“We laugh. We cry. We remember.”
Our Grief Activities: Thoughtful, Age-Appropriate, and Grounded in Care
At Circle Camps, grief support is woven thoughtfully into the rhythm of camp life. Each camper participates in three intentional grief activities during the week, carefully paced to allow time for reflection, rest, and play in between.
These activities are designed to meet girls where they are—developmentally, emotionally, and relationally—and to evolve as campers grow year after year.
A Predictable, Supportive Rhythm
The typical flow of the week includes:
Circle Time early in the session, helping campers settle in and begin building trust
An age-appropriate grief activity mid-week, tailored to the developmental stage of each group
The Rock Ceremony on the final afternoon, bringing the full camp community together to remember, reflect, and honor the loved ones who brought us here
This rhythm provides structure without pressure, and familiarity without repetition.
Circle Time: A Foundation of Trust
Every camper participates in Circle Time each year they attend. While the structure remains familiar, the conversations grow and change alongside the campers.
Circle Time offers space for:
Honest conversation about grief
Listening and being heard
Shared understanding without judgment
Participation is always encouraged, never forced. Campers are free to speak, listen, or simply be present—knowing that all forms of participation are valued.
Age-Appropriate Grief Activities
Each age group engages in thoughtfully selected activities that use art, movement, storytelling, metaphor, and discussion to help campers explore grief in ways that feel accessible and empowering.
Activities may invite campers to:
Put words, colors, or images to feelings
Identify coping skills and sources of support
Reflect on how life has changed—and how they’ve grown
Recognize that grief looks different for everyone
Some activities are intentionally repeated over the years, allowing campers to revisit familiar concepts with new insight as they mature. Others change to reflect developmental needs, ensuring that campers are not simply repeating experiences, but building upon them.
The Rock Ceremony: Remembering Together
The Rock Ceremony is a meaningful closing ritual that brings the entire camp together.
Throughout the week, campers reflect individually and with their bunks as they select and decorate rocks. On the final afternoon, the community gathers to acknowledge the loved ones who brought each camper to Circle Camps and to honor the shared experience of grief.
This ceremony offers space for remembrance, connection, and collective support—grounding the camp experience in meaning and tradition.
During the rock ceremony every year, I always seek out the wooden sign that reads “We laugh. We cry. We remember.” Those six words perfectly sum up what our week at Circle looks like. Though what brings us all together is our common loss, the healing is in the joy we create during the week. It’s in the hushed laughter when it’s lights out. In the piggy back rides up the hill to the main lodge. In the yoga stretches and dance moves. Its in the swamping of canoes, intense ultimate frisbee games, archery bullseyes, and gnarly tubing falls. I will forever cherish my week in August to laugh, cry, and remember.
- Circle Camps Alumni and Volunteer
