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Follow these steps to create an at-home summer day
camp experience both you and your child(ren) will enjoy!
Step 1:
Make a calendar for the week(s) you’ll be having your own summer camp.
Set a time to wake up to start each day’s activities and a time to end each
day’s activities. Be mindful not to plan any conflicting summer activities or
trips during this established time if possible.
Step 2:
Pick one or two general things to which you’d like to introduce your child
this summer. What would you like your child to learn? To read? To write
his name in cursive? To sew? To say ABC’s? Keep these general
learning ideas in mind so you can incorporate them throughout the entire
length of the camp. Read ahead to find out what all will be involved (tools,
etc.) to properly teach your child.
Step 3:
Choose a theme for each week of your camp and think of fun activities
that tie in with each theme. Some theme ideas are horses, creepy
crawlies, summer safari, Mexico, under the sea, Hawaiian beach party,
nature camp, Wild Wild West, dogs & cats, money matters, around the
world, and Olympic games.
Step 4:
Scour through the library and local resale bookshops in advance to find
books (fiction and non-fiction), videos, and props to go along with your
theme.
Step 5:
Plan out activities for each day of the camp (see our sample camp
schedule and our listing of category ideas). Try to plan the day in 15
minute to half hour increments and pack as much action as you can into
each day. It's okay for the kids to be exhausted at the end of the day! Try to
include at least one weekly theme-related field trip. Get field trip ideas by
looking around for free local activities you can utilize, i.e. library storytimes,
bookstore craft hour, free concerts in the park, parades, etc. ... Plan out all
the events on the camp calendar. For a culminating event (last day of
camp), consider having a celebration – such as an ice cream party where
you can invite your child’s friends to participate.
Step 6:
Purchase art supplies, crafts, and special food items in advance.
Step 7:
Listen to your child. Your camp plans are not written in stone. If the kids
dislike a theme, change it. If everyone is tired and cranky, do nothing that
day.
Step 8:
Be prepared to take lots of pictures!
Step 9:
Expand horizons. Your summer camp should be about trying new things
– even if it means conducting a normal activity (such as storytime) in an
outdoor tent instead of on the living room floor.
camp experience both you and your child(ren) will enjoy!
Step 1:
Make a calendar for the week(s) you’ll be having your own summer camp.
Set a time to wake up to start each day’s activities and a time to end each
day’s activities. Be mindful not to plan any conflicting summer activities or
trips during this established time if possible.
Step 2:
Pick one or two general things to which you’d like to introduce your child
this summer. What would you like your child to learn? To read? To write
his name in cursive? To sew? To say ABC’s? Keep these general
learning ideas in mind so you can incorporate them throughout the entire
length of the camp. Read ahead to find out what all will be involved (tools,
etc.) to properly teach your child.
Step 3:
Choose a theme for each week of your camp and think of fun activities
that tie in with each theme. Some theme ideas are horses, creepy
crawlies, summer safari, Mexico, under the sea, Hawaiian beach party,
nature camp, Wild Wild West, dogs & cats, money matters, around the
world, and Olympic games.
Step 4:
Scour through the library and local resale bookshops in advance to find
books (fiction and non-fiction), videos, and props to go along with your
theme.
Step 5:
Plan out activities for each day of the camp (see our sample camp
schedule and our listing of category ideas). Try to plan the day in 15
minute to half hour increments and pack as much action as you can into
each day. It's okay for the kids to be exhausted at the end of the day! Try to
include at least one weekly theme-related field trip. Get field trip ideas by
looking around for free local activities you can utilize, i.e. library storytimes,
bookstore craft hour, free concerts in the park, parades, etc. ... Plan out all
the events on the camp calendar. For a culminating event (last day of
camp), consider having a celebration – such as an ice cream party where
you can invite your child’s friends to participate.
Step 6:
Purchase art supplies, crafts, and special food items in advance.
Step 7:
Listen to your child. Your camp plans are not written in stone. If the kids
dislike a theme, change it. If everyone is tired and cranky, do nothing that
day.
Step 8:
Be prepared to take lots of pictures!
Step 9:
Expand horizons. Your summer camp should be about trying new things
– even if it means conducting a normal activity (such as storytime) in an
outdoor tent instead of on the living room floor.
