Theme Days: How Camp Themes Foster Connection & Belonging

The first time I stepped foot at a pediatric oncology camp, I was 11 years old. I had seen a brochure at the hospital and thought it looked cool. I asked my parents to sign me up, but I knew no one and had no idea what I was in for. The one thing I did know immediately upon arrival was that it was going to be FUN. Before I even stepped off of the bus I saw a dozen or so camp counselors dressed as Oompa Loompas wandering around the woods as we pulled in. And from that moment, I thought “this place is going to be interesting!” And it was!

The entire week was filled with themed activities and challenges and fun, wacky costumes. Not everyone did it, but whether you dressed up to the nines, or just appreciated the costumes, they added an air of whimsy to the week of camp. Costumes gave me an easy excuse to talk to others- if I liked the same character, or to ask how they made it. It gave an instant chance at connection if you happened to pick a similar outfit or character. Costumes made my counselors approachable. They couldn’t be too serious or scary- they were dressed like a giant Christmas present complete with human sized box and bow! 

That costume is apparently a timeless camp counselor choice, as approximately 20 years later, my fellow counselor Rainbow did the same thing despite not knowing about this core memory of mine. 

While that experience took place at a pediatric oncology camp I attended while growing up, the spirit of dressing up: costumes, theme days, decorations, and more is something that is at the core of what makes Camp Casco special. Camp Casco endeavors to give our campers a regular summer camp experience that any other child would have, but we also aim to make this the best week ever for our campers and theme days help each summer feel special, unique, and fun for our camp family! 

Not only is dressing up in wacky outfits and costumes fun, it is important! Research shows that costume and play allow for children to engage in a variety of physical, emotional, cognitive, and sensory exercises. It is a “rite of passage”. Dressing up and taking part in fun games is part of the magic of childhood. 

“Dress-up is an ideal way for young children to work on so many early childhood development skills: literacies, life skills, and creative play,” according to Dr. Karen Aronian, a longtime schoolteacher, college professor, and the founder of Aronian Education Design. 

While this is important for any child, it may be even more important for our campers who might have missed out on so many other rites of passage of growing up. Maybe a camper missed out on sleepovers with their friends because of nights in the hospital. Maybe they couldn’t participate in swimming and water fights because of their portacath. Camp gives kids a chance to reclaim those experiences and just be a kid, with a community of others who understand. This includes giving our campers the opportunity to dress up and play in a supportive environment.

My fellow 2018 Overnight Camp leaders Lo, Pup, Sparkles, and Rainbow and I teamed up on a Winnie The Pooh-inspired group costume for our Movies theme week!

As a child, camp gave me so many things. It gave me lifelong memories and friendships. It gave me the chance to try so many new things in a safe and supportive environment. Camp gave me a community. It is well known that things like spirit days help give youth a sense of inclusion and belonging. But sometimes those days can be unintentionally exclusionary (maybe the cost is prohibitive or a student might not have a friend to match with for twin day). At Camp Casco, we make sure to pick theme days that are accessible with items families already have (such as color week), or are open to lots of interpretation from big to small involvement (from a Star Wars t-shirt to full Darth Vader costume), and we even provide items for everyone to be able to participate in theme days if they want to. Whether it is a sticker, or a necklace, or borrowing a counselor’s giraffe head, we make sure that our campers feel included in the theme so that they know that they are part of our special community, that they belong, and that everyone has a place here. In full Oompa Loompa attire, or not.