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Guard Up is Closed: 5/28

Guard Up will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 28th

Westford Apple Blossom Parade

Guard Up - Westford Apple Blossom Parade at 5/19 Saturday, 8am-12noon: We are looking for volunteers to help out at the Apple Blossom Parade in Westford, May 19th at 8:00 AM. You are welcome to come in costume or with kendo or fencing gear. Please do not bring any weapons to the parade. Please call (781) 270-4800 or come in to register with us for the parade so we know who will be helping. We are looking forward to an enthusiastic turn out to represent every aspect of the company!

 



Dungeons & Dragons Night

Haunted House Part Two at 5/18 Friday, 7-9pm: Now that the heroes know what they are up against, the only thing left to do is defeat the monster… and escape…with their lives. Can our heroes make it out alive or will they become the new residents in the Haunted House? Bring your dice and your friends to this adventure. If you would like to prepare a character in advance, create any 4th edition  D&D  character level 9 or 10. We have plenty of characters if you don’t have one.

This event is intended for ages 6 and up. $20/person.

First event is free – call for details. Pre-registration required.

More information at www.guardup.net or call (781) 270-4800


5/18 NERF Night

Fish in a Barrel at 5/18 Friday, 7-9pm: We are rounding up the world’s greatest blaster users and putting them in a stadium to battle for fun. Have you been called? If you think you have what it takes, we want to see you at this “battle royale”. Will you be blasted away or can you and some teammates make everyone else feel like fish in a barrel? Join us for some friendly NERF blasting. Bring your blasters (or use ours) and your friends!

This event is intended for ages 8 and up. $20/person.

First event is free – call for details. Pre-registration required.

More information at www.guardup.net or call (781) 270-4800

2012 Summer Fencing Camp

fencing_tournament

Whether you are an expert fencer or you’ve never picked up a foil, you are invited to our week-long Fencing Camp! Learn the basics, or if you’re already experienced, enjoy bouts with other practiced fencers. The Fencing Camp week will end with a tournament to test your skill and all that you’ve learned.

Fencing gear of all sizes is available for you to use, or bring your own. This day camp is designed for children and teens ages 6-10 and 11-16. The 2012 Guard Up! Fencing Camp runs from August 20-24th.  Each day runs from 9-3pm and is $295 for the entire week.  Optional extended day is from 8am-6pm.

Try a free introductory Fencing lesson today with one of our instructors before deciding:

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Things for Kids to Do at Guard Up

Check out our page on Things for Kids to Do at Guard Up!  Here, you will find a list of to help those of you on a quest to find things for kids to do in the Burlington, MA area.

Maria Graffeo – Pustizzi

I searched high and low for a good program that will be of interest to my children. [Guard Up is] a great program to help children enhance many skills such as fine gross motor and motor skills, eye and hand coordination, increasing confidence, self-esteem and communication skills. This program enables them to work in teams to be better team players and to learn about negotiating as well.  Above all, it is such great exercise for the children and they are making friends and having great fun.  It gives each and every child a sense of belonging and makes them feel happy.  What perfect opportunity for them to go to Guard Up where children can enjoy being in an environment that is stimulating and empowering with trusted supervision from competent staff members. A program such as this helps to shape children in a positive way that is beneficial to every child. A big thank you to all the staff for being most professional, most patient and most kind.  We will see you soon once we get settled.  Thank you again for sharing this with us and for making my family be a part of this. Our boys love Guard Up! Kudos to a great job at Guard Up!

Respectfully,

Maria Graffeo – Pustizzi

Wizards & Warriors Camp in Wired Magazine Online!

Check out the story about our Summer Camp on Wired.com:

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/01/monster-camps/

 

 

Star Wars Birthday Party

Do we offer a “Star Wars Birthday Party”?

We have foam swords (light sabers), NERF Blasters, costumes and stories to fit the world of George Lucas.  But the truth of the matter is that only a company that owns the rights to use the term can run an actual Star Wars Birthday Party.

We do our best to accommodate you or your child’s passion for the realm of Lucas – and the party boy or party girl can refer to our characters and world in any manner they wish.  We just can’t promote the party as something that is endorsed by Lucas Arts.

We hope you will consider our events and parties and join us for an adventure from long, long ago and far, far away.

For more information on our own version of a Star Wars Birthday Party:

http://guardup.com/sword-nerf-birthday-parties-events/

The Science of Play Part 2

The Science of Play Part 2   

(part 1 and other articles can be found at our Sword Classes Blog)

In my last article, I started an overview of the Dr. Stuart Brown’s book Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul.  I consider this book to be one of my top picks for parents, educators and any adult who plays a mentoring role in the life of a child.

I will continue my review of the book along with some personal input regarding the importance of play in the lives of children, teens and adults.
In the chapter called “Playing Together”, Dr. Brown makes a fascinating discovery during his interview with a fifty year old woman about how she used to play with Barbie Dolls when she was nine years old and how it foreshadowed her (and her friend’s) relationships later in life.
The woman explained that when she and her friend dug the Barbies out of storage, they talked about how they played with them.  Her preferred pretend style was the “damsel in distress” as a means to attract men. Her friend’s style was more of a hipster who smoked cigarettes and wore Ken’s shirts.
Today, upon reflection, the woman realized that after her own 3 marriages and her friend always being with a guy but never being married, that their play style seemed to foreshadow their lives.  As well, neither of them was into playing with baby dolls… which was interesting in that both women never had children.
After I read this, I couldn’t help but recall my own childhood play habits.  At the age of nine, I never played with Barbie Dolls.  My preference, by far, was small action figures called “Adventure People”.  I loved Adventure People because they always came with really cool safari jeeps, scuba gear, rock climbing and outdoor adventure equipment.
Go figure, I went on to become an underwater videographer for awhile and I met my husband in Rock Climbing School.  Our honeymoon was spent camping, hiking and whitewater rafting.  After our 20thanniversary, we went dog sledding and snowmobiling.  Our play as adults is simply an actual version of our youthful pretend.
Take a moment to think back on your own childhood style of play.  Did your play theme foreshadow your current life?

What do you do now that can be considered “play”?  It doesn’t have to fit the common notion of play… serious hobbies and competitive sports can be play time for adults.  If you are fortunate, some part of your work can also be considered play.  At Guard Up, the majority of our business involves dressing up in costumes, playing characters or monsters, and making up stories.  Yes, there is still the business part of it… but every person who wants to has a chance to play.

In his book, Dr. Brown quotes Isaac Asimov: “The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…’”
He provides an excellent example of William Henry Perkin, who was trying to synthesize quinine back in 1856 and ended up with a sticky, black mess.  However, William was also an artist and tried thinning the substance with alcohol out of curiosity.  He ended up creating the first purple chemical dye and making purple cloth (heretofore, very rare and expensive) quite affordable.
You can imagine this young man (only 18 years old at the time), examining this sticky, black mess and taking a moment to dilute it to get a better look at it.  At some point, he likely uttered the words “That’s funny…” and his play became an invention that ushered in the “mauve decade” in the 1890s.
Dr. Brown also shares an idea that touches upon a concept elaborated upon by Joseph Campbell in The Power of Myth. Literature and mythology is filled with stories of the hero who must break away from the trodden path and take a lonely, perilous journey that culminates in a great struggle.  The ending often entails the triumphant hero returning to his or her home, stronger and wiser, and bearing something of benefit to the community.
Playing pretend gives children the chance to envision themselves as that hero… to imagine the challenges, the loneliness and the struggle – and to persevere through what lies before them.  It serves as the infrastructure for their own life story… where they come to realize, to paraphrase Ralf Waldo Emerson, that what lies inside them is greater than what lies before or behind them.
Play time is the first activity to get sacrificed when parents feel that their children are not developing the skills necessary for college admission or a career that can pay the bills.  Unfortunately, it is play time that is largely responsible for the development of our creativity and the inspiration for our desire to discover. It is also the “testing grounds” for the formation of our relationships as well as the foundation of our self image later in life.

Watch a child play… get down on the floor, at their level, and immerse yourself within their story.  You may learn more about who this child is… and who they will be… than any school report card can tell you.

Meghan Gardner
Guard Up! After School Program
www.MassachusettsAfterSchool.com

For more articles, visit our Sword Classes Blog

 

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