A safe place for kids to navigate loss: Camp Good Grief returns to Muncie

After the death of a loved one, kids often think:

• They won’t feel good again.

• No one understands.

• Parents and other adults may be consumed by their own grief and unable to help.

• There is no other young person to talk to who has lost someone special.

Camp Good Grief, offered through a partnership between IU Health and Redcrest Healthcare, can help with these feelings, emotions and thoughts. Through art, music and play, campers will connect with others experiencing loss and learn positive coping, including how to preserve memories and honor loved ones.

Facilitated by IU Health team members, primarily nurses and other clinicians, the no-cost, one-day camp is open to children ages 6 to 16 and provides education about grief and how to cope with it.

Childhood grief is common, and knowing how to talk to and guide a child who has experienced the death of someone close to them can be challenging. Unaddressed grief can cause youth to feel isolated and alone, and grieving children face a greater risk of depression, suicide, poverty and substance abuse. Through understanding, support and opportunities to freely express thoughts and feelings, children and teens can develop healthy coping skills that enhance their lives.

Camp Good Grief returns to Muncie on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 9 am – 3 pm at the Minnetrista Cultural Center.

Click here to register by Monday, July 27.

Spots are limited, and registration is required. For more information, please call 765.747.4273 or email ECRCampGoodGrief@iuhealth.org.