When you want all the benefits of a camp – like keeping your kids out of your hair and entertained during their summer break without breaking the bank – think of hosting a backyard summer camp? That way, you can ensure that your kids lap up maximum summer fun along with neighborhood friends, all in the comfort of home and under the watchful eyes of yours. Home summer camps are especially good for kindergarten kids who can get a taste of camp before experiencing the real thing. Camp Navigator lists a few thing you will need to consider before you get a camp in place, Read on to know.
Choose your structure
The more campers you have, the freer you will be! But before that, make an estimate of kids you can handle. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests a ratio of one adult to ten 6 to 8 year old. You can run the camp for a week, with parents of each of the child taking one each day. That way, you will save heaploads on childcare.
Choose your campers and parents
An ideal home camp is where kids of more or less similar age and friends come together. So make sure that the kids you pick for the camp is of similar age to your child. You can scour neighborhood or kindergarten class for interested campers. Also, ensure to involve parents who are willing to host one of the camp days.
Set ground rules
Parents should jot down all important information, such as how to be reached in an emergency and their kids’ allergies. You can ask kids to bring their own lunches, but can provide snacks. You can also set a theme for the camp to add a dash of fun to the whole do.
Create a schedule
Once you have zeroed down on a theme and listed the activities, pen a time line for the day. Kids do things at different speeds. So always have some other activity set up in another room. Put away as many toys as possible, to help keep the kids focused and save your house from getting littered.
