Miami camp helps grieving children heal through art and play

MIAMI — A day camp in Miami is sending children home with more than arts-and-crafts projects and memories. For dozens of young campers, it is offering something far more difficult — tools to navigate grief after the death of a loved one.

During Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, laughter, music and paint-filled hands filled Miami’s Shake-A-Leg sports center as children ages 4 to 18 took part in Camp Kangaroo, a free, two-day grief support camp.

At first glance, it looked like a typical camp experience. But every child there shared a common bond.

“We’re here because our loved ones has passed away and we’re here to express ourselves,” said Jaydi, one of the campers.

Camp Kangaroo is designed specifically for children who are grieving, blending therapeutic support with creative activities.

The program is hosted by AccentCare Hospice in partnership with Seasons Hospice Foundation and is offered in locations across Florida and the country.

“For so many families in South Florida, acess to grief support is very limited,” said Corey Stepeck, manager of volunteer services and community outreach for AccentCare Hospice. “This allows a chance for children as young as four and as old as 17 or 18 as well as their families to get grief support in a way that is creative and fun and interactive and free of charge.”

This year, 40 children attended the Miami camp, supported by about 30 volunteers and 30 staff members, including licensed counselors and social workers.

The team spends months preparing the annual program, carefully structuring activities to help children process loss in age-appropriate ways.

“As a counselor I get to use my clinical skills, I’m a trained social worker and have worked in hospice for 28 years to help kids express their emotions and do some of the therapeutic work,” said Mark Ritchie, a volunteer counselor.

The camp uses a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including art therapy, music therapy, pet therapy, journaling and water therapy, allowing campers to explore their emotions in ways that feel natural to them.

“It’s great to be able to cry together, but it’s also great to be able to laugh together … both a part of life,” Ritchie said.

Younger children express themselves through art and play, while teenagers often turn to writing and group discussions. For many campers, the environment offers a rare sense of safety and understanding.

Organizers say the laughter often seen at the camp can be misunderstood by outsiders.

“I think people often misunderstand that because children are laughing and not crying all the time that they are not grieving,” said Denise Palacios, director of patient experience for AccentCare Hospice. “The children are in fact grieving and need an outlet for their grief.”

Camp Kangaroo also provides support for parents and caregivers, who are grieving alongside their children. For Melissa Maycock, whose two sons attend the camp, the experience has been life-changing.

“It helped me out because I was totally lost. I didn’t know what to do,” Maycock said. “My husband taught me everything in life but how to live without him.”

“When my husband passed away I was all over the place trying to deal with grief and it was hard for me to adjust to my new change,” she said.

Maycock’s sons have attended Camp Kangaroo since losing their father three years ago. She recalls struggling to answer her children’s questions about death.

“One day he was like ‘Mommy, you pray and ask God for something and he answered your prayers.’ He said, ‘how come when I pray and ask God to bring my Daddy back he didn’t bring him back?’” Maycock said.

“I didn’t know who to answer that as a parent. I don’t know what to say,” she said.

“It’s hard because I’m grieving as well,” Maycock added. “How does a person who is grieving help someone else grieve?”

She said one of her sons showed signs of grief immediately, while the other struggled months later with behavioral issues.

“He says ‘mommy, I did that because I miss my daddy or mommy because daddy’s not coming back.’ No you gotta keep going son. You gotta pray. You just gotta keep going,” she said.

Now, Maycock says she sees a change in how her children express their emotions, crediting the tools they learned at camp.

Organizers say their goal is to make grief support accessible and approachable, even when the subject is difficult.

“Grief and loss is not a fun topic but we do our best to support people who are grieving in a way that is light-hearted and engaging,” Stepeck said.

While January is often called Mental Wellness Month, focusing on individual, daily, and personal well-being, May is recognized specifically as Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., focusing more on public education, policy advocacy, and stigma reduction for mental illness.

For campers like Zaydi, the sense of acceptance is what matters most.

“It’s very exciting to express yourself to someone you know is not going to judge you or make fun of you. That feels great to me so I feel very loved,” Zaydi said. “It’s a very fun place. I think you should come next year.”

Camp Kangaroo is offered annually in several counties across Florida.

The next Miami session is scheduled for January 2027, and registration is already open. Click here for more information.

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