Camp MakeBelieve Kids

A Social and Emotional Learning Program that Builds Emotional Competence in Children. The place where youth learn to believe in themselves.

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Principles and Strategies of Camp MakeBelieve Kids

Strong principles form the bedrock of CMB Kids. Our principles guide us.

Principles of CMB Kids

● Let children be children. We respect this stage of development as special and sacred. 

● Have a positive impact. 

● We can, will and do contribute.

● We start child by child, family by family, school by school, community by community.

● Stress management. While we can’t eliminate stress, we can become aware, diminish and mitigate some of its effects.

● We can teach our children how to be aware of feelings, manage frustration, control their impulses, regulate their moods, keep anger from overwhelming them, empathize with others, and hope.

● We can teach our children direction, limits, how to make appropriate choices, and take appropriate responsibility.

● We can teach our children to be ethically and morally accountable.

Strategies of CMB Kids

Our techniques, strategies, and tools are designed to put our principles into practice.

● Children may work at their own pace.

● Children are challenged in ways that are constructive and age-appropriate.

● CMBK Counselors are given materials to help acquaint the child with the world through language and shared activities, in the context of love, comfort, safety, and support.

● The realistic needs of society are combined with the needs of the child through promoting imaginative approaches to real-life situations.

● We use fantasy, imagination, and play — with the simplest of materials – to create a learning process that helps children deal with confusing or difficult feelings.

● Children are encouraged to create reality out of their own experience.

● Limits, boundaries, and rules are demonstrated through the skills provided in the activity sheets.

● Strategies that help a child relieve stress and cool down are explained and demonstrated.

● We teach children to pay attention to a variety of cues — from facial to sensory— to introduce children to a wide range of experiences, and to sharpen their ability to “read” feelings accurately.

● Awareness of feelings is a primary focus, as this is imperative to change. Children must recognize anger before they can get past it.

● Understanding how we feel gives us the freedom to choose our behavior, which is in and of itself, a defuser and allows children to focus on a positive choice.

● Awareness of intention is critical to reframing our view of anger, which includes finding the “positives” in those situations that trigger our anger.

● Diversion is often overlooked as a simple way to move children from intensely angry behavior. We teach diversionary strategies for use during intense moments. A child has to become calm before she can hear.

● Expression of feelings through writing, drawing, music, drama, games, stories, and art is a powerful stress reducer, and a critical element in our approach to anger management.

● Rewards are built-in and reinforced as a positive method for managing behavior.

 Testimony

"The study really shines a light on something many parents look for, but seems to elude them. Validation that the program works --RESULTS. Isn't that the biggest question you get, "What will the program give my son or daughter...what can I expect...how long will it take to see results?" I'm very proud Jake is attending the Camp MakeBelieve Kids program. The changes he's made are priceless!"

Lauren Alvaraz