Pick an activity night - evening activities

We just spent the week in New England, visiting with interested families and meeting some talented staff applicants. Often parents ask us what we do for evening activities. About once a week, we do a "Pick an activity" night. Kids like to choose their activities, especially with how structured school and some camps can be. What we try to do is find special talents that our camp staff have. If the staff can offer something special that is meaningful to them, it is easy to get excited about the activity and sell it to the kids. We have each staff put on a quick skit so that the campers can figure out what activity is for them. It is interesting how some activities would be loads of fun for the kids, but the staff doesn't sell their idea enough. Each staff member needs to figure a fun way to present their activity to hook the kids. We usually have one or two arts activities, one or two active options, maybe cooking, karaoke and more. Lots of fun! The key is that the staff needs to feel empowered and energized and part of a team. For good information on team building, read this article. For a good resource on activities for camp, go to the Ultimate Camp Resource.

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

Dutch Auction - evening activities

Looking for a fun evening activity? Try a Dutch Auction. Campers bring a variety of objects with them by filling their pillowcase. The counselor/auctioneer will ask each group of campers (this can be done by bunk or floor) for a specific item. The more creative the campers get, the more points they can earn for their team. For example, if the item is supposed to be something old, campers could bring their counselor up as the item. An empty bottle could be a musical instrument, a Frisbee could be a circular hat, a postage stamp could be an American flag, a comb could be something sharp, a tennis racquet or a shoelace could be something stringy, etc. Encourage the campers to think creatively and out of the box. Working at a summer camp, counselors need to be creative and silly. Any time the campers and staff can do something light, yet work as a team, there is great room for fun and growth.

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp