Supporting Kids & Teens for Positive School Camp Experiences – A Quick Guide for Parents
School camp is a much-loved adventure for many school aged kids. It’s a time for being with friends, trying different things, learning new skills, and an opportunity for independence of a different type.
For some kids and teens however, school camp comes with worries about being away from their home and caregivers, apprehensions about different types of transport and food, and significant shifts from familiar, day-to-day routines. Camp can also be a worry for parents, particularly for those with children that have health conditions that require medication, and kids with severe allergies, making camp preparation a little more complicated.
At Combined Minds Psychology we support kids and teens to participate in things they are initially unsure about, school camp included. In this quick guide, we share our thoughts on some areas parents might consider in helping their child to prepare for a positive camp experience. The extent of support that will help will vary from child to child, and it might vary for the same child from year to year.
These are our top 10 tips:
Understand the facts. Preparation is key. Engage with your school to clarify what will be happening at camp and when eg itinerary, travel arrangements, sleeping arrangements, meals and activities. Understanding what will be happening forms a useful blueprint for your preparation.
Talk about it early. Speak with your child to check their understanding of what will be happening at camp, and fill in any gaps. The ongoing conversation will help with building familiarity and confidence. This can be as simple as starting a conversation with “I wonder what will happen at camp?”. Weaving into the conversation some discussion about things that might not go to plan is also worthwhile eg possible itinerary or activity changes depending on the weather. This will help neurodivergent children especially with preparing for the possibility of change, and supports coping skills.
Consider possible challenges. Parents know their child better than anyone and will likely have a good read of areas their child might need a little support with. Start a gentle conversation with your child about what’s ahead to get a read of how they’re feeling. Consider whether potential challenges are things that will need to be eliminated, or if it’s feasible for your child to achieve them in part or full with some support.
Explore alternatives or support for bigger challenges. For challenges you anticipate will be trickier, starting a conversation with your school about support and alternatives is the first step. For instance, if travelling on a bus load of excited, exuberant kids is likely to create sensory overwhelm for your child, driving them to camp yourself (if feasible) might be an alternative, and makes for a calmer start to the experience. Or, if staying overnight presents an overwhelming amount of anxiety for your child, staying with them as a parent helper, or participating in daytime activities and returning home for the evening might be a solution that means participation to a level your child is capable of and comfortable with.
Functional practice. Camp often means children doing things they’ve not done before, such as outdoor activities like hiking, or maybe having a sleepover! Where possible, practising in advance builds familiarity and confidence for when camp arrives. This might mean having a sleepover with family or a friend that will be going to camp also, a family camping trip in the backyard, or practice with tasks like rolling up a sleeping bag, tying their own ponytail, or riding a bike. To increase confidence it can also help for children to practice mindfulness or calming techniques whilst they are relaxed, along with agreeing who their go-to person for help will be, and any particular signals or phrases they can use when help is needed.
Consider other sensory challenges. Depending on the time of year your child is attending camp, they might be wearing new or different clothes, perhaps a rain jacket or boots. This might mean selecting and trying new clothes for comfort in advance. Involving your child in choosing their camp clothes or maybe labelling their clothes also creates some excitement about what’s ahead, as well as a sense of accomplishment around being prepared.
Connection & security. A child’s apprehension about being away from home is one of the key challenges families experience with school camp. Small or special objects can help with reminding kids of their secure connections with loved ones when it’s needed at camp. Depending on the age of the child, this might be a toy they take with them, a special t-shirt, or a note from mum or dad that can be carried or read when needed.
Celebrate your child’s strengths & small wins. Recognising the things your child can do, no matter how small, carries real weight when it comes to regulating emotions and building confidence. Be sure to call out and celebrate the small “can dos” and progress gains with preparation before camp, and after.
Give yourself plenty of lead time. Doing all of these things to help your child prepare for camp is great, however if it’s the week before camp, there’s every chance it might become overwhelming. If you anticipate your child will be challenged, start your preparation as early as 6 months in advance. Repetition of messaging and practising functional activities without the pressure of an imminent deadline will help enormously with confidence.
Seek support (you’re not alone). This guide is of course general, and reflects some of the challenges we speak with parents, children and teens about in our practice, and the types of challenges educators who attend camps share with us. Seeking support from your school, your school psychologist or your own family psychologist that is tailored to your family’s unique circumstances can help with the preparation phase. There are many people who want to see your child succeed and enjoy their camp experience (you’re not alone).
If you think a little support would help your child prepare for camp, we’re here to help. Book now