OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE
How far should we push kids in a camp environment?
When it comes to school camps, kids can present a range of attitudes, all of which need to be managed to ensure a great camping experience is enjoyed by everyone. Some can’t wait to board the bus, barely throwing a backward glance at Mum or Dad as they scramble for a good seat. They approach new adventures with enthusiasm and happily bunk down each night in whatever accommodation is on offer. On the other side of the coin are the children for whom leaving the familiar environment of school and home is a major challenge. Camps can either confirm their worst fears or extend their horizons, depending on the experiences they have and a supportive camp environment will often bring out the best in a shy child.
Camping is usually synonymous with physical, outdoor activities, a bonus for confident, active kids but these can strike fear into the heart of a more timid child. Time to observe activities from a safe distance can be enough to get some children over this hurdle, as they can usually ascertain for themselves, based on watching peers’ performances, whether they could manage the task. Although some encouragement is a good idea, camp supervisors must be careful not to push an unsure child into a physical activity, as a mishap is even more likely if their confidence is low. Most structured camp environments can offer the choice of performing a task at a range of skill levels. This allows confident kids the challenges they need whilst less bold campers can still participate. The physical appearance of a child may not be a good indicator of how they will approach outdoor challenges and each child must be assessed on their personal response to an activity and guided as sensitively as possible to an outcome they are happy with, bearing in mind that this may be doing nothing or even removing themselves from the activity altogether.
Most parents know that routine is something children crave to feel secure. A camp is, by definition, a major change to their normal routine and as such, can be a very scary prospect for some kids. Parents of younger children embarking on their first camp can help by outlining any important aspects of their child’s routine, especially elements involving going to sleep, to the teacher in the notices prior to the camp. Naturally, for a confident child a camp can be the catalyst for letting go of some of their younger habits and growing into a more independent phase, but if a child is not ready to do this, then a supportive camp experience that will at least encourage them to go on future camps is the best possible outcome.
Strange food can also be a frightening challenge for younger children and although most organised camps will try to steer a middle course when it comes to menus, if a child has never tasted the meal on offer, it can be confronting. Peer pressure can assist with encouraging children to try new flavours, but supervisors should be attentive to children who appear disinterested in the food, as young children will quickly lose energy and become emotional if they are not eating regularly. Plenty of fresh fruit is usually a winner with children with the occasional ‘treat’ in the form of a biscuit or piece of cake usually a welcome energy boost. Any know allergies must be ascertained prior to the camp, but this may not fully cover areas of dislike and within reason, supervisors should try to be sensitive to a clearly articulated food dislike.
When all the excitement of the day is over and it is time to retire to the bunks, even the boldest child can have a moment of despair as they realise that Mum or Dad will not be coming to tuck them in and give them their goodnight kiss. After a little settling in time, any child that is showing signs of genuine distress may need the personal attention of a camp helper to get off to sleep and avoid unnecessary disruption to other children sharing the room. For very timid children, their first camp experience may need to involve a parent coming to stay over for the night.
A teacher will usually have a good idea of what each child in their class is capable of achieving and sometimes it is not the child who is experiencing difficulties with separating, but the parent. In this case, a reassuring chat with the parent about the care levels at the camp and how they can get in contact if they are concerned about how their child is faring is enough to smooth the way forward for a happy camp experience all round.
