50+ Sample Summer Camp Schedules

Summer Camp Schedule: What Is It?

A summer camp schedule marks the official business plan on how to give an enjoyable and productive camping experience. Besides planning what specific activities to do on camp, the best part of a summer camp schedule is the scheduling process. That means each activity to include is scheduled, making it easier to identify what set of activities are laid out per minute or hour. Thanks to the schedule, all campers are on the same page about what to do hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.

According to Statista, the US summer camp department’s market size reached a total of $3.91 billion in 2019.

Also, the American Camp Association (ACA) confirmed that ACA-accredited camps have around $2.8 billion in revenue yearly.

Why Are Summer Camp Schedules Important?

Some people get too excited to camp that when they reach the area for camping, they get overwhelmed and forget what to do first. Thus, summer camp schedules exist to ensure an organized and scheduled set of plans for all activities to accomplish. The schedule is important as your reference guide when you need to be reminded of what to do on the first day until the last day of summer camp. And the best part is you can personalize the schedule so campers won’t have to be bored or tired. A bad example is when you have a hundred excellent activities planned yet doing them in one day is unrealistic.

Also, summer camps are no joke since the activities laid out there can affect you physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. In fact, many people spend on it because as of 2019, the US summer camp department even reached a market size of $3.91 billion. And without a thorough schedule, your wonderful expectations to enjoy the summer could run the other way around. Another important factor is how camp schedules are categorized for different interests, like a sports camp, music camp, or church youth camp. The same goes for categorizing camp schedules according to level from preschool, elementary, high school, down to an adult level.

The Standard Elements a Summer Camp Schedule

While it is clear what a summer camp schedule is and how important it is to bring a fun summer experience, your question might be what makes up a summer camp schedule. Remember that there is no same content and schedule per camp since different factors are involved from the available resources, limited time, the experience level of campers, etc. But generally, a basic summer camp schedule contains the following parts:

Subject Title: The official document used as a summer camp schedule should be easily identified. That means the words “summer camp schedule” should be found on the document’s title. Thus, you won’t mistake the document for other types of documents.Camper Information: If each camper receives a schedule, then make sure to incorporate the camper information to specify whose schedule the document belongs to. Remember that each camper may not have the same schedule, especially if they have different interests and plans for camp. What matters most is that the camper information is detailed from the name, gender, birth date, age, and contact details for identification purposes.Parent/Guardian Information: When summer camps invite children campers, it is expected to include the parent/guardian information in the schedule too. The parent/guardian data will be useful if ever camp leaders need to contact parents when a child goes missing, a camper has done something bad, a kid has been injured, and other concerns. Just like the camper information, the parent/guardian information includes the name, address, and contact list.Experience Level: There are dangerous camp activities that an adult could do but a child can’t. And that situation is why experience level is crucial in a summer camp schedule. For example, a camper who took part in summer camp every end of the school year would have a higher experience level than someone who just started a summer camp. Hence, newbies should go for a basic schedule to adjust rather than going for the advanced route. And it makes sense for experienced campers to have more difficult activities since they might get bored using the same set of scheduled activities every summer camp.Activity List: Summer camp schedules would have a range of activities enlisted. This would include basketball, arts and crafts, hiking, swimming, and more. The same goes for other essential elements like free time, breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. And just like an activity sheet, the enlisted activities should be direct and easy to understand so that such instructions won’t get misconstrued by campers later on.Detailed Schedule: Of course, you can’t forget the meat of a summer camp schedule which is the schedule itself. And it should be detailed where you do not only write the exact date (day, month, and year) but also the exact time (hour and minute.) It works just like your average printable calendar where you can create tables, divide the number of days, and begin assigning activities per period.Notes: Other elements which you think are necessary for the summer camp schedule but are uncategorized would fall under the notes segment. You can use this extra space for almost anything like changing the schedule, canceling some plans, assigning roles, calculating the camp budget, etc.

How to Make a Summer Camp Schedule

Remember that attending summer camps will look good on your academic resume and even for your purpose in life. But its effectiveness also goes down to how well-planned the summer camp schedule is, considering that it is the backbone of the entire camp experience. And since you have just learned what makes up a complete summer camp schedule, it is time to apply your knowledge in actuality by making the summer camp schedule itself. You can accomplish that by following these simple steps:

Step 1: Identify Every Available Summer Camp Activity

You can’t just schedule right away without a finalized list of camping activities to accomplish yet. First things first, figure out what summer camp activities are prepared by the camp coordinator or whoever is in charge. You might not finish this overnight as it may take time to finalize by checking the available resources, the possible number of campers to accommodate, and more. A bad example is when you prepared swimming in the camp schedule yet there is no lake or body of water in the campsite for swimming. Also, you can prepare a camping checklist to make this process easier. Be sure you can balance the stimulation by having activities that can help campers physically, mentally, socially, etc.

Step 2: Incorporate a Timeline for Each Activity

Now that you have laid out the expected activities for camp, start outlining the timeline of events. You should be wise by having a time management plan so that you divide the available time per day productively and in the right balance. And you need to really think about what to do from day one and right at the expected time to wake up until the very last day of summer camp. To make the process easier, arrange the timeline chronologically so it is easy to figure out which happens first until last.

Step 3: Use a Summer Camp Schedule Template

Probably the easiest way to come up with a summer camp schedule is when you don’t need to create it from scratch. The sample summer camp schedule templates available in this post are ready to accommodate you with the best results. Simply pick a sample template to edit and make sure to add the draft you made from the activity list and timeline earlier. Most importantly, insert the significant elements of a summer camp schedule, which were discussed earlier.

Step 4: Put Your Organizational Skills to the Test

The last thing you need is a hodge-podge of elements in a summer camp schedule. Poorly made examples will only confuse you in the long run. Hence, be creative as possible like in using organizational charts in scheduling for an easy-to-follow structure. Or perhaps, you use shapes and other details to not only make the schedule easier to understand but also pleasing to the eye. Others even keep extra copies rather than having one hard copy of a schedule. You could just save a softcopy or save it on a computer as an extra reference.

Step 5: Follow the Schedule and Be Flexible

There is no point in making an excellent schedule if you and the campers don’t even commit to the summer camp schedule itself. Thus, be responsible and strict by making the plans happen in reality. Don’t forget to continue tracking the progress to ensure that each activity enlisted will follow as planned. And lastly, be flexible. You can add extra free time for random activities and even have a plan B schedule, in case the current plan isn’t going well. The more you get involved in a summer camp, the more this process comes across easily for you.

FAQs

What does a summer camp do?

Summer camp activities vary per camp. But generally, a camp would have counselors assigned in groups of campers. And they will have specific units and tasks to complete from hiking, swimming, arts, campfires, etc.

Do summer camps make money?

Yes, most summer camps make money. In fact, a research survey confirmed that camps accredited by the American Camp Association have around $2.8 billion in revenue yearly.

What are some tips to perfect a summer camp schedule?

Besides the ideas and steps mentioned earlier, you can ace your summer camp schedule with these extra tips:

  • Include a “no activity” plan in the schedule to give room for free time.
  • Inspect how camp schedules are from competitors.
  • Always prepare backup plans in case your schedule doesn’t work out well.
  • Listen to what most campers prefer and suggest.
  • Be realistic with the time and activity plans by considering the budget, available time, resources, number of campers, difficulty level, etc.

Whether you planned for a one-day camp or a whole month for a summer camp, what matters is you have an action plan to headstart your success. And that is just what summer camp schedules are for—they help you understand what you signed up for by organizing a list of activities in a well-managed timeline. Choose a sample summer camp schedule and plan like a pro now!