picked.” Children learn best when they can move and interact with their envi- ronment. A typical day begins with a specific guided movement time that gets every child’s brain and body ready to learn. Campers think they are just having fun. The trained staff knows it is more. By working the body, they are getting both sides of the child’s brain to work together to help every child establish that calm alert state. Gardening plays a huge role in the day of a Camp Teva camper. Children are fascinated with the process of growing a plant, taking care of it and then getting to eat what has become ready to pick. Snack is something of an event at Camp Teva. From blackberries to carrots, almost all the campers find a new interest in fruits and vegetables. “We call that positive peer group pressure,” Mitnick says. “We also call that teamwork because everyone helps with the garden.” Friendship and fun go hand in hand at Camp Teva. Preschool children are just learning the ropes of sharing, tak- ing turns, problem solving and nego- tiating with friends. At Camp Teva, the strategies needed to be socially successful are something they play with all day long. “Our staff is trained to help children become the best they can be as individuals and be success- ful as they learn how to work in a group,” Mitnick says. “At Camp Teva our kids play hard, have fun and they don’t even real- ize how much they are growing and learning!” • For information, contact Marsha Mitnick at (248) 406-4255 or visit shirshalompreschool. com. Temple Shir Shalom is located at 3999 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield.