How to organise a summer camp at home
The summer holidays can be a frustrating time if you have kids. You may need to take time off work or arrange childcare for your brood, and then there’s the matter of finding entertainment to keep them busy and prevent those boredom-induced tantrums.
Summer camps are a great way to keep kids or teens entertained and provide parents with a little respite during the school holidays. However, the convenience and headspace they offer comes with a hefty price tag. The good news? With a little forward planning and some child-friendly activities you can create your own summer camp to keep the kids in your care occupied for hours.
Here, we explore how to organise a summer camp at home for your kids.
Activities
No summer camp is complete without some fun activities to look forward to. When planning your itinerary for the day, keep the weather and the time of year in mind. It would also be helpful to have a backup plan for every activity in case anything doesn’t go to plan.
Most children want to be constantly busy, so avoid leaving any opportunities for them to grow bored and frustrated, as you’ll be the one who has to deal with the temper tantrum that follows!
Provide learning opportunities
Just because the kids aren’t attending school doesn’t mean they should stop learning. Summer camps provide a great opportunity for hands-on, practical tasks such as learning to cook or practising basic coding skills with a BBC micro:bit.
Just imagine how impressed the other parents will be when they find out what exciting new skills their children have learnt during their spell at your summer camp!
Safety
It’s essential to ensure you’re prepared for any health and safety incidents that may occur, especially if you have other people’s children in your care. Ask all the children’s parents to provide several contact numbers so you can reach them in case of an accident.
You will also need to ensure you’re aware of any medicine the children are taking and any allergies they may have. Keep a well-stocked first aid kit on hand wherever you are to ensure you’re prepared if anyone gets hurt.
Food and drink
If your summer camp is a one-day event, it may be worth asking each of the children’s parents to provide a packed lunch. However, if the children are staying in your care for a night or two, you should be prepared to cater several meals.
When planning your menu, you may want to liaise with each child’s parents to ensure they can and will eat what you’re planning to offer. Many children have simple tastes so keep this in mind before you buy the food for your summer camp.
