Pick a year 2021-2026 and I’ll tell you something either mildly interesting or batshit crazy that happened in that specific year at the camp I work at.
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Hey guys! I am on week 3 of being a camp counselor and I really am starting not to like it. I am constantly exhausted and I had no idea it would be so incredibly restrictive. I work 6-9 in the morning, and then 2-10, on call all night, six days a week. I am also expected to complete two “stay over” shifts where I work straight through my only day off as well. I have worked at this resort before and all my friends are hanging out every day, working normal stuff on the golf course or whatever. I’m not allowed to smoke, drink, or see my friends outside of the counselors on my floor. It’s really hard to decompress. I am a girl and the only girl counselor on my floor taking care of the youngest group of boys (which is notoriously the most difficult age group). They all ski and I’m a snowboarder, I don’t even ride park which is what the camp is for. As soon as they find out I’m a snowboarder they hate me. I wanted to be with the girls instead but because of my expertise they stuck me with this age group. I can only hang out with the other counselors on my floor which are all 20 year old boys. I’m a mid 20s lesbian and I just miss seeing my friends. The pay is terrible and although I am good at my job and won camp counselor of the week (because my group is notoriously awful) I miss having a life. I didn’t know that I would have zero freedom and I literally feel imprisoned because I don’t want to burn any bridges. I also can’t see my lover because they live on a different floor and we have opposite schedules, whereas if I had a regular job here we could be roommates and have normalcy. I just am so exhausted and can’t keep up this constant energy needed for the boys. I’m so tired, working 50-60 hrs a week with no overtime pay. What should I do? There are 8 more weeks left of camp.
Hey everyone! I’m working at a summer camp this year, and our team is trying to come up with a really unique system for our daily activities. We love the idea of borrowing mechanics from open-world video games (like Skyrim, Zelda, or Witcher) and applying them to the camp. The goal is to make the camp feel like a living, breathing world where the kids have more autonomy. Here is what we are thinking so far, and we would love your help/advice on how to build it out: The "Random Quest" System: We want kids to be able to approach counselors (NPCs) or a central "bounty board" to get random, bite-sized quests. (e.g., “The Camp Blacksmith needs 10 pinecones,” or “Go map out the trail behind the cabins.”) An Activity System: Instead of just forcing everyone into the same rigid schedule, we want activities to feel like "dungeons" or "guild lines" they can choose to progress through. Where we need your help: Quest Ideas: What are some fun, safe, and low-prep "random quests" kids can do around a camp? The System/Economy: How do we track their progress without it becoming a nightmare for the staff? Should we use physical "gold coins," stamps on a passport, or a XP tracking board? The Grind: How do we keep it engaging for both the 8-year-olds and the 14-year-olds? If you’ve ever gamified your camp or run an RPG-style event, please hit me with your best advice, pitfalls to avoid, and activity ideas!
I see a gazillion posts on here about tips for new counselors. Let's get some tips going for returning counselors! Maybe challenges you didn't expect or how to help the new counselors out? Us second-year counselors would appreciate it.
Hey guys! Im working my second summer at a camp, Im currently writing this from my cabin 😝 This is however my first year being in a relationship while working away at camp. We now have a 3 hour time difference, and are both super extremely busy so finding time to talk is really challenging. I miss him so incredibly badly. I’ll be at campfire or with people and think “all I want is him right now” it sounds pathetic but im struggling! Just wondering if anyone else has gone through missing their partner while at camp, and how they coped with that longing?
Hello
I'm currently at certification course and having bad time stressing that I fail final exam. If I fail the course will I get fired? English is not my motherlanguage and exam souds hard for me.
Am I trippin or this camp got me ready to clock out for good? 😭
So boom. I recently started working at a summer camp and the kids are not the problem at all. Matter of fact, they the main reason I’m still there. The kids funny, sweet, and honestly I enjoy working with them. I already work with kids during the school year, so being around children ain’t nothing new to me.
But baby… these adults? That’s a different story. 🥴
First off, they got this strict phone policy where everybody supposed to put their phone in a box in the office and they do phone counts throughout the day. Cool, whatever. I understand not wanting counselors on their phones around kids.
But here’s the part that got me scratching my head…
How y’all fussing at people for not keeping up with time when half the clocks don’t work? 😭
I done seen counselors asking kids with watches what time it is because the clocks either broken or nowhere to be found.
Then on top of that, some staff members got their phones and be scrolling social media. Maybe they got permission, maybe they don’t. I don’t know. But from where I’m sitting, it look like one set of rules for some people and another set for everybody else.
And let’s talk about where they want us to leave our phones.
The office where the phones be at is by parent drop-off and pick-up. That door stay unlocked and folks constantly coming in and out. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not too comfortable leaving my whole life sitting in an unlocked room. Banking apps, school information, emails, personal stuff… nah.
Then they say we get a 30-minute lunch.
Now maybe it’s just me, but by the time somebody relieve you, you walk where you gotta go, sit down, eat, and get back, it definitely don’t feel like no full 30 minutes. I’m 21 so I’ll survive, but some of these counselors fresh out of high school and it don’t seem right.
Speaking of fresh out of high school, I don’t have no issue with the younger counselors. A lot of them just graduated and about to head off to college. I remember being in that position. If they need hours for books, tuition, dorm stuff, whatever, baby they can have them hours.
Because truth be told, I don’t even need this job like that.
I’m still getting paid through my school district. I only took this job because I didn’t get selected for summer school this year. The district did first come, first serve and I wasn’t picked. So I said cool, let me find something productive to do, work with some kids, and stay busy over the summer.
Now since I got hired, summer classes done popped up, my school district sending out stuff, mandatory meetings coming up, trainings coming up, and possibly other opportunities through my actual job.
My school district and my education coming first every single time. 🤷🏽♀️
Another thing that been getting on my nerves is how some staff talk to the kids. Not everybody, but enough people for me to notice. Some of them act irritated when a child asks a simple question. Baby, they’re kids. That’s literally what they do.
Then yesterday after a field trip it was pouring down raining. We finally get back, I’m sitting next to one of the campers joking around, minding my business, and one of the workers decides to THROW a bottle of hand sanitizer instead of calling the girl’s name or walking it over.
That sanitizer hit me.
She apologized, but I’m sitting there like girl… why are we throwing stuff across a room full of kids? 😭
And don’t get me started on the staff cliques.
I mostly stay to myself, do my job, observe people, and go home. There are probably three staff members I genuinely like working with. The rest? Meh.
A couple people be looking at me crazy like I did them something and I don’t even know them people. 😂
At this point I ain’t even worried about hours. If somebody else wants the hours, baby give them the hours. Put me on one day a week and I’d be perfectly fine.
I’m starting to think this just ain’t the place for me. I love the kids, but between summer classes, my actual job, family responsibilities, and everything else I got going on, I’m seriously considering finishing out June and enjoying the rest of my summer.
I go to a two week overnight camp, and last year I was having trouble with my mental health. Both of my best friends were also really struggling too, so I made it my job to make sure that they were okay. After I hurt my back, I started having panic attacks, and one night I had some bad thoughts. I let my unit leader know, and I had to stay outside talking to them for like an hour.
The next day everything was fine, but the panic attacks kept happening. I stayed with my friends and counselors for pretty much the entire day. It kept happening like this until the last day. On the last day of camp, I wrote letters to all the people who helped me and my friends.
Then, when I got home I became really camp sick, so I wrote another letter to “Blueberry“ (my unit leader). I said that I was really tired, but not in a su!c!d@l way, just in like a sleep deprived way. So, when they got the letter, they called my parents to make sure I was safe.
Im worried that this year the unit leaders and/or counselors will look at or treat me differently. Any tips or reassuranc?
How long are yalls handbooks? Mine is only 47 pages. Also are you guys required to read through them? I am
My kids have been going to summer camp in the Poconos for a few years now, and I'm always looking for new and effective ways to keep them organized in their bunks. Bunks. Every kid has a tall dresser that has their own little square cubby containers in it, but it always seems to be a disaster every year. Are there any good under the bed or other types of organizing units or pieces that anyone has found helpful?
I (F16) have a crap ton of summer homework. 3 chapters of an AP class, a book to annotate, essay to write about said book, oh and a summer class to finish. Basically the only part I can do offline is the annotating.
I'm considering bringing the book to camp, normally I bring about 9 books and get through at least 7-8(over 4 weeks). We generally have 1-2 hours free time with a day or two that is basically entirely "free". Normally during this time I'll read a book, journal or nap, so I wouldn't be loosing anything annotating.
My only fear is losing the book or otherwise really damaging it, it's like $15 and it would be a nuisance to do all the work then lose it and then have to cram all the work in 3 weeks(before school starts).
If I bring the book, should I not bring as many other books? As annotating generally takes longer. I'll also have to take pens/sticky notes to annotate
So I'm a first time Camp Counselor and I'm worried for the first week of training because I can tend to be shy, does anyone know how the training looks like or any tips for making connections with the other Camp counselors? Anything helps!!
Can anyone tell me what they do for the Camp Jorn YMCA swim test? How long are the laps and how long do you tread for.
I currently work at a day camp and am in the midst of the first week of camp. I have previously worked at an overnight camp, and somehow this is the first time I’ve encountered this issue. We have campers who are anxious, some are just generally anxious; others are anxious about being separated from parents/siblings for the day. I have tried some of the techniques I use for my own anxiety with one camper and got nowhere. Any tips or tricks to help campers overcome this and enjoy their time here?
Hi all, looking for some advice on a weird situation that's come up.
My camp doesn't do any alumni outreach or events, though we've been asking for years. But a few days ago, I saw a new "Alumni Registration" form on the camp website. It's pretty standard questions -- asking people's contact info, what years they were at camp and their role. The form is hosted on CampMinder, which the camp has been using for parent and staff registration for over a decade.
I was really excited to see the camp finally acknowledging our existence, so I shared it on Facebook and encouraged people to fill it out. Then a former staff member started questioning "Who is collecting this info?" and "This isn't from the camp, it's some group called CampMinder." "Be careful before filling this out." They saw some legal disclaimers and logos at the bottom of the form, and is now concerned that it's a third party collecting people's info for shady purposes.
Since this form is on the official camp website and contains questions very specific to the camp, I myself am not especially worried about whether it's legit. To make sure, I messaged the current directors to ask if they're aware of this form and what they're planning on doing with people's info (no reply yet).
I'm just wondering if there's anything else I can tell people to reassure them. Most likely this one person is just not familiar with what CampMinder is (they haven't worked at the camp in a long time). But their comments left me quite embarrassed, as it made it look like I'm spamming a shady link.
It will be fine, right? If it's on the camp website and powered by CampMinder, it's safe to say that really was made by the camp directors themselves and not some sketchy impostor? Thanks in advance!
One of my really good friends is a counselor for the summer and I want to send her a care package with some goodies. Camp Counselors, what do y'all actually want to see in a care package? Any help is appreciated :)
Good morning! I am hoping for any reviews on the Word of Life camp- my daughter wants to attend the coast one for a week. The good, the bad and the ugly! If its relevant, she has a grandpa that is gay. We teach love and acceptance of all as a family. I am concerned they may have a message that directly contradicts ours. I am also concerned at some of the posts that I have read where some Christain camps are known to intentionally get campers tired and exhausted with a day full of activities to encourage a cry night where they want campers emotional to pledge their faith. I clearly don't want my daughters emotions manipulated like that. I read that it only occurs at some camps and not sure if anyone has any insight on this one and where they stand on those topics.
I'll be 37 in August and I'm trying new things and stepping outside my comfort zone to figure out a new career path. So, I signed up for one week (minimum) at a day summer camp from 8am to 3pm.
But I'm a bit nervous. Even though I have two boys (3 and 6), I never had the energy/vibe for working with kids, whether it's in a summer camp or as a teacher.
Anyone was in a similar situation? Would love to hear other's experience.
Happy almost camp season! My wife is a camp director, and every year I like to make her a little basket to show some support during her busy season. Thing is, she is a huge minimalist, so I try to avoid “junk”, unless it’s something I think would give her and the teens a laugh. I also avoid office stuff like note pads and pens that are supplied by her job.
Fellow directors, what are some fun or useful gifts that you would love to get?!
Some *useful* things on my list:
-new lunch bag
-mini tajin bottle for fruit
-sunscreen (and lots of it)
Some *fun* things on my list:
-candy for secrets drawer stash
-a mini functional law and order gavel (lol)