6. Understanding campers and including everyone
Part of Camp leadership basics, an introductory course on general camp-leadership knowledge. It is not the official material of any certification course.
In this lesson
- Starting from the campers, not the activity
- General tendencies by age
- Disability inclusion and individualized assessment
Campers × program → outcomes
Leaders alone don't make a good camp, and neither does a great activity list. Outcomes come from fitting the program to the people in front of you. Start from the campers, not from the activity you'd most like to run.
General tendencies by age
| Age | Common tendencies | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool | Short attention, strong curiosity, separation anxiety | Short instructions, demonstrations, short activity blocks |
| Early elementary | Energetic, eager to learn, love to move | Active games, quick wins |
| Upper elementary | Peer groups matter, growing sense of responsibility | Real roles and team challenges |
| Teens | Rapid change, big individual differences, dislike of being controlled | Fairness, choice, responsibility |
| Older adults | Rich experience, varied health | Attention to health, chances to share expertise |
These are general tendencies from camp practice, not rules. Watch the individual: behavior has reasons, and "that's just how she is" is a barrier to understanding.
Including campers with disabilities
In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to camps. The Justice Department's ADA technical assistance manual gives a camp example: a private summer camp may ask for health information needed for safe participation, but may not use it to screen out children with disabilities. ADA guidance for child care programs, which follows the same principles, says providers must make an individualized assessment of whether they can meet a child's needs without fundamentally changing the program, and must not act on stereotypes about what children with disabilities can do.
In practice: gather information early, talk with families, adjust activities, time and staffing, and plan how the experience will carry over to daily life.
Think it through
- How would you explain the same camp-cooking task to six-year-olds and to fourteen-year-olds?
- A family tells you their child uses a wheelchair. What would you ask them before camp?
Related on this site
Everyday
Within your own family, notice how age and stamina change what each person can do, and share roles accordingly.
When it counts
In an evacuation, children, older adults and people with health conditions each need support that fits them.
Sources and when we checked them
- ADA Title III Technical Assistance Manual (archive.ada.gov) (checked 2026-10-31)
- ADA.gov, Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the ADA (February 28, 2020) (checked 2026-10-31)
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Creating healthy camp experiences (PubMed) (checked 2026-10-31)
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