Staff-training activities that strengthen positive mental health

By Jim Cain
Photos: Jim Cain

A few years ago, camping psychologist Bob Ditter and I co-facilitated several conference workshops. Bob would share a critical element in the health-and-wellness realm of camp staff members, and I would share an activity that explored that topic. Then I would share one of my favorite activities, and Bob would explain how participating in such an activity had a positive effect on the social health and mental wellness of every participant. It was magical, and I will forever be grateful to Bob for lending his knowledge and expertise to the event.

A few years ago, camping psychologist Bob Ditter and I co-facilitated several conference workshops. Bob would share a critical element in the health-and-wellness realm of camp staff members, and I would share an activity that explored that topic. Then I would share one of my favorite activities, and Bob would explain how participating in such an activity had a positive effect on the social health and mental wellness of every participant. It was magical, and I will forever be grateful to Bob for lending his knowledge and expertise to the event.

Fast-forward a few years, introduce the effects of a global pandemic, and we are no longer in a hypothetical situation related to mental health—we are in a full-blown crisis. Luckily, summer camps are in a unique position to restore a sense of community and belonging—two much-needed elements in the battle to help seasonal staff members recover from months of lockdowns, separation, self-isolation, social distancing, and quarantining.

Summer camps can do more good this coming year than they have EVER done before. The important thing is to be ready for the various types of COVID-related mental-health issues that are likely to be displayed by campers and staff members and to have an arsenal of games and activities to help combat these issues.

Like many people reading this article, I don’t consider myself an expert in this field, but thanks to some careful research and an abundance of written information now available, I believe I have at least become a competent practitioner, especially when it comes to exploring the myriad of mental health-related issues dominating society at this time. This is in no small way thanks to the brilliant and masterful experience of working numerous times with Bob. Did I mention how grateful I was?

Resources To Consider

Let’s begin with some information from the following books (these and similar books can be found at a local library):

Together by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy—explores the healing power of human connection.
The Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz—restores human connection in a world that’s pulling apart.
13 Things Strong Kids Do by Amy Morin—defines specific topics to explore at camp.
A Year of Positive Thinking for Teens by Katie Hurley—injects a giant and much-needed dose of positivity into any program this year.

Also, search the internet for information on “resilience,” a list which seems to grow with each passing day.

Next, understand that the field of mental health is both wide and deep. There’s a lot to unpack there. You can find references to a wide variety of mental health-related issues, including:

Honesty
Integrity and character
Social and emotional intelligence
Teamwork
Leadership
Grit
Tenacity and perseverance
Kindness
Trust
Judgment and critical thinking
Mindfulness
Exposure to natural environments
Positivity
Friendship
Adapting to change
Appreciation and gratitude
Patience
Joy
Humor.

Themes To Explore

When it comes to identifying games and activities that strengthen positive mental health, choose ones that connect with the theme or focus of a camp program, and then search for ways to incorporate these mental-health strengthening themes.

There’s no question that a thorough investigation of the many mental-health issues confronting campers and staff members could fill volumes. For the purpose of this article, however, the focus will be on the most significant themes that one can explore this year.

1. Appreciation And Gratitude

In the book 59 Seconds, author David Wiseman touches on the topic of appreciation and notes that reflecting on gratitude for even a few minutes can have a positive effect that may last for up to a month. How’s that for a return on investment? It’s been raining at my home for the past week, and I have to admit I’ve been a little blue. But each morning when I wake up, I think of five things for which I am grateful; that exercise has an immediate and positive effect on my attitude and the trajectory of my day. It gets even better when I share my list with others.

2. The Power Of Connection

The National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health conducted by Michael Resnick and other professionals suggests in their findings that parent-family connectedness, paired with a perceived school connectedness, are protective against almost every risky behavior measured. Simply by being part of something, teens are protected against a variety of risk factors in their communities. Connection is the key, and camps do a great job of this already. This is my cabin, my team, my tribe; these are my people and I am one of them. A terrific activity for building connection is called Walking and Talking. Two partners link elbows (or hold opposite ends of a pool noodle if social distancing is appropriate) and take a stroll together while trying to find three world-class things they have in common. The more unusual and unique, the better. Then, after finding these commonalities, they share their findings with another group. I sometimes noticed (in pre-COVID days) that participants would return after the activity with their arms still linked. They had, it seemed, become comfortable with each other, which was the whole point of the activity. Connection achieved!

3. Building Friendships

In his book Vital Friends, Gallop Poll-survey expert Tom Rath explains that 96 percent of the people with three or more friends at their workplace say the quality of their work-life is outstanding, and that people with even a single friend at work are seven times more likely to be positively engaged in the workplace than those with no friends. Understanding that many camps were challenged during the summers of 2020 and 2021 to find and retain sufficient staff members, the bottom line here is to help seasonal staff build positive relationships at camp. Staff training should include not only teambuilding, but team bonding as well. Both are absolutely important, and best of all, creating positive relationships increases employee engagement, and employee engagement pays dividends!

In the game First Impressions from the book Teambuilding with Index Cards, each player silently guesses certain characteristics about a partner, and then discovers the truth during a post-guessing conversation. This is an excellent way to begin the process of building friendships.

4. Trusting Relationships

Another element of positive mental health is the ability to form trusting relationships. A great way to explore trust is an activity called Trust Drive. Partners take turns guiding each other, and are instructed to have zero contact with other players or fixed obstacles. The person in front is the driver with hands on an imaginary steering wheel, with eyes closed. The person behind is the world’s most-perfect GPS system, with hands on the partner’s shoulders, with eyes open. After a few minutes of movement and before switching places, suggest that the driver provide feedback to the GPS partner. What was done well? What could be improved? Then partners switch places and repeat the activity, followed by another feedback session. This simple activity builds trust in a way I’ve come to appreciate over the years.

5. Teamwork

No camp can be successful without teamwork. It takes an entire staff—working in unison—to accomplish all that camp has to offer each summer. Exploring teamwork is essential during staff training. A good way to conclude a teambuilding session is an activity called Bull Ring Community, where three teams successfully relocate tennis balls to a PVC candelabra—all at the same time. The successful completion of the task typically leads to cheering and a sense of comradery—key elements of a team working well together.

This is a brief and by-no-means comprehensive collection of positive mental health-building activities. Start with these and constantly add to the list as more issues of campers and staff members are revealed. Remember, even the smallest effort with these activities can have a tremendous effect. And what could be more fun than participating in activities at camp that, on the surface, are fun, but down-deep address some of the most important social concerns and mental-health issues of our times?

Teambuilding guru, Dr. Jim Cain has written 25 books filled with team- and community-building activities gathered from around the world. His real-world, in-person, train-the-trainer events are legendary in the adventure-based learning community, and his virtual activities are used around the world. For more teambuilding ideas and resources, visit TeamworkandTeamplay.com.

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