Kids' camps cool summer stress

One of these camps was initiated by the Shanghai Committee of Chinese Communist Youth League and the Shanghai Education Commission.

Organized by local governments, with volunteers playing a key part taking care of children, the program runs from July to August and is filled with learning activities that keep children occupied throughout the week.

Yu Xinlan, a 7-year-old who is currently in Grade 1, says that she is glad her parents sent her to summer camp.

"I used to spend my summer with my grandparents. All I did was draw pictures, watch cartoons and make paper origami," says Yu.

"My grandparents had their own things to do at home and barely played with me, so it was very boring.

"Now, I have friends of the same age and volunteers who will play with me every weekday. The volunteers can also help when I have questions about my homework."

According to the camp organizers, 556 child care camps are available in the metropolis this summer, a 10 percent increase from last year.

Primary school students from 100,000 families have benefited from the service over the past six years.

"We hope to relieve the pressure of child care for working parents in the summer and provide a safe, fun and supervised summertime where the children can thrive," says Li Zhuo, head of the summer vacation child care program at the Shanghai Committee of Chinese Communist Youth League.

Affordability is also a priority of the program.

The camp charges 800 yuan ($113.3) per month for each child and this fee covers meals, personal insurance and other related services.

Similar camps run by private companies would cost several times that amount.

The only thing parents need to worry about is securing a spot at a camp that is near to their home as each camp has no more than 50 slots.

Applications can be made at the camp itself or through Youth Shanghai's WeChat account.