What's it like?

[Dave]

I work at a day camp, so I've always wondered what it's like to work at an overnight camp. Do the kids go to sleep easy, or do they give you a hard time? What do you do when it gets dark out? I'm assuming you do campfires and stuff like that. Tell me about it. The closest I've ever gotten to overnight camp was the late stays our camp has for the different age groups. But that's only until about 8:00 at night.

[~Imp]

Exhausting. You have to get up before the kids and can't go to bed until they are asleep - and after all the staff have had a big meeting with the Senior Instructors to discuss the day and if anything could have been done better. The general rule we have is lights out at 10 or 10.30pm but they are allowed to stay awake as long as they keep quiet and don't disturb other campers. Usually we stay outside their rooms for as long as it takes for things to quieten down (an hour or so), and then take turns each night with night patrols until around 12.30am to ensure they stay quiet and in their cabins.

At night we have campfires, movie nights, disco nights, tramps, burma trails, glow worm trails, high ropes in the trees (lights were recently installed there), spending a night out in bivouacs, games such as spotlight, etc.

[Dave]

The extra work doesn't sound too fun but the actvities do! It must be hard getting up so early and going to be so late (especially if the kids don't want to go to bed).

[audur]

Wow, Imp, you have a pretty late lights out? Is that for all campers, or only the older ones?

I love working at an overnight camp - there's something about putting the campers to bed that I really like. We usually have an evening all-camp activity about two or three times a week - an opening and a closing campfire, and sometimes we have themed all-camps at night (wild west night, counselor hunt, dance party, happy un-birthday party, skit night...). The rest of the evenings the counselors plan with their girls - we do things like star gazing, night hikes, overnights & cookouts, late-night art projects, unit campfires, pretty much whatever we feel like doing. When I have younger girls I usually have them in bed by nine, lights out at 9:30 (so they'll be asleep by 10!)... with the older ones it just depends on what we're doing and how tired they are - if they want to stay up and use up their flashlight batteries, reading Harry Potter, I don't usually mind as long as they keep quiet and don't disturb other campers. But I've found that most programs for older girls are really tiring, and they can easily fall asleep before the younger campers do! (Oh - and when you have the littlest girls in camp, bedtime at 8 or 8:30, at least some nights, is good - they get SO tired, and they need lots of sleep!)

We sleep in open cabins in the middle of the woods, so sometimes we'll get campers that are really scared of the dark/the woods/the animals... but usually, if you do a nice goodnight-ritual they'll feel better. I like to say goodnight to each camper individually, then sing them a song or two, but reading a story, talking about the day, doing community circles, whatever nice, calm things you can come up with, works too.

I don't like getting them up and ready to go, though! They take SO LONG to get dressed most of the time, and then they forget their waterbottle... and then they remember they had this letter they wanted to mail... and then they need to change into shorts.... it drives me crazy!

[Dave]

I guess working at an overnight camp might be something I'd like to try once. Except for a couple instances which I read, it sounds like it's a lot of fun. :)

[speedx5xracer]

There is no easy way to describe working at an overnight camp. Wake up for camp is 730am (staff usually 715) lights out varies for age group my age group since they were one of the youngest was usually around 930. After that only one staffmember from the cabin has to stay in the other 2 or 3 have the night off and can hang out in the staff lounge or go to town. We also get one hour off a day usually after dinner for activities staff and during one of the activities for general(bunk) counclers I havent seen this in many other camps but at mine the activities staff as well as the bunk counclors sleep in the cabins with the kids. As a life guard my responsibilites are to the lake (my area ) first than to the division unless the division is understaffed for some reason and im told to stay by the division head. Since I dont spend all day with the kids from my bunk during rest hour (after lunch) rather than try to catch up on sleep or reading I would play games with them adn let the general rest.

[~Imp]

Wow, Imp, you have a pretty late lights out? Is that for all campers, or only the older ones?

Older ones. I don't know what time the younger ones have lights out - probably 9pm. The cabins are close together though, so it's really difficult trying to keep the older ones quiet when they come back from their activities!

Surprisingly, I don't find it difficult getting them up - the staff have to get up just after 6am, because we have to make sure that the kids who are early risers are supervised, and 7am is when we start the day anyway, with energizers (stretches, runs/games) before breakfast which is at 7.30.

[camper]

there are some definite differences between day and sleepaway.

it depends on the night whether or not the kids fall asleep easily and what happened that day or what's happening the next day. for example, on a typical regular schedule camp day where the next day is a regular scheduled day the kids will be pretty calm. but if the next day is visiting day or if color war is about to break any minute, you're in trouble!!!

at night we have evening activities which are different each night. sometimes they're just with your age group and sometimes they're with the whole camp. sometimes just your age group will play tennis or have a social, and the all-camp ones are all camp games or tribes which we have every thursday night. friday nights we do a short fri night service.

[Dave]

Sounds like fun. Except for the sleep factor, overnight camp doesn't seem too bad. :P

[martha27]

overnight camps.....yeah it's tiring, hard work but never a 'chore' ! we would be on duty(od) one night in 4. the staff was split into 4 quads so everybody had a chance to leave camp in the evening. depending on the age of the kids lights out would range from 9pm to 10:30/11pm. each quad would be spread around the camp and would sit on 1 or two bunks until those couselors came back to relieve them. it worked really well.

[camplover86]

i've never worked at a day camp, but i don't mind the work of putting the campers to bed. After the evening activity and snack( all camp camp fire, all camp activity or sometimes just a untit campfire and bedtime story) we give the campers about 30 minutes to an hour depending on what time it is, to shower, brush their teeth, read, write home, and do whatever they do before bed. After that time is up, depending on the age, we walk around to each cabin, and ask "handshake, hug, highfive or pass?" they usually all end up saying hug. This allows us to make sure none of them are upset or anything. Once all of the girls have been put to bed, then it is lights off. We head back to our cabin to have our meeting with the other 4 or 5 staff in our until and plan the next day. We discuss any problems we had and ask questions. We usually have to walk around and remind the girls that it is time for lights out, and voices off. Most of the time this takes about an hour. Staff gets to bed around 11 on a good night! We handle homesick campes on a case by case basis. Some we sit by their beds and talk to them, some are brought to the fire circle so we can talk to them, and some we just talk to the whole cabin.
I love my camp and don't mind bedtime!

[Dave]

After reading your post, camplover86, it makes me want to work at an overnight camp even more! I really liked the "handshake, hug, highfive, or pass" thing. That was a good idea.

[rockinsmiles]

Overnight camp rocks! Yeah sleep can be a factor but we have the weekend to catch up on that (though that rarely happened). I feel like i really conect with my campers when we are just hanging in the cabin. while homesickness and arguements can brake out during this time there also a ton of great things that can happen. its a great time to just talk to the campers. i remember one time my co-cabin counselor went on her brake and i was trying to get the girls to sleep. after about 3 times of reminding them to be quiet they were. About 5 minutes later though they got louder than they had been. i went over to where they were and in a firmer tone started "ladies ive told you..." i was then squirted in the face my a spray bottle. my co-counselor had snuck in the cabin and was spraying the girls. we had a great laugh about and the "water bottle" soon became great fun in the cabin. I do have to admit that mornings can be a bit of a headache since you normally want to have just a few more hours. and if your like me your not very chatty in the morning. however its a great time to reach in and find your enthusiasm for the day!

[camplover86]

I agree mornings are not much fun! Most of the time the girls can be heard from a few cabins away, wispering quietly so not to wake you. It is pretty cute to hear, "shhh, you are going to wake up the counselors" then all of them giggle.

[Dave]

I'm not a morning person either so that would definitely be hard for me. Waking up at 7:30 is hard enough for me for day camp.

[collissimon]

The best thing about residential camps is that it means that I get to read bedtime stories!

I love to read Roald Dahl books, as they're not too long, and have a bit of a wicked streak that keeps the kids and me entertained! I love doing different voices, which the kids enjoy too, as they try and copy them...

[Dave]

I'd like to read bedtime stories. That would be fun.

[collissimon]

It's Ace! You also get to create a more nurturing environment (with the younger ones anyway), as all the counsellors can go round and say a good thing they did that day, raising their self esteem at the same time.

[melon4382]

Overnight camp is great. It's alot of hard work but it's always worth it. The kids are usually great. Yeah,t here are times when they don't want to go to bed. But, usually if you hang out with them for a few minutes after bedtime they are fine and will go to sleep. They are usually so tired out at the end of the day that they fall asleep really quickly. We have night activities every night. We do fun games like capture the flag, steal the bacon, smurfs, etc... Working at an overnight camp is a great experience. You work your butt off but you have so much fun doing it that it's always a great summer.

[countrygal]

I find working at an over night the best thing ever. I work with the little ones (ages 4-5) who in my opinion r too young to be away from home for some of them, but it always works out great! We usually ready books b4 its bed time, we sometime sing songs and say our good nights. Sometimes I play disney sound tracks on my cd player for them to fall asleep to if they are good. The older ones can be a handful to put to bed, some of my friends never actually left their cabin at night due to the fact the campers wouldnt go to sleep. But that comes with the job. As of getting up, I usually got up with my campers LOL or they got up b4 me and would stare at me sleep. We were always at the bell on time so it all worked out. They wernt aloud to leave the cabin unless it was for the washroom tunil i got up and was ready to go, so they would colour pictures and talk. I find liing 24/7 with the staff also alows u to make some great connections and create awesome friendships. I know my camp friend would always be there for me if I needed them!! U should try it out sometime, Its an experience ull never regret.

After the campers r in bed weve had dances, meetings, hot chocollate, special meals, usually we just hang around and chill with our friends, laughing and making a lot of comotion. All those night spent having meaningful conversations will never be forgotten.

[Dave]

I'd like to try overnight camp one year, but I'm so attached to my camp it would be hard for me to leave. :P

[Flukie]

I actually left day camp to go back to resident camp - I missed putting my campers to bed, braiding hair after showers, and sharing the magic of a nighttime campfire. As Ad-Staff, I also miss these things... I definitely need to spend more time in the units this summer! I stayed out last summer cause I didn't want staff thinking I was "watching" them...

[KrazyPoolGirl]

two words to describe it.....exhausting and stressful!!! its hard because they don't go away and especially on those days were ur not 100% and you have to be, its hard!! its also hard because you want to have some time to yourself and that usually happends late at night, and then you need to wake up at 730am!! the other thing is, is that when a kid has a bad dream, or can't sleep, or isn't feeling well at 4:00AM, who do they wake up, YOU!!! that's right, you are on call 24/7.....and it doesn't matter how tired you are, they expect you to be there for them, no matter what time it says on the clock!!!!!!

although it is tireiing, it is rewarding when you see the impact you've made on these kids at the end of four or eight weeks and how hard it is for them to leave you. its also nice to see how much these kids have changed, from the time they began camp to when they leave, its such a change!! it makes you feel so proud because you were apart of it

[Flukie]

It is seriously one of the hardest jobs I've ever done - though being a RA comes in very close (other bigger issues in that job!), but one of the BEST jobs I could ever do.

You know it is worth ever sleepless minute, ever tear, ever moment of wanting to tear your hair out when you have a camper crying through final campfire because camp is where she feels comfortable and doesn't want to go home. You know it is worth it when you witness a young girl give up her "untippy" bike to a camper who is in tears because her's is too "tippy" - and that's all it takes for the other one to be able to ride the bike. You know it is worth it when your CIT tells you week one that she never wanted to come to this camp for CIT and that she wishes more than anything she was at her home camp - and leaves 2 weeks later asking when staff apps come out for next year. You know it is worth it when you have a camper ask isn't there any way you can adopt her and she can live under your bed during the school year. You know it is worth it when you find yourself sitting around a glowing campfire with 9 girls that aren't even "yours" singing campsongs to finish off a fantastic day of sailing on the bay - and they refuse to go to bed until they sing "just one more song!"

It is those moments that make camp so amazing.

[CAMPFRIEND]

You all make me miss overnight camp!! I do love day camp and having a life after camp, but I hope to make my return some day and have my own camp. I can dream can't I!
________
roor bong (http://glassbongs.org)

[collissimon]

Have you had that many sleepless nights? I've only been woken up once in the three years I've been a counsellor, and that was because a kid had thrown up after our end of session banquet: he couldn't deal with the rich food!

I find it more difficult when there are wake-up meds: it means a nurse comes in at 7 every morning to wake you up, to be a witness that they take their meds!

[Dave]

two words to describe it.....exhausting and stressful!!! its hard because they don't go away and especially on those days were ur not 100% and you have to be, its hard!! its also hard because you want to have some time to yourself and that usually happends late at night, and then you need to wake up at 730am!! the other thing is, is that when a kid has a bad dream, or can't sleep, or isn't feeling well at 4:00AM, who do they wake up, YOU!!! that's right, you are on call 24/7.....and it doesn't matter how tired you are, they expect you to be there for them, no matter what time it says on the clock!!!!!!

although it is tireiing, it is rewarding when you see the impact you've made on these kids at the end of four or eight weeks and how hard it is for them to leave you. its also nice to see how much these kids have changed, from the time they began camp to when they leave, its such a change!! it makes you feel so proud because you were apart of it
It must suck to be on call 24/7. But as collissimon said, being woken up in the middle of the night usually doesn't happen. But when it does happen it must be a pain.

[CPCourtney]

Bedtimes vary with the ages at my camp(like most camps). I think they younger kids start their lights out at around 9ish. I have older girls and their curfew was 11 and this summer it will be 11:30 since they are older. The kids that want to go back to the bunk early are allowed too. Different activities happen on different nights...like sometimes we will have an all-camp event(like a musical) and other nights it will be by division(sometimes co-ed, sometimes not)...like Scene It in the movie theater.
The younger kids have line-up at 8:15 and the older kids have it at 8:25. The oldest 2 groups at camp are allowed to sleep through line-ups.

[camper]

everyone at my camp has lights out at 9:30 except for the 2 oldest ages, but the counselors in each group have been instructed on what is appropriate for flashlight time and talking after taps. the 2nd oldest group has lights out/curfew at 10:30 and the oldest at 11, but they're only allowed to be in other bunks on the senior row or on their porches. we all have lineup in the morning at the flagpole at 8:00, the whole camp together. no one is allowed to miss it unless they've won it or something through a special privilege, or the senior girls miss it the day after they come back from their trip.

as for being woken up, i have 2 campers that regularly wake me up at night. and these girls are older (going into 7th grade last summer) so it's very annoying. one of them just always can't sleep b/c she thinks about things that happened during the day between her and the other girls and gets nervous that they don't like her. the other one "gets sick" a lot. most of the time she's ok and should just fall back to sleep but she works herself up and will end up throwing up, that happened twice last summer. and the 2nd time it was on the day color war broke. she woke me up about 10 times that night on a night that i wasn't getting so much sleep anyway b/c of color war paranoia, saying she was going to throw up, and i kept telling her that she was ok and go back to sleep and i thought i was out of the woods until she yelled my name, waking up the entire bunk, at about 5 am from the bathroom puking her brains out. it was GROSS not to mention that the entire bunk was up for the day, haha. oh, the joys...

[Skater Bubbles]

Resident Camps are: Exhausting, but extremly rewarding!!

[EchoLaker]

It is hard work, the general councelors in our Senior Village, follow an elective schedule like the kids, and will go and participate in different activity areas to aide the activity specialists. We start with our groups, and see them through from wake up, to breakfast, through line up, and then on to your allocated activity areas.

We meet back up with our groups for lunch, snack, rest hour, evening line up, showers and dinner.

We'd then tend to have an evening activity which varies from a movie, senior signout (movie theatre), Ice-Skating, Roller-Skating, through to games like "The Mostest" or "Flashlight Sing", team building games, Zip Line by Candlelight, or even traditional camp fires once or twice per season per group just for the S'more craving.

Weekly during the season we have Friday Night Live - which is a weekly showcase of our campers talents, and a weekly video compilation by our media team.

That normally takes us up to Canteen, a chance for the kids from across the camp to get together for an hour - play some ping-pong, table soccer, cards, board games; or just sit and relax - all over a soda, a bag of chips and an Oreo/Milky Way/Three Musketeers bar etc.

This takes us up to OD-Staff Transition - which lasts for 3 hours from 10 PM - the kids go from canteen, back to their bunks, and the staff are relieved by the On-Duty staff responsible for their cabin - at this time we try and get the guys to relax, read a book, brush teeth etc - and as a personal rule, with the group I tended to get on OD (13 year olds), I gave them an hour with the bunk lights on, before reducing them to Flashlight time, and eventually they'd be asleep of their own accord by 11.45 !

OD time is a good time to catch up with the campers, to see if they have any concerns, or what they really enjoyed during the week.

Staff were required back in their bunks by 1 AM, OD staff would be relieved by the cabin staff, and when you'd been relieved from your OD bunks you could return to your own.

And the cycle would start over - breakfast the next morning at 8 AM !

It's intense, but getting to know your campers, and actually seeing them tired, exhausted - and even to the extent that between their couple of phone calls they recieve from home, and the mailings - it is the councelor team that they have to turn to - it's a different relationship I imagine compared to the day camp staff, who's kids go home each night and have their parents to talk through any problems with.

[campCardinal]

Overnight camp is magical. Putting the kids to bed and waking them up isn't too bad really. Also, the best times with staff are late at night after the kids have gone to bed. And I would totally miss overnights and campfires. And, the energy of evening activities is amazing. The kids get so excited for things like the dance, or capture the flag and that energy is contagious. And of course, eating 3 meals a day with your cabin creates excellent bonding experiences. It's a very fun time.

[rockinsmiles]

I have to mention showers in here...while im not very fond of getting 10+ girls through a shower where they only have 3 minutes each and seem to forget to dry (floods anyone?) i have to say that during this time some very cool/fun/interesting/entertaining things can happen. I think the fact that im actually there beside the girls bunks talking to them, lauging with them, having pictures being taken right and left...it really is a great time to learn about your campers. unless i guess when there are the ones that annoy you who want to be right by you....but that is another story. :)

[CAMPFRIEND]

It is hard work, the general councelors in our Senior Village, follow an elective schedule like the kids, and will go and participate in different activity areas to aide the activity specialists. We start with our groups, and see them through from wake up, to breakfast, through line up, and then on to your allocated activity areas.

We meet back up with our groups for lunch, snack, rest hour, evening line up, showers and dinner.

We'd then tend to have an evening activity which varies from a movie, senior signout (movie theatre), Ice-Skating, Roller-Skating, through to games like "The Mostest" or "Flashlight Sing", team building games, Zip Line by Candlelight, or even traditional camp fires once or twice per season per group just for the S'more craving.

Weekly during the season we have Friday Night Live - which is a weekly showcase of our campers talents, and a weekly video compilation by our media team.

That normally takes us up to Canteen, a chance for the kids from across the camp to get together for an hour - play some ping-pong, table soccer, cards, board games; or just sit and relax - all over a soda, a bag of chips and an Oreo/Milky Way/Three Musketeers bar etc.

This takes us up to OD-Staff Transition - which lasts for 3 hours from 10 PM - the kids go from canteen, back to their bunks, and the staff are relieved by the On-Duty staff responsible for their cabin - at this time we try and get the guys to relax, read a book, brush teeth etc - and as a personal rule, with the group I tended to get on OD (13 year olds), I gave them an hour with the bunk lights on, before reducing them to Flashlight time, and eventually they'd be asleep of their own accord by 11.45 !

OD time is a good time to catch up with the campers, to see if they have any concerns, or what they really enjoyed during the week.

Staff were required back in their bunks by 1 AM, OD staff would be relieved by the cabin staff, and when you'd been relieved from your OD bunks you could return to your own.

And the cycle would start over - breakfast the next morning at 8 AM !

It's intense, but getting to know your campers, and actually seeing them tired, exhausted - and even to the extent that between their couple of phone calls they recieve from home, and the mailings - it is the councelor team that they have to turn to - it's a different relationship I imagine compared to the day camp staff, who's kids go home each night and have their parents to talk through any problems with.

It looks like you have a great program. You must have a fun summer!

[EchoLaker]

Thanks, and a large part of that piece was focused on the evening program and the night time hours because of the initial posters questions.

I could quite happily ramble some more about the stuff that happens for the rest of the day; Theater, Tribal, and the facilities that our camp has.

You'll pick up bits and pieces about how much I love the camp I work on, it's staff and the leadership there.

[CAMPFRIEND]

I hope to hear more. You seem to have a great camp and staff!

[ocean]

Overnight camp is so much fun especially sitting around the camp fire at 9:00 at night with your campers and singing slow camp songs

[Sally]

I wouldn't have camp be any other way...it's all I've ever known (with the exception of visiting day camps, and one unfortunate day camp incident as a 3rd grader...*shudder*...heh). I love waking up to the sounds of polar bear (that is, if I wasn't the one to have to go with the kids---but I haven't been directly supervising kids in a few years). And to be honest, it's really humbling to know that you are able to work with these kids from the first couple nights when they're really homesick until the end of their session when they're not-so-homesick.

The most interesting reaction I have gotten from new staff members is when you mention that "you're working even when you're sleeping. You are working whenever your toes are on this property." Their eyes get pretty big. :)

I just love waking up where I work! :) Beats the 40 min. commute I have during the school year. :)

[EchoLaker]

The most interesting reaction I have gotten from new staff members is when you mention that "you're working even when you're sleeping. You are working whenever your toes are on this property." Their eyes get pretty big. :)




So true !

This I think impacts the councelors of the younger groups particularly more - waking up in the middle of the night etc - but there's no arguing that you have to be in a fit state to be called upon whatever time, whatever weather.

Tends to involve some self control, but it just means that when it comes to your day off, you should certainly be ready for it !

[runrachrunn]

All of your comments are making me long for camp right now... I'm submitting my application tomorrow... I hope I get accepted!

[Dave]

All of your comments are making me long for camp right now... I'm submitting my application tomorrow... I hope I get accepted!
I'm sure you will. Good luck to you. :)

[Campy Measius]

I've worked at both day and res camps, there are wonderful things about each of them, and hard things about each of them as well. Each camp is so different that it's hard to compare. I love that I get a whole month with my day campers (we have 2 groups for 4 weeks each), but I also love how quickly I bond with my res campers in the short 7 days that they're at camp, especially on overnights (we spend 2 or 3 nights in the woods).
At res camp you have to have such a high energy level all the time... but it's great because you can feed off of each others energy, it can sometimes cause burnout though. At day camp I find it harder to have the energy, because we're always going on tours and stuff.. so it's the type of situation where you're playing an awesome game and everyone is so high then we have to get in the van and go on a tour, where they have to pay attention and 'be good', obviously programming has a huge impact on this so we try to schedule tours and stuff early in the morning so that we don't run into that problem, also, burn out rate is not as high because you get evenings and weekends off.
One of the things I miss most about res camps when I'm at day are the campfires. Campfire is my favorite part of the day because everyone comes together for the last time that day and we can reflect on what an awesome day it's been, a way I try to incorporate that into day camp is to have 'special moments' at the end of the day where everyone sits in a circle and tells their favourite thing that day, then we draw it in our scrapbooks the next morning.
One thing I don't miss when I'm at day camp is night games... I like the idea of a night game, but we have kids running away sometimes (I'll explain why in a minute) and if I were a kid I would think the best time to run would be when it's dark out and my cabin is crawling around a field... so I'm ALWAYS getting my campers to number off during night games... it sometimes gets us caught by the walkers... :o
One of the big things for me, is that both the day and residential camps I work at are YMCA/Community Services... so that means that a lot of my campers are 'in the system' meaning that they have social workers for various reasons. Some are with foster familes and that type of thing, but some are still living with their parents, and suffer abuse. (Many suffer abuse at the hands of foster parents and group homes as well.. ) but with res camp I know that they are safe and eating properly and respected and cared for for a whole week... it may not seem like a long time, but I try to make it the best week of their life so that later in the year when they're living at home they can think back to a time when someone really cared about them and respected them. It's really hard on the last day to let a camper go home to what you know will be a bad situation. But at day camp, you have to let them go home everyday to what you know is not an ideal homelife... and their parents send their lunches with them, so you can sometimes tell that they are not being fed properly. The coulnselors always bring extra (healthy) food with them for lunch to share because they're 'just not that hungry' but it's hard to let them go home when you know that dinner will be the same, or that they'll come back to camp tomorow with 'unexplained' brusies. At res camp, we often get disclousers (meaning a camper tells you something about their home life) and then a counselor can (has to) call social services and report it, sometimes this can change their situation, but not always. Res camp life encourages this because campers feel so safe because they're away from the situation, day camp does not get as many disclousers because they are going home every night and I guess they don't feel as comfortable telling someone what's happening. So this is a big reason for the runaways I mentioned before, the thing about res camp is that it's scary because there's a lot of woods and they could get lost... but usually they head for the dirt road heading away from camp... the very loooong dirt road.. so the minute we notice a camper missing we do emergency procedures and usually find them strolling down the road and bring em' back to camp.. but at day camp... it's in a pretty small town, so before we get a chance to find them they might be home... thats always a big concern, it WOULD NOT look good for me to call a parent to tell them that their child has run away and is missing and for them to say that they've been home... luckily this has never happened... we're REALLY on top of head counts and knowing where our campers are at all times (many camps are pretty leinent about this, the band camp I worked at was, It made me uneasy).
Ummm... another thing about day camp is that we're in the community all the time and representing the YMCA so we have to be (realitvly) clean and stuff... where as at res camp we can play in the dirt and look as ridiclous as we want! haha
I find res camp staff bonds a lot easier than day camp staff as well, because you're spending 24/7 with each other whereas day camp staffers can go home and hang out with their non camp friends every night. Although we usually try to have a few staff dinners and activities each month to get to know each other outside of camp. On the other hand... there tends to be a lot less drama at day camp then res camp... emotions don't run as high and you get that cool down period to be away from the situation.
Day camp also pays better because room and board isnt' taken out... lol
I love both types of camps for very different reasons, but the thing that links them together and makes them both worthwhile are the campers...
Sorry I got a little 'dark' there for a minute... but it's a reality of my camps, I'm sure most of you don't deal with that type of thing at your camps on a regular basis. But if you do, or if you have any questions about it I'd love to talk about it! :)

[KiwiCRB]

Camp fires are always a really neat part of camp, but my camp might not get to have any this year :( as the entire state of Texas is under a burn ban. It would be a sad summer if we didn't get to have any camp fires!! If only it would rain.... we've only had .02 inches since last October.

[sarahdee]

I work at the same camp as countrygal and it is a over night camp...and it hard for my to say its better than day camp cause I have never worked at a day camp but i love my camp. And its really a style of living, being able to live and sleep with campers 24/7, but its very rewarding. Your better able to connect with your campers. BUt it is true campers will give you a hard time at bedtime but once you get into a routine its usualyl fine. Read them a story and magazine articles for the older kids and maybe 20mins of quiet talk time to get them to calm down a little and give them alittle compromise. Its just fun with sometimes sleep asleep with your campers or awake up with all your campers on your bed, or get all the campers on your bed and read a story...its like a big slumber party.

[campCardinal]

I love working at my residential camp. I love eating meals with my campers. I love waking kids up and putting them to bed. I've had amazing conversations with staff after the kids go to bed and we get some time to hang out. Likewise, I've played hilarious games and done crazy things at that time too (nothing bad!). I just love the atmosphere... it really feels like camp is my home.

[AshleyJane]

Its amazing. I've done been a director at a day camp and also counsellor etc.. at res camps and while I had an amazing time at both there's just something really special about res camp. The staff spend so much more time together so they get really close and the kids too. And the staff get to know the kids so much better, I mean there's really something special about singing a child to sleep at night. It's magical.

[CAMPFRIEND]

Well I am back at overnight camp. I can't wait for the summer to get here!

[amnickel]

I've never done a day camp. However this summer through my other job we're teaching at a day camp. It's just as tiring I think. Although it probably depends on the camp.

We found a really good way to get the campers to go to bed. We have 2 differnt age groups. For the younger kids we have 2 differnt times for their bedtimes. The first night it's one time then the second night it's 1/2 hour later. We tell htem that if they go to bed easily the first night and are happy the next day we will let htem stay up 1/2 hour later. For the little kids it's a "privlidge" (sp) even though we have it planned that way anyways.

With the older group we tell them they can stay up as long as they want as long as they keep telling good clean jokes. If there is a 10 second lull it's quiet time and they must go to sleep.

We also have chaperones in the cabins to help with getting kids to sleep and making sure they all stay in the cabin. We usually don't have problems with kids sneaking out. We have one counselor by each door and then the rest of the counselors and the chaperones are throughout the entire cabin. The kids must also wake an "adult" up if they need to go to the bathroom or anything during the night.

For us this system works good. It may or may not for another camp.

My camp is a 4-H camp and there's usually at least one counselor there from each county, so the campers are almost "scarred" to misbehave, because the misbehaviour can easily get relayed back to their county and to their parents. We don't threaten to tell parents about misbehaving campers, but the campers know it's a possibility.