PDFA Typical Day at Camp Huntington
At Camp Huntington, each day is packed with exciting activities that are designed to build self-esteem and foster social, academic and daily living skills that will serve our campers as they grow into young adults. Campers' maturity levels progress through natural social opportunities and structured, nurturing interactions with staff and peers.
Morning
At 7:20 a.m., campers wake up in their rustic but comfortable cabins and get dressed. Campers are encouraged to decorate the space behind their bunk to make their cabin feel like a home away from home. Our residential staff is available at all times to help campers get ready for the day.
Once campers complete their morning personal care routine, they attend an all-camp gathering called "morning circle," beginning their day with a socially rewarding activity. This helps reduce impulse-driven behaviors, such as hunger or having to go to the bathroom, as primary motivators to start the day.
Campers gather for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Like all of the meals at camp, breakfast is served family style and includes a variety of nutritious options that are in line with each child's individual diet plan. Throughout the day, nurses provide each camper with any medications they need at the appropriate times.
After tidying up their cabins, campers begin a full day of activities, ranging from arts and crafts to horseback riding, sports and ropes course initiatives. All activities are designed and adapted to the special needs of our campers.
Afternoon
After lunch, we have rest period when campers can play with personal items from home such as music, their DVD player, or toys and games. The rest of the afternoon is packed with additional activities such as swimming, music and drama, with a healthy snack served in between activity periods at 3:45 p.m.
On rainy days, there are plenty of indoor centers for activities in our social hall building and arts and recreation center. We also coordinate a variety of special events such as trips to the lake or a farm nearby where campers can go swimming, boating, visit a petting zoo and go on hay rides.
Evenings & Weekends
Dinner is served at 6 p.m. In the evening between 7:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., campers prepare for their final activity of the day by, for example, preparing the costumes they made in arts and crafts, practicing their routine for that week's talent show, or gathering wood for a campfire. As the night's entertainment carries on, the campers are excited to share their talents and all eyes are glued to the stage as they watch other children express themselves in new and creative ways.
On weekends campers can participate in a variety of special activities that aren't offered during the week, such as yoga, martial arts, fishing, jewelry-making, face painting and more. At the end of each camp session, youth also participate in dances and other events.
Campers get ready for bed at 9 p.m. Our staff assists youth who have any special nighttime needs or particular bedtime routines to ensure that they feel at home during their stay at Camp Huntington.
Morning Circle
Morning circle is an all-camp gathering where each camper group or unit of groups leads a fun activity before breakfast. Our staff also makes announcements and prepares campers for the day ahead.
Activities
In addition to providing a fun summer camp experience for our campers with special needs, we integrate our program goals into the daily activities. Each activity is highly structured to promote the development of academic, social and life skills, yet is designed in such a way that campers don't even realize how much they're learning!
For example, as campers sing songs around the campfire, they're also learning lyrics and communication strategies. While campers are entertained with arts and crafts projects, they're also developing fine motor skills and listening to and following directions. The ropes course is a camp favorite, but the therapeutic focus is on team-building, patience and cooperation. Swimming is also a big camp favorite, which all groups enjoy for two hours every afternoon.
Visit our Activities page for more information.
