From 3 to 7 August 2026, the Faculty hosted the 10th anniversary edition of its summer sports day camp for children with special educational needs (SEN) and their siblings. This year, more than 30 children with physical, intellectual, visual or hearing disabilities, as well as chronic illnesses, took part.

For ten years now, the camp has created a space where children with special needs can enjoy an active summer together with their siblings and friends, try out a wide range of sports and other activities, make new friends and, above all, experience the joy of movement without unnecessary barriers.

For a camp of this scale to run successfully, it takes not only a varied programme but, above all, an experienced team of camp leaders and assistants who can adapt individual activities to the needs of each child.

Every year, the camp is organised by members of the Faculty staff – Klára Daďová, Ilona Pavlová, Zuzana Neuhäuserová and Jitka Vařeková – together with students and graduates of the Applied Physical Activities and Sport for Persons with Specific Needs programme, as well as other instructors and volunteers. This year's team consisted of almost 30 people. Their experience, commitment and willingness to devote their time to the children are among the main reasons why the camp is able to offer such a diverse programme every year.

This year's camp-wide game was inspired by the Imperial Celebrations of Charles IV. The children were divided into three teams – the Lion, the Dragon and the Tower – and symbolically set off from different parts of the Kingdom of Prague to take part in the grand imperial celebrations. Along the way, they faced a series of challenges and tasks designed to help them develop the skills worthy of future knights, jesters and courtiers.

The programme was packed with activities. The children tried athletics, basketball, badminton, boccia, kin-ball, eduball, combat sports, gymnastics, dancing, yoga, drumming and orienteering. They also enjoyed climbing on the indoor climbing wall, which, as every year, proved particularly popular. The programme also included a trip to Divoká Šárka, with the opportunity to try a water activity on Džbán Reservoir, as well as adapted physical education and psychomotor games.

The individual activities were not simply sports disciplines; they also became part of the story of the camp-wide game. Athletics could become knightly training, movement games a test of courage at the royal court, and creative activities the art of court jesters.

Alongside the sports programme, each day also included an art workshop, music therapy and time to relax. This gave the children an opportunity to alternate physical activity with activities that supported their creativity and relaxation.

The camp is not just a leisure activity for children. It also has an important educational and methodological dimension. It gives students of the Applied Physical Activities and Sport for Persons with Specific Needs programme an opportunity to develop, in practice, the skills needed to assist children with different types of disabilities and to learn how to appropriately adapt physical activities to their individual needs.

The experience gained at the camp can later be put to use in a variety of professional roles, including as applied physical activity consultants, teachers, assistants or parasport coaches. Combining hands-on experience with children, professional knowledge and teamwork is therefore a valuable part of their professional training.

For ten years, the summer camp at the Faculty has shown that participation and inclusion in physical activities are not just nice words. They are practical skills that can be developed, taught and passed on.