Helpful Tips for Running an At-Home Summer Camp

Helpful Tips for Running an At-Home Summer Camp

Have y’all seen the prices of summer camp these days? Instead of burning a hole in your pocket, you should run an at-home camp for your kids and other participants. But before you advertise your services, look at my helpful tips for running an at-home summer camp.

Determine the Camp Structure

How many kids will attend the camp? What are your operation hours? How much will you charge? These are all important questions to answer before starting your camp. You want an efficient structure to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Select Your Activities

You need creativity to run a summer camp at home because the last thing you want is a group of bored kids. I suggest creating a list of fun and educational activities for the kiddos. Things like arts and crafts, nature walks, and small science experiments are great. You can also select some fun summer pool noodle games for kids and transform your backyard into a fun zone! Remember to include indoor activities like board games or workbooks for rainy days, too.

Set a Theme

I love a good theme! It’s a fantastic way to increase the fun factor of your at-home camp because it sparks interest and engagement. For your camp, the theme can change from week to week to fit your kids’ personalities. Here are my favorite ones:

  • Animals
  • Space
  • Pirates
  • Fairytale
  • LEGO
  • Superheroes
  • Mermaids

Create Ground Rules

I understand that the best part about camp is that it’s different from school, but structure and rules are still essential. That said, creating ground rules is a critical tip for running an at-home summer camp. Make a set of rules that keep the peace inside your home so that campers have a good experience.

Your rules can include cleaning up after activities, putting on sunscreen before going outside, and treating other campers with respect. Remember to post rules on the wall to remind campers of these guidelines.

Make a Schedule

We all know that kids thrive with structure. I’m not saying you need a strict schedule for summer camp fun, but a level of structure guides the day. Create a timeline for the day so that kids understand the flow of activities.

Maybe the day starts with independent reading until everyone arrives, and then y’all transition into a morning snack. Perhaps you all start with a morning craft and then transition to outside playtime.

Regardless of your preference, be sure to schedule pick-up and drop-off times, indoor/outdoor activities, and mealtime. It’s also important to be flexible with your schedule to accommodate special occasions (like field trips).

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