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Camp For All 2U Transforms Texas Children’s Hospital Into Summer Camp

Barrier-free program delivers crafts, games and community for kids receiving treatment

Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children's Hospital, Austin)

This summer, hallways and hospital rooms at Texas Children’s Hospital in Austin were transformed into a makeshift campground. Arts and crafts, adaptive games and interactive activities filled the spaces, part of a program designed to bring the joy of camp to children, tailored for each child’s abilities.

The initiative, known as Camp For All 2U, is an extension of Camp For All, a barrier-free camp in Washington County that has served over 190,000 children and adults with challenging illnesses, disabilities or special needs since opening in 1998. By partnering with hospitals like Texas Children’s, the program ensures that patients have the chance to connect, laugh and discover a sense of freedom even while in treatment.

Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)

The Austin program reflects a larger mission that began in 1993, when two Houston physicians and a parent who lost a child to cancer envisioned a camp where people with special needs could find joy without barriers. Before the first building went up, the founders sought input from organizations that served children with medical or developmental challenges to ensure every detail—from architecture to programming—was designed with accessibility in mind.

Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)
Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin
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Camp For All 2U at Texas Children’s Hospital Austin (photo courtesy of Texas Children’s Hospital, Austin)

Expanding the reach of camp

Today, Camp For All sits on 206 acres in Washington County, offering everything from fishing and horseback riding to arts programs, all adapted for each camper’s abilities. The nonprofit collaborates with more than 65 organizations each year and raises more than $3.1 million annually to subsidize costs, covering half of each camper’s stay.

Through Camp For All 2U, the organization expands that reach, carrying its mission into hospital wings and community spaces across Texas. For patients in Austin this summer, the camp experience came not with cabins or campfires, but with the same spirit of belonging and joy that has defined Camp For All for more than 25 years.

To learn more about upcoming camps, volunteer opportunities or ways to support the mission, visit their website.

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