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…Because it IS a business!

 

Don’t get us wrong, camp is the best, most fun, amazing, happy-go-lucky place there is. It has to be that for the staff for the campers, but as a director, if you want your camp to be around of the long run, there’s a more serious side that you need to consider, and that’s the reality of the fact that your camp is a business.

Let’s be clear, we’re not here to tell you that spreadsheets, budgets and financial statements are fun, but they are necessary. As our guest, Jonathan Gold says, “you don’t love putting gas in your car, but you sure need it!”

Along with Jonathan are our regular hosts, Andy, Sam and Ehren to dive deep into taking care of business at your day camp.

Tune into this episode to hear more about:

• Jonathan Gold’s camp origin story
• Jonathan’s camp pyramid of importance from cash flow at the base, all the way up to the easier day to day problems
• How to build a culture of financial prudency among other people that spend money at camp
• The changing landscape of the camping industry and their financial implications
• Practical steps for intentionally planning out your budget and managing cashflow
• Even more practical and important tips…

Do you have a financial tip or question that we didn’t cover in this episode? Let us know in the comments or send us an email to [email protected]

Any questions? Ideas for shows? Topics? Guests? Please send them to [email protected]

THE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK

Andy - Homebase App for hourly employees. Tracking hours, reminders, notes for absences, and transferring it to payroll.

Sam - “Funraising” game - Penny Wars. (You’ll have to listen to this episode to get it)

Ehren - Giving out “fake” money to the staff for shout-outs, buying special snacks or privileges. You can also use them to purchase some program equipment. You can call them “Gluck Bucks” if you want.

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder <

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Conquering the dreaded 6th Week Slump

“HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED”.

That’s a little bit like how we treat that time mid-way through the summer when things start to drag. You know it when you see it though. The staff start to feel the long days, you are getting tired of the same issue coming up over and over, grumpiness can prevail and the magic of camp loses a little bit of that shine.

You know what, JUST SAY IT! It’s the 6th Week Slump! It happens, people!

If we don’t talk about it, how will we ever address the underlying causes, the effect that it has on morale and how it can burn even the best camp staff out?

After all, the campers deserve your best all summer long. They need your staff to always be at their best and that means you as a director need to effectively prepare for the potential (inevitability) that this mid-summer-blues will rear it’s ugly head.

Now, on a quest to conquer something HUGE like this, you need a team of companions on your side - and we brought out the big guns on this episode! Ehren, Sam and Andy are joined by the brilliant and legendary Steve Magure from Go Turnstone.

Tune in to hear more about:

• Steve Maguire’s camp origin story
• What is the 6th Week Slump? Where does it come from?
• Why does the 6th Week Slump happen to Day Camps all over North America?
• What are some things we can do to prepare ourselves or even prevent the slump from happening?
• If and when it does happen? What can we do to be resilient mid-summer?
• And much more!

Any questions? Ideas for shows? Topics? Guests? Please send them to [email protected]

THE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK!

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project
• Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Leadership Centre & Corporate Rentals, Volunteer Ontario Camps Association (OCA) annual conference/accreditation visitor
• Sam Thompson, Recreation Su

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The Spirit of Overnight Camp…at Day Camp! (Again!)

You asked for it and it’s here!

We’re throwing it all the way back to episode 1 of the Day Camp Pod to re-hash one of our most popular topics from the first season.

(Episode 1 - Here)

Our friends from the sleep away camp industry have an amazing thing going for them. Having a kid stay overnight and be fully immersed into the culture and rituals makes it so much easier to get them to buy in and love camp.

We may not have the overnight privilege, but it’s no excuse for making the camp experience anything less than magical for your day campers.

Well… it’s a good thing our industry is built on sharing because within the traditional overnight camp experience are things that your Day Camp can implement very easily!

To give you some inspiration, Ehren, Sam and Andy are joined by 3, Sleep Away Camp turned Day Camp Pros! We’re excited to have Jaime and Dane Pickles from Everwood Day Camp and Eric “Shendy” Shendelman from Shendy’s Swim School join us and share their many years of both overnight and day camp knowledge.

Tune in to hear more about:

• The Pickle’s and Shendy’s Camp Origin Stories
• What exactly is the “sleepaway camp spirit” and how can you bring that to your camp?
• What are the specific ideas that are cost-effective and easy to implement to give your campers an extraordinary day camp experience?
• What do you do during staff training to get your staff to buy-in to the spirit?
• And more!

Any questions? Ideas for shows? Topics? Guests? Please send them to [email protected]

DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK!

Andy: Moustache Day!

Sam: Pinterest - For crafts, program ideas and wayyyyy more!

Ehren: Gottcha game at staff training

The Pickles: Minute to Win It Games

Shendy: Milk Carton Bowling

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project
• Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Leadership Centre & Corporate Rentals

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A Day Camp Pod Interview with Audrey Monke

 

Sometimes, when comes to selling our camp, we shoot ourselves in the foot. We’re just a little bit too humble. We either don’t want to be too “pushy” or aggressive and we end up undervaluing what we do.

Hello!? We change lives! We give kids the type of community experience that they don’t get ANYWHERE ELSE. You are great, we are great and we need to get those 80% of kids who don’t go to camp, to camp!

You should be shouting it from a milk-crate on the street corner. Except this is 2019 and there are many virtual street corners that you need to be on.

To help you find, and speak from your milk-crate, The Day Camp Pod is joined by Chief Visionary Officer and Gold Arrow Camp, Author, Blogger, Brand Manager and mom, Audrey Monke.

Audrey Monke is the brains behind Sunshine Parenting and the author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets from Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. She joins Andy, Sam and Ehren to talk about:

• Audrey’s camp origin story
• How Audrey used her love of summer camp and entrepreneurial spirit to create Sunshine Parenting
• How to use email newsletters, podcasting and blogging to become your community’s expert on children and youth
• How to capture the attention of your key decision makers: Parents
• And more!

Any questions? Ideas for shows? Topics? Guests? Please send them to [email protected]

DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK!

Andy: Teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to your campers, as young at 5 years old!

Sam: Cheese Ball Relay (see pictures below)

Ehren: Playmeo

Audrey: 5 Things Game & Home-made question ball - All you need is a marker, questions, and a beach ball!

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project
• 
  

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Bring up the bad, bring up the good, make next summer better.

 

No matter what time of year it is, if you haven’t intentionally looked back on your past summer season, you need to.

There’s nothing worse than a problem that keeps coming up, summer after summer. You say to yourself, “didn’t we talk about this!?”. Well, did you?

This type of review can be something that can be looked on lightly, or dismissed for putting more effort into marketing for the following season. However, in your marketing, you’re promising this this upcoming summer is going to be the best one yet, right? Well then what better way to commit to improving your program than to hash it out while it’s fresh in your mind?

Whether it’s a CPR (Complete Program Review), Glitch List Review, Better Board, summer reports, or Go Camp Pro’s Back on TRACK review, a tried and true system for making the bad good and the good better, is essential for making things better for the future of your program.

For hashing out the best review systems, Andy and Sam are joined by Will Pierce from Pierce County Day Camps and Howie Grossinger from Camp Robinhood. Tune in to hear more about:

• Ready to use systems for debriefing your summer in October and November
• The do’s and don’ts when it comes to running the debrief meetings effectively
• How to leverage the knowledge of staff of every level through meetings and reports
• How to take what comes up in the feedback and keep people accountable for the changes that need to be made
• And more!

How do you effectively debrief your summer? Let us know in the comments! And, if you have any questions, send us an email at [email protected]

 

DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK!

Andy: Giant Slide

Sam: Electric Current Contest

Howie:  Running the campers around site to give high 5’s to all staff (ESPECIALLY the office & maintenance staff)

Will: Colour Run

 

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project
• Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA Illinois
• Will Pierce, 4th Generation Owner/Director - 

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Welcome back to the Day Camp Pod! How was your summer?

It’s season 2! We are so excited to get back to another year of the Day Camp Pod!

Before we begin, have you filled out our 2019 listener survey? We’d be super-grateful if you would!

As we start the season, we’re looking back on the summer of 2019. The good, the bad, the ugly and the issues that our hosts noticed at their Day Camps this year. Some of these topics will form our line-up of shows for 2019/2020 and some of them are things that you can start thinking about now!

Join our hosts, Andy, Ehren and Sam and hear more about their experiences with...

• How to teach staff of all levels to ask for help when they need it
• Managing last minute staffing changes
• Dealing with the increased needs for staff and programming for children with special needs
• Punch-passes, check-ins, communication and dealing with a family’s wild schedule
• Working with vendors and especially bus companies
• Keeping staff happy through recognition programs

What did you face this summer? What are some things that came up that you would like us to talk about this summer? Let us know in the comments, or send us an email to [email protected]

 

DAY CAMP TIP OF THE WEEK!

Andy: Colour War For Life!

Sam: Look alike contest

Ehren:  Certificates for staff

 

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project
• Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Leadership Centre & Corporate Rentals, Volunteer Ontario Camps Association (OCA) annual conference/accreditation visitor
• Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA Illinois

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The best social media strategies for your day camp

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If you’re reading this in mid-June, we know you’re busy, so we’ll get right to it.

Social media is here to stay, at least for now. No matter what you personally believe about social media, it’s one of the easiest ways to reach out and directly engage both parents and campers.

It’s not that you should ditch your other marketing efforts, but if you aren’t putting some intentional time into your social media, you are potentially missing out on both new acquisitions and on keeping your current clients excited about next summer.

To help you start, continue or revitalize your social media presence, Andy, Ehren and Sam are joined by Adam Baranker from Jeff Lake Camp and two day camp social media coordinators, Blair from Camp Robin Hood and Shelby from Liberty Lake Day Camp. They are here to give you the e-kick in the pants that you may need to get started now on your strategy for this summer and next off-season.

Tune in to hear about:

• Who is using what? Where are the parents and where are your campers on social media?
• How to talk to your marketing department or social media team about what engages parents and kids the best?
• How to use Instagram stories to sky-rocket your social media engagement
• Why it’s so important to cultivate great photos and videos this summer
• Facebook and Instagram are huge, is it worth exploring Snapchat and other platforms?
• What camps are doing great things on social media and who should you follow?

What are you doing to engage your parents and campers on social media now, and during the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Day Camp Tip of the Week!

Andy: Staff Weekly Reports - Get the inside scoop on what’s going on at camp. (check out this example from Crystal Lake - Thanks, Sam!)

Sam: Statue Tag

Ehren:  Weekly summary sheets that go out to parents to tell them what their kids did while at camp.

Adam: Switching up just the name of some camp favourite activities to keep things fresh!

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp

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Mental Health and YOUR Day Camp Staff

As you prepare for your staff training, you no doubt have heard everyone and their aunt talking about mental health and maybe even mental health issues with camp staff.

If you haven’t, one stat should perk your ears up. About 32 percent of American teens between the ages of 13 and 18 have an anxiety disorder at some point.

Our Gen Z staff are growing up in an anxiety-driven world, with not many coping skills and then are put in to a hugely stressful environment at camp.

We need to help our staff this summer and the Day Camp Pod is here to help you, help your staff have the best summer they can.

We’re bringing out the big guns for this episode. The man, the legend, Bob Ditter, and the woman behind the mentally well staff at Liberty Lake, Cathi Fischer are here alongside Ehren, Sam and Andy to bring you the some very practical tips and training ideas.

Tune in to hear about:

• Where this mental health crisis comes from?

• Why camp seems to trigger anxiety and high stress in staff

• How to educate staff to be able to be normalize stress and learn from stressful moments

• Specific techniques on how to help a staff member in crisis

• How to build in mental health supports into your staffing, training and camp routines

What are you doing this summer to help your staff be the mentally best they can be?

 Want more ideas and inspiration on how to handle staff and mental health? - Dr. G is here to help!

• Episode 5 of First Class Counsellors - Mental Health, Breaks and Self Care for Camp Staff with guest Dr. G!

• Travis Allison’s interview with Dr. G

• Check out Dr. G’s “Prescription for Preventing Stressed out Staff. Camp staff, talk to your directors about this and send them these links to check it out.

  Watch the video here

  Find out more here

 YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project

• Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood, Director - Robin Hood Leadership Centre & Corporate Rentals, Volunteer Ontario Camps Association (OCA) annual conference/accreditation visitor

• Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor -

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Getting the best out of your Day Camp staff during staff training.

 

It’s May and that means that it’s time to start thinking about staff training!

When it comes to staff training at day camp, we all know that time is precious. You have basically the same amount of training to cover as our overnight camping colleagues, but with maybe half the time!

On top of that, we are training staff members that are one or two generations away from us that learn, grow and bond much differently than you did back when you were a first year 16 year old counsellor.

It’s hugely challenging, but hugely important and the Day Camp Pod wants to help!

Joining Andy, Sam and Ehren is the brilliant “Professor Dave” Dave Malter who brings his vast camp, training and consulting experience to the pod to give you the inside scoop on how to level up your staff training.

Tune in to hear about:

• How to best engage this generation of camp staff and get them to buy-in to what they’re learning. (hint - you need to ask them)
• Different formats and scheduling ideas for training
• What are the big ticket items and areas of focus to cover
• How to be intentional about what you are including to maximize the little time you may have
• How to foster and build community within the constraints of not being an overnight camp

Our industry is all about sharing, so let’s share! What is your #1 tip for selling your Day Camp? Let us know in the comments!

 

DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!

• Andy: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! (see image below)
• Sam: Home made stress-balls - Pom poms in balloons
• Ehren: Cre

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Retaining, Engaging and Training Your Day Camp Staff Like A Pro

So, we did one episode on Day Camp Staffing, and we said we were going to another one.

Let’s get real, the more Kim Aycock the better, right? How could it be any better?

How about we add in a little DR. G to the mix!

Oh YES! WE DID THAT.

As we inch (leap) closer and closer to the summer, staffing is surely starting to eclipse many of our other responsibilities. Consequently, this can be a little stressful because we may be balancing still filling staff spots while intentionally starting to create and foster community with your new hires.

To help YOU navigate this staff season, The Day Camp Pod’s triumphant trio (Andy, Sam and Ehren) are joined by the brilliant Kim Aycock and the one and only Dr. G!

Listen in to find out about:

• How to keep staff on board and avoid being “ghosted”

• Different platforms and methods to keep staff engaged as the summer gets closer

• Creative ways to help staff get their paperwork and other business items in

• How to use your returning staff to begin creating community with the new staff

• How to begin to invest in your staff’s future and show that you really care about their growth

What are you doing this year to be intentional about retaining quality staff this summer? Let us know in the comments below!

 

BONUS RESOURCES AND ARTICLES - Because Dr G and Kim are great and they think you’re pretty neat.Kim Aycock’s Resources:

• ACA (4 videos + downloadable handouts)

• Project Real Job (articles and blogs)

• Ghosting

• What effective leaders know

Dr. G’s Rx for preventing stressed out staff:

Watch the video here

Find out more here

DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!

• We’ll be back with the DCP next episode! (Seriously thought, did you check out those resources just above this one?

YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project

• Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood, Director - Robin Hood Leadership Centre & Corporate Rentals, Volun