Summer twenty-four-hours camp “The healing power of nature”

For the third year in a row, the association “Autism Support Centre in Rēzekne”in collaboration with rehabilitation centre “Rāzna”, as well as thanks to co-financing of Rēzekne city municipality institution “Eastern Latvian Centre of Creative Services” and financial and material support of Ludza county municipality, Līvani county municipality, SIA “MS-IDI”, SIA “Projektēšanas birojs AUSTRUMI”, SIA “Greenterra”, SIA “Glass&Wood” and supermarket “Rimi”, organized summer twenty-four-hours camp for children with special needs.The camp, which took place from 6^th June to 17^th June, gathered children at the age of 6 to 15 years from various cities of Latvia.

The main aim of the camp is rehabilitation of children, participation in different treatment procedures:salt room, bubble bath, swimming-pool, classes with ergotherapist and physiotherapist, massages. However, creative activities together with the parents during the camp were no less important. Also this year, there was a tradition to paint T-shirts which became a great souvenir for participants of the camp. Children were excited about painting of mugs in non-traditional manner – with nail varnishes, as well as about clay workshop where they created pleasant and memorable things. Soap-scrub and anti-stress balls from flour and balloons were also made. During free time, children could engage in games, play with their favourite toys and go to park together to swing. Thanks to the association “For Strong Family” and personally to Guntars Skudra, children had an opportunity to try their skills in driving karting cars and hitting a ball in gate with huge sports shoes.

Every afternoon, participants of the camp were visited by different guests. The most interesting and exciting was the evening of “physicists and chemists” organized by SIA “Laboratorium Science Theater” – various experiments with dry ice and liquid nitrogen were showed. Children’s eyes were shining with joy when watching something miraculous – how to inflate a balloon in a different way or how effects of smoke are arising. Satisfaction of children was boundless when, after common activities, all together could eat self-made lemon and chocolate ice-creams.

For a second year in a row, participants of the camp were visited by SIA “Deserto” sand cinema. Children had an opportunity to watch a movie about Latvia, its nature, as well as to try drawing themselves. The most interesting and long expected task for children was creation of their own paintings from colourful sand by tearing adhesive papers and creating own colourful pictures.

Representatives from the Nature Education Centre (DIC) “Rāzna” visited the camp. With the help of big and colourful wooden jigsaw puzzles, they introduced children with various plants and involved them in identification of plants and fulfilment of tasks, as well as offered for everybody to make an imprint of a plant in plaster.

Teacher Inga Kūkusiliņa from Rožupe Primary School with her foster-children organized musical afternoon, involving all children and their parents in common orchestra, engaging in games and delighting about different musical instruments which could be played by every child.

During the camp, an excursion to Daugavpils Science and Curiosity Centre “Wonders” was organized – there every child could participate in interesting activities, watch, hear and feel various wonders. Thanks to support of supermarket “Rimi”, two picnics by Zosna lakeshore were organized – children were grilling sausages and marshmallows, feeding fishes and playing in the open air.

Marika Antonova and children from Ludza theatre were awaited with special pleasure and enthusiasm. They performed for participants of the camp as circus clowns by juggling and showing tricks. After the performance, everybody could try skills in “juggling art” and show own tricks to the audience. The evening, when after common picnic the lighting lanterns of every family levitated in the air, was especially magnificent and exciting – thus everybody shared positive energy and joy which was acquired during the camp.

Many thanks to the parents of participants of the camp for being together and support. Many thanks to the staff of rehabilitation centre “Rāzna” for assistance and understanding when engaging in common activities with our children who willingly participated in all activities since they were always welcomed by friendly and smiling staff.

Thanks to speech therapist Laura Bērziņa for active involvement of children in the activities, sports games, sheet painting and other kind of support for children, their parents and organizers of the camp, and, of course, we would like to express our gratitude also to organizers of the camp – Sandra and Edgars (Sandra – for ideas and Edgars – for organization).

Sarmīte Bodža,

Ādams’s and Aleksandra’s mother