Camp For Special Needs Children – Why is Social Dance the most popular activity for our older campers?
Ask any senior camper what their favorite evening activity is at camp and you will get a very definite answer! – Social Dance!
Social dance is the highlight of the week for our campers. A time for our campers to dress up in their favorite summer dress, or shorts and a polo, and show off their best dance moves.
At social dance you can see and almost feel the sense of belonging our campers feel when they are at camp. The sense that they are no different than anyone else. Watching our campers dance, as well as dancing with our campers, is one of those beautiful moments when you see the campers let go of any worries and escape into their favorite camp dance, surrounded by friends!
There are no rules when it comes to dancing. At social dance our campers can feel connected emotionally and socially to all their peers and counselors regardless of their verbal or social abilities. It is a fun, happy and high energy night that everyone enjoys.
As with so many other areas during the camp program, there are many natural learning opportunities at social dance. Campers get to put their social skills to the test by asking another camper to dance, or initiating a group dance. Campers can request their favorite songs to be played and even lead a camp dance.
Each Friday of social dance builds up to the biggest night of the camp social calendar – The Prom! The senior prom (for campers 13 and up) is during the last week of the summer. It is a celebration of our campers’ friendships built throughout the summer, and a chance for our campers to experience a prom just like their same aged peers.
Our Camp Lee Mar senior prom is a formal event, campers are able to showcase their true style with their favorite prom dress or suit. The confidence our campers feel that day can be seen in the smiles on their faces when they walk down the Lee Mar “Red Carpet”, before eating a special prom dinner and attending the dance.
This event is the highlight of the summer, the campers’ confidence, social skills and self-assurance gained throughout the summer shine through. Our campers are surrounded by their friends and counselors in a celebration of a summer of friendship, fun and learning.
Written by Lynsey Trohoske
My name is Lynsey Trohoske, I am the assistant director at Camp Lee Mar. I have three amazing children, my middle child happens to be on the autism spectrum and is a camper at Lee Mar. I joined camp as a counselor in 1998 and loved the campers and their families so much that Camp Lee Mar became my second home!
