Summer Camps Protection, Leraning and Fun!

15
for recommended timeframe for preparation of summer 
camp activities, annex 
5
for a sample weekly activity plan table and to annex 
13 
for 
enhancing child protection through activities and games matrix.
6. Preperation Of Program Activities
Child from "Zyber Hallulli" RI expresses his thoughts during a feedback session organized with the children 
during Summer Camp, Tirana, 2011
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SUMMER CAMPS GUIDELINE

6.2 Feedback from Children
As mentioned above, participation of children is a key in guaranteeing that summer 
camp is child focused and child led. Including children in the decision making 
process of the summer camp and encouraging their full participation holds many 
advantages, and a few are mentioned below: 
 
The active participation of children guarantees their rights to be heard 
and be able to express their ideas.
 
When a child is actively involved throughout the entire process, his/her 
self-esteem and self-confidence can be greatly improved. 
 
Including children in the decision making process can become 
supportive for personnel and greatly impact the outcomes of activities, 
allowing them to become more dynamic, stimulating and successful. 
 
Helps to easily and more accurately identify the needs of children, their 
surrounding environments and the community they live in.
 
Participation and inclusion can help stimulate children’s self- protection 
abilities and may further develop the resilience of children’s self-
protecting capabilities. 
 
Provides an excellent opportunity for experience and knowledge 
sharing for both children and adults. 
 
Helps to further develop children’s psycho-social wellbeing. 
There are numerous ways to guarantee child participation: meeting with children to 
plan activities or to hear their experiences and feedback on previous years’ activities; 
inviting and allowing child-led awareness raising groups to organize activities; 
discussing various child focused topics through role play activities; including children 
in the planning and decision making process of daily activities (when appropriate); 
having a “comments and suggestions” box where any willing child can drop a written 
comment/suggestion anonymously; using a rotation system for each group supervisor, 
educator or animator.
Furthermore, it is important to train all summer camp personnel, especially the 
group supervisors or animators organizing activities, on how to appropriately adapt 
child participation-focused activities and exercises in order to best suit children’s 
capabilities, their skill sets and age. 
Please refer to annex 
4
for a reflection with children questionnaire.
Children from Elbasan summer camp during an educational activity, 2011
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SUMMER CAMPS GUIDELINE