Slips, Falls, And Slip Resistance
Camp facilities have a multitude of laws, regulations, and codes to which they must adhere. For many of these facilities, it seems like more laws and rules are added each year.
Beyond the Mainstream
Ohio may be known as a place where presidential candidates clash, but it's also home to a camp that fights another type of conflict. The place is Camp Ho Mita Koda, and the battle is against diabetes.
The Right Site
Whether you're looking at your current site to make some improvements, or evaluating a piece of property for use as a new camp, or maybe more likely visiting someone else's camp to get some new ideas, few
Day to Day
Sara Perna does the little things every day to give the kids in her care that something special that only camp can deliver. Fort Meigs YMCA Day Camp serves the Perrysburg/Toledo, Ohio, area, and sees a
Facility Homework
So you you're going to build a new facility for your camp business and you think that the next step is to contact an architect...
Planning The Plan
In working with camps across the country, I hear one dream as much as any other…“We need to do a master plan.” In most cases, they have what was labeled as a strategic plan or master plan collecting dust
Making the Move
t’s often said, “kids are growing up much faster these days.” Or “kids adjust to being away from home at a much earlier age these days.” Or, “kids are chomping at the bit to be able to participate in life experiences
New Age Camping
In the 1991 movie City Slickers, a crusty old cowboy played by Jack Palance dispenses this bit of wisdom to Billy Crystal’s character (who’s suffering a mid-life crisis), and I’m paraphrasing here, “One thing. Find the
Under the Stars
It’s a rite of passage, that first night under the stars, snuggled in tight next to your mom or dad, trying to sort out the scary, unfamiliar sounds outside your tent. Like fishing or baseball,
Capital Improvements
Everyone has a vision of what will make their camp perfect. Unfortunately, that vision may not jibe with reality (or users’ ideas of a perfect camp), which is why it’s critical to develop a team
Avoid the Big Mistakes
I visit about 60 camps each year, so I often get this question: “What are the biggest mistakes you’ve seen camps make in their facilities?” We’ve all seen the mistakes our friends have made, and when
Treetop Fun
“I think we come hard-wired to spend time in trees,” says Bill Allen, founder of Forever Young Treehouses Inc., a 501(c)3 corporation created in 1998 for the explicit purpose of building
Camp Conservation
YMCA Kanawana in Quebec is doing its part to keep the air a little cleaner, the water a little clearer and the earth a little sturdier. Camp Kanawana began creating a green camp in the fall
Flying Frisbees
“Oh, no!” “Go left, left, left!” “Woohoo!” “Wow, did you see that shot?” “Aw.” “Good grief!” “You’re the man!”And on it goes in the life of a fanatic disc-golf player.
Security Against Staph
Attention rose to a fever pitch last fall about the dangers of potentially life-threatening infections from a drug-resistant bacteria known as Staphylococcus aureus, or staph, with widespread media reports of
Face The Facts
Linda Ebner Erceg is passionate about camp and the “kiddos” who attend. “Nobody else does what we do,” says Erceg. “The magic of camp is that we provide a youth-centered environment
A Campus For Camp Moody
At YMCA Camp Moody, a new overnight and day camp located near Austin, Texas, inclusive accessibility is at the heart of the design. All activities and amenities are linked by a fully accessible trail system and will include a lodge for gatherings, a dining hall, treehouse cabins, a ropes course/repelling/zip line/water tower, and art pavilions.
Build Momentum
If your camp is like most camps, there isn’t enough money to go around for all of the facility and maintenance projects. On top of that, donor support is needed to accomplish both repairs and upgrades, which means you need buy-in for projects.
Medical Matters
Most parents, when they leave their children at a camp facility, have certain expectations that often go unsaid. Will my child be properly supervised? Will he or she be protected from