Beijing may be closer to outer space than it is to the sea, but the chance to sail a boat lies just at the end of subway line 15 for adventurous kids.

Beijing Sailing Center’s Shunyi site offers summer camps, where in just two days campers can be sailing a dinghy on their own. And the adventure doesn’t stop there, as we found out when we talked to Georgina Willis, Senior Instructor at the Center.

“Once the kids have learnt how to sail they have the opportunity to learn how to race in toppers, which is a type of boat used in many centres all round the world. The national events are across China and the top sailors from each club the get to go to the Topper World Championship which happens in different places every year, so this year the race is happening in France and last year the Race was in Northern Ireland.”

Willis herself learned to sail at a young age.

“I grew up on the coast of Scotland,” she told us. “Our back garden was the beach! Dad sailed, so I started sailing when I was seven or eight. I was an instructor at 14, and a senior instructor at 18. It was just a natural progression to move on from learning to teaching.”

And she sees real benefits for the children she teaches.

“It improves their confidence. They’re away from their parents, out of their comfort zone, learning a completely new skill. They usually go out in pairs at first, they have to make friends and learn about teamwork.

“Last year there was one young girl who refused to go out [in a boat] without her sister! Her sister was on the Level 2 course though so she couldn’t go with her. By the end of the camp the girl was not only sailing on her own, but came second in the beginners’ regatta!”

We asked what kids can expect if they attend the sailing camp.

“On the first morning we show them round and get them kitted out with all the safety equipment, then we get them out on the water straight away, and start building their confidence.

“The beginners’ course is two days, so in a five-day camp they also have time for kayaking, windsurfing, paddleboarding, and playing games.”

The camp is suitable for a wide range of ages, Willis told us.

“At our larger base at Beidahe [on the coast] the camp is for 8 to 14-year-olds. They stay in a hotel, and there are camp counselors to look after them. At Aofan it’s less windy, so it’s suitable for 6 years up. The children can stay at a hotel, or come from home every day – it’s only an hour from the center of Beijing on the subway.”

Understandably some kids come back year after year, developing their sailing skills.

“Last year we had fifteen or twenty returners at each camp, doing their Level 2 or Bronze, Silver or Gold course. Some of them are coming for their fourth or fifth year!”

The summer camps start from RMB 5,500 to RMB 7,500 for one week depending on the camp dates. To find out more visit www.beijingsailing.com.

This post is sponsored by BSC

Photos courtesy of BSC

For our new column, Ask an Educator, we turn to educators, whether teachers, tutors, or principals, to answer frequently asked questions from parents. To send in your question, email jessicasuotmaa@beijing-kids.com.

This week, our question is:
“Why should children learn how to sail? What other skills can they develop?”

Answering for us is Georgina Willis, Chief Instructor at Beijing Sailing Centre (BSC) who has been sailing ever since she was 7 years old.

Sailing is a fantastic sport which helps develop important skills for any age group. I got into sailing as a child, continued in my teenage years, and it boosted my confidence massively by encouraging me to help other children learn as well! The boost in confidence really helps kids meet new people and make new friends as sailing is a physical sport that requires interaction. As a sport, sailing has its own community and a friendly atmosphere due to other sailors always being around to offer help and advice when needed.

Sailing is a skill in itself, but as you learn and improve in sailing, it does teach you many other skills, such as team leadership, as when you’re in charge of your own boat, you need to ensure that everyone on board is correctly completing their respective jobs. They will also learn communication while working with others on board the boat. Clear communication ensures that the boat sails as efficiently as possible, and also allows for gaining water confidence by spending loads of time on and in the water.

Sailing is a growing sport which is already popular worldwide, with many more learning the sport each year. It’s a great way to travel and see the world while learning about new cultures. There’s no downside to learning how to sail, as it can be a hobby, a relaxing time away from school, or even a future career!

Photo: courtesy of Beijing Sailing Centre

Teenagers are difficult to place for the summer outside travel plans since all they probably want to do is spend time with their friends (who are either traveling or visiting home), or remain glued to their computer/game console/mobile device/social media.  What they should be doing is reading to prevent summer brain drain, but that can get boring, so we’ve rounded up a number of Beijing summer camps for you to sign up your teen!

The camps are all for kids between age 13-19, or grades 7-12.  We begin with enhancement (to prevent summer brain drain and perhaps return to school more knowledgeable than before), then move on to enrichment (where the real juice is), and finish up with sports (to get them moving).

Enhancement

CISB Scholastic Assessment Test/SAT, Jul 18-Aug 5
Grades 9-11. The Canadian International School of Beijing’s SAT course trains prospective SAT testers in vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, and mathematics for an improved result.

• Registration deadline May 27. Discounts for CISB, ISNS, CCSC students. Fee includes tuition, materials, snacks, and lunches (possible transportation). For more details, contact: summeradmissions@cis-beijing.com.

CISB Intensive English Course, Jul 18-Aug 5
Grades 6-8. The Canadian International School of Beijing’s Intensive English Course is meant for SAT applicants to hone their foundational English skills and writing skills. The course will focus on sentence structure, grammar, vocabulary, strategic reading, and creative writing.

• Registration deadline May 27. Discounts for CISB, ISNS, CCSC students. Fee includes tuition, materials, snacks, and lunches (possible transportation). For more details, contact: summeradmissions@cis-beijing.com.

Keystone Summer Archway English Immersion, Jul 11-29
Grades 6-10. The English Immersion programme at Keystone Academy is designed for non-native English speaking students interested or currently enrolled in a local private school, or going abroad. They will learn how to perform at a high level in an international or American-style independent school learning environment. During this three-week programme, students will develop a strong proficiency in their academic English ability, while also honing their study skills and being introduced to many key concepts in the arts, sciences, and humanities. By participating in activity-based learning opportunities both in and outside the classroom, students will be well prepared for Keystone Academy and its peer institutions, and also develop and strengthen a genuine interest in learning as a personal quality.

• Registration deadline May 10. RMB 15,900. Contact: (5825 6008)

Harrow Beijing’s Summer School, Jul 26-Aug 5
Ages 13-15. Harrow Beijing’s inaugural summer program last two weeks at a time, providing outside students an opportunity to experience international school education.  The program is designed to improve students’ language proficiency, understand Harrow Beijing’s expectations and provide project-based learning experiences to students.

• RMB 14,000 (lunch included). Assessment required (RMB 50). Contact: harrowsaturdays@harrowbeijing.cn (6444 8900 6851)

Global P.R.E.P Boarding School Transition, Jul 10-16
Grades 6-9. Global P.R.E.P. is run by Metta Dael, international Admissions Director from Northfield Mount Hermon, and Martha Neubert, a Northfield Mount Hermon humanities teacher. This programme is designed to help new international students prepare for their boarding school experience through cross-cultural understanding and special academy programmes. It is open to students who have already received acceptances to boarding schools and who are focused on preparing as well as possible, socially and academically.

• Registration deadline May 15.  RMB 10,500 with 50% deposit.  Contact registration@hyde-education.com (8046 3886).

Enrichment

Chinese Cultural Summer Camps, Jun 20-24, Jun 27-Jul 1, Jul 4-8
Ages 6-14, China Culture Center hosts a five day bilingual summer camp with both indoor hands-on activities and outdoor tours exploring Beijing and its authentic Chinese culture.

• RMB 3,200 per child (5 days).  For more information, contact info@chinaculturecenter.org (6432 9341).

That’s Mandarin! Chinese Summer Camp, Jun 13-26, Jun 27-Jul 10, Jul 11-24, Jul 25-Aug 7, Aug 8-21
Ages 5-17. That’s Mandarin offers several different camp options to suit any family!  There are morning camps, day camps, and full day camps.  For older children, there are also homestay camps, and if you’d like in on the fun—family camps! Camps can be two week long or four week long. The full-length program includes intensive Chinese classes with cartoon class, reading and writing, and topic based oral lessons.  Each week has three days of cultural activities, including traditional Chinese calligraphy, opera mask painting, cooking classes, Chinese knot making, and mahjong. Fieldtrips and excursions are also available for Beijing, such as the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Confucius Temple, and Beihai Park.

• For Beijing camps, contact: info@thatsmandarin.com (5218 6432). For the Shanghai camps, contact: info.shanghai@thatsmandarin.com (6452 0017).

Keystone Academy’s Marine Science STEAM Program, Jul 18-29
Grades 3-7. The Marine Science STEAM Program for summer students is a small step that combines the school’s missions of promoting environmental stewardship and thoughtful bilingual immersion education. Students’ learning in the program will be inquiry-based: they will work with our teachers to observe closely, ask good questions, investigate actively, and find answers to their own questions–all in the context of studying ocean life in both Chinese and English. Students will be challenged to examine the connections between human life and millions of lives in the ocean. In doing so, they will achieve an understanding of the importance of environmental conservation.

• Registration deadline May 1. RMB 10,900. Contact: complete application at keystoneacademy.cn

Harrow Beijing’s English and Drama Summer Camp, Jun 26-Aug 5
Ages 13-15. Harrow Beijing’s two week summer camp will give children a taste of the international school experience with the aim of improving students’ language proficiency. The aim of this program is to encourage students to improve their language competency and take part in a drama performance. All teachers in this program are experienced Harrow International School Beijing teachers. They will use the Cambridge University English framework to help improve each student’s English level as they participate in drama activities.

• Registration deadline April 30.  RMB 14,000. Contact: harrowsaturdays@harrowbeijing.cn (6444 8900 6851).

DDC Talented Youth Program – MIT STEM, Jun 27-Aug 5
Grades 4-7. DDC Education Centre offers a tailored educational program dedicated to the development of highly talented children. With award-winning teams of instructors from the United States, it offers systematic STEAM courses to students aged between 7 and 14. Courses include web design, 3D printing and computer programming. They give priority to the development of students’ science spirit and comprehensive ability, and emphasize the mixture of social value, humanities and the arts, Information Technology & STEAM.

• Registration deadline August 1.  RMB 5,800 per week. Contact: contact@dd-learning.com (8049 0079).

DDC Talented Youth Program – US STEAM Summer Camp, Jun 27-Aug 5
Grades 5-8.
DDC Education Centre invites you to have a touch of the prestigious US STEAM summer camp at British School of Beijing Shunyi! Whether you want to know how to become a doctor, how to create water on Mars… you’ll learn how through the various projects in this camp.

• Registration deadline August 1.  RMB 5,800 per week. Contact: contact@dd-learning.com (8049 0079).

DDC Ocean Exploration Camp, Jun 20-Aug 26
Grades 2-7. DDC Ocean Exploration Camp is led by ocean experts from New England Aquarium USA.

• RMB 5,800.  Hosted at the Beijing Aquarium. Contact: dd-learning.com (8049 0079).

DDC Integrated Art Summer Camp, Jun 20-Jul 1, Jul 11-Jul 22
Grades 2-7. A joint effort between DDC and educational experts from the US, Integrated Art summer camp is an organic and evolving approach to teaching by integrating music, language, and visual arts.  It builds communication, problem solving, collaboration, shared experiences, and allows the student to actively ponder and experiment to display comprehension employing a variety of art forms.  Students will awaken their critical eye and develop ownership of thought and creativity with evidential reasoning via hands on and minds on learning.

• RMB 5,800. Contact: contact@dd-learning.com (8049 0079).

Beijing Playhouse Summer Theater Camps, Jun 27-Aug 6
Ages 6-14. At Beijing Playhouse’s two-week long summer camps, children will get to perform Peter Pan, Aladdin, and Rapunzel with acting, song, and dance. Aspiring actors, singers, dancers, and musicians are all welcome. Some English proficiency is required. All who audition will be cast. Parents are invited to the final performance.

• Audition dates May 7, May 21, June 4. RMB 8,000. Contact: broadway@beijingplayhouse.com.

Hyde Education Summer Enrichment Program, Jul 11-Aug 12
Grades 1-9. Hyde Academy has scheduled a series of fun, hands on, academic summer enrichment programs in math, science, language arts, and humanities for students in grades 1- 9. Take a tour of the universe from the inside out with our exciting introductory physics course.  Use math to explore the world around us through a variety of inquiry-based problems and projects. Fancy yourself as the next Sherlock Holmes? Sign up for our Crime Scene Investigation program.  Other course titles include: Public Speaking, Archaeology, Geography: Mapping our World, and Vocabulary and the Art of Writing.

• RMB 2,250 (half day), RMB 4,275 (full day) per week. Contact registration@hyde-education.com (8046-3886).

Sports

BSC Sailing Camps, Jun 12-Aug 26
Ages 8-16. Beijing Sailing Center will be hosting single and double week sailing classes.  The program provides an adventurous, intellectual and educational experience, while honing your child’s leadership and communication skills.  Last summer they hosted over 500 children and their parents coming. The center is both convenient to Beijing (a 2 hour train ride trip) and all the accommodation, transportation, a meal, activities, chaperones, and entertainments are covered.

• RMB 13,400 (2 weeks), RMB 6,700 (1 week). Contact: sailing@beijingsailing.com (400 180 0107).

DCB Sports and Fun Summer Camps, Jun 20-Aug 5
Ages 4-15 Dulwich Community Programs (DCP) will host football, tennis, swimming and non-sports camps throughout the summer in collaboration with Rising Stars Tennis Academy, Firepower Swimming Club, and Beijing Kickers.

• Registration deadline June 15. RMB 1,500-3,000 per week. Contact DCP: dcp@dulwich-beijing.cn (6454 9150, 6454 9019).

O’le Climbing Summer Camp, Jun 20-24, Jul 4-8, Aug 1-5, 8-12, 15-18
Ages 15-19. O’le Climbing will be offering indoor and outdoor adventure summer camps for students during the summer holiday. Various activities are ready for this summer from indoor rock climbing to outdoor camping trip, all activities lead by professional and qualified instructors.

• RMB 4,500 (includes equipment and admission, transportation, food for two camp days). Contact: oleclimbing@gmail.com (150 0137 1016).

Sports Beijing ISB Dome Summer Camp, Jun 13-Jul 22Ages 5-16. Sports Beijing will be offering a wide variety of full-day activities and half-day activities both in the morning and afternoon!  The morning sports will include basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and tennis, and the afternoon activities will include a multi-sport program and tennis. The multisport afternoon will offer many fun activities for the kids, like kickball, dodge ball, juggling, and much more. This is a time to let loose, compete, and learn new things.

• RMB 2,600 half day per week (includes lunch for full day and t-shirt for half day). Discounts for siblings and additional weeks.

CK Martial Hearts Shaolin Temple Experience, Jul 10-24, Aug 7-Aug 21 Ages 14+ (14-17 when training together with a parent). CK Martial Hearts, in association with Shaolin Temple International Liaisons Office, offers 7 and 14-day programs at Henan’s Shaolin Temple to learn martial arts with genuine Shaolin warrior monks.  The program includes daily taichi and qigong classes, kung fu classes inside the temple, a guided tour of the temple, as well as an optional sightseeing excursion.

• RMB 5,188 (7 days), RMB 8,888 (14 days). Includes transportation to the Shaolin Temple from Beijing, three Chinese meals per day, hostel accommodation, total of 7 hrs of instruction per day, Chinese speaking expat guide, optional sightseeing tour, and a complimentary training outfit.  Contact: train@theshaolintemple.cn

ClubFootball, Jul 5-Aug 24Ages 4.5-16. ClubFootball has been around since 2001, hosting football classes and camps that promote coordination and teamwork. This summer, their coaches will have week long summer classes for players of all skill levels, or minimal three-day intensive workshops, depending on your child’s schedule.

• RMB 800-1,500/week. Camps will be held in Chaoyang Park, Olympic Forest Park, Zhongguancun, Wangjing, Lido and Shunyi (contact coaching@wanguoqunxing.com, 5130 6893)

Photo: Pixabay, and courtesy of Beijing Playhouse, BSC Sailing Camps, CISB, China Culture Center, DCB, DDC, Harrow Beijing, Hyde Education, ISB, Keystone, O’le Climbing Summer Camp, CK Martial Hearts, and That’s Mandarin!