Losing a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver is one of the most disorienting experiences a child can face. Approximately 6.3 million children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver before they turn 18, and grieving youth are more likely to face mental health challenges, poor academic performance, and negative long-term outcomes than their non-grieving peers. Yet grief in children often goes unaddressed, in part because adults do not always know how to respond, and children themselves may lack the language to express what they are going through.

Grief camps exist specifically to fill that gap.

What Is a Grief Camp?

Grief camps, sometimes called bereavement camps, are structured programs that combine traditional summer camp activities with grief education and peer support. They are designed for children and teenagers who have experienced the death of someone close to them. Most are led by bereavement professionals and trained volunteers, and many are offered free of charge to families.

Research reviewing published peer-reviewed studies on children’s bereavement camps identifies three core objectives shared across programs: providing children with a safe place to share feelings about their losses, facilitating their grief work, and educating them about healthy ways to cope. The format varies, with some programs running for a single day and others for a full week, but the underlying purpose is consistent: helping children understand that grief is a normal human experience and that they are not alone in it.

Why Camp Works

The camp environment itself is part of what makes these programs effective. Research in grief management shows that camps are promising venues to help bereaved children develop and build resilience in dealing with loss. Being away from home, surrounded by peers who share similar experiences, lowers the social barriers that often prevent children from opening up about loss.

A quantitative study examining the impact of a two-day grief camp found that participation was associated with a significant positive effect on self-concept, a significant decrease in anxiety-related symptoms, and a reduction in childhood traumatic grief and posttraumatic stress symptoms in children following the death of a parent.

Perhaps most importantly, what these camps accomplish above all else is connecting children with others their age who have experienced similar loss. Campers leave feeling like they are not alone in their grief.

What to Expect

Programs vary in structure, but most grief camps combine traditional recreational activities such as hiking, arts and crafts, games, and swimming with facilitated grief support. Campers are provided a safe environment to explore their grief, learn essential coping skills, and make friends with peers who are also grieving, all led by bereavement professionals and trained volunteers. Many programs also offer a concurrent retreat or support component for parents and caregivers, recognizing that loss affects the entire family.

Age ranges vary by program. Most serve children ages 6 through 17, with many offering separate sessions by age group to ensure developmentally appropriate support. Programs are available in a range of formats: day camps, resident overnight camps, respite programs, and travel camps, so families can find an option that fits their child’s needs and comfort level.

Grief Camps in the VerySpecialCamps Directory

The VerySpecialCamps grief camps directory currently lists 41 programs, representing 8.4% of all listings in the directory. Of those, 26 offer resident camp programs, 23 offer day camp options, 13 include respite programming, and 7 offer travel camp experiences. Format counts may overlap, as many programs offer more than one option.

The overwhelming majority of listed programs are coed, with 40 of 41 listings serving both boys and girls. Michigan and Ohio lead in listings concentration, each with 4 programs representing 9.8% of all grief camp listings in the directory. California follows with 2 listings.

Many grief camps are regional or hospice-affiliated. Searching by state within the directory is the most reliable way to find programs actively serving your area.