Camp Administration 101: The Art Of Station Rotation
A delicate dance of shuffling from one activity to the next
By Jason Schaitz
Coordinating different activities and rotating groups from one station to the next is a common practice at camp and a great way to organize a lot of activities in a small amount of time.
© Can Stock Photo / serrnovik
Here are some guidelines to make sure stations and transitions run flawlessly:
1. Set up all the stations prior to beginning a rotation.
2. Inspect each area to make sure it is clean and safe for campers.
3. Explain the purpose of each station activity to all of the kids prior to beginning rotations. Then, a counselor just needs to do a quick reminder about the activity, and participants are ready to go.
4. Make sure each group cleans up before the next group arrives. It is important to set clean-up expectations with campers from day one.
5. Always think ahead. Once an activity begins, consider how to wrap it up, clean up, and move the group to the next station.
6. Be sure the activity at each station is appropriate for the time available. Generally, quicker activities can be coordinated with fewer campers.
7. Space out each activity so there is ample time not only to run the activity but for groups to go to each space and not interfere with other groups. An example of a four-station rotation is an indoor activity, outdoor activity, arts-and-crafts project, and game room.
8. Have a backup plan in case an activity doesn’t work, preferably a few low-key, downtime-type activities that kids enjoy. If a new activity isn’t working and time remains, throw in a quick game to finish that station in order to be ready to move to the next one. If this happens, make the next group aware of the issues you faced so the members know what to expect.
9. Put away all equipment immediately after the station activity ends.
10. Make mental or written notes about station activities that worked well or did not work well.
Seamless Transitions
When coordinating activity stations, here are some other tips for successful transitions.
Use tactics like whistles, chants, claps, and hand signals to make sure time is not wasted in trying to get the kids’ attention. Do this with enough time left to clean up and get organized.
Have campers line up and ready to move to the next space a minute or two before time is up.
Upon arriving at each activity, do a quick overview and then begin as soon as possible to maximize time.
Activity stations should be fun, structured, and organized, so once they start, they run themselves. Streamlining transitions will result in less downtime for campers to get in trouble or be bored, will maximize the time you have available for each activity, and will create more fun for campers. Coordinating as many engaging activities as possible with limited downtime will ensure campers are having a great time and will want to return year after year!
Jason Schaitz is a Parks and Recreation Director with 15 years’ experience managing camps and recreation programs. He also created and manages www.thesummercampsource.com with the goal of providing free resources for any type of camp, afterschool, or childcare program. Take your camp to the next level by visiting The Summer Camp Source and check out the Camp App, Camp Resources, Camp News, and Camp Administration 101 educational series.