Preparing for independence: How Vision Australia’s Life Ready Hub helps kids gear up for school camp

For many children, school camp is an exciting rite of passage – a fun first step towards independence. But for children with low vision, this experience can feel daunting without the right preparation.

The “Sleepovers and school camp” online learning module on Vision Australia’s Life Ready Hub is designed to bridge that gap, offering expert advice and practical strategies to guide children through the essentials of packing for camp, organising their belongings and navigating new environments.

Whether completed independently, with a parent or with their Vision Australia therapist, this module can help kids and families to feel ready for a few nights away from home with their peers.

A practical, step‑by‑step guide for real‑life experiences

According to Vision Australia’s paediatric occupational therapist Stephanie Stocker, the camp module was built to provide “the essential information of how to prepare for a night or two away from home,” taking families through what to consider before leaving.

The module’s approach is highly practical. It covers real‑world considerations children may not have encountered before, such as:

• finding their way around an unfamiliar camp environment
• keeping track of important items like glasses and toothbrushes
• planning strategies for night‑time navigation
• packing a suitcase and even managing tricky tasks like rolling a sleeping bag.

As Stephanie notes, “it’s a real experience when children realise that packing a sleeping bag isn’t as straight forward as they would think.” The module gives children the time and a safe space to practice these skills before facing them at camp.

Building confidence, independence and organisation

For many children with low vision, packing and being responsible for belongings may feel overwhelming at first. As such, Stephanie says her favourite part of the module is its detailed, hands‑on suitcase‑packing section.

“It’s very common for children attending camp or a sleepover for the first time to not know how to pack enough clothes – or they’re packing too many clothes – for their time away.

“When going through the packing list, there’s almost always a few forgotten objects, like toothbrushes and sunscreen – things that are just part of their at home routine that they wouldn’t consider when not being at home.”

The module also encourages reflection through scenario‑based planning, helping children think ahead about where they’ll store items at night or how to find key facilities.

“There are always a few ‘ah ha’ moments when completing this module,” says Stephanie. “I’ve seen my clients really think about small aspects of getting around camp, like what strategies they could use to locate the bathroom during the night.”

As an added bonus, these small but significant new skills can then be adapted and applied to other parts of a child’s life, such as using cutlery, selecting clothing, showering independently and advocating for their needs.

“Often the concepts of these strategies can be used to better organise their home wardrobe too,” Stephanie shares.

Empowering families and opening doors

For some children with low vision, attending school camp isn’t always guaranteed. Stephanie has seen families worry their child may not be ready, or schools suggest that a parent attend to assist. These situations can alter a child’s experience or lead to children missing out altogether.

“This module empowers our clients and their families to advocate with the school,” she says, noting that the module is very successful at reassuring families that their child can manage time away from home.

Additionally, Vision Australia's therapists often guide families through the module and practice its activities during sessions, making the learning both accessible and supported.

A client’s perspective: “It helps with feeling confident” 

Mary, a young Vision Australia client who has completed the module, describes it as a valuable resource for preparing for both sleepovers and school camp.

She says it helped her “learn how to pack and what to pack,” and more importantly, practice things she “might not think about practicing,” boosting her confidence in managing her belongings independently.

Her favourite part? Learning how to separate items and use an organised packing system. For Mary, preparing for camp is an essential milestone: “Going to a new place and the need to be independent” makes skills like these especially important.

Creating more inclusive camp experiences

At its heart, the school camp module – and the broader Life Ready Hub – advances Vision Australia’s mission to support children with low vision to live confidently and participate fully.  

By equipping children and their families with practical skills and reassurance, the module helps ensure that camp remains the joyful, formative experience it’s meant to be.