Summer Camp For Children Research Articles

SOCIAL EDUCATION OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN THE SUMMER CAMPS OF THE USA

Children's health camps are one of the most common forms of summer recreation for children and teenagers. Summer camp is, on the one hand, a form of organizing free time for children of different ages, genders and developmental levels, and on the other hand, it is a space for improving the health and development of a child's artistic, technical, and social creativity. Children's summer camp has its own specificity, which gives it certain advantages over other forms and means of work. The environment of the camp is very different from the usual home or school environment. This is expressed, first of all, in children living together. It is here that children interact more closely with their adult mentors, a "zone of trust" emerges between them more quickly. Thirdly, children participate in a healthier and safer way of life in the natural conditions of the social and natural environment. Fourth, children actively communicate with nature, which contributes to strengthening their health and increasing the level of ecological culture. And, finally, rest, entertainment and hobbies give children the opportunity to restore their physical and mental strength. All this helps to develop new skills, to more fully reveal the potential of one's personality. The stay of problem children prone to deviant behavior in summer camps is of particular importance. They usually feel isolated in the class group, are often brought up in dysfunctional families, and do not have the skills of adequate behavior in society. In the summer camp, special attention is paid to them, they feel like equal members of the team, have the opportunity to do their favorite things and positively express themselves in some type of activity. The USA have long and established traditions. Some of them work only in the summer, others ‒ throughout the year. The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of working with problem children in summer country camps. Theoretical research methods have been used in this study (analysis of scientific sources, systematisation, concretization, comparison, abstraction and generalisation). The results of this investigation give possibility to reveal that appropriate work with problem children is carried out in summer camps, and is aimed not only at their physical improvement, but also moral improvement. As a result, there are positive changes in the intellectual, motivational, emotional, volitional, sphere and self-regulation of the individual. The generalized model of work with problem children in summer camps involves 3 stages: diagnosis of the child's personal development; development of relevant programs for working with children; implementation of programs.

Optimal Sequencing in Single-Player Games

An important problem in single-player video game design is how to sequence game elements within a level (or “chunk”) of the game. Each element has two critical features: a reward (e.g., earning an item or being able to watch a cinematic) and a degree of difficulty (e.g., how much energy or focus is needed to interact with the game element). The latter property is a distinctive feature in video games. Unlike passive services (like a trip to the spa) or passive entertainment (like watching sports or movies), video games often require concerted effort to consume. We study how to sequence game elements to maximize overall experienced utility subject to the dynamics of adaptation to rewards and difficulty and memory decay. We find that the optimal design depends on the relationship between rewards and difficulty, leading to qualitatively different designs. For example, when the proportion of reward-to-difficulty is high, the optimal design mimics that of more passive experiences. By contrast, the optimal design of games with low reward-to-difficulty ratios resembles work-out routines with “warm-ups” and “cool-downs.” Intermediate cases may follow the classical “mini-boss, end-boss” design where difficulty has two peaks. Numerical results reveal optimal designs with “waves” of reward and difficulty with multiple peaks. Level designs with multiple peaks of difficulty are ubiquitous in video games. In summary, this paper provides practical guidance to game designers on how to match the design of single-player games to the relationship between reward and difficulty inherent in their game’s mechanics. Our model also has implications for other interactive services that share similarities with games, such as summer camps for children. This paper was accepted by Jeannette Song, operations management. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Project 72201210] and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [Grant RGPIN-2020-06488]. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4665 .

Summer Camps For Children In Greece

Summer Camps For Children In Greece

Evaluation of the WAVE Drowning Detection SystemTM for use with children's summer camp groups in swimming pools: A prospective observational study.

Groups of children swimming during summer camp or child care are generally monitored by a small number of lifeguards and staff. The high child-to-staff ratio can make pool monitoring less effective, increasing drowning risk. The aim of this study is to evaluate novel drowning detection technology that could supplement pool monitoring. The WAVE™ Drowning Detection System was deployed at a camp pool for 8 weeks. The WAVE™ Drowning Detection System entails headbands worn by swimmers that send alerts to vibrating staff bracelets and audible alarms when submerged for a period of time. Data on the number of alerts were collected, and staff were surveyed. One or two alerts were initiated every hour. Staff reported that risky underwater play and exiting the pool area were top reasons for alerts. Staff found the awareness brought to risky pool behavior useful and had a neutral attitude about false alarms. Staff found the system easy to learn and use but suggested headband fit and comfort could be improved. Staff believed the system could help save someone's life. The WAVE system is low-risk, easy-to-use technology that may supplement lifeguard monitoring of large groups of children in pools.

Feasibility of Using Joystick-Operated Ride-on-Toys to Promote Upper Extremity Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study

To evaluate the feasibility of implementation, acceptance, and perceived efficacy of a joystick-operated ride-on-toy intervention to promote upper extremity (UE) function in 3- to 14-year-old children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Exit questionnaires were collected from children, caregivers, and clinicians/camp staff following a 3-week ride-on-toy training program incorporated within a summer camp for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Training encouraged children to use their affected UE to maneuver the ride-on-toy. Questionnaires included Likert scale and open-ended questions to assess enjoyment, acceptance, feasibility, and perceived efficacy of the training. All stakeholder groups indicated that the training was enjoyable. Clinicians/staff and caregivers indicated that the training increased children's motivation to use their affected UE and reported perceived improvements in UE movement control and function following training. Our promising preliminary findings call for future research to systematically assess the efficacy of ride-on-toys to promote UE control and function in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.Supplemental Digital Content 1 video abstract, available at: http://links.lww.com/PPT/A404.

Encounters in and with Summer Camps—Happy Childhood, Alternative Bildung, or What?

Although they commonly are associated with recreation, summer camps for children can be seen as educational arenas that both supplement and challenge school education. Summer camps provide education in a broad sense of bildung. The article aims at describing what is experienced in summer camps and proposes various theoretical frames for these bildung processes. The main focus is on summer camps in Russia, and we interviewed Russian informants who participated in summer camps. The findings were that learning in the camps tends to be non-instrumental, allowing room for play and experimentation for both pupils and teachers. Social learning is marked by collective elements such as camp rituals and spontaneous solidarity, both forming an individual personality. Outdoor activities are important because they connect children to nature and develop a sense of place marked by biophilia. Furthermore, nature’s materiality creates a sense of being in the world, which means developing a sense of multiple relational settings, spanning from the materialities of geography, place, and objects to experiencing new social settings in the form of solidarity, ritual, and friendship.

Power Fun: A Therapeutic Powered Mobility Summer Camp for Children and Youth With Severe Cerebral Palsy

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Power Fun, a therapeutic powered mobility summer camp, provides a pragmatic solution to promote mobility for children with severe cerebral palsy. This session presents the Power Fun protocol and the results of a repeated-measures mixed-methods validation study (N = 24). These showed significant improvement in powered mobility skills, attainment of most functional goals, and social change after participation, making it an evidence-based intervention for children with severe disabilities. Primary Author and Speaker: Lori Rosenberg Additional Authors and Speakers: Yafit Gilboa Contributing Authors: Adina Maeir

Participation in group music therapy: A preliminary study of the experiences and perceptions of adolescents who stammer

Music therapy and music-based interventions are increasingly used in the treatment of speech, language, and communication needs, and music therapy has been extensively applied to adolescent groups. To date, however, there has been no published work examining music therapy for adolescents who stammer. The aim of the current study was to explore adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of a group music therapy intervention. Four adolescents who stammer participated in semi-structured interviews examining their experience of group music therapy intervention. The music therapy group intervention consisted of five therapeutic sessions conducted at a summer camp for children and adolescents who stammer. Analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interviews revealed four main themes and several subthemes. Recurrent themes revealed a variety of psychosocial benefits related to the experience of group music therapy, such as developing new friendships and facilitating peer support, increasing self-confidence and self-expression. There was also an emphasis on fun and enjoyment. This paper highlights a number of key benefits of music therapy for adolescents who stammer. These preliminary results highlight the potential of music therapy for adolescents who stammer, and the role of addressing psychosocial aspects of stammering within this creative arts intervention.

Objectively Measured Physical Activity Increases Only in Males During a Summer Camp for Obese Children.

Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge. Summer camps for children with obesity represent an alternative setting to improve eating and physical activity habits. Here we evaluated if the participation in the camp improves objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior and whether there are differences between male and female participants. Twenty-eight children, 13 males and 15 females (body mass index >97° centile, weight excess >30%, Tanner stage I), agreed to participate in an 8-day camp. During the summer camp, children participated in sports-like games and outdoor activities for at least 3 h a day, and the school-camp staff also provided a theoretical nutritional learning plan. Accelerometry-derived physical activity was measured through the SenseWear Mini Armband during a week at home and during the camp experience. Before camping, the participants were far above the minimum daily values of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) to be considered sufficiently active (≥60 min/day), but male participants were more active than females (MVPA: 186.2 ± 94.2, 111.0 ± 64.7; P = 0.020). Male participants increased their MVPA (234.3 ± 114.8, P = 0.020), whereas females not (111.9 ± 52.9, P = 0.020). No difference emerged for the sedentary behavior either before or during the camp. This study suggests that participation in a summer camp for obese children can determine different responses in physical activity levels, depending on the sex of young participants. Thus, summer camps for obese children should put particular attention on female participants, besides reducing sedentary behavior in both males and females.

Gain Weight, Have Fun, Discover the Motherland: The German–Polish Children's Summer Camp Exchange and Interwar Era Revisionism

This article examines a previously un-researched aspect of nationalist politics, borderland contestation, national indifference and the politicisation of youth and cultural diplomacy in interwar Central Europe: the German–Polish ‘summer vacation exchange for children’ (Ferienkinderaustausch). The Versailles territorial settlement, which left nationalists in both countries in discontent about territories and minority groups remaining in the hands of the neighbour, formed the basis for this venture in cultural diplomacy. Each party gave the other the right to rally ‘its youth’ living on the other side of the border to travel to its ‘motherland’ for summer camp. Focusing on the case study of the heatedly contested industrial borderland of Upper Silesia, this article examines the German–Polish children's exchange on two levels. On the local level it examines how youth were rallied and transported to their ‘motherland’ for the summer and what treatment and experience they received. On the international level it explores the paradox of German–Polish cooperation and the conflict that was an inherent aspect of this venture.

The effects of video modeling on staff implementation of behavioral procedures in China

AbstractThe purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a video modeling (VM) procedure at teaching three staff members who were working with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to implement a token economy, use an error correction procedure, and conduct a multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment. The study was conducted at a summer camp for children with ASD located on a university campus and at a school for students with special needs in mainland China. All participants successfully generalized instructional skills learned during the VM intervention to sessions with children with ASD. Maintenance of instructional skills was also seen during follow‐up. These results indicate VM to be an economical and effective approach to training staff to implement various behavioral strategies. Moreover, the validity of VM as an effective intervention for staff training is increased by inclusion of blind ratings by five Board Certified Behavior Analysts.

Pediatric Clinical for Nursing Students in Rural Areas: The Camp Nursing Experience

Problem: Clinical placement for nursing students in pediatrics can be challenging in rural settings. Hospitals in rural areas typically do not have the numbers of pediatric patients necessary to provide individual inpatient pediatric experiences for a group of nursing students nor can community settings accommodate a full group of students at once. Children’s hospitals or hospitals with pediatric inpatient units are often a significant distance from nursing programs located in rural areas and there is competition among nursing programs for placement in these facilities. A study by the Institute of Pediatric Nursing (IPN) in cooperation with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) concluded that nursing schools had challenges finding pediatric clinical sites and that pediatric content was lacking in depth and breadth (McCarthy & Wyatt, 2014). Alternative Clinical Placement: For one nursing program located in a rural area, nursing students were placed at summer camps for children with various health care needs, including diabetes, developmental delays and special needs. Placing nursing students in a pediatric clinical experience at summer camps provided a supervised environment where they interacted with children with a variety of health care needs and provided care that included recognizing signs of diabetic emergencies, working with insulin pumps, administering medications and feedings via gastric tubes, providing basic first aid, health promotion and health teaching, and engaging in therapeutic communication. Outcomes: Evaluation of the summer camp experience was positive from students, faculty and camp personnel and student learning outcomes for the pediatric clinical course were met. Summer camps can provide excellent learning experiences for nursing students and serve as viable alternatives for pediatric clinical sites when inpatient pediatric facilities are not available. DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v20i1.603             Grant Funding Provided by a Dawley Seed Grant Award

A Game-Based Repeated Assessment for Cognitive Monitoring: Initial Usability and Adherence Study in a Summer Camp Setting.

The current feasibility study examined the adherence, reliability, and assessment potential of an evidence-based game-like mobile Monitoring Tool (Akili Interactive Labs), to monitor 100 participants' cognition for eight sessions at a summer camp for children with special needs. A validated measure of attention was administered at baseline. In the last session, participants completed an exit questionnaire. The Monitoring Tool was found to be enjoyable, and showed a high rate of adherence. No Monitor-related adverse events were reported. Monitor metrics showed good reliability across repeated measurements, indicating it is stable over long-term cognitive monitoring. There was evidence that the Monitoring Tool was able to detect differences in cognition between the children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders.

Summer Camps for Children with Sickle Cell Disease.

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) face unique problems that attendance at a camp with their peers is well suited to address. However, because the staff members at ordinary summer camps are not accustomed to accommodating children with chronic diseases, the potential for significant health consequences exists. We searched the literature in PubMed and CINAHL using the keywords summer camp, camp, sickle, and anemia to identify the unique characteristics of camps for children with SCD and the recommendations for care and/or lessons learned. Published data are limited. Accommodations to avoid triggering sickle vaso-occlusive pain have been developed empirically and extrapolated from other settings. Camp experiences provide peer learning opportunities, positive role models, and a safe area to explore personal growth. The supportive atmosphere of the camp and escape from social stigma are welcome changes from the daily routine. Camp experiences can help with education on self-care and the transition from adolescent to adult healthcare. Camp offers unique opportunities for care coordination. Camps for children with SCD provide a setting for dissemination of best practices for the disease. Community-based organizations should partner in recruiting young adults with SCD as counselors. Educational material now available could be modified for use in the camp setting. All stakeholders in the care of children with SCD should work in unison to ensure these children enjoy the benefits of summer camp.

Enhancements in Confidence, Acceptance, and Friendship at a Summer Camp for Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects many children and adolescents in terms of their confidence, acceptance, and ability to build friendships. New Zealand held its first summer camp for children with IBD in January 2015. We obtained feedback from the campers (ages 10-18 years) in terms of their confidence, acceptance, and quality of life. We also asked what experience was most beneficial to them, whether they made new friends with IBD, and if they would attend the camp again. Thirty-six campers responded (81.8% response rate; median age 14 years [range 10-18]; 83.3% Crohn disease; 41.7% girls). Most reported that the camp improved their confidence (86.1%), acceptance (83.3%), and overall quality of life (75.0%) relating to IBD. Moreover, most reported that meeting their fellow campers was the most beneficial experience to come from the camp (72.2%). Overall, these results emphasize the importance and relevance of such an undertaking.

Assessing Disaster Preparedness Among Select Children's Summer Camps in the United States and Canada.

Children's summer camps are at risk for multiple pediatric casualties during a disaster. The degree to which summer camps have instituted disaster preparedness is unknown. We assessed disaster preparedness among selected camps nationally for a range of disasters. We partnered with a national, web-based electronic health records system to send camp leadership of 315 camp organizations a 14-question online survey of disaster preparedness. One response from each camp was selected in the following order of importance: owner, director, physician, nurse, medical technician, office staff, and other. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 181 camps responses were received, 169 of which were complete. Camp types were overnight (60%), day (21%), special/medical needs (14%), and other (5%). Survey respondents were directors (52%), nurses (14%), office staff (10%), physicians (5%), owners (5%), emergency medical technicians (2%), and other (12%). Almost 18% of camps were located >20 mi from a major medical center, and 36% were >5 mi from police/fire departments. Many camps were missing emergency supplies: car/booster seats for evacuation (68%), shelter (35%), vehicles for evacuation (26%), quarantine isolation areas (21%), or emergency supplies of extra water (20%) or food (17%). Plans were unavailable for the following: power outages (23%); lockdowns (15%); illness outbreaks (15%); tornadoes (11%); evacuation for fire, flood, or chemical spill (9%); and other severe weather (8%). Many camps did not have online emergency plans (53%), plans for children with special/medical needs (38%), methods to rapidly communicate information to parents (25%), or methods to identify children for evacuation/reunification with parents (40%). Respondents reported that staff participation in disaster drills varied for weather (58%), evacuations (46%), and lockdowns (36%). The majority (75%) of respondents had not collaborated with medical organizations for planning. A substantial proportion of camps were missing critical components of disaster planning. Future interventions must focus on developing summer camp-specific disaster plans, increasing partnerships, and reassessing national disaster plans to include summer camp settings.

Sport summer camp for children and youth with visual impairment: Descriptive case study of Camp Abilities

The purpose of this study was to describe the operational characteristics of Camp Abilities, an educational sports summer camp for children and youth with visual impairment. In this descriptive multiple case study, the data collected comprises interviews with seven adapted physical education faculty members, questionnaire, and document analysis. Camps were often run at university campuses, where undergraduate and graduate physical education students perform the role of instructing campers and eventually helping in the camp organizing process. These camps include a minimum of 30 to more than 120 participants (i.e. directors, campers, coaches, and specialist) each session, lasting from 4 to 7 days. In this scenario, although each camp has particular features, camps’ purposes, participants, activities, and schedules are very similar, showing that this is a feasible and reproducible approach, which can provide enriching opportunities for diverse groups.

Czech Youth Summer Camps: More than playing games in nature

Summer camps for children and youth are organized in different countries around the world. These camps vary in length and also in the sport or outdoor activities framing them. Czech summer camps, tábory, have a long history dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Neuman, Turčová and Martin (2007) describe the specific cultural development of tábory, summer camps for children and youth in the Czech Republic with an anthropological focus. This current article examines the camp conditions, preparation and the role of camp leaders in the holistic program implementation of the turistika activities and outdoor games for these programs. It presents the findings of a survey of 69 leaders of the four main not-for-profit youth organisations undertaking summer camps in the Czech Republic: ATOM (Association of Touristic Youth Clubs), Junák (scouting), Pionýr, and Liga lesní moudrosti (woodcraft). The findings highlight the important role of the qualified, experienced and intrinsically motivated volunteer leaders who spend the entire preceeding year preparing these two to three week summer camps held in basic conditions. The holistic program design provides a pedagogical scaffolding and then culmination for the group of children, who have played outdoor games in natural settings and taken part in turistika activities throughout the year. The implications of these findings are that the ‘summer camp’ activities are unique to the Czech Republic and provide opportunities for children to ‘experience the natural environment’, and can also provide inspiration for the scaffolding and development of outdoor adventures and environmental programs internationally.

Looking Outside: Summer Camp for Children Who Have Undergone a Solid-Organ Transplant.

A high-quality critical care team is an essential component of any successful organ transplant program. From pretransplant care to the crucial postoperative period, its importance cannot be discounted. However, because of the focused nature of work in an intensive care unit (ICU), all too often members of the ICU team are not able to see and appreciate the ultimate fruits of their labor. These are factors that can contribute to the high rates of burnout and turnover among ICU teams. This article presents the concept of a summer camp for children who have received a solid-organ transplant. We discuss a vehicle by which ICU staff as well as other members of a patient's care team can gain a better appreciation of the full nature of both medical and, perhaps more importantly in this situation, nonmedical goals and outcomes in pediatric transplantation. We review our institutional experience running a summer camp for these children, discuss some of the important points in making such a camp successful, and discuss potential benefits to the campers as well as those taking care of them.

Education Related to Tourism Received by Polish Tourism and Recreation Students in Childhood and Adolescence and its Impact on their Tourism Activity

Abstract Introduction. If activity related to tourism is planned effectively and performed in a responsible way, it can satisfy many human needs. In order to make it possible for members of modern society to fully benefit from tourism, however, it is necessary to undertake action aimed at promoting tourism, fostering its development, stimulating the need to travel, and helping tourists adopt certain habits. The aim of the study was to collect information concerning the impact of family, school, and community organisations on the tourism activity of students of tourism and recreation. Material and methods. The study involved 289 students of an undergraduate programme in tourism and recreation offered by the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The study was conducted using a specially designed diagnostic survey on “Education in tourism”. Results. More than 71% of the students surveyed engaged in tourism with their parents in childhood and adolescence, and those living in the city did so more frequently. Only one in four students said that during family trips visiting sights and attractions was combined with active tourism. As far as school trips are concerned, the respondents did take part in them, but these were mostly one-day sightseeing trips, aimed at developing their knowledge about the country, during which pupils do not undertake intense physical activity. More than half of the respondents participated in summer camps for children and adolescents. An overwhelming majority of the respondents stated their parents had had the greatest influence on their tourism activity, while community organisations and schools had had the smallest impact in this respect. Conclusion. Most of the students surveyed undertook tourism-related activities which were organised for them by different persons; thus, they received some education in tourism during childhood and adolescence. Since students of tourism and recreation will have an influence on tourism in Poland in the future, provided they work in the tourism sector, they should be prepared to promote tourism which offers a range of different benefits, not only educational ones.