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22ndCenturyMedia.com camp guide part two
22nd century media | March 5, 2020 | 11
What is “Social Fit” and why is it so important at camp?
When campers arrive for
their first day of camp, the
first piece of information
they usually receive is the
name of the cabin group to
which they have been assigned.
But how are these
cabin groupings arranged?
At many summer camps,
they are organized by arranging
campers into
groups based on age and
gender. This method of
grouping, where birthdays
represent the key piece of
information, is very similar
to class organization procedures
at schools. If one of
the main goals in sending
a child to camp is to make
friends, then organizing
cabins in this way does not
make sense.
There are so many variables
that contribute to
friendship-making, and
age tends to be fairly low
on the list. Much more important
are factors such as
interests, abilities, social
skills, and introversion
versus extroversion. Some
13-year-olds are very active,
competitive, and
athletic, while others are
more shy, cautious, or cerebral.
If we want to maximize
a camper’s chances
of making genuine friendships
at camp, we need to
give him a lot of opportunities
to spend time with
like-minded peers, which
means putting them in the
same cabin.
At Camp Kodiak, we
call this “social fit.” We
build our cabins according
to which campers we
think would get along,
have common interests,
have similar needs, and are
closely related in age.
We know that youngsters
with learning disabilities,
ADHD, and ASD
have higher incidences of
experiencing social difficulties
than their typically-developing
peers. Anecdotally,
we hear stories
from parents about difficulties
their children have
had in the past. Many of
them have been bullied or
excluded, made to feel peripheral
or unwelcome in
existing cliques. Since our
campers are at greater risk
of isolation and friendlessness,
trying an overnight
camp (or another camp
after a previous negative
experience) feels scary, so
it is paramount that we set
them up for social success.
Not all of our campers
have social skills difficulties;
some are kids or
adolescents just navigating
the regular social ups
and downs that come with
growing up. These campers,
too, benefit from social
fit because they need
peers who challenge them
and are good candidates
for true, reciprocal friendships.
Creating cabin
groupings that offer our
campers the best social fit
provides all of our campers
with many opportunities
each day to practise and
refine their social skills.
With the guidance and assistance
of Camp Kodiak’s
trained, professional staff,
our campers (and their
parents) notice significant
growth in their level of
confidence in social environments
and their ability
to relate to others.
How do we determine
the best social fit and
groupings for cabins? Find
out more at www.campkodiak.com.
Submitted by Camp Kodiak,
4069 Pheasant Run, Mississauga,
Ontario, Canada, L5L
2C2, (877) 569-7595.