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Kids Gain Confidence Through Log Rolling at Therapeutic Recreation Camp

  • 3 min read

We have a mission to find a way to give ALL kids access to the fun and exciting sport of logrolling. We're hopeful that Key Logs can be a unique way to support and enhance adaptive therapy and recreation.

Log Rolling At Adaptive Therapy Camp

Meet Maureen Johnston, a Child Life specialist from Shriners Children’s. The Child Life and Recreational Therapy program at Shriners Children’s is responsible for making kids who go to the clinic feel like kids.Research shows that children who engage in therapeutic play, experience less fear and anxiety and have better long-term adjustment to medical challenges.Maureen introduced log rolling as a new activity to kids participating in their Adaptive Therapy Camp. Learn about their experience and why she and the kids loved learning to log rolling.

How did you hear about log rolling? And what spurred you to think that it might be a fun, positive activity for the kids in your day camps? 

I believe I first heard about log rolling from a newspaper article. I have been doing various camps for 15 years, and I am always on the lookout for fun, new, exciting, and challenging activities to push the kids and to open their eyes to new hobbies.

Did you have to get special permission or consult with any physicians/therapists first about whether or not you could include log rolling as an activity? 

All kids who sign up for our camps must be patients of Shriners Children’s and see our doctors at least once a year. If we were to have a child attend who has had a recent surgery or is working on a new issue with their prosthetic, we would talk to the doctor and get their permission for the patient to attend.  The whole medical team loves to watch their patients try new activities and be active. Many times when we return to the clinic at the end of the day, the medical team will stop and visit with the kids to see how their day went. So not only is this a positive for the kids, it really benefits the medical staff too.

 

 

How did the children and/or parents feel about the fact that log rolling would be an activity prior to the camp?

 The kids were all excited and really didn’t know much about it. They thought we would be standing on tree logs! The parents were also excited and many remember watching people compete at their local state/county fairs. These kids are frequently told "they can't," so to do things few kids their age have done is an especially satisfying experience.

What was the reaction of the children afterward? 

Most kids loved the challenge. They love to compete against each other, so at the end of the session when we had a contest, they all took it seriously. There were a couple of kids who were extra challenged because of the type of prosthetic leg that they had on, but they tried extra hard to make it work. It was an added benefit for the child to see what might make it work better for them next time, and talk to their prosthetist about possibly getting a different foot.


Is log rolling an activity you’ll continue to include in your camps?

Yes, log rolling is definitely an activity that I would like to continue to include in our programming in one way or another. Starting a log rolling club is one possibility for the new year.

What did you love most about your experience with the Key Logs?

Watching the kids try log rolling was so special. From seeing them first jump up on a log and immediately fall off and then witness their improvement on each subsequent attempt was truly awesome. You could see their confidence growing with each turn.

Interested in adding a Key Log to your pool or waterfront? If you’d like to learn more about how you can use Key Logs in adaptive recreation, contact us!

About Shriners Children’s: Shriners Children’s specializes in pediatric care in the following areas: Orthopaedics, Burn Care, Spinal Cord Injury, Craniofacial and Cleft Lip/Palate, and Sports Injury and Fractures. Since 1922, they’ve treated 1.4 million children and have grown to 22 locations nationwide. They are especially appreciated for their loving, supportive environment aided in children’s recoveries and increased their quality of life since day one.

A note from Abby Delaney, founder of Key Log Rolling

Without a doubt, watching the Shriners kids learn to log roll was one of the most rewarding experiences of my journey with Key Log Rolling. Their initial nervousness and apprehension melted into pure joy when they realized that they could learn just like anyone else. Read more about Abby’s experience with the Shriners kids and teaching them to log roll.

 

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