Kids Summer Camp 2012 in Chicago

By the immense grace of Sri Swamiji, the 3-day kids Summer Camp went very well. It was held from June 27th – June 29th 2012 in the Naperville Public Library for kids in the age group of 5 – 12yrs. The daily session started with Mahamantra kirtan and dhyana shlokas, followed by a session of yoga for body/mind/soul in the mornings. The kids learnt “Madhurashtakam” composed by Sri Vallabacharya during the camp. They enjoyed the sweet shlokas and learnt it well by the third day.
In the afternoons, the kids enjoyed watching a series of animated videos on Indian history for twenty minutes every day. They watched and learnt a presentation on Ayurveda and sacred cows. They had fun tasting and smelling few of the healthy herbs. On the first day they painted their own Ganesha during their craft time. On the second day the kids enjoyed making simple Indian sweet and learnt photography on the third day. The daily session concluded with game time like Krishna bingo, hot/cold and hot potato.
On the third day, the parents had a treat for their eyes and ears in the evening. The kids chanted the Mahamantra, Dhyana Sholkas and the Madhurashtakam beautifully. They also presented a skit on “The Power of Rama Nama”. A Parents versus Kids Quiz session was conducted on Indian history and guess who won…Yes, the kids did! The parents handed over the certificates to their children. The kids prostrated before receiving the certificate and this was a sweet surprise for the parents. As a whole the kids had a lot of fun and were exposed to rich Indian culture in a short time. The kids loved it so much that they didn’t want the camp to end.