Special Needs Camp Paivika: Programs

Learn more about Camp Paivika. Watch our video.

Kids, teens and adults with mild to severe physical and developmental disabilities come to Camp Paivika in the summer and winter for horseback riding, swimming, adaptive sports, campfires and cookouts, arts and crafts, performing arts and other enjoyable, enriched activities. With a sense of freedom inspired by time spent outdoors in natural surroundings, campers learn, develop new interests and confidence through guided play, social skills building and exploration.

Opportunities for socialization are built into every program and activity. Many participants come to Camp Paivika year after year, making memories and forming lasting bonds of friendship with fellow campers and staff. Watch our Camp Paivika video to see and hear how camping has changed and enhanced the lives of individuals of all ages.

At all times, the safety and well-being of each camper is paramount and our carefully screened, qualified staff and nursing personnel meet the medical, diet, feeding and personal hygiene care and assistance needs of each camper with respect for the dignity of all.

We are aware that many campers are away from parents and home for the first time. Our staff responds with understanding and support to help make this very important transition a success. The rewards are great. Families gain a much-needed respite from the rigors and challenges of caring for their disabled loved ones. Campers have the opportunity to explore activities that promote health, fitness and independence in a nurturing atmosphere of friendship and possibility.

Camp Paivika is a year-round facility. In addition to its summer sessions, Camp Paivika offers Weekend Getaways, winter through spring, to camper groups who attend our summer program. In September, Camp Paivika staff take a small group of adult campers on a mid-week, four-day camp-out “Outdoor Adventure” near a mountain lake or on the beach. Camp Paivika’s Group Ski Trip for adults is offered once during the winter months through the United States Adaptive Ski School. In addition, we offer a “Mom’s Retreat,” a weekend Camp Paivika stay designed as a respite getaway for women who are caregivers for family members with special needs.

As an AbilityFirst facility, our guiding principle is “can,” not “can’t.”  With nurturing support, a focus on social interaction and, above all, an emphasis on fun, Camp Paivika programs are creatively adapted to enable and encourage full participation, promoting health, fitness and independence in an atmosphere of hope and possibility.