Camp Journey
Summer 2026 Registration is Completed
Registration: Spring 2027
Camp Journey is for children who have completed kindergarten through 6th grade (ages 5-12), who have lost a loved one from their immediate family. Our camp will engage in a music therapy group, creative art activities, recreation, and expressive art group. These services integrated within creative methods may increase communication and provide an expressive outlet for participants' supporting the healing process in their grief journey. All volunteers who are facilitating the camp are certified in their area of experience or have walked through a significant loss of a loved one.
“Truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
John 12:24
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We wrapped up our second annual Camp Journey, a Therapeutic Arts camp for grieving kids, today. As I sit here thinking back on the week I’m a little overwhelmed, both in good ways and in bad. The bad is obviously that there are SO many hurting among us. I told a friend yesterday how sometimes it feels like everywhere I look is sadness. This camp can be heavy. But there’s SO much good too. There were many moments where these precious babies laughed and played and told stories with smiles. There were tears, there always will be, but there was so much laughter too.
I’m so very grateful for The J. I’m so grateful for the many volunteers who made this all happen. They gave their time, talents and experiences to help love on some kiddos. I also want to give a huge shout out to S.D. Smith, who I was privileged to meet at a conference recently where he insisted on sending a copy of his book for each kid. If you haven’t read The Green Ember series with your kiddos, make it happen, it’s a MUST READ for families!
Thank you to everyone who donated, prayed and served. While we wait…
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Camp Journey was all we ever dreamed it could be. We had the perfect number of volunteers and kiddos. Grateful doesn’t begin to cover it. Katie and I are just sitting here thinking of our men and hoping they can see these babies.
The only way to walk this is to love on others. If you’re in a pit today, we see you. Once you can come up for a little air, keep an eye out for who you can serve, I promise it helps lighten the load.
Praying these kiddos were comforted this week and hopefully they were given tools to help this on this journey. Thank you to each and every person who served, cooked, prayed, and gave. - Randi Page, The J Co-Founder
About Camp Journey.
Camp Journey is for children between the ages of 5-12, who have lost a loved one from their immediate family. Our camp will engage in a music therapy group, creative art activities, recreation, and expressive art group. These services integrate within creative methods may increase communication and provide an expressive outlet for participants’ supporting the healing process in their grief journey. All volunteers who are facilitating the camp are certified in their area of experience or have walked through a significant loss of a loved one.
About our groups at camp.
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Our music therapy groups are led by a board-certified music therapist, who holds additional certifications as a Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapist and Trauma-Informed Music Therapist. Campers will engage in a variety of therapeutic music activities as we navigate finding commonalities and connection with other campers, identify the changes death of a loved one has brought in our lives, walk through grief emotions, and move forward through grief through memories and remembrance.
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We believe grief is a personal experience that’s often unique and intimate, and creating or connecting with art can be a healing experience for some people. During our therapeutic art groups, campers will be guided through a variety of art activities that address connection, change, grief, emotions, and remembrance. Our therapeutic art groups are led by a local art teacher.
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Seeing birds after someone dies may vary from person to person, it is generally seen as positive and uplifting. For many, it brings a sense of comfort and closure during a difficult time. Throughout the week, each camper will work with our woodworkers to assemble a birdhouse kit. The campers will also have an opportunity to paint their birdhouses and a bird accessory to hang in their yard and/or porch following the camp.
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We are hoping our recreation groups are utilized as brain and emotion breaks for the campers through a variety of physical activities.
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