One week, children might be trekking through a rainforest adventure. The next, they’re training to be superheroes, traveling around the world, or blasting off at Space Camp. At Summer@Maddux, each week is built around an imaginative theme that sparks curiosity, creativity, and connection, while giving campers countless opportunities to learn through play.
Summer@Maddux is a four-week program for current and incoming students, designed to help children maintain skills, stay engaged, and prepare for the school year ahead. The program reflects The Maddux School’s ongoing commitment to growth that supports families’ evolving needs.
“Summer at Maddux was developed in response to our parent community asking for a safe space where their kids could have fun and maintain their skills during the summer,” says Jenny Engel, Maddux School Director. “So, it’s thoughtfully designed to help them be in a place that doesn’t have the structure of a classroom, necessarily, but allows them to continue to create and explore.”
The Power of Play
At Maddux, play is more than entertainment. It is one of the most effective ways young children build the foundational skills needed for learning, relationships, and independence.
“Play is this really powerful unique opportunity where you get to practice all of the social and emotional skills,” says Lynn Cannon, Social Learning Coordinator. Through play, children learn to set goals, make plans, adapt when things do not go as expected, and manage their emotions while interacting with peers.
Cannon says play often reveals abilities that are harder to see in more structured settings. “During play, we watch our kiddos operate and perform at a level that’s above what we see in their day-to-day functioning in the classroom. It’s just a really rich opportunity for practicing all of the skills.”
With activities and experiences that support a range of strengths, Summer@Maddux is another example of how the Maddux team takes a “whole child” approach to programming. “We’re always thinking about how we can grow in different areas, not just adding grades, but looking at how we are supporting students in new ways,” Engel says.
Watch our video The Power of Play to see how play facilitated by our highly trained team helps students make plans, solve problems, stay flexible, practice conversation skills and more, all while they’re having fun!
