Your Day, your week, your summer...

[AshleyJane]

What is a typical day like at your camp? A typical week? A typical summer? Our camp has been doing things the same way as long as anyone can remember, and for the most part things work extremely well, but we're looking to shake things up a little this summer so I just want to see how other camps set up their day. We're a very small camp (about 60 kids) so i'm espescially interested in what similar camps too, but by all means if you're a bigger camp we can learn from you too!

[camper]

typical day:
reveille- 7:25
lineup at the flag- 7:45
breakfast- 8:00
cleanup/inspection- 9:00-9:15
1st activity- 9:15-10:00
2nd activity- 10:00-10:45
upper camp general swim/lower camp activity- 10:45-11:30
letter writing- 11:30-12:30
lunch- 12:30
rest hour- 1:30-2:15
milk bar- 2:15-2:30
3rd activity- 2:30-3:15
4th activity- 3:15-4:00
lower camp general swim/upper camp back to bunks- 4:00-4:45
shower hour, cleanup, and inspection- 4:45-5:30
lineup at the flagpole- 5:30
dinner- 5:45
freeplay- 6:45- whenever evening activity starts, different each night
taps (lights out)- between 9:30 and 10:00
lower senior lights out at 10:30
PC lights out at 11:00

typical week:
most days follow the schedule described above. each monday or tuesday is usually a special events day, so the schedule is different. thursday nights we have bbq and then evening activity is tribes, and friday nights we have friday night dinner and evening activity is services. sundays we sleep a little later, so everything runs a little bit late. plus on the weekends we have tours, so camp is crazy!

typical summer:
we have orientation for the week before the kids get there, we unpack the lower camp and do regular orientation stuff. then the kids get there and evening activity the 1st night is introductions. the 1st week runs a regular schedule every day. then on july 4th we have our 1st special event day, red white and blue day. on that day the camp is divided into red, white, and blue teams and competes in an apache relay, bucket brigade, and hula hoop pass and that night is the july 4th show put on by the oldest campers. then the next week we play "blue ridge tag" which is a camp-wide tag game, but regular activities still go on during it. that weekend is alumni weekend, which is nuts b/c all of the alumni from like the 1920's on comes to camp to see everyone and hang out. that saturday night is group sing, one of the most traditional nights of camp. then the week after that is pretty much a normal schedule but we have square dancing (lou and sue flago!) for 2 days and each age group does that at different times during the day and night so it makes the schedule a little different. then that friday night is disco (a huge social w/a dj and stuff) and that saturday is visiting day. right after visiting day (the monday after) the senior girls go on their 3 day trip to either niagara falls or boston (it rotates each year). when they get back, 1 of the days is sports day, a special event day where the camp is divided into 10 teams w/college names and competes in "silly" sports that we don't play every day (like water balloon volleyball and ultimate frisbee). the next week one day is tribal day, where the camp does an obstacle course, track meet, and tug-of-war in their tribes teams. the next week is usually getting close to august 1st. that saturday or sunday (different each year) is carnival, our only coed afternoon, when the carnival is set up on boys side and the girls are there for a couple of hours playing games, eating, socializing, whatever. august 1st is the 1st day of color war cheering, which makes the camp CRAZY. sometime in that week is trip day, where everyone except for the seniors go on their 1 day trips (to either carousel park, camel beach waterpark, dorney park, or hershey park). the seniors get the day to hang out and relax at camp. soon color war cheering starts up at camp, and about a week before camp ends color war breaks. the next 4 days are spent in color war, which are the most intense, emotional, traditional, and amazing days of the summer. it ends w/color war sing, the most special, meaningful night of camp. the day after color war sing is lazy day, w/a huge buffet breakfast starting at about 10:00. then the girls have until lunch to do whatever they want around camp as a bunk, they can decide to swim, play a sport, tan outside, whatever. after lunch the huge cleanup/packing extravaganza begins. usually a few campers get packed before dinner that night (they're not allowed to put anything in the trunks themselves, so only 2 or 3 can be packed per bunk at a time). then we have dinner and that night is cabaret, a "fancy" dance/social w/a dj and lots of food. the next day is entirely devoted to packing and cleaning, but they usually get the younger kids out of the bunks to make it easier, they'll have relay races or play other games. that night for dinner is banquet, where everyone gets their final buzzers (a recap of the summer on paper, w/each bunk's "last wills" which are inside jokes, letters from all of the specialty staff, and counselor addresses) and they have a lot of awards for the oldest girls and presentations to kids who have been in camp 5 years or more, pretty much the whole upper camp haha. evening activity is candlelighting on the lake where each bunk lights a candle, and they pull a big statue on fire of whatever year it is around the lake. there is usually lots of hugging and crying. and then we go up to the amphitheater for the slideshow of the summer, which is amazing! then everyone pretty much stays up as long as they can. we wake up at 6:30 am to go to breakfast, do a cleanup to make sure everything is set, and get on the buses to go home.

whoa that was long, but thats the summer!

[Pooka]

Right, lemme go try to find a schedule from last summer... this is a resident camp day for a Brownie-aged group.

Our Day:

7:30-- Wake up, get the kids ready for the day
8:15-- Flag ceremony (the is often late, but that's the official time)
8:30-- Breakfast
9:30-- Activity-- boating, horses, arts and crafts, archery, or swimming lessons-- girls under third grade get swim lessons and free swim every day.
10:30-- Another activity.
11:30-- Shorter activity, then get to the lodge around 12:15 to sing.
12:30-- Lunch.
1:30-- Unit capers and chores.
2:30-- Rest hour
3:30-- Another activity-- free swims tend to be in the afternoons.
4:30-- Another activity...
5:30-- Dinner!
6:30-8:30ish-- Evening activity, usually an all-camp with the ages mixed up.
Head up to the units around 8:30 for a few evening activities, then camp fire and get ready for bed.

Our Week:

Campers arrive Sunday afternoons and leave Friday evenings. Days tend to follow the format above, adjusted depending on age group and session-- some groups do special primitive camping days, while other groups trip off-camp. Opening campfire Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday nights are all-camp activities, Wednesday is party night, and the older groups camp out. Thursday there's final campfire, and Friday is check-out and parent program.

Our Summer:

Staff come a week before campers for training and setting camp up. CITs come for staff training and have their own training week for the first one of camp. Day camp and resident camp run side by side, though there are only a few day camp sessions during the summer.

Kinda basic, but there's our schedule. ^^

[KristinR]

You can find our's on the website, under typical day...


http://sandyhillcamp.com

[lifer]

We're a res. camp that has anywhere between 50 and 200 campers a session:

Our Day:
8:20 Flag Raising/Chopsticks
8:30 Breakfast
9:00 Cabin Clean-up
9:30 Skill Period 1
10:30 Skill Period 2 (on the first day of camp, each camper chooses his/er skill periods for the week)
11:30 Cabin Time (cabins can do whatever they would like as a group)
12:20 Chopsticks
12:30 Lunch
1:00 Rest Hour
2:00 Afternoon Rotation 1 (a rotation between pool, boating and store)
3:10 Afternoon Rotation 2
4:20 Afternoon Rotation 3
5:35 Flag Lowering/Chopsticks
5:45 Dinner
6:15 Twilight (a mini skill period, where campers choose their activities on-the-spot)
7:30 Evening Activity
9:00 Snack
10-11 Lights Out

Our Week:
We follow the above schedule on every day except Wednesday, which is Theme Day.

Our Summer:
We have one week for staff training, followed by a second week of training to get certifications (lifeguard, high ropes, etc.) We have 9 weeks of campers which are split into various 1 and 2 week sessions. Our traditional camps follow the above schedule, but our medical camps usually have some variation of the schedule. We have 5 medical camps: asthma, burn, diabetes, kidney foundation and tourettes.

[campCardinal]

We're on two schedules at my camp. But this is how my unit works.
7:00 -- Polar Bear Swim
8:00 -- Wake up
9:00 -- Breakfast
9:45 -- Chapel
10:00 -- Activity Periord
12:15 -- Cabin Time
1:15 -- Lunch
1:45 -- Candy/Pop and Cabin Time
2:30 -- Activity Periord
4:45 -- Cabin Time
5:45 -- Dinner
6:30 -- Cabin Time / Choice Time
7:30 -- Evening Program
9:00 -- Showers and Get Ready for Bed
10:00 -- Lights out
*Cabin Time is usually much shorter than it seems if activities take a while or if we have an hour we usually play games with other cabins*

Our week:
Sundays we have staff meeting before campers arrive. We go through the last week and all the exciting things that have happened. Campers come and we have dinner and opening campfire on Sundays. Mondays start the regular camp day. Wednesdays we have camp-outs. Each unit does their own activity and sleeps outside. Thursdays we have an all camp social. On Fridays we have closing campfire. And Saturday the kids go home.

The Summer goes by so fast. We have 10 camper weeks plus a staff training week. A lot of staff works the full summer but a lot only work portions of the summer. Counselors can move cabins quite often (one summer I moved 8 weeks of 10). Each week we have a theme for our activites which makes things fun and helps us avoid getting in a rut. However, we do the same thing every week which gets exhausting. Our unit leaders do a good job giving us a lot of variety in our activities and everything. At the end of the summer we have a staff banquet. The whole staff is invited and we have a slide-show and end of the year awards. We recieve our staff gifts too. It's usually a very good time!

[Campy Measius]

Hey lifer,
what's chopsticks?

[CAMPFRIEND]

Chopsticks=Time for campers to set their tables!

[Sparkes]

kids have to set the table? Man, my kids are spoiled!

[Melk]

at my camp kids set the tables, get the food when they kill it, and staff get their food first. I think it teaches them responsibility (sp?)

[Flukie]

Okay... Here we go...

Typical Day:

6:30 - Wake-up for early morning activities
7:00 - Polar Bears or Running Bears (And twice a summer, Polar Rigging)
7:30 - Wake-up for the rest of camp
8:15 - Morning Flag/Hopping
8:30 - Breakfast
9:15 - Morning Program (Includes swim lessons for all campers)
11:45-1:00 - Buffet Lunch
1:00 - 5:30 - Afternoon Activities (Including Free Swim for all campers)
5:45 - Evening Flag/Hopping
6:00 - Dinner
6:45 - Evening Activities (Sometimes including All-Camp)
9:00-11:00 - Lights Out (Dependent on age)

Typical Week:

Staff arrive back on camp for a staff meeting at 11 am. At noon, the staff heads to the dining hall for lunch. ULs meet with the Program Director to go over camper concerns and begin scheduling time blocks for showers, lunch, A&C, Boating, and Biking. ULs finish scheduling, while UCs finish opening the unit by putting up tent flaps, cleaning the Unit House, putting tent assignments up. Campers arrive between 1 and 4 pm, with the bus always arriving at the most inconvenient time! :) There is an optional All-Camp on night during the one week sessions. In a two week session, things get a little funky. Sunday is All-Camp day. It starts with All-Camp Discussion around a themed topic (Last summer these were "Diversity" and "Friendship"). After lunch, campers participate in several different All-Camp activities. On Thursdays, we have the Long Pond Invitation (LPI!) which lets all of the sailors practice their racing skills. That event culminates with a staff race (and one session, an amazing CIT/Intern Race where their fabulous director looses cause well, I can't sail...). Thursday evenings, no matter what session, are always a big deal. We have Final Banquet, Final Awards Ceremony, and Final Campfire. Then on Friday, we pack, clean and head home.

Typical Summer:

We have 8 weeks of camp - one week of pre-camp, followed by a one week, two week, one week, two week, and one week. It's amazing, exhausting, fantastic, uplifting and so much more. It also FLYS by.

[CAMPFRIEND]

at my camp kids set the tables, get the food when they kill it, and staff get their food first. I think it teaches them responsibility (sp?)

You have to love the YMCA!

[Flukie]

Our girls also set and clear the tables, bring the food to and from the windows, and clear the tables after each meal. Each group has an all-camp kaper to day each day - Hopping (Setting/Serving/Clearing), Dropping (Sweeping and Wipe), Showers (Sweep/Clear Showerhouse), and Trash (Sweep Through of Camp). They also all have unit kapers including cleaning their tents, cleaning their bathrooms, sweeping the unit houses and taking out the trash.

I think it is a fantastic way to get things down and give girls a chance to take on responsibility. Some of our girls have never been asked to help before, and they are amazed at what they can do.

[lifer]

Yes !! You kill it you fill it is my fave camp rule.

And for our chopsticks, we have one appointed cabin that sets the tables for all of camp. Kids love doing it too, because the chopsticks cabin gets to pick the grace we sing. Oooh ! ;)

[Campy Measius]

There are some really great ideas here... we might steal a few for our camp.... MUAHAHAHAH

[Melk]

Lifer, does your camp still do cool people? We used to do that when I was a camper if your cabin was the last to get clean... or something like that. Now you only have to sweep if you get introuble.

[rockinsmiles]

Day

7:45-Flag raising
8:00-Breakfast
8:45-Activity
10:00-Activity
11:00-Juice break
11:15-Activity
12:30-Lunch
1:30-Rest period for younger half and activity for the older half
2:45-Activity
3:45-Store
4:30-Rest for older half and activity for younger half
6:00-Supper
7:00-Flag lowering
7:15-Night time activity
Then sometime during the night time activity we will have a snack, the groups normally get back to their cabins around 9:15 and start on showers and get to bed by 11:00.

Week

Monday-Thursday follows the schedule pretty closely for the 6 younger groups while the 2 older groups have some changes to their days. We also have camp-out nights for all the cabins. Sunday is arrival day for the campers and basically they get to camp, unpack, do staff introductions, play games with our groups, have a cook-out, and then have the opening campfire. Then the campers go home friday morning around 10:00. Then the staff must clean camp and we have a meeting before getting off. And sunday we meet back as a staff for another meeting before cleaning out cabins.

Summer

We have 8 weeks of overnight camp and 10 weeks of day camp. Resedent camp are one week sessions while day camp come in 2 week packets. And we have around 2 weeks of staff training. Umm so I think that is all for the "typical" side of camp :D

[Sparkes]

They also all have unit kapers including cleaning their tents, cleaning their bathrooms, sweeping the unit houses and taking out the trash.
I think it is a fantastic way to get things down and give girls a chance to take on responsibility. Some of our girls have never been asked to help before, and they are amazed at what they can do.

Man, some of my girls had never made a bed before and had to ask for help with it. Sweeping and keeping the bunk clean is a whole other story. We have a work wheel with all the chores written on it: dj (thats right, its a part of the work wheel), check cubbies, sweep floor, sweep poarch, sweep bathroom, dustpan duty, clean own area. Lots of sweeping!

[lifer]

No Melk, I've never heard of that before. Sounds interesting though- what did you used to have to do if you were last ?

[Melk]

No Melk, I've never heard of that before. Sounds interesting though- what did you used to have to do if you were last ?

You have to sweep the lodge. We only use it now if a cabin or a group of people get in trouble.

[Thumbelina1988]

I'm not sure how the day is made up at my camp as it is my first summer working there. All I know is that through out the day the kids get snacks and drinks and that Breakfast is at 9.00am. I don't know why it is a late strt but I'm not complaining. The more time to get myself and kids up is great.

[campCardinal]

Our Day:
8:00 -- Wake up! Get ready for the day and clean the cabin!
9:00 -- Breakfast!
9:45 -- Chapel
10:00 -- Activities Begin (each unit goes to a different activity -- like ropes, or water sports, etc.)
12:30 -- Return to cabins
1:00 -- Lunch!
1:45 -- Mail Call
2:00 -- Cabin Chill Time
2:30 -- Activities Begin
5:00 -- Return to cabin
5:45 -- Dinner!
6:30 -- Cabin Time / Get ready for evening Programs
7:00 -- Evening Activities begin
9:00 -- Showers / Get Ready for Bed
10:00 -- Bedtime and Lights out!

The Week:
Kids come on Sunday afternoon. Our first night is a campfire. Then, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we do an evening program or a camp-out depending on the unit. Thursdays are the last day for regular activities and we have a camp-wide social that night. Fridays are special days because we have track meets / swim meets / competitions all day -- and we pack for 2 hours on Friday afternoon. Friday night is our awards ceremony and final farewell. The kids go to bed Friday night later -- usually 11 or so, and then wake up at 7 to pack up bedding and get to breakfast by 7:45. Parents start coming around 9. Once all the kids are gone the staff cleans the cabin (sweep, mop, wipe down beds) and then can leave if their unit common areas are clean. So, typically by 11. Then, we meet back at camp the next afternoon for a weekly recap/preview lunch.... then the maddness begins again!

Summer:
We have 10 sessions during the summer -- each last 1 week. We have a week of staff orientation as well... so a full summer is 11 weeks. Because of our set up though counselors are coming and going all the time -- people work partial summers and random weeks. Week 4 is typically the fourth of july week -- which we celebrate. The end of july is a Christmas in July week. Our final week is really small, 100 kids (we typically have about 400). So, that week is neat. Everyweek the theme changes and so do the evening activities... to help keep counselors fresh and on their toes.

[happy_camper]

My camp is very different from y'alls. We have camp every week from May 28 - August 3, except the 4th of July week. Sessions are one week long. Only two of those weeks (last 2 weeks in July) are Resident Camp, and the rest are day camp. During a BIG week, we have about 30 day campers and maybe 35 (?) Resident campers. Usually its more like 15 day campers and thats IT! Here's a typical Resident Camp schedule:

7:00 wake up (or whenever the counselors get the kids up)
8:00 Flag
8:15 Breakfast
9:00 Activities Start
12:00 Lunch
1:00 More Activities
3:00 Cabin/Shower Time
5:00 Dinner
7:00 All-Camp

Because our camp is SO small, schedules can vary greatly and we don't need to adhere to a very strict schedule.

Sessions are Monday-Friday, with one mini-session for little kids that is Monday-Wed or Wed-Friday. Each night we have an all-camp, which is planned by the CITs. It can be anything from song night to skit night to reverse scavenger hunt to movie night to night swim. Thursday night is ALWAYS campfire.

Last year we themed every day camp week so that the campers who come every week wouldn't get bored

And that's about it :)

[Flower]

A typical day:
8:00 - First Bell
8:15 - Second Bell (you've really got to get up)
8:25 - Flag Raising
8:30 - Breakfast
9:15ish - Cabin cleanup
9:45 - First activity period
10:45 - Second activity period
11:45 - Third activity period
12:35 - Free time
1:00 - Lunch
1:30ish - Rest hour
2:40 - Fourth activity period
3:40 - Fifth activity period
4:40 - Electives
5:30 - Free time
5:55 - Flag Lowering
6:00 - Supper
6:45 - Evening Activity
Bedtimes vary by age group starting with lights out at 8:45 for the youngest to 10:30 for the oldest.

A typical week:
The girls have the same activities Mondays and Thursdays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and Wednesday and Saturdays. The youngest girls follow a set schedule premade for them so that they get a change to try everything. Girls going into sixth grade and above get to choose most of their schedule (everyone takes swimming and some amount of tennis). They have the same schedule all summer. Sundays follow a relaxed morning schedule that involves extra cleaning of the cabins and the campers and then whole camp games in the afternoon and a campfire for evening activity.

A typical summer:
Most girls stay all summer, but some of the younger ones come for the first four or the last three weeks (out of the whole seven). My least favorite day of the summer was always changeover day. The four weekers would leave in the morning the day after Parents' Day, and then that afternoon you'd have to be happy and cheerful to get your new girls, and try to convince the other girls in the cabin to be happy and cheerful, too when really you're all missing the campers who just left. The last week of camp is different. Instead of activities there's color war from Sunday to Wednesday. Thursday is a lazy morning and then carnival in the afternoon. Friday is devoted to packing, cleaning, awards and recognitions, and an end of summer banquet.


And just writing about this has made me realize how much I still miss camp. I'm so looking forward to being able to move to a nine month school after next year instead of year round so that I can get back to it.

[prettysocks]

:) Typical Day at Easter Seals Camp Woodeden:

6:58am - Staff Wake Up (on your own, no bell)
7:00-7:15am - Campers Wake Up
8:00am - Flag Pole & Wake Up Songs & Announcements
8:15am - Breakfast for Everyone
9:00am - Back to Cabin, Brush Teeth, Quickly Tidy Cabin
9:15am - Activity Period One (Skill)
10:15am - Juice Break
10:30am - Activity Period Two (Cabin Choice)
11:30am - Buddy Time (Hang Out with Cabin, Personal Care Needs, Relax)
12:00pm - Lunch for Everyone
1:15pm - Activity Period Three (Camper Choice)
2:15pm - Juice Break
2:30pm - Activity Period Four (Camper Choice)
3:30pm - Hang Time (Showers, Hang Out in Cabins / with Friends, Nap, Relax)
4:45pm - Sell The Sizzle (Programmers "selling" their activities for the next day)
5:00pm - Supper for Campers and Staff on "Meal Patrol"
6:00pm - Supper for Staff not on Meal Patrol; Campers and 2 Staff from each cabin relax in cabin or outdoors.
6:45pm - All Camp Evening Program
7:30pm - Campfire
8:00pm - Snack
8:30pm - Explorers Get Ready for Bed; Pathfinders to Senior Evening Program
9:00pm - Pathfinders to Bed
10:30pm - (whenever all campers are ready and in bed) Cabin Meeting; Staff go to bed (usually out of the cabin by 11pm at the latest)

:) Typical Week at Easter Seals Camp Woodeden:

The kids arrive on Sunday morning, and leave 10 days later, on Wednesday morning. On no specific day during the 10-day session, we have a Theme Day. That day is run similar to a typical day, except that Activity Periods 2-4 are turned into 6 stations that correspond with the theme. We might have a BBQ for lunch or supper at some point. On the last Tuesday night we have a Banquet Dinner, Awards Ceremony, and Dance.

:) Typical Summer at Easter Seals Camp Woodeden:

Staff come between 3 and 1 weeks before the kids come.. For training and getting to know each other. There are 3 "normal" sessions, where campers aged 7-18 can come for 10 day sessions. Then there is Gear Up, where the campers that come are aged 16-25, for a 7 day session. Then we have Family Camp (a 5 day session), where families come as a whole, and the parents take care of their children, and staff have a fairly slack and fun week!

[Strand]

Our typical day is almost the same as others. Same as the weeks.

A month at a time can get boring inbetween with no camper, and no contact with the outside world. We find stuff to do, like shop or go into town like Rheinlander, Lake Tomahawk, or the Woodruff-Minocqau-Arbor Vitea area. Somtimes if we feel up to it we take a trip to Eagle River, Land O' Lakes, or Lac Du Flambeau.