Camps

Experience Camps

Locations: California, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maui
Ages served: Kids entering grades 4 – 12

Experience Camps Description

Description of Program:

Experience Camps provides kids who have experienced a significant death loss with a free one-week summer camp program that helps build confidence, encourage laughter and navigate their grief through friendship, teamwork, athletics, and the common bond of loss. It is a safe environment where kids can explore their grief, break the isolation they may feel with their non-camp peers, and have a whole lot of fun. They have the opportunity to meet and bond with kids who are going through similar things while getting all of the benefits of the traditional summer camp experience. Through team sports, individual challenges, and community living they learn about leadership, confidence, and cooperation. Under the guidance of professional bereavement staff, campers have the opportunity to share stories and remember the one who died, while exploring skills that will help them after camp.

For more information:
Visit: https://experiencecamps.org/
Call: (833) 226-7385

Camp Kesem

Locations: Boston University, Chestnut Hill, Harvard University, MIT, Tufts
Ages Served: All children between the ages of 6-18

Camp Kesem Description

Description of Program:

Camp Kesem serves children who have lost a parent to cancer, have a parent undergoing cancer treatment, or whose parent is a cancer survivor – an estimated population of over 5 million children in the United States. Camp Kesem runs over 100 weeks of fun, action-packed, and 100% free-of-charge camps from coast-to-coast every summer. Serving children ages 6 to 18, our campers experience a warm and loving environment with other children who have similar life experiences. This community provides the foundation for confidence building, improved communication skills, and enhanced life outlook, and attitude.

For more information:
Visit: www.kesem.org
Call: (253) 736-3821

Circle of Fleur de Lis

Location: Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
Ages Served: Girls between the ages of 9-13 who have experienced the death of a parent

Circle of Fleur de Lis Description

Description of Program:

At Circle Camps, we know the value of overnight camp. We know the value of play, engaging in healthy activities such as swimming, kayaking, and canoeing, tennis and archery, arts and crafts, softball and basketball, and singing around the campfire. We also know the value of helping children talk about the losses in their lives. Circle of Fleur de Lis brings these together, so our campers can have summer days of childhood fun, meaning, and bonding. Our program integrates traditional overnight camp activities with the opportunity to do “grief work” in a safe and caring setting. Under the guidance of professional bereavement staff, surrounded by supportive peers, campers can share their stories and remember the parent who has died. The program is entirely free to campers, and transportation will be provided.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.fleurdeliscamp.org
Call: (603) 585-7751

Camp Kangaroo

Location: Natick, MA
Ages Served: 5-18

Camp Kangaroo Description

Description of Program:

Camp Kangaroo is a bereavement camp experience offered free of charge to children in the community who have suffered the death of a loved one. Participants receive grief education and emotional support combined with fun camp activities. The only national bereavement camp of its kind, this program is psychotherapy and creative arts therapy based. Led by dedicated professionals and trained volunteers from Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, Camp Kangaroo helps children feel less alone in their grief, provides them with a supportive environment to express their emotions, and helps them learn effective coping strategies. It gives an opportunity for children to find new meaning following the loss of their loved ones. Camp Kangaroo is a source of healing and fun for the children who need it most.

Over the course of two days, children will be encouraged to process their grief and learn healthy ways of coping with their loss. The primary goal during this weekend will be to provide children the opportunity to meet others who have experienced a death and to share and normalize their feelings. Activities will focus on memorializing their special person, self-care techniques, building relationships, and having fun. Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to attend an adult program.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: Camp Kangaroo
Call: (847) 692-1000

Circle of Tapawingo

Location: Sweden, Maine
Ages Served: Girls 8-16

Circle of Tapawingo Description

Description of Program:

Camp Tapawingo, a program of Circle Camps, is a week-long traditional, overnight camp for girls ages 8-16 that have experienced the death of a parent.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.circlecamps.org
Call: (770) 687-3066

Camp Angel Wings

Location: Camp Welch – North Main Street, Assonet, MA
Ages served: 6-15

Camp Angel Description

Description of Program:

Camp Angel Wings was developed for children and teens who share similar experiences with grief. The camp provides them with an educational, therapeutic experience that is also enjoyable. The camp helps counter a sense of isolation that children can feel after losing a loved one. Participating in activities such as swimming, focused arts and crafts activities, and small discussion groups can help children and teens explore their many thoughts and feelings about grief. It also encourages them to try new or familiar activities that help them feel good about themselves.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: Camp Angel Wings
Call: (508) 973-3426

Camp Erin

Location Host camp: Camp Avoda – Middleboro, MA
Ages served: 5-18

Camp Erin Description

Description of Program:

Camp Erin Boston is a FREE weekend overnight camp for children and teens ages 5 through 18 who have experienced the death of someone close to them. This three-day, the two-night experience will be filled with traditional and fun camp activities combined with grief education and emotional support and will be facilitated by bereavement professionals and trained volunteers.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.camperinboston.org
Call: (508) 309-5107

Camp Sunshine

Location: 35 Acadia Rd., Casco Bay, Maine
Ages served: Children & Families

Camp Sunshine Description

Description of Program:

Nestled alongside the shores of beautiful Sebago Lake, Camp Sunshine provides respite, support, joy, and hope for children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families through various stages of a child’s illness. The year-round program is free of charge to all families and includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. Bereavement groups are also offered for families who have lost a child to an illness. There are lots of camps for specialty illnesses; please check the website for a comprehensive list.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.campsunshine.org
Call: (207) 655-3800

Camp Widow

Location: Various locations throughout the US
Ages served: Widowed Men & Women

Camp Widow Description

Description of Program:

Camp Widow® is a weekend-long gathering of widowed people from across the country, and around the world. We come together to create a community that understands the life-altering experience of widowhood. Camp Widow® provides practical tools, valuable resources, and peer-based encouragement for rebuilding your life in the aftermath of the death of a spouse…all in a fun, uplifting, laughter-filled atmosphere. Camp Widow® welcomes anyone who has lost a life partner to participate in this program; all ages, men, and women, married and not married widows, LGBT widowed, those with any/no faith background, remarried widows, and their new partners. No matter how long you’ve been widowed, or how you joined our ranks, you will find a community like no other when you step up to the registration desk at Camp Widow®.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.campwidow.org
Call: 877-671-4071

Outward Bound for Grieving Teens (formerly called Heroic Journey)

Location: Various expeditions throughout the US
Ages served: 14-18 and 19-24

Outward Bound Description

Description of Program:

Whether it’s climbing majestic mountains, rappelling down granite cliffs, or navigating across lakes and through forests, your teen will discover the strength they have within to face the challenges ahead. Heroic Journey is a unique Outward Bound program specifically designed for teens coping with the death of a loved one. During this transformational seven-day wilderness adventure, participants experience powerful grief work activities woven into the context of the traditional Outward Bound curriculum. This adventure includes hiking, backpacking, or canoeing and a personal challenge day like rock climbing or high ropes, and much more. It is not intended to be counseling or therapy. It is teens connecting and building supportive relationships with peers going through similar challenges in life. At its essence, it is an intentional wilderness adventure joined with grief processing and support activities for learning coping skills and building an ongoing supportive peer network.

For more information:
Visit: www.outwardbound.org
Call: (866) 467-7651

Wildflower

Location: Wellesley Hills, MA
Ages served: 5-18
Special needs: 5-22

Wildflower Description

Description of Program:

Wildflower is dedicated to serving children and families who have experienced the death of a parent. We provide the gifts of camp, enriching experiences, and consistent, long-term support to help families strengthen their resilience and create positive opportunities for the future. Why camp, you ask? Because summers are the most challenging time for single-parent families; while parents work, children need a safe, nurturing place to go. The experience of carefree summer days, the comfort of new friends and wonderful mentors, and a break from the pain and stress at home is an invaluable experience for grieving children and a much-needed respite for the surviving parent.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.wildflowerforkids.org
Call: (781) 861-1413

Comfort Zone Camp – MA

Location: Camp Burgess & Camp Hayward, Sandwich, MA
Ages served: 7-17 & 19-25

Comfort Zone Camp Descriptions

Description of Program:

Offering programs to children ages 7-17 (18 if still in high school) who have lost a parent, guardian, or sibling. Some camps include a Parent/Guardian optional component.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Call: (804) 377-3430

Comfort Zone Camp – NJ

Location: Camp Johnsonburg in Johnsonburg, NJ
Ages served: 7-17 & 19-25

Comfort Zone Camp NJ Description

Description of Program:

This program serves children ages 7-17 (18 if still in high school) as well as young adults ages 18-25 who have lost a parent, guardian, or sibling to suicide.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Call: (804) 592-1386

Camp Kita

Location: Thompson Lake, Maine
Ages Served: All children between the ages of 8-17

Camp Kita Description

Description of Program:

Camp Kita is a non-profit 501(c)3 summer bereavement camp open to children ages 8-17 who are survivors of a loved one’s suicide. It was established in 2013 by the Mosher siblings after losing their father to suicide. The camp is made possible by volunteers, including medical and clinical professionals, who provide a safe, nurturing environment where child survivors can connect with one another while learning constructive ways to deal with the often unspeakable and fierce emotion of losing a loved one to suicide. By creating a space for child survivors, we effectively ease the stigma around what it means to have lost someone to suicide. The campers’ shared loss and experience affords them the opportunity of forming deep, knowing bonds with others and thereby forging supportive connections that we hope will last a lifetime. As a community of survivors, our week-long focus will be to provide and explore constructive forms of self-expression. We will practice self-awareness as a way of identifying feelings and communicating them in a focused way. Our focus on grief—on shattering apart—will dovetail with an equally important focus on hope—the power and purpose of piecing oneself together. Most importantly, we will empower campers to utilize the tools and resources we provide so that they may draw upon them throughout their lives.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.campkita.com

Rett’s Roost

Location: Ogunquit, Maine
Ages Served: All ages

Rett's Roost Description

Description of Program:

A source of hope and healing for families impacted by childhood cancer and child loss, offering holistic retreats and meaningful gatherings that create connection, while honoring the process of grief and the power of love.

For more information:
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.rettsroost.org

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Location: Connecticut and Maryland
Ages Served: 7-15

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Description

Description of Program:

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families, free of charge. They are a community that celebrates the spirit of childhood, the sound of laughter and the feeling of endless possibility. They offer a summer camp as well as year-round, family-inclusive programming.

For more information:
Visit: www.holeinthewallgang.org

Camp Mariposa

Location: Nashua, NH
Ages Served: 9-17

Camp Mariposa Description

Description of Program:

Camp Mariposa Nashua is a year-round addiction prevention and mentoring program for youth affected by the substance use disorder of a family member. Youth ages 9-17 attend weekend camps six times a year. Weekend camps offer fun, traditional camp activities combined with education and support sessions led by mental health professionals and trained adult mentors. Additional social activities are offered for youth and their families throughout the year. All program activities are offered free of charge to families. Camp Mariposa Nashua is part of Eluna’s national Camp Mariposa program.

For more information:
Visit: https://www.bgcn.com/camp-mariposa

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