Summer camp is all about fun and all about experiences but id does cost heavily. All the benefits of the summer camp and the cost to send a child at the summer camp are both amazingly high. As parents we all wish for the best for our children, but when it comes to being able to afford we seek for options which are fairly within our expected budget. Summer camp is all about fun and all about experiences but id does cost heavily. All the benefits of the summer camp and the cost to send a child at the summer camp are both amazingly high. As parents we all wish for the best for our children, but when it comes to being able to afford we seek for options which are fairly within our expected budget.
What if there’s a way to get all the benefits of the summer camp and more within the budget parameters and keeping it as safe as home. Its possible through a DIY summer camp at home, you get to choose the most stimulating and enriching activities, plan a perfect summer experience and keep it safe and yes within the financial constraints.
Stay-at-home summer camp:
It is easy and a must do for parents looking for a change for themselves too. Sneaking few a days off their daily grind and spending some of the holidays with their little ones. It helps giving them a chance to enjoy all the benefits of a summer camp while family time stays intact too. Some benefits of organizing your own summer camp at home:
1- Safety of highest order:
Home environment keeps the kids safe and secure. It is easier to keep a check on the kids when someone from their family is watching over them. Specially for the kids who are attending a summer camp the first time. As a simple transition, it prepares the kids to stay with their friends but in a home where they feel safe.
2- Saves money:
Organizing the summer camp at home is cheap and also saves a lot of money in lodging, transport and place. As it can be organized in the basement, or backyard or even in a big hall. Many parents or a community can form a group and take chances to organize at each of their homes. Even the activities and stuff is not very expensive, with deals and discounts they can be bought at even cheaper prices. And used year after year
3- Gives more family time to socialize:
When you organize the summer camp at home for your child and their friends, you are participating with them in every aspect of this. It helps in enriching family bond, also as family you get a chance to enjoy this most cherished experience of their life.
4- Parents get a chance to unwind:
It helps in keeping off from our daily grind, and enjoy fun filled activities with little ones. This is an amazing stress buster. Parents also take chances thus everytime the children are in sight of some or the other parents ensuring their comfort and safety
5- A definite event for stay at home parents:
Specially for stay at home moms, this is a wonderful way to keep themselves involved in a constructive way. This helps in bringing out their creative energies and also keeping them busy in the most exciting ways
How to make your own summer camp at home:
Making your own summer camp at home is not very challenging. It just needs a few preparations from documentation and licensing point of view. Also some other safety and emergency care aids to be set up, which most families with kids already have. Some of the details of logistics here include:
1- Talk to friends and other parents in your kids school:
Finding like minded parents is the first task, if you wish to organize a camp where kids get to enjoy camping at every other kids place one day of the camp. Alternately you can fix up a place and organize there, church and libraries can be a great place, mostly free and do not require much planning to set them up.
2- Deciding the camp details:
What is doing to happen in a day at the summer camp at home. You can opt for a mix of activities or just specific to one activity. Talk to fellow parents and come up with a plan of things you all would take up in the course of the summer camp.
3- Plan a budget:
Set up a budget which is realistic and covers all basic necessities for the success of the camp. You may all dutch in or take up the plans for your own day of the camp
4- Pick the right campers and camping activities:
Not all age groups might be ideal for a stay at home summer camp. You can choose the group of kids you would be taking in for the summer camp at home. Also if age differences are more, kids may get detached if the activities and gang are not within their age range. Also it would be great if the kids know each other, since its not a conventional summer camp setting and first time summer camping at home can be more fun and enriching if the kids are from same school or sport league.
5- Decide adequate number of days for the summer camp:
Since you are organizing summer camp at home it is easy to make it a weekend affair, say all four weekends in a month or it can be just a few days at a stretch depending upon all parents consensus. Generally a good 8-10 days camp is considered enriching and being able to keep the children focused.
6- Theme of the summer camp at home:
You may opt for different themes for each days or same theme on all the days. Like sport, art, music, dance and more. A blend of all of these and more can be a great choice too. It will help in giving the children learning experiences from all the important themes like these.
7- Devise a days schedule:
It is very important to devise a day’s schedule and stick with it. The more free time the kids get, adjusted well between two activities it will be better for stimulating them and keeping them entertained. A simple schedule can be:
- Begin a day early at drop off.
- Have a proper ritual for drop off, which all other parents agree for complying with.
- Breakfast time; include some really special snacks for this
- 45-60 minutes of first activity
- Free time of 15-30 minutes
- Lunch time
- Outdoors or activities
- Nap time
- Snacks
- Activities
- Free play time
- Story or movie time
- Outdoor
- Dinner time
- Story time
- Shower and time for bed
8- Bring all supplies:
It is very important to prepare all the activities and supplies well in advance to keep the children stimulated and focused. Try to find deals and buy in stock if you wish to continue doing it year on year.
9- Pick rules for the camp:
Rules are very important for the kids to be able to stay disciplined and adhere to the activities plan in utmost interest. Set rules for TV times, and other screen time, time outs to call parents, nap times, stuff that each camper brings, no alcohol or anything which can hurt the kids. Take all details of the campers, share with all parents and also emergency contacts too.
10- Advertising for if you are opening the camp for others too:
Publicizing the camp, if you wish more participation and organize it at a larger scale. Make fliers, pamphlets, send emails and texts to everyone around your community or neighborhood. Also seek for volunteers too.
11- License if you wish to do it at a large scale and want more people from around:
ACA guidelines are set for licensing and other details. Read them and comply with the standards to keep up your summer camp name.
Some ideas about themes of DIY summer camp at home:
From sport, art, music and everything else can be included in the theme of a summer camp. More ideas are:
1- Art and craft: It can include painting, clay molding, origami, land art, leaf painting, paper crafts, building things from waste and many more
2- Sport camps: If you have a proper coach you can go for detailed sport program. But for others stick with some wonderful outdoor games and sport which kids can play themselves.
3- STEM based: there are ample matter online for science and engineering concepts of learning at home. Many household items can be used for great STEM based exploration too.
4- Board games for free time
The above compilation on How to make your own summer camp at home is to help all the parents out there seeking for details on DIY summer camp ideas at home. These are not only money saving options but also more enriching if right effort is put in setting them up in most exciting ways.
For more details check campnavigator resources.
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By Minu Manisha
