If traditional study abroad programs seem too tame for you, how about taking courses with the rolling sea as your background and foreign lands as your classrooms."Healthy kids have the best chance to become healthy adults. Educational programs that take place on a ship at sea are a popular way to learn about distant lands and cultures while earning credit and having a truly unique experience.Risk factors for chronic illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis can have their roots in childhood. Keeping your child physically active helps promote long-term health. The most well-known school-at-sea education program is probably Semester at Sea, a program run by the Institute for Shipboard Education and academically sponsored by the Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.Kids who get regular physical activity have better cardiovascular fitness, stronger bones and muscles, lower body fat and perhaps even fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Kids between the ages of 4 and 6 can benefit from unstructured play and exploration under your watchful eye. Each fall and spring semester, this floating university takes more than 600 students on a voyage around the world on board the Explorer, a 24,000-ton ship that includes classrooms, a computer lab, a student union, two dining rooms, a swimming pool, and a fitness center.Good activities for healthy kids in this age include running, playing catch or swimming. Students can choose a 100-day, full-semester voyage that circles the globe, or a 65-day regional program.Unstructured play outdoors or a walk through the neighborhood park are great ways to introduce younger children and toddlers to an active lifestyle. Through age 9, children will start to acquire skills in certain sports or activities. More than 70 accredited courses are available, and all credits should be transferable to your home school.Organized sports can be introduced, but they should focus on fun rather than winning. Throughout the junior high years, kids will fine-tune their skills and may want to become active in competitive sports. Classes are held daily while the ship is at sea, and when in port, students can choose from a wide range of activities, from home stays with local families to visits to historic sites.Weight training under supervision can sometimes be started at this age. The frequency, intensity, length and mix of activities are important. Other shipboard educational programs actually focus on marine science and seamanship, although they promote other disciplines as well.Also, look for activities that help build healthy bones. Sea-mester of Sarasota, Florida, offers 80-day semester voyages as well as 40- and 20-day Mini-mesters during the summer.These are the weight-bearing exercises like running and jumping. You can earn college credits while guiding an 88-foot schooner or 46-foot catamaran throughout the islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.The greatest gains in bone mass happen just before and during puberty. The program focuses on oceanography and nautical science, as well as the development of communication and leadership skills.Most of a person's peak bone mass is reached by the end of the teen years. Be a role model Parents are the best role models.
mp3 players Students visit up to 20 islands during the semester, performing various research and service projects.By leading an active life, you inspire your children to do the same. Woods Hole, Massachusetts-based SEA, also offers a 12-week, 17-credit undergraduate semester program.Praise, rewards and encouragement will help kids stay active. Encourage your kids to enjoy activities with the family or on their own.
phones cell During the first six weeks, students stay on land and study marine-related science classes and design a research project that they will take on the boat with them.Suggest: Walking Playing chase Dancing Make time for activity: Try to find at least three 30-minute slots for physical activity each week. Once at sea, they will participate in onboard classes and labs and conduct shipboard activities such as navigating and maintaining equipment. Pick two of those slots as family activity times.
world of warcraft gold Costs for the above programs range from $14,000 to $20,000 for a full semester, to anywhere from $4,000 to $9,000 for a summer program. Put a two-hour limit on the time your kids spend: Watching TV. Financial assistance is often available. Playing video games.
wow As with all study abroad programs, if earning credit is important to you, be sure to check with your home school to make sure credits will transfer before enrolling " . Using the computer. Infants and toddlers under 2 should not watch TV at all.
wow gold Create opportunities for your kids to be active with other kids. This can help them build friendships that include active play or sports. Informal play promotes aerobic fitness, creativity and muscle and bone strength. Introduce your kids to a variety of activities. Find recreational, team and individual sports they like.
