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Grief Camp Activities

Grief is a healthy emotional response to a loss or traumatic event. Grief camps provide safe nurturing environments equipped to help grief stricken children. Camp activities can include different types of art. Art activities provide children with open-ended therapeutic outlets to work through the wide range of emotions associated with suffering, loss and trauma.

  1. Visual Art Activities

    • Provide your camper with a wide choice of visual art production opportunities. You can suggest that she draw pictures that reflect upon special times and memories shared with the person for whom she is grieving. You may provide materials which she can use to create a collage that symbolizes her feelings about the source of her grief. Another great visual arts activity is to have her create images of herself before, during and after her grieving process.

    Performing Art Activities

    • A camper who expresses himself through the performing arts can benefit from writing and performing a skit, musical composition, song or dance that symbolizes his journey through the emotional turmoil caused by the source of his grief. Let the camper decide when, where and with whom to share his piece due to its highly personal nature.

    Writing Activities

    • A camper who enjoys writing will benefit from a daily journaling activity. Ask the camper to write something each day that she is at camp. Do not dictate what she should write. At the end of the camp session, offer to read the camper's journal or listen to the camper read it to you. If she does not want to share the journal writings, respect her decision. You may also offer to burn the journal with the camper in a ceremonial cleansing session. You can also lead your camper in poetry writing sessions. Haiku work well for beginning as well as experienced writers. Haiku are three line poems. The first line uses five syllables, the second uses seven and the third uses three syllables. Suggest titles like anger, grief or sorrow for these poems, but allow your camper the freedom to express herself as she chooses.

    Reading Activities

    • It has been said that reading is a lost art. Offer your camper a selection of appropriate books to read. "The Velveteen Rabbit" by Margery Williams deals with a child's illness and subsequent loss of a beloved toy. "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry examines the nature of love, loss, life, death and friendship. "The Fall of Freddie the Leaf" by Leo Buscaglia looks at the life cycle. Ask the camper to discuss his reading with you. Allow him opportunities to review the book by creating a visual art, performing art or literary piece in response to his reading.

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