Therapeutic Recreation Support Practice: Children Saving Dormitory Camps

Abstract

Therapeutic recreation is a process that supports individuals with physical, cognitive, emotional, and social limitations to increase their skills, knowledge, and behaviors through participation in recreational activities. This process provides opportunities to engage in recreational activities and is seen as a field that makes the lives of children facing difficulties and limitations meaningful. This research aims to examine the institutional structure of the Children's Saving Dormitory Camps (CSDC), which operated in Istanbul between 1933 and 1938, and to reveal the content of therapeutic recreation practices in organized nature camps. The document analysis technique, a qualitative research data collection method, was used in this study. The data in this study were obtained through text-based documents such as state archives, newspapers, and a comprehensive literature review. According to the research findings, the CSDC, established in 1933, aimed to help street children adapt to social life and become beneficial individuals for society. In this context, vocational and academic education, physical activities, and nature camps were organized for the children. The camps organized within the framework of CSDC included therapeutic recreation practices consisting of various physical activities such as swimming, hiking, and camping to support the rehabilitation process of street children. As a result, the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of street children is supported through camps, physical activities, and therapeutic recreation practices consisting of various games.