It’s that time of the year where you must make the final touches to your summer camp planning. With so much uncertainty in the air this year, it’s difficult to know exactly what needs to be done. But as summer quickly approaches, there is light visible at the end of the tunnel as states issue green lights to summer camps with the agreement that they follow all issued safety guidelines – including maximum camper group sizes.
For camps running this year, a huge aspect of their planning will involve building a solid camper group structure that adheres to these guidelines and the goals for their camps.
There are many benefits to assigning campers to groups. Not only do you and your team reap the logistical benefits, but your campers benefit from group settings as well! By assigning your campers to different groups, it encourages friendships and helps foster a sense of belonging.
If you run an overnight night, those camper groups consist of cabin and bunking assignments. While if you run a day camp, it may entail creating camper groups for your day-to-day activities.
No matter how you group your campers, we can all agree that having the right tools can revolutionize how this process is done. The best camp grouping tools should be flexible and include easy to use features. In CampSite, we offer a camp grouping tool (‘Bunking boards’) that offers just that.
While designed with the overnight camp in mind, you don’t have to be an overnight camp to benefit from this tool. So we’ve compiled a list of the top 4 different camper groups non-overnight camps can easily build through our grouping tool.
1. Age Groups
This ranks high on the list of common camper groups. This type of grouping structure is popular among both overnight and non-overnight camps. As a result, campers are able to socialize with other campers their own age. Age groups are also a great option if you must tailor activities to the different development needs of each age group!
2. Grade-Level Groups
Like age groups, grade levels also place high in the ranks of common camper groups. Campers will be able to interact with not only campers of the same age, but also with campers in the same grade. With campers grouped by grade, you can easily incorporate grade-appropriate activities for each group too!
3. Classrooms
If you run educational programs that involve getting kids into a classroom, this is a great option. Using our grouping tool, you would be able to easily organize and place campers in the right classroom environment.
4. Teams
You don’t have to be a sports specific camp to utilize this type of grouping structure! If you have your campers participate in sports-related activities, having this already prepared can save you and your staff a great deal of time. As a result, allowing more time spent with your campers.
The End Objective is Always the Same
We understand that each camp has their own preferred method for grouping campers. Hopefully this post will provide a little inspiration as you determine the best way to organize campers for the coming season! At the end of the day, the objective is always the same – making sure campers get the most out of their summer camp experience.
