Casa Bouquet

let your joy bloom

You are here: Home / Archives for summer camp

summer camp

4 tips for summer camp management

by 4 Comments

Running a summer camp? Get your free printables!

Like many educators, I spent many summers running summer camp for children. In a constantly changing world of risk management and new viruses (H3N2!!) and regulations, it is important to consider your communications with parents if you are in charge of children not your own. So if you have your grandchildren for a week, or the neighborhood parents are sharing summer activity duty, or you are running a STEM summer academic experience, these summer camp forms might be helpful to you.

4 tips for summer camp with free printablesChildren have basic needs: physiological, safety, belonging, and esteem. Their growth needs include cognitive and self-actualization. (For more, research Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) Let’s make sure these needs are always in mind when planning summer camp activities for children.summer camp banner

  • Find out what medicines and health products can be used with the children and what do they take regularly. You can alert parents that you plan to have acetaminophen and ibuprofen in your first aid kit and you will have bug spray with 7% DEET, but you need to know if their child is allowed to have those if necessary. A child may have a medication, such as insulin, that may need refrigeration or syringes. And you need to know about food allergies.
  • Get health information and permissions in case the child has to go to urgent care or even an emergency room. You might need the health insurance information, or you may need to get camp insurance coverage and have the parents agree (this will be important if you have to hire counselors or you are using volunteer staff.)
  • Get permission to take and use photos. Ending a camp with a celebration that includes parents/guardians and a slide show of the camp activities with inspiring music is a must! Parents may have many reasons for not wanting a child’s picture made, whether cultural, religious, or legal. Use a photo release form that covers every entity that might need to use the photos. If your camp is part of a larger organization, you could receive requests for national conference slide shows or even Web sites or videos. Be sure these groups are listed in your photo release form. You will need to keep these forms on file for future reference, so it may make sense to scan them in to store in digital format. If you have children who cannot be in pictures, you can issue armbands to help everyone remember.
  • Clarify the dress code, behavior, and dismissal policy. It helps if you can think of some worst-case scenarios – or just have a chat with someone who has been a camp counselor! For dress code tips, check your local school systems’ dress codes. Also, be sure to be respectful of any rules for places you plan to visit on field trips.

You may also need forms for field trips, liability waiver, safety checklist, drop off/pick up policies, computer acceptable use, copyright permission for work product, informed consent for surveys, what to bring/what is provided, schedule and directions. I must say thanks to my friend KF who mentored me on forms for parent communication!

Go to Google Drive to download printables to use.free printable camp forms

Disclaimer: I do not have legal expertise, so be sure to check forms with your legal counsel. All information provided on this site is for entertainment and education purposes only. Using any information from casabouquet.com is at your own risk.

Related links:

horizontal bar with plumeriaLet’s talk story

I recently heard a story about a grandmother having “grandma camp” with two active little boys while the parents were in another state on vacation. One child seriously hurt his arm at the playground and she did not have any insurance information to take the child to the emergency room. It’s so easy to think, “The parents are just a cell phone call away,” but sometimes you really need the right documents so you can take appropriate action until the parents can get there.

At our camp sponsored by NC State University and the National Science Foundation, my counselors learned the importance of the “blue bag”. We always had a first aid kit, sunscreen and bug spray, parent/guardian contact info, and children’s medical forms with us at all times, no matter what! And all our phones were set up to receive emergency weather information and maps of our locations for the day.

Questions? Contact me at lisa[at]casabouquet[dot]com.plumeria bar

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Related posts

Upbeat graduation songs for camp Tips for camp counselors Safety series

Upbeat graduation songs for camp etc.

by Leave a Comment

How do you find upbeat graduation songs? It’s the time of year when closing ceremonies are happening: graduation, flying up, end of year, and last day of camp. I like to end camp with a demonstration for the campers’ friends and family.Tips for finding upbeat graduation songs for camp and closing ceremonies include suggested songs, how to search, and copyright law.

A closing ceremony shows the work the children have done and the products of learning. It can help give the camp a focus for teaching and practice during the camp. I like to take pictures throughout, and then put on an inspirational slide show with music for arrival and ending of the ceremony. Upbeat graduation songs that are “clean” for children make a great accompaniment to the photos.

As you plan a camp or any other activities with children, it’s important to remember that children have basic needs: physiological, safety, belonging, and esteem. Their growth needs include cognitive and self-actualization. (For more, research Maslow’s hierarchy of needs).

I suggest making a multimedia presentation by choosing photos from each day of the camp to try to represent all the memorable moments. (Some of my most popular pics were counselors and campers sound asleep on the field trip bus!) Then go through the photos and make sure all the children are represented. You can get fancy and make them into a video, or put them in presentation software. I just made a folder with copies of the photos in Photos and ran them from there.

To choose the music, I recommend a mix of songs the children will be familiar with and some for the parents. I like to include Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ because it always makes the adults smile. Think about the ages of the parents and grandparents and what their inspirational songs might be. For the children, you have Top 40 for pop, country, urban, rock, Latino, World, and more. You need to check out TV channels Disney, Nickelodeon, and even Freeform to see what kind of music the children might be listening to.

You can search in the iTunes store under Children’s Music. You can find clean versions of pop songs there, songs from popular movies, and a Tween Pop section. Use movies and TV shows for inspiration, but also world events. I found very inspirational songs from the Olympic ceremonies and the World Cup. Of course, you can find legal music downloads on the site of your choice.

Here’s a Top 15 from my “camp songs” playlist:

  1. Who I’m Gonna Be, Coco Jones
  2. Elevate, Big Time Rush
  3. Exceptional, China Anne McClain
  4. Let the River Run, Carly Simon
  5. All for One, High School Musical
  6. Watch Me, Bella Thorne and Zendaya
  7. This is Me, Camp Rock
  8. You Gotta Be, Des’ree
  9. Shining Star, Earth, Wind, & Fire
  10. Let it Grow, Ester Dean (from The Lorac)
  11. Firework, Katy Perry
  12. Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey
  13. Make it Shine, Victoria Justice
  14. It’s My Turn Now, Keke Palmer
  15. Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield


Make sure you have photo releases from all the children in your presentation. (See more about camp forms here.) I played my legally purchased music through my music software and did not copy it into the presentation.

Copyright law

Under the Fair Use provision of the US Copyright Law, up to 10 percent of a musical work can be reproduced, up to a maximum of 30 seconds, for a multimedia presentation. The presentation must have an educational purpose. I am often asked, can’t you burn DVDs or put the presentation on the Web so that all the kids can have it? And the answer is no, if you are including whole songs. This is why smart educators try to use royalty-free music, such as some of the bits in Garage Band or search for Creative Commons.

Disclaimer: I do not have legal expertise, so be sure to check forms with your legal counsel. All information provided on this site is for entertainment and education purposes only. Using any information from thecasabouquet.com is at your own risk.

Resource links for upbeat graduation songs

Let’s talk story

What’s your favorite way to find upbeat music for graduation songs for camp and closing ceremonies? What software and apps do you use? Questions? Contact me at lisa[at]thecasabouquet[dot]com.

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

SaveSave

Camp planning series – parents, educators, volunteers

by 2 Comments

I’m sharing my experience with this camp planning series. I’ve directed summer camps for STEM academic experiences for middle and high school students.Camp planning posts for parents, educators, and volunteers. Download free forms, and find tips for movies, closing ceremony, and safety. Resource links!

These camp planning posts have useful tips whether you have your grandchildren for a week, or the neighborhood parents are sharing summer activity duty, or you are running a STEM summer academic experience. Be sure to download the free printable forms for parent communications and for counselors and volunteers!free printable camp forms

As you plan a camp or any other activities with children, it’s important to remember that children have basic needs: physiological, safety, belonging, and esteem. Their growth needs include cognitive and self-actualization. (For more, research Maslow’s hierarchy of needs).

Camp planning posts

Tips for finding upbeat graduation songs for camp and closing ceremonies include suggested songs, how to search, and copyright law.Upbeat graduation songs for camp etc. Tips for your closing ceremonies with multimedia presentation and suggested songs to use.

 

 

 

9 tips for camp counselors and volunteers regarding custodial relationship with children. Make a safe and healthy environment with checklists and forms.
9 tips for camp counselors and volunteers Free printable forms and tips for working with minors to maintain safety and privacy.

 

 

 

free printable camp forms4 tips for summer camp management Free printable forms for health information and medicine, photo releases, dress code, and behavior. If you are caring for children not your own, you will need some of these forms!

 

 

campersChildren’s classics for camp videos Tips for showing videos as a calm time after lunch. How to find movies based on classic children’s literature or STEM focus.

 

 

Resource links for camp planning

I’ll be looking for comments below, or contact me at lisa[at]thecasabouquet[dot]com.

camp-project-poster

Disclaimer: All information provided on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Using any information from thecasabouquet.com is at your own risk.

horizontal bar with plumeriaAffiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Children’s classics for camp videos

by 3 Comments

How do you find camp videos to show children during quiet times? When running a summer camp, I like to give the children a relaxing time after lunch (yes, even high school age!) So if you have your grandchildren for a week, or the neighborhood parents are sharing summer activity duty, or you are running a STEM summer academic experience, these camp video ideas might be helpful to you.Children's classics for camp videos for middle and high school students. Resource links, how to find movies based on literature, and top camp video lists.

Giving the children a half hour after lunch to chill out can go with the focus of your camp. For my STEM camps, I liked to look for camp videos with environmental or inventor themes. For a week long camp, I would split a feature video up into 4 chunks, for Monday through Thursday. It’s nice to spend a little extra time finding good spots to stop for each chunk.

As you plan a camp or any other activities with children, it’s important to remember that children have basic needs: physiological, safety, belonging, and esteem. Their growth needs include cognitive and self-actualization. (For more, research Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). Let’s make sure these needs are always in mind when planning summer activities for children.

You can search the American Library Association for recommended books for your age group:

Another great resource is the Battle of the Books: http://www.battleofthebooks.org/book-list/traditional-standard-30-book-list-6-8-grades-2016-17.php. Next, look for films made from those books. You can search in iTunes store or Amazon, or your favorite video source. Of course, make sure to follow the rules of your venue for showing video.

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Here’s my top video playlists:

STEM focus

Classic literature






Resource links for camp videos

What’s your favorite way to find camp videos to show for camp or summer academic experiences? Questions? Contact me at lisa[at]thecasabouquet[dot]com.horizontal bar with plumeria

9 tips for camp counselors and volunteers

by 5 Comments

Running a summer camp? Get your free printables!

Like many educators, I spent many summers running summer activities for children. These tips for camp counselors and volunteers might be helpful as you consider training your paid staff and volunteers. If you are in charge of children not your own, be aware of a constantly changing world of risk management and new viruses (Zika!) and regulations. These tips are for you if you have your grandchildren for a week, or the neighborhood parents are sharing summer activity duty, or you are running a STEM summer academic experience (see 4 tips for summer camp management).9 tips for camp counselors and volunteers regarding custodial relationship with children. Make a safe and healthy environment with checklists and forms.

Children have basic needs: physiological, safety, belonging, and esteem. Their growth needs include cognitive and self-actualization. (For more, research Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). Counselors and volunteers are in a custodial relationship with minor participants. Along with laws and regulations, there are common law and duty responsibilities that should be maintained to make a safe and healthy environment for the children.

  • A big part of camp management is staffing. What are the skills of your staff (paid or volunteer)? Do you need them to drive? have first aid/CPR/AED training? Have swimming and water safety certification? Make sure your staff receives training on working with minors and safety. Additional training may be necessary: my counselors needed to drive 15-passenger vans. Decide what the best counselor to child ratio is for your camp: 1 to 4? 1 to 6? 1 to 8? State law may apply and you need to consider transportation, overnights, field trips, and STEM laboratory work when deciding. Here are the minimums from the American Camp Association accreditation standards:
5 years & younger 1 staff for each 5 overnight campers 1 staff for each 6 day campers
6–8 years 1 to 6 for overnight 1 to 8 for day
9–14 years 1 to 8 for overnight 1 to 10 for day
15–18 years 1 to 10 for overnight 1 to 12 for day

campers-solder

  • You may need background checks on your paid staff and/or volunteers. In addition, you may need insurance coverage for your campers and your staff.
  • Watch out for the privacy and secrecy of minors. At-risk children have a high potential for victimization. There should not be gifts from adults, touching, and riding in private vehicles. Rooms for meetings should have windows and doors should not be locked. Generally, there should not be situations with one adult and one child alone. (We had trouble with this because of tutoring. Brainstorm ways to ensure a safe environment for your children.) Make sure your paid staff and volunteers understand these issues.
  • Know who to notify to report incidents and potential crimes involving harm to minors. An incident report form will be helpful. In addition, there is mandatory state reporting for suspected abuse or neglect of children. Leaders of your camp should be familiar with the signs of child neglect and child abuse. Search for child protective services under health and human services for your state.
  • Be aware of harassment creating a hostile environment, student-to-student, adult-to-student, adult-to-adult. This means actions or behaviors that discriminate against a member of a protected group (age, religion, race, disability, or sexual harassment).campers-clean-room
  • Do not expose children to deliberate danger. If there are any risks in your activities, be explicit in the paperwork for the parents. For example, my summer camp was teaching the children to solder, an activity with a very hot electrical device. It was one of the most popular activities so we did not want to cancel it, we just had to make sure the parents understood STEM has its hazards. Prepare an accident report form to use when children or staff are injured. It’s another way to keep communications very clear with parents. And be clear about safety practices!
  • With older students, another risk is romance. You will need a statement in your rules similar to “We expect that students will refrain from any kind of romantic involvement with each other and displays of affection.”
  • Make sure your staff is prepared to give timely warning of emergencies. Fire extinguishers and evacuation plans should be reviewed and posted. Staff should sign up to get weather and crime alerts on their cell phones. It might be important to know locations for shelter in place. For instance, here in North Carolina we have to know where to go during a tornado warning.
  • Issues to discuss and decide: Do you want to hand out cell phone numbers? Make a rule for no adult-to-student texting? Ban adult to student friending on Facebook? Cell phones provide quick, portable communication, so think about the needs of your camp.campers

You may need forms for your volunteers and paid counselors such as: medical information form, camp insurance health authorization, publicity release, dress code, rules, expectations for safety and behavior, accident report form, working with minors checklist, and safety training checklist. See sample forms at 4 tips for summer camp management.

I’m sharing with you Working with Minors and Safety Training checklists, and a sample Accident Report Form. Go to Google Drive to download printables to use.

Disclaimer: I do not have legal expertise, so be sure to check forms with your legal counsel. All information provided on this site is for entertainment and education purposes only. Using any information from thecasabouquet.com is at your own risk.

Resource links for tips for camp counselors

Let’s talk story

At our camp sponsored by NC State University and the National Science Foundation, my counselors and volunteers were from many parts of the world. I found that there are cultural differences when dealing with children. Also, young adults don’t feel so far removed from teenage years and could need guidance on maintaining boundaries, especially with the prevalence of social media. After the terrible scandal at Penn State, I realized that being passive is not a good course of action when it comes to the safety and welfare of children. Training, discussions, and checklists help everyone understand responsibilities.

Questions? Contact me at lisa[at]thecasabouquet[dot]com.horizontal bar with plumeria

Affiliate links: if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.