By Girija Jhunjhunwala, Director, Campfire Graphic Novel

As summer vacations have started children are now free to have fun, travel and enjoy. There are parents who also choose to send their children to a summer camp to have a unique experience.

Summer camps boast of various activities like sports, art, culture etc. These camps are intended to not only keep a child active during the summer vacations but also provide the child with necessary skills for his/her development. The children get to explore new things. However, the activities at these summer camps may not necessarliy include reading. Now one could argue that the whole idea of vacations is to stay away from books (the child’s argument of course), but as a parent one knows better.

Hence, one should look for camps which also encourage reading and writing so that children don’t lose their focus and practice. The benefits of reading are well known, but I would still like to sum them up: 

• Improves knowledge– Needless to say, reading improves a child’s knowledge. Different kinds of books lead to a broader repertoire.
• Improves comprehension– Children are naturally curious and very smart! They can ask unique questions and interpret the books in their own way.

• Improves memory skills – Books help the child imbibe information. If the books happen to be in an illustrated or a graphic novel format, the child will find it much easier to read and remember.

• Improves self-esteem– Apart from increasing knowledge, it helps a child understand the world a little better and a little differently. This in turn improves the self esteem of the child, making them stronger individuals.

Sometimes, a parent may find it difficult to inculcate the habit of reading in their child. In that case, they can opt for books in a comic format or graphic novels to create an interest. The sequential art alongwith unique storytelling not only makes the reading experience fun, but also very impactful. The child retains more information and it helps expand their imagination. There are so many graphic novels available, in different genres like adaptations of classics, retelling of histories, prominent leaders/heroes, even mythology. Your child will be spoilt for choice.

Introducing graphic novels will not only invoke interest in your child but also subtly impart knowledge. It is a whole new world of different cultures and heritage. And the best part is, the information will stay with the child for a long long time because of the visual references. The visuals in a graphic novel, make more of an impact and the child retains the information longer.

Thus, a summer camp which encourages reading books will prove to be not only fun, but also an enriching experience. They will help teach the child time management, deal with boredom in a much more effective manner and reduce their dependence on gadgets for entertainment, leading to a holistic development of the child.