How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor

  • August 15, 2008
  • 6,184 Views
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Be the counselor that all the campers like — without risking total anarchy.

You Will Need

  • Integrity
  • Patience
  • Candy
  • Jokes
  • Tolerance
  • Good campfire stories
How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Treat all the kids the same

Step 1: Treat all the kids the same

Treat all the kids the same — from the camp all-star to the bratty kid who keeps reminding you that his parents are paying your salary.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Keep homesick kids busy

Step 2: Keep homesick kids busy

If you get a homesick kid, keep them busy. Don’t let them dwell on missing home, and soon it will pass. The hardest time for homesick kids will be at night.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Speak to them as peers

Step 3: Speak to them as peers

Speak to the campers as if they are on your level, even if you secretly think they’re all a bunch of nose-picking nitwits.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Bend the rules in time

Step 4: Bend the rules in time

Start as a firm disciplinarian and then loosen up as the term goes on. It’s much easier than going the other way — and the kids will only remember the fun times at the end. Bend the rules from time to time, so long as the result is harmless.

Provided bugs aren’t a problem, sneak the kids candy. Think of it as protection money to the Mafia — a small price to pay to keep them from ganging up on you.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Make them laugh

Step 5: Make them laugh

Bring age-appropriate joke books to camp so you can keep them laughing.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Give them some control

Step 6: Give them some control

Give them some control. Let them vote on activities. Whenever possible, give them choices instead of orders.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Be a good sport

Step 7: Be a good sport

Be a good sport. Laugh it off if they pull a prank on you.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Have good ghost stories

Step 8: Have good ghost stories

Have really entertaining ghost stories. Be the camp storyteller.

How To Be a Cool Camp Counselor: Send them off with a compliment

Step 9: Send them off with a compliment

Find something admirable in all of them so you can send each camper off with a meaningful compliment that they can treasure forever.

When it comes to sleepaway camp, the American Camp Association recommends that parents choose a camp with one staff member for every eight campers ages 9 to 14, and one staff member for every 10 campers ages 15 to 17.

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