Recently, a camp counselor decided to veer outside of scheduled programming and invited children to play an improvised game. The game required the children to run from one base to the other, while the counselor would throw a soccer ball to try to "tag" them before they made it to the other side. In this instance, the ball shattered a young boy’s glasses—resulting in significant damage to both eyes requiring multiple surgeries, and leading to potential complications that could last a lifetime.
How might an incident like this have been avoided?
The first and most important place to start is encouraging staff to choose activities that have already been vetted as safe. A game of traditional soccer may feel “old” to a counselor who has been working at camp week-in and week-out, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring for the children. By emphasizing the importance of good decision-making in programming, you can help make sure that activities are centered around what matters most: The wellbeing of the children in your care.
Here are some other important factors to consider: