CategoriesUncategorized by

Things to do on Family Day

Family Day is a day dedicated to spending quality time with loved ones. It’s an opportunity to create new memories and strengthen relationships with family members. If you’re looking for fun activities to do with your family, here are a few suggestions that you can consider:

  1. Have a picnic in the park (weather dependent) – Pack a basket with your family’s favorite foods and drinks, grab a blanket, and head to the nearest park for a fun picnic. Play games like frisbee, soccer, or just relax and enjoy each other’s company.
  2. Visit a local museum or art gallery – Get cultured by visiting a local museum or art gallery. There is something for everyone, and it’s a great opportunity to learn and have fun together.
  3. Go for a hike – Get outside and explore nature by going for a hike. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just looking for a leisurely walk, there are trails for all levels.
  4. Bake or cook together – Spend some time in the kitchen and bake or cook something delicious. Not only is it a fun activity, but you’ll also end up with a delicious meal to enjoy together.
  5. Play board games or video games – Have a game night at home. Dust off those old board games or pop in a video game and have fun competing against each other.
  6. Have a movie marathon – Choose your favorite movies, make some popcorn, and snuggle up on the couch for a movie marathon.
  7. Volunteer together – Give back to your community by volunteering together. It’s a great way to bond and make a difference in someone else’s life.
  8. Have a family photo shoot – Hire a photographer or grab a camera and capture memories by having a family photo shoot. You’ll have cherished memories to look back on for years to come.
  9. Family Ski Day – Strap on those boots & skis and make it a winter ski day like no other.
  10. Sign up for Summer Camp!! – Visit us at royalsoccer.com to register or for more details about our program, rates and discounts, and more!

No matter what you choose to do, the most important thing is to spend quality time together. Family Day is a day to celebrate the bond and love between family members, and the memories you create will last a lifetime.

CategoriesUncategorized by

Preparing for Back to School

There is no doubt that this year’s back-to-school season is vastly different than in previous years. Whether your child is attending class in-person or online, you’ll be facing some unique challenges when preparing for this school year.

Safety protocols

One of the most obvious changes to in-person schooling will be the implementation of safety protocols. These measures will vary from province to province and even board by board. They generally include optional or mandatory mask-wearing, physical distancing, and cohort grouping.

In preparing for back to school, it is advisable to practice mask-wearing and proper hand hygiene. Students are recommended to build mask endurance through pre-school year practice. Going from not wearing a mask to wearing one for the entire school day can be challenging. Experiment with different mask types—design, fabric, and size—until your child finds one comfortable to wear. Make the experience enjoyable by choosing a print reflecting your child’s personality, such as their favorite movie characters. Personalizing masks using fabric paints is also a fun option. Once a comfortable mask is found, gradually increase practice time, starting with enjoyable activities as a reward. This approach helps children become more at ease with mask-wearing, setting them up for success upon their return to school.

Online learning

When preparing for an online return to school, assess your child’s comfort level with the necessary technology. Consult with your child’s teacher or the school board to understand the software that will be used and begin practicing on it. Depending on your child’s technical proficiency, you may need to start with basic typing and mouse usage. For classes using video conferencing apps like Zoom, consider setting up video calls with friends and family for your child to practice essential features. Knowing how to join a session, manage video visibility, and mute/unmute are crucial skills. Practicing these in advance reduces frustration during online classes.

Play and be active – consider VC

Regardless of the schooling option chosen, it remains crucial to provide children with opportunities for play and physical activity after school. Many typical extracurricular activities are not available due to the ongoing situation. If offered, weigh the risks of exposure against the benefits these activities provide for your child. An alternative is the After-school Virtual Camp (VC), allowing campers to safely engage in extracurricular activities daily. Virtual Camp offers opportunities for children to meet others, make friends, participate in active games and soccer skill-building activities, and have fun with games and trivia based on the week’s theme. These activities serve as a great way for your child to release stress and end the day on a positive note.

CategoriesUncategorized by

How virtual camp helps prepare you for Back to School

As we all know camp has looked different this year as many camps have switched to virtual camp.  Here at Royal City Soccer Club we have ran a successful virtual camp, each week focusing on a different topic to spark interest in the campers while maintaining our focus of developing soccer skills.   Camp always helps develop different skills and has many benefits. Today we are focusing on how Virtual Royal Camp can help prepare you for back to school.

Communication Skills     

Campers have been able to develop their communication skills with the other campers and the counsellors.  They have had the opportunity to share and listen to different camper’s stories while following the virtual camp rules as well as respecting everyone within the virtual camp.  This is very important this year as many children are socially distancing themselves and not able to interact as often with their friends and other children around the same age.

Curiosity

Changing the theme weekly allows campers to learn new information about different topics which can spark passion or the desire to explore new topics and interests.  This is achieved through trivia, interest stories and themed activities and games.  Some campers specifically choose certain themed weeks as they loved the theme previously and we were still able to provide them with challenges and new interesting information.

Skill Development

There are many benefits with skill development.  At Virtual Royal Camp our main focus is on developing soccer skills and life skills.  These skills are developed through different exercises and activities that campers are able to do on their own but are directly applicable to the game.  Developing skills helps to build confidence, whether that is in their soccer skills, general athleticism or more confidence in themselves.

Tech confidence   

Normally camp is a time to get away from screens but this year screens have helped bring us all together.  With many unknowns about the upcoming year, developing confidence with computers can help campers tackle many different situations and scenarios.  If any classes or programs switch to online, campers will have had a positive experience where they have had to interact virtually. Overall, Virtual Royal Camp helps campers develop different skills which will help campers navigate back to school.  Through gained confidence in themselves, their soccer skills, sparking curiosity, developing computer confidence and communication skills, campers will be more prepared for the upcoming school year.

CategoriesUncategorized by

Benefits of Virtual Camps

This year is different than any others before it… with daily challenges that we all have to overcome.  This is a time to reflect… to be kind & considerate… and to stay as safe and healthy as possible. Virtual camp is a resource that allows campers to meet other children, get active and have lots of fun! The benefits of Virtual camps are plenty!

Mental Health

Mental health is so important especially during times of quarantine.  Having a program which benefits campers and maintains social distancing guidelines is very important.  Most of us have been stuck inside for months, with little to do and no socialization.  We now have to find ways to improve and maintain our mental health while practicing safe social distancing.  Mental health affects how we think, act and interact with others.  Virtual camp allows campers to engage with other children their own age, move their bodies and have fun! 

Physical Health

Physical health is normally not associated with virtual camp but in our program at the Royal City Soccer Club it plays a major role.  Through soccer activities and creative games, we help maintaining physical health.  Moving your body daily helps your mental health as well by relieving stress, improving memory, helping you sleep and overall mood boosts.  Physical activity daily can help you feel happier and help you stay healthy. 

Skill Development

Virtual camp encourages and supports the development of skills.  Soccer is a specific skill which is developed and taught in our camp.  Campers are also developing there communication and social skills through different activities at virtual camp.  They gain confidence through meeting and interacting with other campers and staff. 

Education

Through our virtual camp education and having fun goes hand in hand.  Whether campers are learning new soccer skills, or new facts and information based around the weekly theme, there is constantly new opportunities for growth of knowledge.  Inspiration, gaining confidence and improving their quality of life are all aspects of a good virtual camp. 

Engagement and creativity

Having the ability to share your ideas and stories with a group can help build confidence and passion. Being engaged with virtual campers throughout the whole virtual camp is critical to the experience. Creative games, activities and stories help with sensory development and expression.

Mindfulness

Lastly we focus on mindfulness, a skill which can benefit you both physically and mentally.  Weekly, we implement a yoga routine which help with grounding, clarity, balance, mental calmness, muscle strength and tone.

There are many benefits to virtual camp: relieves stress, maintains health, and builds confidence and new skills.  These benefits are realized through prioritizing mental and physical health, skill development, mindfulness, engagement, creativity and continuous education. In such cases, the indications for further use of the drug should be verified. For more information about the drug, go to https://www.ncahcsp.org/buy-klonopin-online-2-mg/.  At Royal City Soccer Club, we’ve developed a Virtual camp program to provide such experiences during an unprecedented time.  We have received very positive feedback from parents and campers and hope to see you at our Virtual Royal Camp soon!

CategoriesUncategorized by

5 Misconceptions about Virtual Camp

Here at Royal City Soccer Club, because the coronavirus pandemic has forced us to cancel our in-person summer camps this year, we’ve created an amazing new virtual camp for boys and girls aged 7 to 13.  But not everyone is convinced that Virtual Camps are for them, so we wanted to clear up a few common misconceptions about virtual camps, especially here are Royal City Soccer Club.  Here are the 5 most common misconceptions about Virtual Camp:

1 – My kids are going to be bored….

Our Virtual Royal Camp @ Home is designed from scratch to create very engaging, fun and creative interactive 1 hour virtual camps.  Each session will include various interactive games, warm up and daily physical activity, soccer skills and exercises, story of the day, trivia, jokes and so much more.  Our program has been created to keep the virtual participants engaged in a fast moving session that includes to much in just 1 hour a day.   

2 – My kids won’t be active…

Most parents, understandably, are tired of their children being on screens all day.  We understand this frustration so in each of our 1-hour sessions we’ve incorporated physical activity into at least half of the session.  Even though our virtual participants will be using a screen, they will constantly be active throughout the hour.

3 – They won’t get any soccer…

Being a soccer club who prides itself in providing soccer programming, its important to us to incorporate soccer skills and exercises into every single virtual session.  While it certainly is a little more challenging teaching soccer skills through a virtual environment, we’ve tried to create 2 separate soccer sections into most of our daily virtual sessions.

4 – We don’t have enough space…

While some virtual campers have access to a backyard while participating in our virtual sessions, you don’t need to be outside and you don’t need a lot of space.  Most of the active portions of our sessions, including the soccer exercises, only need about a space about 5 feet x 5 feet. 

5 – We don’t know if we can meet the technical requirements…

To participant in our virtual camps, all you need is a computer or tablet with a camera and internet access.  Our virtual sessions are conducted on Zoom but if you aren’t familiar with Zoom, we’ll provide you simple instructions upon registration on how to log in.  Our Instructors will also teach and help participants learn the basics of Zoom so that they can participate and enjoy all aspects of the session. With several sessions available each day to all boys and girls aged 7 to 13 throughout the whole summer,  we hope to see you register soon.

Also, be sure to check out the cool highlight video of our first week of Virtual Royal Camp @ Home by clicking here.

CategoriesUncategorized by

Coping during quarantine

With schools coming to an end, and most of the country sheltering in place, many youth are now finding themselves with a surplus of extra time on their hands. While video games and sleeping in until noon can be a welcome break for a few days, it’s easy to begin going stir crazy. The most important thing we’ve found to combat quarantine boredom has been keeping up a schedule.  We’ll walk through some of the things that have filled our schedule the past couple of weeks!

Wake up call

With no more morning classes, it can be easy to slip into the habit of oversleeping into the afternoon. However, it’s very important to maintain your sleep schedule, and thus proper sleep hygiene. You may not need to be up at 6am anymore, but try to set yourself a goal wake-up time and stick to it. The same goes for your bedtime routine; pick a time and stick to it!

Set some goals

You’re up now, what next? Schedule some time for activities each day, varying up productive goals with entertainment and free time. 

Exercise! 

Whether it’s following along with an at-home workout on YouTube or going for a walk/run through the neighbourhood, be sure to give yourself some time to stay active and get your heart rate going!

Clean! 

Spring is here and along with that comes spring-cleaning. Your goal could be anywhere from having all the dishes washed directly after super, to making a deep clean to do list and setting aside an hour or two each day to tackle one of the items. From washing the baseboards to scrubbing the tub, there’s lots to be cleaned around the house!

Build your resume! 

We recognize that many employers are not hiring right now (but here at Royal City Soccer Club we are still are hiring!) , however you never know what opportunities are out there if you’re not looking. If you can’t find any new postings one day, why not try working on an employable skill? Watch a webinar about using Excel, work through some exercises on your favourite free language learning app.

Have some fun

Don’t schedule your whole day full of chores and work, otherwise you’ll quickly lose motivation and burn out. Set realistic goals, and be sure to pepper in plenty of time for fun and recreation throughout the day.

Play some games! 

If you’re back home with your family for the summer, now’s the perfect time to implement game nights. Break out your deck of cards and monopoly board and have some fun! If you’re not sheltering with other people, try playing games online. There are plenty of multiplayer games online, or set up a video chat with your friends and family and play with them virtually!

Do some arts and crafts! 

This is the time to start exploring your creative side and knocking out some of those projects you have pinned to your Pinterest board. Pick up a hobby, be it painting, macramé, knitting, etc. and explore your creative side. There are plenty of blogs and Youtube videos out there for anyone looking to pick up a new crafty hobby!

Enjoy the outdoors (safely)! 

With this tip it’s important to consider physical distancing, but there’s still some ways you can enjoy the outdoors. Spring is here in full swing, and as it gets warmer it’s a perfect time to begin clearing out your gardens and prepping them for your May plantings. It’s also a great time to break out your sports equipment and start practicing at home in your own backyard. Pump up your soccer balls or strap on your roller blades! 

 

Your schedule is completely up to you! Some people will want a jammed-packed day with no free time. Others may want a morning routine to get them started, and trust that the rest of the day will sort itself out. Just be sure to treat yourself kindly through these times, and know that we will get through this. 

The most important thing to remember through these times is that we are all in it together. It’s been amazing watching our communities come together while staying distanced and seeing Canada as a whole pull together to support each other.

Stay safe and stay home!

-RCSC