12 Stories That Tell About Your Camp
Camp leaders need to master the art of storytelling. Not just the campfire version—the marketing kind. Without stories, you can’t get good, consistent, local media coverage, which is vital to keeping a camp in the public eye and topmost in the mind of families.
There’s A New Kid On The Block
Because I said I would is an international social movement and nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to the betterment of humanity through promises made and kept. The organization was founded in 2012 following a viral internet offer to send ten Promise Cards at no cost, to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Embrace Hands-On Learning
The big hall was bustling with people setting up tables, looking for the rare electrical outlet, and rushing to be ready before the doors opened. It was my first time at a camp fair.
Camp Administration 101: Ensure A Well-Run Registration
A well-run and organized registration provides a great first impression to participants. Whether registration is done in-person or online, make sure participants leave with all the information they need.
Apprentice Programming
I had been teaching swimming for 20 years, so I couldn’t understand why this dripping and discouraged 12-year-old was having so much trouble with his breaststroke rhythm. My tried-and-true pull, kick, glide supplication had always worked … until today.
Things To Do At Day Camp
In the early 1980s, I had my first real job at a parks and recreation department. It had a strong sports program but lacked the typical day camps, craft programs, or dance classes that most other departments had.
Make Programming Sing
The Music Settlement (formerly known as The Cleveland Music School Settlement) was founded in 1912 by Almeda Adams—a musician who, despite being blind, did not let her disability deter her from bringing quality music education to the community. She encouraged students of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels to connect through music, regardless of their ability to pay.
101 Fun Things To Do
There are plenty of activities that lend themselves to real-world, in-person gatherings and events while maintaining appropriate physical distance. I’m sure if you put your mind to it, you can probably create a similar list of possibilities, just from the many activities you already know.
Authenticity, Immediacy, And Delight
Running a camp requires leaders to pay attention to more variables, details, and input than they can possibly manage. Children, staff members, bugs, sunscreen, pools, parents, email, homesickness, newsletters, websites, lice, and payments: the proverbial firehose from which camp leaders attempt to drink daily is endless.
Qualified For Anything
The longer I work in the camp and recreation industry, the more I find myself dealing with situations I never expected. I can now say that my background legitimately encompasses marketing, sales, and budget management, while also plunging toilets, mopping the dining hall, having professional conversations with parents about their child’s safety and well-being while at camp, and of course—managing and recruiting staff members.
Mental Preparation
If the past two summers have taught us anything, it’s the need for flexible and attentive plans. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened our eyes to many different societal and existential failures across the country and the world, but it also has allowed for a stronger emphasis on health and safety protocols that many businesses, schools, and camps may not have focused on previously.
Let's Get Twisted
Every camp has its never-fail programs and traditions that campers enjoy every year. Yet what about those so-so activities we keep doing because we have the supplies and can do the
Mission-Driven Day Camps
Girl Scouts in the Heart of PA (GSHPA) relies on day-camp and school-based programming to meet the needs of girls, families, and the community at large. By utilizing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience model that emphasizes a sense of self, challenge seeking, healthy relationships, and community problem solving, day camps become girl-led, fun summer experiences.
Reasons To Return
Traditions and heritage at a day camp not only provide stability, but also allow campers and staff to feel connected to something greater than themselves.
A Portfolio Of Programming
We invited readers to submit their most creative programming ideas to find out what keeps their camp ticking. Whether a day camp or resident camp, here are several ideas that might work.
Move Your Body
So what makes our camp so incredible when it comes to programming for physical activities or gym class? We operate with a philosophy that kids are happiest when they are consistently active and playing appropriate games in an appropriate way.
Open Or Close?
2020 was a summer of difficult decisions. For some, it was a last-minute decision, hoping that something would change, the regulations would ease, or the pandemic would calm to a dull roar. In light of COVID-19, some camps
Top Programming Ideas--2014
ActivitiesBubbly Water Slide We make a ‘water slide’ for the July Fourth weekend … kids love it! The water comes right from the well so it’s freezing cold, but even so, the kids just love it and line
Hit Fast Forward
Do your “tween” campers find some of the activities at your camp a little … dated? If so, try video challenges to bring divergent groups together in a creative, fun atmosphere.