Listen to thisSome of my favourite memories from work in a child and youth care centre came from the facilitation of developmental camps for our young people. In this article, I will explore the benefits of such experiences, set out the structure and planning for the camps I facilitated and share key reflections from the time spent with young people in this setting.
Benefits of the Camping Experience
There are many fantastic examples of outdoor camping experiences with young people throughout the literature, but I also know that, as practitioners in this space, we are provided with unique opportunities to plan outdoor education experiences that are tailored to the needs of our respective organisations and those who are in our care.
In my own experience, the camps I arranged were specifically linked to our ‘Independent Living Programme’ and were also aligned with the ethos of ‘Young Men’s Empowerment’ specifically for those aged 16-21. However, there are many adaptable elements, and this contribution could be of value to those looking at new ideas for engaging our youth.
The value of a camp depends partly on the content and the learning objectives, but also on the ability to adapt to the needs of the attendees, with a significant opportunity for shared learning. Engaging with young people in an outdoor environment allows attendees to be immersed in the themes at hand. It is found that outdoor adventures can provide an effective means of promoting well-being and connection with nature during the emerging adulthood period (Pukhakka, 2024).
I want to mention that in our case we were a Christian organisation and as such I would integrate devotional elements into the camp design. Of course this can be adapted to each organisation. However, we do know that in child and youth care work, consideration does need to be given to the spiritual development of our young people, which of course can differ in multi-faith settings. Whilst the devotional sessions included additional activities that tied in with the themes and utilised camp elements – such as the fire and water – for the purpose of this article I will focus on the general activities that were included.
Structure of the Camps
Activities of the camp were structured in terms of devotional, group work, outdoor education and exploration, physical activity and individual tasks to take place. As highlighted, the planning was aligned with the ethos of ‘Young Men’s Empowerment’ in terms of developing the identity and moral development of young males, social and emotional skills to help build leadership and transitioning into adulthood as responsible citizens. This is also important in terms of independent living. The ages of 16-21 are a key age for transitional development, and child and youth care settings should embrace opportunities to invest in them.
The main themes of leadership and spiritual development were accompanied by the need for reflection in terms of identifying self-learning, growth goals and forming a deeper understanding of self. This was alongside the practical requirements of the camp and responsibilities including: setting up the camp, starting and maintaining a fire, food preparation and cleaning, personal safety and navigation. A ‘camp log’ was kept by each participant which was used at points in the various activities as directed.
The hikes, trail walks and outdoor adventure activities also fostered a sense of team building, achieving goals and building confidence. Physically challenging hikes serve to bring the group together – especially when it comes to the euphoria after completion! Along the trail, the group stopped for additional environmental awareness activities.
The aims of this camp were set out as identifying personal strengths and attributes and showing improvement in communication, decision-making, enhancing cooperation/teamwork, goal setting and developing creative/critical thinking. This was then followed up with an individual camp learning report and action plan for each participant on return to the child and youth care centre to look at ways the learning experiences can then be applied and implemented.
Key Reflections from Young People
The first time I ran this camp was specifically powerful, also being my first experience of being with our young people for an extended period outside of our child and youth care centre. The overall excitement, alongside the fact we were all discovering this campsite and its surroundings for the first time, really made this particularly memorable.
Whilst later in this article I will provide the outline for the full camp, I also wanted to share some of the reflections based on the contributions of the young people throughout the various activities. I feel that this helps practitioners to understand the value that such a camp can have for our young people. The young men also gave permission for me to share this.
In terms of talking about traits associated with successful leadership the participants came up with the traits of:
Following this, a group discussion elaborated on this further, speaking of standing up for what is right and being able to persuade others to work towards positive change. The idea was raised that a leader can inspire leadership abilities in others. The importance of taking opportunities to empower yourself with knowledge was also mentioned. Leadership was highlighted amongst their peers in terms of being a school prefect and team captain. They also discussed that fantastic leaders they recognise is seen across gender and is very much aligned with the attributes of everyone.
Through exploration activities we embarked on, links were also made to ‘bravery’ and taking a step into the unknown – discovering the courage and belief to be able to do that, and how that can be a metaphor for milestones we may encounter in our life. There was also an activity around making choices, and it was heartening for one of the young people to share that if they came into money, they would want to help the younger children in the child and youth care centre as well as wanting to undertake actions to support their own families. When looking at a message they could collectively share with the world, they settled on a message rooted in kindness and ‘paying it forward’ by encouraging others to do a good deed for someone else.
When the participants were encouraged to share their special traits and future aspirations in a creative medium of their choice, the results were highly emotive. This occurred later in the camp by which time a real sense of camaraderie had been able to develop. One participant identified his talents in art and design and envisioned himself having his own toy shop of which he had drawn and named to show the others. We also had one who drew various furniture items with a headline saying ‘best carpenter in town’ whilst integrating the slogan of ‘I’ve got this’ which as facilitator I had also used as a key line throughout the camp in encouraging one another. We readily exchanged ‘You’ve got this’ throughout the various activities we were taking part in! A further young person decided to do a speech including the lines ‘I am proud of what I have learnt and can teach other people to be respectful. I am proud of who I am and I will be more proud of who I will become.’ There is a clear indication that such camps can see more positive emotions and higher self-esteem in participants (Kirchhoff et al, 2024).
In sharing their immediate responses of something they had learnt from the camp during our final activity on the beach – which we were close enough to visit when departing the campsite - these included skills relating to leadership and teamwork, as well as the practical elements of camping. They were also tasked with complimenting each other, and could readily identify each other’s talents, friendship qualities, personality traits and abilities. As facilitator, I could also emphasise things I had seen in each of the young people that they can be proud of and speak collectively in terms of reviewing the camp, reminding them of all the activities we had done and what I hope they can take away from the experience.
Key Reflections from Camp Facilitation
One positive immediate takeaway was that as older teens and young adult males, the comfort that was established in terms of allowing yourself to be vulnerable and having the ability to express emotions and affirmation for each other was refreshing and powerful. It was very clear that engagement in this space both promoted and allowed that to happen, which can then have a transferable benefit in their day to day lives. I remember a young man who attended a camp subsequently asking for external counselling. We know males can at times be reluctant to engage with such services. This also supports the fact that dynamic interventions in such spaces can allow for a broader scope of therapeutic impact (Kern et al, 2025). At one time there was a unique situation of having two sets of brothers as participants which further allowed a deepening of their familial bond through the shared experiences of the camp. These reflections support the notion that such outdoor experiences can produce social and psychological benefits (Harper et al, 2015).
There is also something that such a setting can offer in terms of bringing in preventative educational interventions to apply critical thinking towards hegemonic masculinity and help prevent interpersonal violence, especially where this may have been a historic frame of reference in the families of such young people (Callaghan et al, 2025). In the subsequent year facilitating this camp we also focussed further on gender-based violence and encouraging the young males as ‘agents of change’ who could design and come up with their own campaign to stand up against GBV and teach boys that a ‘real man’ would not mistreat a woman. The participants even came up with a song and rap to emphasise these points. It also affirms my belief in the power of such outdoor educational experiences. This space allows real engagement on such topics. There are wider benefits around creativity, self-regulation, interpersonal skills and resilience (Carty et al, 2019). Certain camp participants attending on different years had also recently embarked on the process of ‘Ulwaluko’, being the traditional male initiation within the isiXhosa culture, which added a further dimension in terms of topics around manhood.
I was proud when camp participants took part in subsequent events, such as a march to end violence against women and children. This supports theory around such camping experiences also promoting lifestyle changes in participants (Pukhakka, 2024) and an increased motivation for community building (Kirchhoff et al, 2024).
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Camp Planning and Outline
I am providing an outline and planning of the activities and schedule of the camp, as I know there is benefit for practitioners to be able to access such ideas for implementation, rather than focussing primarily on outcomes. I have added and adjusted activities on an annual basis, which could also include consideration to the profile of the young people who are attending. The ‘camp log’ was specifically used in the ‘reflection sessions’ and other activities when specified although participants could use them when anything especially resonated with them.
These specific camps took place at the magnificent ‘Sleepy Hollow’ campsite, near Gqeberha and Blue Horizon Bay in the Eastern Cape. Of course, any camp can be adapted, and activities can be planned within the surroundings of the site. In this instance, the campsite has a river valley, meandering steams and abandoned mines that could be explored.
There was also no cell phone reception in the campsite making it an ideal location for group activity and reflection! There were various hiking trails with swimming holes and river crossings along the way, whilst a small waterfall could be accessed by boulder hopping up a separate gorge.As such these components formed part of the overall activity planning. I would suggest that practitioners do give sufficient thought to such aspects when looking to source a suitable campsite.
The following leadership topics were planned and scheduled to be included in the camps:
The schedule for the camp was as follows:
DAY 1
15:00 – Arrival and setting up camp area
16:00 – Rules and Expectations; Exploration of Camp Site
17:30 – Preperation for evening meal
19:00 – Leadership Session 1
Session Theme: Leadership Quotes
19:30 – Leadership Session 2
Session Theme: Future Employee
Aim: Participants will explore their internal strengths and develop their own personal plans for their career goals. At the end of this session they can each develop their own action plan as part of their ‘camp log’. The discussion questions will include the following:
The facilitator will undertake mock job interviews with the participants and will indicate areas of strengths and growth.
20:30 – Reflection Session 1
Reflection Day 1
The participants will have time to answer the following questions in writing and can have the opportunity to share with the group:
21:00 – Night Devotions Session 1
DAY 2
06:30 – Wake up; Morning Exercise; Breakfast Preparations
07:00 – Breakfast
07:30 – Devotions Session 2.
08:00 – Energizer and Team Building.
Team Building Session Theme: Team Work and Coherency
10:00 – Preparations for Trail Walk Including Safety Points; Exploration of the Mines – Discussion on Nature that can be Identified; Mapping the Territory.
11:00 – Leadership Session 3 (During Trail Walk)
Session Theme: Non-Verbal Communication
Activity Conclusion – Bring the participants into a large group and ask them what the point of this exercise was. Participants should realise that the activities focused on nonverbal communication and ways to demonstrate an action without talking but how much our nonverbal actions communicate a message to others who observe us. This can have an impact in all settings we find ourselves in.
14:00 – Return from Trail Walk; Rest Time
15:00 – Swimming Session/Visit to Waterfall or Outside Activity
16:30 – Leadership Session 4
Session Theme: Making Choices (Critical Thinking and Decision Making)
18:00 – Preparation for Evening Meal (Includes Personal Wash Time etc.)
19:00 – Leadership Session 5
Session Theme: Boys to Men - Teaching young men excellence
20:00 – Reflection Day 2
The participants will have time to answer the questions below in writing and the opportunity to share these with the group:
20:30 - Recreational Camp Time (can include group games and songs)
DAY 3
06:30 – Wake Up; Morning Exercise; Breakfast Preparations
07:00 – Breakfast
07:30 – Devotions Session 3
08:00 – Hike Preparations including safety points for Hiking; Commence; Hike Along River; also a discussion on wildlife that can be identified; Mapping the Territory.
10:30 – Leadership Session 6 (During Hike Trail)
Session Theme: Completed Thoughts
14:00 – Return from Hike; Rest Time
15:00 – Swimming Session/Visit to Waterfall or Outside Activity
16:30 – Energizer and Leadership Session 7
Session Theme: Men Against Violence
Statistics and information relating to violence against women and children will be shared with the participants for this session with the following points discussed:
18:00 – Preparation for Evening Meal (Includes Personal Time)
19:00 - Leadership Session 7 – Pt 2 (Presentation)
Each participant will have a chance to deliver out their presentation to the group based on the topic – the man I am going to be …
This session can also be adapted as ‘Agents of Change’ for participants to come up with and present a campaign for men against gender based violence.
20:30 - Reflection Day 3
The participants will have time to answer the questions below. The participants will have time to answer the following questions in writing and can have the opportunity to share with the group:
21:00 – Night Walk and Stargazing
DAY 4
07:00 – Wake Up; Morning Exercise; Breakfast Preparations
07:30 – Breakfast
08:00 – Group Reflection Activity
Group Reflection
The reflective element will be done as a group discussion activity where the following will be looked at:
09:00 – Packing Up Camp
11:00 – Beach Trip (including beach activities)
11:30 - Devotions Session 4
12:00 – Leadership Session 8
Leadership Session Theme: Be Proud
Finish with lunch and awards session; camp participants can share a task of their choice from today’s reflection; awards given to participants based on their interaction in the camp and certificates of attendance.
Conclusion
In writing this piece, I engaged with numerous past camp participants who all readily shared their positive recollections and also asked for me to share photos from the camps with such positive memories. Camping connects people, to the outdoors, to nature and to each other (Richards et al, 2025).
There is a flexibility that such ‘outdoor education’ provides for child and youth care practitioners, while also noting the need for an intentional plan that can evolve based on contributions from participants. I will note that this space does readily lend itself to topics that could traditionally be more difficult to engage with in a formal setting, and aspects such as positive masculinity can be worked through, whilst also being an environment that lends itself well to older adolescents transitioning towards adulthood.
It is important to note that a pre-existing relationship with the camp facilitator(s) – namely child and youth care practitioners – is of significant benefit to the success of the camp. There is a wider discussion to be had on the unique opportunity of males in the child and youth care space, and how authentic changes in how men see and treat women can come from men who model behaviours that support gender equality (Hillman, 2019).
However, the ability to be vulnerable, emotionally open and receptive to therapeutic interventions are all encouraged through this camping environment. The space also allows participants to be motivated to give back and to contribute positively to the greater society. If you have not yet looked at planning a camp for young people, then the time is now. “You’ve got this!”
References
Callaghan, J. E. M., Fellin, L. C., Mavrou, S., Alexander, J. H., Sixsmith, J., Deliyianni-Kouimtzis, V. (2025).Managing masculinity when growing up with a violent father: A qualitative study of boys’ experiences.In Violence Against Women.pp1–31.
Carty, E., Harper, N., Magnuson, D. (2019) Outdoor Adventure and Child and Youth Care Practice: Intersections and Opportunities. In Gharabaghi, K., Charles, G. (Eds) Child and Youth Care Across Sectors Volume 1: Canadian Perspectives. Toronto. Canadian Scholars.
Harper, N. J., Peeters, L., Carpenter, C. (2015) Adventure therapy. In Black, R., Bricker, K. S. (Eds) Adventure programming and travel in the 21st Century. State College, PA. Venture Publishing.
Hillman, M. (2018) Men Who Care: The Residential Setting as an Opportunity for Male Gender Development. In Relational Child and Youth Care Practice. 31(1), 42-49.
Kern, K, Pannel, M. B., Davis, T., Barbosa, T. (2025) Exploration of Adventure Based Counselling and Its Impact on the Self-Concept of At-Risk Youth. In Journal of Academic Underperformance. 3(1).
Kirchhoff, E., Keller, R., Blanc, B. (2024) Empowering young people—the impact of camp experiences on personal resources, well-being, and community building. In Front. Psychol. 15.
Puhakka, R. (2024) Effects of outdoor adventures on emerging adults well-being and connection with nature. In Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. 24:4, 719-734.
Richards, K. Dr., Doran, A, Dr., Brett, C. E. Dr., Wingfield, H., Schofield, P, Prof. (2025) The Outjoyment Report: A research report on the well-being and mental health benefits of camping. Available at: https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/-/media/Files/Outjoyment-Report/The-Outjoyment-Report.pdf?rev=29e21478cb224243919b6d0fc474008c
