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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Gifted Children and Camp MakeBelieve Kids

Gifted children often get referred to CMB Kids by teachers, school counselors or child therapists who have identified red flags and need an intervention. Many gifted children fail to work to their potential and may even have failing grades, or, on tests, get the difficult questions correct while skipping the easy questions.  Gifted children may be disruptive in school, complain of being bored and seem to space out and lose focus.  They sometimes get oppositional and argumentative with teachers and parents alike thinking they are way smarter than them so why bother.  Motivation waxes and wanes depending on the gifted child’s relationship with teacher.  Manipulation tactics, to a clever child, becomes a game of outsmarting their opponent (parent or teacher) when gifted children wants to avoid an unpleasant consequence or acquire something interesting. Gifted children like to be challenged, thrive on praise but often, become quite defensive when they perceive feedback as criticism or feel that the teacher doesn’t quite get them, taking away time from the “typical” peers.  

Educators have long been aware that gifted children can be very difficult to educate and are just as challenging to teach as those with learning disorders.  

A Program Created For Gifted Children

The Camp MakeBelieve Kids program was created with gifted children in mind. 

The CMB Kids program is designed to offer positive support, challenging discussions, interesting activities during structured and unstructured group time. It’s heart warming to group leaders who observe the gradual changes in the gifted child, who often begins with a negative, know-it-all attitude, but leaves with gratitude, for getting help in navigating their social and emotional world.

It’s rewarding to witness these children as their self-esteem, self-confidence and motivation improves, eager to use the skills and strategies they learn in the program. Given plenty of talk time, role playing time and problem solving  tasks, gifted children in CMB Kids soon become program leaders, often selected (by their peers as well as teachers) as junior CMB counselors becoming mentors to children with other special needs, such as Asperger’s Disorder or ADHD. Gifted children want to be accepted by peers and have friends, but they know they are different and they think differently.   

CMB Kids teaches them the appropriate way to interact with peers, manage moods, and get their needs met, allowing them to practice until they get it right. Gifted children thrive in the CMB Kids program, learning the language of feelings, creative ways to manage feelings, thoughts and behavior, assertive but friendly communication, strategies for handling bullies and avoid peer pressure, understanding social clues and much, much more.  

Meet our character, Gifted Gregory who Learns to Make Friends;  a Teaching Tool in Step 1, Peer Connections of the Camp MakeBelieve Kids 8-Step Program.

Click here to purchase the Camp MakeBelieve Kids Program.

 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