Camp Firely
2025
Camp Firefly 2025 started out as a rainy affair. The weather forecast told us that the rain would continue throughout the entire weekend, so we started planning activities that could make the most of the rain. This is how the idea for the giant Slip N Slide was born! So in many ways: we were grateful for the rain (the Slip N Slide was SO fun that it will now be a regular part of Camp Firefly moving forward). And our grief campers came ready too! Not only to bravely face their difficult grief emotions, but also to bravely face whatever weather came their way. Even with the rain, they still went out there and did all the outdoor activities that Camp Manitou had to offer! And maybe, just maybe, Mother Nature got the message. Because after only a few hours on Saturday afternoon of solid downpour, the rain left and didn’t return … for the rest of the weekend. I like to think that Mother Nature decided to reward their bravery.
The 2025 camp used the same formula that we do every year: alternating between grief therapy activities and summer camp activities. Also unique to Camp Firefly is an infusion of Indigenous cultural ceremony and ritual, for any kids or adults who were interested. As Camp Director, my favourite part of camp every year is the Cultural Demonstration where Buffalo Red Thunder comes out to drum, sing, and dance for our grief campers. Exhibiting beauty and love, and talking us through each of the dances, Buffalo Red Thunder’s demonstration is such a powerful part of our camp each year. We are so lucky to have them.
Furthermore, Camp Firefly leans heavily into music and the arts. The idea is to offer our grief campers a wide range of activities and passions … in the hopes that they may get inspired to explore some of these activities and passions as they grow older. And as they continue to work through their grief. “Healthy grief” is all about doing the things that fill your cup, that make you feel good and purposeful, while also paying tribute to your loved ones who have died. So in addition to the regular summer camp activities like wall kayaking and ziplining, we also had an activity called Music Corner where our grief campers could learn how to play instruments from professional local musicians. We rented: acoustic guitars, bass guitars, drums, keyboards, violins, and percussion instruments; and the kids could try any of them at their own pace. The highlight of Music Corner was an impromptu karaoke session where the kiddos started singing K Pop Demon Hunters. That was a special moment.
Memory frames and Memory Pillows were of course included in our camp again. Those are crucial grief therapy activities that will always be included every time we run a camp. They are just so perfect for getting kids talking about their grief, and for opening up grieving emotions in a way that feels safe to the kids. It was heartwarming to see our grief campers walking around camp with their memory pillows all weekend, giving them a good squeeze anytime they needed comfort.
Other highlights include the Final Grief Ceremony, which is also a staple at every Camp Firefly. During this activity, the kids all bravely wrote letters to their loved ones who died. So did many adults. And the idea was to burn that letter in the fire, to release those messages into the atmosphere, to heaven, to the spirit world, or whatever else they believed in. This is always the heaviest part of camp, but Camp Firefly does it in a way where the kids go at their own pace and never feel rushed. And this year, for the first time, we offered our grief campers the chance to “dance their grief away” with a Wackydoodle Dance Party immediately after. This will now be a regular part of Camp Firefly moving forward. It was beyond special. Our grief campers went from crying 15 minutes earlier at the Final Grief Ceremony, to having the time of their lives dancing to their favourite songs at the Wackydoodle Dance Party. This transition was intentional, and it seemed to resonate with the kiddos in big ways. What a fun way to finish the night!
All in all, we supported 45 grief campers this year, from all different cultures and backgrounds and upbringings. And we had nearly 45 adult volunteers come out this year as well. And many of those 45 adult volunteers … were participating in all the activities themselves! Including the grief therapy activities! It’s so important that our grief campers see us modeling healthy versions of grief (“Crying is cool!”), and it’s important that they see us being big kids as well. Camp Firefly will always be imaginative, youthful, artistic, emotional, and fun. And we can’t wait to see what next year will bring!
