The camp experience is recognized by child development professionals as extremely valuable in helping children mature socially, emotionally, intellectually, morally and physically. And it helps grieving children to heal. According to the American Camp Association:
In (the camp community), children interact with positive role models who have time to listen, talk, relax, and reflect. They learn to work together, make choices, take responsibility, develop creative skills, build independence and self-reliance, and gain confidence. All are necessary steps on a child’s path to a healthy, productive life.
For Wildflower campers, camp also offers a place to “feel normal” without the constant reminder of their loss. With a safe and secure summer, free to be who they want, and with the skills gained by being a camper, children are able to approach the school year refreshed and ready to learn, greatly increasing their odds of success in the academic realm. The funding of these camp and enrichment opportunities are often an impossibility for families living on a single wage.
Summer camp offers children experiences that are hard to capture at home, such as mentoring by counselors, new friendships, the soothing qualities of nature and play, instruction in sports and the arts, and a place to feel like a kid again. These special times for grieving children also provide a much-needed respite for the parent, including time to care for themselves while stepping away from the often overwhelming pace of life and the responsibilities of caring for children while grieving.
Even a short break during the busy summer months gives parents a chance to recharge and refocus on providing stability to the family. While children are at summer camps, their parents often use the time to process their own grief and take advantage of the time for respite or personal growth such as engaging in educational opportunities to further their careers and improve their financial security.
Our model for strengthening families is corroborated in a 2015 article published in a Harvard Graduate School of Education paper, “Resilience depends on supportive, responsive relationships and mastering a set of capabilities that can help us respond and adapt to adversity in healthy ways,” says Jack Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard.