Coyote Mentors
For the majority of human history, children have played using their imagination and curiosity. In all that time—without television, video games, or mass-manufactured toys—kids have spent most of their free time exploring natural surroundings.
Don’t Let Gluten-Free Kids Miss Out
Attending summer camp has been an American rite of passage for countless children since the 1870s when the first camps catered to boys seeking a rugged outdoor adventure. From hot dog roasts to s’mores around the campfire, food has always played an important role in the overall camp experience.
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.
Seasons Of Improvement
Nestled on the shores of Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine, Camp Sunshine has been providing free retreats for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families since 1984. Although the campus has been much quieter since the last in-person sessions were hosted in February 2020, “turning lemons into lemonade” has remained the mantra.
A Foundation Built By Community
Whether it’s a sleepaway camp where children form an almost instantaneous bond, or a retreat center focused on teambuilding, the camp environment cultivates and sustains communal relationships. No one understands this better than Shiloh Bible Camp & Retreat Center, where the value of community is literally fundamental to its very foundation.
Ironing Out The Details
While the real fun kicks off in the summer, preparations for camp begin long before the first child arrives.
On The Menu
Decisions about food can be among the most complex that camp leaders have to make. Ensuring that the most important boxes of quality, cost, availability, safety, and nutrition are checked is serious business.
Camp Administration 101: Managing Camper Conflict
Regardless of how much time is spent acclimating kids to life at camp, there will almost always be incidents of kids not getting along. Examples can range from minor name-calling to severe bullying, fighting, or inappropriate language.
Rituals At Camp
Take a moment and think about your nightly routine in falling asleep. Depending on your age, the answer may be very different from that of other camp professionals.
Camp Administration 101: Staff Training And Education
Staff members are a camp’s most valuable assets, so invest in them by providing training, education, teambuilding, and networking opportunities, while empowering them to do great things! Here are some guidelines to make staff members the best they can be!
For Safety’s Sake
As camp season rapidly approaches and camp owners, managers, and directors cross items off their “to-do lists,” there is one area where “good enough” just won’t cut it. When it comes to safety, extra care must be taken to ensure the safety of staff as well as campers.
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.
Camp Administration 101: Stay Alert And No One Gets Hurt
Proper supervision of campers is of utmost importance to ensure the safety of participants and should be taken very seriously. Regardless if you are coordinating an activity, taking a trip, or even having downtime, counselors must make sure they never let their guard down.
Camp Administration 101: Keep It Fresh
Engaging in fun and creative activities is why participants attend camp and keep coming back. It is important for coordinators to thoroughly plan out activities, train staff members, and put the effort needed into activities to make them successful.
Dungeon-Crawling
With furrowed brows, the six campers consult each other in hurried whispers. Coming from all walks of life and ranging from 8 to 17 years old, they are locked in a battle for their lives . . . well, their characters’ lives.
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.
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.
An Addition With A Mission
Camp Jewell was founded by the Hartford YMCA in 1901 on the banks of New Hampshire’s Lake Swanzey with three tents, cooking utensils, and a pair of rowboats. In the early 1950s, the search for a new home began with the final decision made to move to Colebrook, Conn. In 1955, the camp opened its doors in Colebrook for the first time.
Welcome To Morgan’s Wonderland
“Where everyone can play.” These four words aptly describe Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, the world’s first theme park designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for everyone’s enjoyment.
Online Fundraising
Large annual fundraising events are standard practice for a reason--they raise money and get supporters involved with a camp's community. But they also require a lot of planning,