Parent anxiety can limit a parent's willingness to involve their child in out-of-school time experiences such as summer camps. Researchers have studied anxiety within the context of camp, but these studies used narrow frameworks of anxiety. In this exploratory study, we collected open-ended responses about causes of parent anxiety associated with…

Introduction: Children with visual impairments (that is, those who have low vision or blindness) often demonstrate lower levels of perceived and actual motor competence and physical activity compared to peers who are sighted. The purpose of this study was to assess the way in which seven-day sports camps specially designed for children with visual…

This study investigated the influence of gender, age, and camp type on outcome achievements for children (aged 6 to 10) at summer camp. The outcome achievements measured were affinity for exploration, affinity for nature, camp connectedness, friendship skills, independence, perceived competence, problem-solving confidence, responsibility, and…

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of summer camp session context on Russian girls' physical activity (PA). Method: Girls (n = 32, M[subscript age] = 10.7 years, SD = 0.6 years) from a resident summer camp taking place in the Vologda Region of Russia were exposed to 1 session context/day (i.e., free play, organized with no choice,…

Parents and children are rapidly adopting mobile technologies, yet designs for mobile devices that serve a communication function to connect parents to children's out-of-school time activities are limited. As a result, our team designed the Digital Postcard Maker so that children attending summer camps can create digital photographs to send…

Camp provides an opportunity for a child to have fun, learn and grow in a safe, nurturing, and enriching environment. Tucked away in the picturesque Catoctin Mountain Park in Western Maryland, The League for People with Disabilities has run a summer camp program for over 70 years. Camp Greentop, the campground, is part of the national park, built…

Background: Camp experiences contribute to a range of positive developmental youth outcomes, but camp experiences also pose a risk for youth because of potential exposure to injuries and illnesses. The camp community has lacked both a methodology and effective benchmarks for injury and illness monitoring. Furthermore, camp-related policy…

How do young people experience camp, and how might that experience help us expand our understanding of what is possible in non-formal learning environments? In-depth interviews consisting of forced-choice and open-ended questions were conducted with 59 Concordia Language Villages residential camp participants who partake in a linguistically and…

The social meaning of a one-week residential summer sports camp to young people with visual impairments is described. The experiences of 13 youths (7 females and 6 males) with visual impairments (3 B1, 1 B2, and 9 B3) between 9 and 15 years of age were gathered using the phenomenological methods of focus groups, conversational interviews, and…

Anxiety and depressive disorders may pose a long-term, deleterious impact on youth, prompting a need for early and effective prevention of such concerns. A growing body of research has examined universal prevention programs targeting these emotional disorders in childhood. While most universal prevention programs are offered within the school…

This article profiles Camp Barnabas, a non-denominational Christian camp for people with special needs located in southwest Missouri. For one week, campers have every opportunity possible to be a participant in the world around them, not just an observer. The camp's goal is to provide a typical camp experience--bugs, chants, cheers and incredible…

Summer camps provide opportunities for children to experience play, pleasurable activities, and social interaction with other children of similar ages and interests and are an integral part of the modern-day American cultural landscape. The authors discuss the emergence of summer camps for children with special needs, the types of play activities…

More than four million children spent part of summer 1984 at a day or resident camp. The age, interests, and activities enjoyed by the child should be considered when choosing a camp. Advice about finding the right camp from meeting the director to refund policies are discussed. (MT)

Camp Bronco Junction combines physical development, medical self-care knowledge, and fun in its eight-week program for asthmatic youngsters. In this environment, children are able to undertake activities that were formerly thought beyond their physical or emotional capabilities. (CJ)

Describes the four-day resident Mother-Child Camp of the Portland (Oregon) YWCA for mothers and children from the age of two and one-half and up. Outlines purposes, daily schedule, costs, staffing, and indicates special considerations to accommodate needs of young children. (NEC)