Camp Administration 101: Keep It Fresh
Coordinating successful activities: Part 1
By Jason Schaitz
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. Do research on new activities each session and create or build up activity guides as a reference for staff members so you don’t end up repeating the same activities over and over, causing campers to become bored or voluntarily sit out. Here are 20 tips to successfully coordinate any type of activity:
Photo: © Can Stock Photo / SeventyFour
1. Always be supervising. Safety is the number-one priority. Know the group count at all times and ensure the play area and games are safe before starting.
2. Plan out games for the day or week. Don’t try to “wing it,” but be ready to adapt to change. Always have a game or two in your back pocket in case the activity isn’t working or ends faster than expected. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail!
3. Have enough activities in hand to last the entire session. Avoid any downtime, other than water breaks, snacks, and meals.
4. Keep rules and verbal instructions to a minimum to avoid boredom and confusion. Most campers will learn best by watching and then doing.
5. Stay involved and stay engaged. The kids love it when adults join in playing or refereeing, or are in any way part of the game. Avoid being a spectator or sideliner; get involved and play as many games as possible. Whatever is asked of the kids should be expected of the adults as well.
6. Switch it up. Add variations and change rules as you go to keep it fresh. Avoid playing the same games over and over.
7. Look for signs of “enough” and then introduce a new game before interest begins to wane.
8. Keep players in the game. Avoid rules that permanently eliminate campers. Try not to have kids sit out for more than five minutes. For games like dodgeball, call “Jail Break” after a few minutes, and let everyone back in the game. There doesn’t need to be a true winner; the kids just want to play!
9. Start an activity or session that brings the whole group together.
10. Work in ice breakers and team-building activities to create a better group atmosphere among campers.
11. When choosing an activity, take into account the number of kids, time, and play space needed, and whether the activity is age-appropriate.
Photo: © Can Stock Photo / dolgachov
12. Alternate between active and quiet activities to allow campers to have a break and wind down.
13. Start the day upbeat and with active games. This will get the kids excited for the day ahead. End with something quiet to let them wind down before pick-up.
14. If teams are needed, avoid a situation where people are selected. Mix teams up so campers get to play with different kids every time. Try to avoid having all the most athletic kids on one team for active games.
15. If the groups are co-ed, shoot for a 50/50 split most of the time. For some less-active games, the kids may enjoy boys vs. girls or fourth grade vs. fifth grade on occasion.
16. Have equipment on site before beginning an activity to avoid participants’ boredom and downtime during set-up.
17. Always look ahead. Once an activity has begun, think about what needs to be done to clean up and move to the next activity quickly. Get campers in the habit of cleaning their play space up after an activity and lining up to get ready for what’s next.
18. Transitions, transitions, transitions! Be sure to have a smooth transition from one activity to the next to avoid downtime. These are extremely important for a seamless day.
19. Change it up. Encourage players to make creative alterations within the activities or try homemade versions. Add rules on occasion to spice up the activity.
20. Get feedback from your campers. Not every game will be a hit, but try everything at least once. You never know what will stick.
Take the time and effort to plan and coordinate activities to take them to the next level. Visit www.campbusiness.com to see the short, animated video on this topic and download the handout and free activity guide. Look for 20 more tips next month in Coordinating Successful Activities Part 2!
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.
