by Two months long, the summer holidays are one of the highlights of the year for kids and parents alike. Initially an ideal time for some family bonding, after several weeks of early morning wake up calls, untidy rooms and fighting over the remote control, both sides might be looking for a break. Fortunately help is at hand. From out of town trips to brushing up on putonghua, Beijing's myriad of social clubs and international schools now offer short-term courses precisely for the summer vacation.

If the familiar confines of Beijing are proving too routine, then the great outdoors may be just the ticket. The Chinese Culture Club is organizing a series of trips that should prove mentally and physically stimulating as well as introduce both children and adults to new facets of China's culture and history. Exact dates have yet to be confirmed but on the to do list are hikes to the Great Wall, a trip to the former Imperial family resort of Chengde, a weekend trip to the famous Lu Shan mountain in central China - the most popular summer destination in China according to Sina.com - as well as further away trips to Xinjiang and the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.

Alternatively, for a chance to commune with China's most famous sage, the Yew Chung School is planning a six-day trip to Shandong province to the home of Confucius. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town of Qufu where Master Kong (his Chinese name) was reputedly born and buried, is now a museum in his honor. Including visits to the Kong family home and graveyard, the trip also takes in the provincial capital of Jinan and the cloud shrouded peaks of Taishan Mountain, long considered the most sacred of all China's mountaintops. The trip forms part of a longer two to three week summer course that will encompass Mandarin studies, lessons in Chinese cultural pursuits, such as chess and mahjong, and trips to Beijing's historic sites like the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven.

In fact, if improving your child's language skills is top of your list then there are plenty of places to choose from. The Learning Center of Beijing and the Neighborhood Chinese School are also offering classes. Both are running short-term courses in Chinese language and culture catering to a variety of linguistic levels. Another choice is the Limai School. They have a three-week course held at their Beijing campus for 9 to 15 year olds. Students live on site and in addition to daily language classes, there are also organized sports events and cultural excursions.

For something a little closer to a North American home, replicating the fun of an all-American summer camp is the American Embassy Employee's Association who are hosting their ninth annual Camp Adventure. Open to all nationalities, the camp is for children between 4 and 13. With a series of week-long courses, each is designed to promote cultural interaction and creativity. Groups are assigned specific tasks and challenges to solve. There are also sports activities such as bowling, canoeing and swimming as well as weekly field trips.

Ever fancied your child as the next Venus Williams or Roger Federer? Organized by the Sino-Swiss Hotel, professional tennis coach Andrey Andreev will run a series of weeklong camps aimed at improving tennis skills and fitness, hitting thousands of balls, and of course, having fun. Maybe less academic than other activities on offer, the camp will no doubt prove to be equally demanding. For 5 to 14 year olds, a team of professional instructors will be on hand to oversee and offer guidance during the intense six-hour a day courses. Game, set and match.

If team sports are more your child's thing, then the Beijing Soccer Camp might be for them. Designed for footie fans of all abilities, the course is part of a series of global soccer camps run by England's Football Association. Using FA qualified coaches, the weeklong course for 5 to 13 year olds teaches both basic and advanced techniques and emphasizes team building and having fun. Held at WAB, more advanced players will play small-sided games and drills as well as undertake fitness sessions. Who said school's out for summer?

contact the author at:
editor@cityweekend.com.cn

Contact Details

Camp Adventure

Camp Adventure provides a full range of educational and recreational, leisure activities that help each child.

Program aims & objectives:

The themes of 2006 offer spectacular and enchanting adventures that only camp adventure can create. Welcome to a world where the activities and curriculum are pulsing with excitement, imagination and magic. The curriculum is specially designed to bring together a dynamic relationship of academic experiences, educational knowledge and creative wizardry to the summer experience. Camp Adventure 2006 will enhance the character and esteem of its young leaders and promote a sense of community among peers. Camp Adventure will explore adventures in Science, Discovery, Art and Cultural enhancement.

Social Objectives

Strategies are designed to enhance relationship among parents, children and camp adventure counselors.

Personal Objectives

Educational & enrichment

Recreational Objectives...

See www.aeabeijing.com for details.

Chinese Culture Club
See www.chinesecultureclub.com for more details.

Yew Chung School
Courses are scheduled for July 2-16 and July 2-23. Prices vary from ¥15,200-19,244 depending upon length of course. Registration is before May 25th. For more information, e-mail SummerinBeijing@ycef.com.

Learning Center of Beijing
Exact details have yet to be posted. Contact 8430-2826 or
www.learningcenter.com.cn.

Neighborhood Chinese School
Courses run from June 20-July 1 and August 1-12. Prices vary from ¥1,280-
2,480 depending upon length of study. All classes are at Beijing Riviera Clubhouse. Contact 5135-7993 130-3103-8833 or
e-mail:cindy@chineseneighbor.com.

Beijing Limai School
Courses are between June 25-July 14 and July 16-August 4. Price is ¥8,830. For detils: www.limai.cn, e-mail limai.io@yahoo.com.cn or call 8046-3653.

Camp Adventure
The weeklong camps run from June 12th to August 4th and are held at ISB. Price
is ¥1,770 a week. For more information see aeabeijing.com, e-mail
campadventureaea@aeabeijing.com or call Jane at 6532-3831 ext 5084.

Sino-Swiss Tennis Courses
Running from June through August, each weekly course costs ¥1,800. For more
information contact Andrey at splash.mgr@sino-swisshotel.com or call 6456-5588 ext. 1428.

Beijing Soccer Camps
Visit www.fa-soccerstar.com for more information and contact details. Courses will be held June 19-23 and June 26-30. Prices range from RMB 1,000-1,500.