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The snow is falling, the temperature is dropping. Winter is in full swing but at least the days are getting longer. Yes, time to plan out your summer! Summer camps are a great way to get your kids out of the house and away from the screen during the break. Parent’s want to find the best camps for their children, but what makes a great camp?

Planning

Having a schedule and knowing what’s on the agenda for today is crucial when running a camp. The best camps not only have their staff plan out their days, but they’ll have them plan more activities than needed. Sometimes an activity that you thought would go for half an hour, only takes up half that time. A great camp leader will have some games in their back pocket meant just for these occasions.

Child-centred approach

While having a schedule in place is very important, it’s crucial to remember that the end goal is always the children’s safety and enjoyment! The best camps can acknowledge when the programmed activity isn’t working for that group and adapt. Small changes, such as increasing the difficulty when a group has already mastered the skill, can greatly increase the enjoyment of the campers. And in the end, it’s the children’s experience that is the most important!

Great staff

And finally, we get to the most important part of a great camp: the staff! Camp administrators can design a great camp experience, but it’s the staff that work onsite, working with the children and the parents, that make the difference. It’s important for camps to always be on the look out for the very best staff.  At Royal City, we look for our staff to be safety-conscious, responsible, enthusiastic, creative, organized, great communicators and willing to go above and beyond!

This winter, while you’re dreaming of the summer and planning your child’s camp schedule, be on the look out for camps that value planning for every step, taking a child-centred approach & hiring the best staff. Here at RCSC, we focus on all of the above at every step of the way, and that’s what makes us an amazing camp!

 

8:30am – Mom needed to get to work for 9, so she dropped me off early at camp. I was a bit nervous at first, but my camp counsellor was super nice, and there were a few kids my age that were there early too. We played some circle games while we waited for camp to begin, so I already knew everyone’s names.

9:30am – Camp started and they got us all into a group to give out everyone’s soccer ball and camp t-shirt. They wrote my name on my ball so everyone knows it’s mine! After that they told everyone about the camp rules, and broke us up into groups. I’m with the other 5-7 year olds. We’re going to learn about soccer now!

10:30am – We’ve been playing different soccer games this morning, and I’m learning a lot today! I was a little nervous cause I’ve never played soccer before, but that’s okay because a lot of my new friends have never played before either. Our camp counsellor told us today we’d be focusing on dribbling (that’s when you move the ball with your feet), and tomorrow we’d work on a new skill. I like that we can learn using games. Now we’re having a break, which means getting lots of water, a snack, and most importantly, putting on more sunscreen!

12pm – It’s lunch time now! Half-way through we stopped to take pictures; I’m excited for my parents to see them!  Right before lunch the whole camp played a game all together (they called it a scrimmage), which was a tonne of fun! The camp counsellor told us that after lunch we’re going to walk over to the pool to go swimming. This is turning out to be the best day ever!

2pm – We’re back from the pool, and I had so much fun! Now we’re going to take another water break, then play some camp games all together. They said they had some super fun ones planned out, so I’m excited to see what they might be! I hope we play capture the flag, cause that’s always my favourite in gym class.

4pm – It’s pick-up time now they say, which means that camp is over for the day. My mom doesn’t get off work until later, so she won’t pick me up for a while still. I’m kind of happy about that, cause that means I can play with my friends a bit longer! The camp counsellors brought out the nets again, so we’re going to try to score goals on each other while we wait for our parents.

4:50pm – Mom picked me up, and I almost fell asleep on the car ride home! She says I’m going to sleep well tonight. I can’t wait to go back to camp tomorrow and see all my friends again, and my camp counsellor. They said this week is colours week, and tomorrow everyone is going to dress up in the craziest colours they have.

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Camp is almost here…it has certainly snuck up on us! As much as it is exciting for campers, it can be stressful for parents, especially when you’re not sure how to prepare your camper for their first day. We want parents to enjoy the first day of camp, just as much as their camper(s), so we have put together our most thought out and practical tips for parents to utilize.

1. Get a good sleep. This goes for both parents and campers. Getting into a routine at least a week before camp begins will make it easier for both parties to wake up in the morning and be energized for the day ahead.
2. Plan your outfits. Nobody likes waking up in the morning and then having the burden of figuring out what they’re going to wear. So, plan ahead! Choose your outfit the night before and leave it out on a dresser or hanging up together. This will make it easier for your camper to dress themselves and it will give you more time to prepare breakfast.
3. Eat a healthy breakfast. Everyone always says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make sure that you don’t skip it! Load up on fruits and healthy carbs that will give both you and your camper(s) an extra skip in your step.7
4. Pack. Pack. We recommend packing a backpack for your camper(s) to bring back and forth to camp every day of the week. Inside the backpack, we recommend packing: lots of water, sunscreen, athletic gear (it does not need to be soccer gear), hat, lunch and lots of nut free snacks, and swim suit & towel (if participating in the afternoon swim).
5. Leave electronics at home. The best part about camp is that there are always other campers around to play with and the camp staff have a bunch of activities campers can participate in, so there is no need to bring electronics. Our camp staff are also not responsible if those items go missing! You camper(s) will have so much fun they won’t even notice they’re not in front of a screen.
6. Prepare your camper(s) emotionally and mentally. After sitting in a classroom all day for the last 10 months, your camper(s) won’t be used to being outside all day. Start spending less time indoors, as a family, and immerse your camper(s) in the outdoors. Spend the afternoon at the park or going for a walk. Talk to your camper(s) about attending camp – ask them what they’re excited about, what they’re nervous about, what they think camp will be like – it will give them a better sense of what to expect on day one.
7. Get them excited! They are going to camp! Who can’t be excited for camp?!

We cannot wait to see you at site this summer! For any other tips and tricks for preparing for camp 101, email info@royalsoccer.com.