Life at the Bay

Having turned the dream of creating a ‘children’s paradise’ into a successfully running business, Sugar Bay’s Founding Director, Zoë Ellender, shares why the benefits of American summer camps inspired her to start her very own camp in South Africa. “As a child, I was given a lot of opportunities to go on holiday which didn’t require spending a lot of money. We would go to our grandparents on a little farm in the Free State, in Clocolan, which is along the Lesotho border. I would be surrounded by my older cousins who were great role models and we would be busy from sunrise to sunset; climbing mountains, building forts, jumping off cliffs and just going on escapades. When I began soul searching after realizing I was unhappy in my legal career, I cast my thoughts back to these moments in my life when I was happiest. I began recapturing my youth and parts of these holiday experiences. This is how my love for camp began, in a healthy environment, without any distractions, ...

  The way in which you say goodbye to your kids before a new experience can either encourage them or incite panic and despair. For children, a new experience can be scary and they depend on the support from their parents in order to respond to this experience positively.   Here are some Dos and Don’ts for certain first-time-experiences:    Saying goodbye at school for the first time:   Watching your little one walk away from the car into the school gates for the first time is often a very stressful experience for parents. However, it is much more challenging for your child, be it the first day of primary school, high school or college. DO encourage your child and speak about how exciting this new experience will be. Focus on the opportunities it will offer and the positive things to look forward to in the day. The trick is to be more excited than your child, and your excitement will surely rub off on him or her. DON’T think of all the ...

Sugar Bay Resort is a holiday camp for kids and teens located on the Dolphin Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The camp has been running for the past sixteen years and has improved with every passing year.   We recently spoke with Sugar Bay’s camp director, Zoe Ellender, to find out how she envisioned the summer camp concept and in turn, created the exceptional camp.    Ellender shared that it all began with her unhappiness practicing as an attorney. She disliked the unhappy environment where the more miserable clients were, the more money you made. She engaged in some deep soul searching after her realization that her career was too negative for her, and, with the aid of a life coach, was lead into discovering what her passions were. “I love the beach, I love children, I love the sun and hate England, events management, sports, especially ocean sports, teaching, and planning and going on holiday” , she said as her face lit up with glee.    “When I discovered m...

Camp and school are very similar in that both are learning environments for children. However, the differences between the academic and experiential learning context explains why many children not only prefer camp, but also why they gain more personal growth in the camp environment. Here are 8 differences between camp & school: 1. Experiential learning method Learning is practiced on a daily basis at both camp and school. While school is more about textbook learning and studying for exams, camp promotes learning via experiential education. At camp, children get to physically participate in an activity and attain a skill from it. This method of learning seems to be what many children prefer. 2. Informal atmosphere School provides a formal environment, which children may find intimidating and conformist. Camp, on the other hand, is a very casual environment which allows kids to learn while still having fun and without too much restriction. The quote, “What we...

The current health of our planet is a great concern. Everyone, from international organizations to typical families has been urged to practice living in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. “Going Green” is a fairly new practice for many households. However, at Sugar Bay Resort, a holiday camp for kids and teens, children are taught how to live Eco-friendly lifestyles and appreciate the environment on a daily basis.    Here are 5 ways in which children are taught to appreciate nature and the environment at camp: 1. Recycling Sugar Bay has separate bins placed at camp especially for recycling; one for paper, one for plastic and one for metal. On arrival, campers are shown where these bins are located and briefed on the importance of recycling at camp, and in our everyday lives. Food never goes to waste at the camp, as all leftovers are collected and delivered to the pig farm after every meal. Recycling is also integrated into the camp’s offices, where th...

In recent times, we often forget about spending time away from the screens and technology because we are convinced that our lives are to be lived within these devices and online social media platforms.    However, it is important to take some me-time away from technology every now and then, and if you aren’t doing this with us here at Sugar Bay camp, then here are some relaxing, technology free activities that you can indulge in some evenings to calm you down before bedtime and bring you back down to earth. Here are 6 ways to reconnect with yourself without technology: 1. Reading   Make a list of your favourite sequels that you have been meaning to read for eons but never really got the chance to. Go to the library, borrow these books knowing that you have a deadline to fulfil. Then, sit down and get engrossed in the pages of a good old book. 2. Writing    We’re not advising writing a book, but just little, effortless pieces ...

Hi everyone! So this week we are celebrating Rio and the world cup! It's soccer fever here at the bay. The teams started practicing early for some full on soccer action. Everyone loves playing penalty shoot-out on the beach! My personal favorite part was everyone making their very own mini stadiums on the beach. Great work guys! Until next time. Keep on smiling. Taz

Summer camps provide much more than just plain entertainment to kids. Kids not only have great fun but also learn many things that they don’t get to in their schools and homes. Camp can offer a variety of learning activities that bring positive changes in the personality of the children. Counselors make sure that the kids are rewarded for their achievements so that it encourages kids to do even better. Kids learn to be independent, explore out of their comfort zone and many by the end of camp have come out of their shell of shyness and nervousness. Summer camps enhance the self esteem of children and they return to school more confident and ready to face the new term head on. Camp hones their talents and skills, helping them to recognise their strength and teaches them how to overcome their weaknesses. They learn to share their things with others and develop new relationships with other children. The child becomes more social and adaptable and this is a must to succeed in the...