Summer camp is usually fun and games for kids, but for a group of campers in Chapel Hill, camp games are teaching them skills for living.

The 33 campers all have hemiplegia, a weakness on one side of their bodies, usually caused by stroke or brain injury. The eight-day long camp is focused on helping them regain what they've lost.

"Many of these kids ignore that weak side," said Holly Holland, Occupational Therapist, UNC Children's Hospital, and founder of the Helping Kids With Hemiplegia camp. "Even though they can use their hand, they don't typically use it like they should. We're trying to help them make it stronger so they can then incorporate it back into two handed activities."

The kids, aged three to 10, spend each day with their stronger arm immobilized in a cast, so they need help with just about everything, from a simple game of bowling to arts and crafts. Therapists from across the Triangle and therapy students from across the state volunteer as counselors for the week, working one-on-one with campers.

Jamie and Debbie Humbert have already seen a difference in their six-year-old son, Daniel.

"He has done amazing this week," said Debbie Humbert. "Even on Monday, he was reaching out for something with his right hand and I was like, Yes!"

The Humberts adopted Daniel and his sister Maggie from China. They aren't sure what caused his hemiplegia and are grateful for the chance to learn from the therapists and other parents.

"Most of the parents here have kids that were born with this or had it after birth," said Debbie Humbert. "They have had a little bit more hands on experience. With us, adopting, we lost three years of knowing what to work on."

The therapy approach is called Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy. While it is commonly used in adult stroke patients, it is still considered experimental in children. but therapists say getting to work with children for six hours a day, eight days straight, produces results.

"Most physical and occupational therapy is done on a weekly basis," said Marie Reilly, associate professor of Physical Therapy at UNC. "With this intense use of working with, or playing with their involved arm, they become more aware of their arm and they can use it more in the future."

Similar programs can be expensive. Humbert said she knows of parents who have spent $15,000 for a month-long camp for their children. But the Helping Kids With Hemiplegia Camp is funded by foundation grants and donations from businesses and individuals.

"We paid nothing for this camp," said Humbert. "These people gave of their time. I just still can't imagine that that's possible."