Here at Over The Wall we are all about helping campers discover how amazing they truly are. We offer a child centred programme through the use of our Therapeutic Recreation Cycle throughout, which focuses on helping our campers realise the incredible abilities and talents they possess. The Therapeutic Recreation Model is a 4 step programme that is all based around fun.

The steps include Challenge, Success, Reflection and Discovery. At Over the Wall we ensure all challenges our campers face will be in a supportive, fun and safe environment. Each challenge will be individualised and tailored for each camper through the use of our Therapeutic Recreation Model.

 

1. CHALLENGE

For us to truly understand how to challenge our campers in the best way possible it is key we understand challenge itself. At Over The Wall we realise that challenge is different for every individual. We measure this by finding out our campers comfort zones.

Comfort Zone: When in this zone you are completely comfortable. You enjoy both the activity and the environment you are doing it in. There is very little challenge for you in this zone.

Stretch Zone: In this zone you feel you are being challenged in some way but you are willing to try and overcome that challenge. This is the zone we want our campers to be in and it’s the zone where our campers are most likely to learn something new about themselves. In your stretch zone self-esteem grows, confidence rises and campers realise their unlimited potential.

Panic Zone: At Over the Wall we never want anyone in their Panic Zone. When you find yourself in your panic zone you feel scared, unsure about what you are doing and what is taking place around you. You can become stressed out and you find yourself making quick decisions to get yourself back into your comfort zone.

At Over The Wall we empower our campers to choose their own level of challenge. We call this Challenge by Choice. By giving campers the responsibility to make their own decision, it empowers them to go at their own pace of progression. At camp we get to know our campers before they come to camp and even more when they arrive. We learn about their goals and comfort levels on the very first night so we can support and encourage them into their stretch zone. If a camper decides they want to stay in their comfort zone that’s fine too because it is their decision. We break down our challenges step by step to ensure no task is ever too daunting and we individualise challenges to ensure each camper succeeds. The successes the campers gain through challenge enhances their self-esteem and confidence levels.

 

2. SUCCESS

At Over the Wall we ensure your child experiences success. We do this by creating a fun, positive and supportive environment where campers can challenge themselves in the way they wish to. We guarantee success by creating the “camp bubble”, a fun, safe, positive and supportive environment for campers to try new challenges. We get to know your child and we learn what they might find challenging at camp, so we can support and encourage them in the best possible way.

At camp we use a powerful tool called Specific Positive Labelling. We use this tool to highlight individual and group successes throughout camp. Over the Wall does this by recognising when a camper succeeds and ensuring they realise how well they have performed. We don’t just tell a camper they did a good job. We are Specific in telling them what they have achieved and also by giving them a Positive Label to go with it.

3. REFLECTION

Life at camp is so action packed and filled with fun that it can be difficult for campers to reflect on all of their amazing achievements. This is why at Over The Wall we have built in reflection throughout our camp programme in both structured and unstructured times. We start every activity with an intro and finish with a debrief. The debrief is specifically planned and facilitated for campers to think about all they have achieved from the activity in a fun way. While the intro shows us how campers feel and where they are at, the debrief at the end shows the positive change that occurred after the session. Each camper also gets a discovery box to design and add memories into from the week. One of the most powerful times at camp is cabin chat at the end of each day. We ask campers in their team groups questions about their day. While campers talk about their successes of the day our volunteers also reemphasise and validate the incredible achievements of each individual camper.

Reflection is the key to discovery. We ensure our campers realise the incredible successes and achievements they have made at camp and how they can take them with them along with their positive labels into the real life outside of camp.

 

4. DISCOVERY

Discovery is the last part of our Therapeutic Recreation Model at Over the Wall. It is the combination of all the previous steps challenge, success and reflection that lead to our final stage: Discovery. Like all the others, it is individual and personal to each camper. Discovery can happen to campers at any moment as you cannot put a time limit on discovering something special about yourself. It can happen anywhere, at camp, on the drive home or even weeks after camp.

Discovery is the moment your child realises all the amazing traits they noticed about themselves at camp are always with them and part of who they are. They recognise consciously or subconsciously that they don’t need a climbing wall to be brave, they are brave! They don’t need a room full of crafty material to know they are a creative individual. They realise they are funny, artistic, clever, kind or sociable. They discover they don’t need to be at camp to use all the amazing traits they possess, they just have to be themselves. With this their confidence and self-esteem increases along with a can do it attitude.