Peace Camp Participants Learn To Identify, Manage & Celebrate Emotions

Anger, empathy and happiness were among the emotions that children learned about at The Peace Camp July 15-19 at the Newtown Friends Meetinghouse.

Peace Camp, which was hosted by The Peace Center, provided a week of fun-filled activities, to help children learn to identify, manage and celebrate emotions.

Campers made a coiled ceramic object called an emotional cup in an exercise to teach them about what happens when they get angry and what to do about their anger.

“If they ever get angry, they can talk about why they’re angry and how to solve it,” said Camp Counselor  Emily Hulihan of Newtown Borough.

“Say you woke up and something bad happened — like you missed your bus — then your cup would fill up a little bit,” she said. “And if bad things continued throughout the day, your cup would keep filling up. Then something would happen and then you would spill your emotional cup.”

She said the campers talked about healthy ways to empty their emotional cup, how to handle their anger and for them to make sure they don’t get angry at anyone.

In another exercise, the lights were dimmed and a flute played soothing music as children laid still on the floor.

Marjorie Mott of Bristol Borough, camp director, said, “Alright boys and girls, guided imagery is something you can do anywhere and anytime. Anytime you’re in conflict — whenever you’re in a fight or an argument you can imagine you are in a safe bubble. This is another skill to put in your tool box of the things you can do when you’re angry.”

“Take a deep breath,” Mott said. “Feel your tummy going out. Let it out. Deep breath —  in and out. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Your arms and legs should be very still.

“Remember a time when you were arguing with someone,” she said. “Feel angry words coming at you like arrows. Now look down and see the target that is in front of your heart. And pick up that target and gently move it out to the side. See that none of the angry words coming at you are not touching you at all . They are all being absorbed by the target that is out to your side.

“Some of them just bounce right off of the target,” said Mott. “None of them can touch you.”

Two youths, who called themselves best friends forever (BFF), held hands as they listened to Mott give instructions to teach them how to relax. The BFFs shared a hug.

Later, the campers stood in a circle telling their buddies what their favorite thing was about camp.

Using a ball of string, each kid had a chance to throw a ball of yarn to the person who was standing opposite of them and compliment that person.

Mott described the array of colorful strands they created as a network which made all of the children connected.

Trevor Daly of Hopewell, New Jersey, 9, is entering the third-grade at Hopewell Elementary School.

“I learned that there are certain ways that you can control your emotions,” he said. “One way you can do that is you can take deep breaths when you’re angry. When you’re scared, you could go to a spot that you think is safe. “

Abraham Zafar, 9, of Lamberville, New Jersey,  will be a third-grader at Buckingham Friends School. “The thing I like about Peace Camp is that we get to have fun and also we get to control all of our emotions.”

Conner Kuryluk of Langhorne, 8, will be in the third-grade at St. Andrew School.

“What I like about peace camp most is it’s a great opportunity to make tons of new friends,” he said.

Editor’s Note: Petra Chesner Schlatter is a representative of The Peace Center.