Camping and Recreation

Easter Seals is the largest provider of recreation and camping services for people with disabilities in the country. Even with civil rights legislation prohibiting it, people with disabilities are regularly excluded from typical recreation opportunities.
 
Easter Seals programs provide an opportunity for children and adults to participate in extracurricular, educational, and personal development activities. Easter Seals recreation programs take many forms, from sports and fitness activities, to after school plays, to Saturday-night social gatherings and community outings.
 
While promoting fun is key, Easter Seals programs also meet other important objectives, including easier adjustment to new environments, a greater sense of personal satisfaction, and personal habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle.

Our residential and day camps are available for children and adults of all types and levels of ability. Easter Seals camps are barrier-free and designed to be accessible to everyone. A camp experience increases skills and enhances self-confidence while giving families much needed respite from the hard work and responsibility they face every day.
 
Camping programs serve to let participants discover and explore their interests, values and talents. Additionally, these activities provide an opportunity to learn to problem-solve, make social adjustments to new and different people, learn responsibility, and gain new skills to increase self-esteem.
 
Benefits of Camp
Separated from their parents, many for the first time, campers begin to trust their own instincts and gain a sense of independence. Camp is their chance to focus on the amazing things they can do, rather than the things they can’t. Campers:

• Learn to adjust to new environments and various social situations
• Gain a greater sense of personal satisfaction, self-esteem, and leadership
• Discover and explore interests, values and talents
• Take responsibility for others and help out
• Try new things
• Meet a new circle of peers who understand the ins and outs of life with a disability
• Create life-long friendships 

For many adults with disabilities camp provides a "vacation" experience; a time to spend together with old friends, relaxing and experiencing a change in their daily routine. Camping and recreation programs let participants discover and explore their interests, values and talents. Studies report that people who participate in camping and recreation experiences are healthier and have fewer problems as a result of their experiences.
 
Easter Seals Recreation and Sports
Recreation. Social events. Sports. Leisure-time. Hobbies. Friends. Adventure. What would life be like without them? Simply put no fun!  Easter Seals recreation programs take many forms, from sports and fitness activities to Saturday-night social gatherings and community outings. While promoting fun is key, Easter Seals recreation programs also meet other important objectives, as well.
 
In general, people with disabilities are less likely to socialize, eat out, or attend religious services than their non-disabled counterparts. Easter Seals offers the nation's largest network of recreation and camping programs for children and adults with disabilities. Accessible grounds and facilities, adapted equipment and trained staff allow participants to accomplish what they may never have thought was possible - like swimming, traversing a river or playing wheelchair tennis. Other programs provide less ambitious - but no less significant - activities that teach everyday living skills, such as planning an outing to a movie or museum.
 
Easter Seals frequently partners with other agencies to provide inclusive activities. Recent collaborations have resulted in a summer picnic, holiday parties, a fitness class, and a fishing expedition.

Every year, nearly 40,000 children and adults participate in one of Easter Seals recreation and camping programs across the country. For more information about Easter Seals recreation programs, contact Easter Seals.