Planning is the cornerstone of any well run camp. If you fail to plan you plan to fail! Proper planning prevents poor performance! If you do not plan your program well, it will show. Planning is extremely important in coordinating any high level program. Planning can come in many forms and most all plans are open and customizable to how you want to operate. Below are some tips and guidelines on different plans you should have in place for your camp.
Scheduling: Schedule out your program dates at least a year in advance. If you only do a summer camp, it’s easy as summer dates are already set and dictated by your local school district. If you are coordinating programs all year round, you want to have a solid programming plan in place. Once your schedules are set for the year communicate it! Create marketing materials, get them on the website, and send emails. With your participant’s busy schedules, they will appreciate getting this information well in advance. Include “All dates and times subject to change” on all your communication in case unforeseen events force you to make changes.
Activities: Plan your activities out, along with any themes, prior to the start of camp. You don’t have to plan every detail of every activity, but have an idea of the core activities, crafts, etc. pre-planned each week. If you rely on your counselors to constantly come up with activities on the fly you will end up with too much repetition, down time, and lack of creativity. The activity plan is a tool for your counselor’s success when running activities this summer!
Marketing: Marketing plans can come in several forms but at the very least have a calendar or outline on when you want to start to market your programs and what marketing channels you want to use. Narrow your marketing efforts to each of your target markets for more effective marketing and communication.
Budget: Your budget is the planning tool for your finances. Sound budgeting will ensure you only spend what you are able to spend based on your forecasted revenue and expenses. Once your budget is created, stick to it as close as possible and track EVERY expense that comes in to make sure you stay on track.
Equipment Purchasing: Have a plan within your budget to purchase your camp equipment and supplies. S&S Worldwide offers a wide variety of supplies for games, craft kits and bulk supplies, educational supplies, and more. If you have an account, you may qualify for special pricing. They also offer pre-made kits, or custom kits if you need specific grouping of supplies. You want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your camp supplies!
Staffing: Planning your staffing can come in several forms such as optimizing how much staff you need, recruiting staff, and retention. If you are a licensed program in your state you may have certain staffing ratio’s that you have to meet. If you are not licensed you should still follow appropriate staff to child ratio’s. Once you know your optimal staffing levels you need to have a plan to recruit and retain them. Turnover can be expensive so once you get good staff in the door you want to retain them!
Training: Training and education is an ongoing process and should be taken seriously. Not just to make sure your staff are great with kids, but also to make sure they know your expectations, policies, procedures as well as prepare them for emergency situations and in turn limit your liability. You don’t have to do all your training in house as there are tons of resources out there to provide staff trainings. Regardless on how you want to do it, have an annual training program in place to make sure you get the most out of your most valuable investment, your staff!
Fundraising: Most camps will rely on some type of fundraising to help subsidize your registration fees and provide enough revenue to keep the doors at camp open. Have a fundraising plan to keep your fundraising goals on track. Make sure to outline your timeline, goals and objectives for each type of fundraising source you are targeting. Be creative with your fundraising to stand out from the crowd and provide unique value for potential sponsors and donors!
It is always recommended to have all of your stakeholders involved in the planning process. For example, if you are making an activities and program plan make sure to involve your staff that will be conducting those activities in the process. Lack of planning will always show so remember if you put in the extra work up front in planning it will make your job easier, your operations smoother, and your overall camp better in the long run.
View the S&S Summer Camp page for more resources!
About the Author:
Jason Schaitz is a Parks and Recreation Director with over 15 years’ experience coordinating youth programs, camps, sports, and recreation activities. He also created and manages The Summer Camp Source with the goal of providing free high quality resources for any type of camp, youth recreation or childcare program. Take your program to the next level by visiting our website for free resources and education!
Website: www.thesummercampsource.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesummercampsource
