Adult campers

[AshleyJane]

Do any of you have sessions for special needs adults? our camp has one week of the summer for adults. I'm just curious what sort of activities you do, we're always looking for new ideas!

[speedx5xracer]

We actually have a camp for adults as well as one for children with special needs. Im not sure hte adult camp is set for special needs.

[prettysocks]

My whole camp is special needs, but generally it only goes up to age 18. Last year we introduced a new session for 16-25 year olds. I know it's not really adults, but they are past the kid & youth categories, and are much more mature.

What did we do with the adults? The awesome part of the program was that they had so much free time. Time to choose what THEY wanted to do. Time that they could go to any open programs they wanted to, walk-in, walk-out when they wanted to.

Types of activities? Uh.. Things that average adults like to do? If you had a "Mum&Me" type camp, what would the Mum's like to do whil their kids played all day? Adult crafts, maybe that means crafts that could be used in the home for decoration, or use. Cooking or baking lessons. Hiking/yoga/karate/kickboxing - being healthy is "in"!

I guess I'm just saying that as "special" as these adults are, they don't need to do "special" activities. They have the same interests as you and I.. After all, they ARE at camp with you, aren't they?

[collissimon]

We have old Summiters for a week after the main session, they all came to camp in the late 70s/80s so are all 25+. Summit catered for a different population in the beginning, for kids with traditional learning difficulties, who go to Club Summit. Then, it worked with kids with extreme behaviours. Now, I think it's mellowed a little bit, towards ADHD etc that it does today.

The Club Summiters do the same thing they did in the 70s! They go round and do some of the activities, have Tribes sessions, discos etc. and go on trips for a week: it sounds ace!

[collissimon]

I forgot to mention, that like at prettysocks, they do choose what they want to do: some of them love hanging around chatting and catching up!

Also picking up on socks comments re. special needs adults being individuals, I volunteered at a youth group for disabled young people (13-25) for 5 years, and it was awesome! We achieved the best things together, including making a music CD, where we all sang some covers of the time. Makes me all nostalgic, I might have to play it again tomorrow!

[CAMPFRIEND]

I wish that I could go to camp as an adult camper:) I think it would be so much fun and I would not have to run things!

[collissimon]

Isn't that why we become camp counsellors :D