The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro

Send us a textPuttin’ on the Ritz for Day Camp Parents & Families When it comes to marketing your camp, there’s no better strategy than to get people on the property. We take a lot of pride in the site and the work that we do and we know that getting people on site is the way to get them to buy in to your culture and see the true value of their money.Whether you do it in the spring, summer or year-round, it’s so important that when you can get families in the door, that you are being extra intentional with the time they have with you. From the welcome, to the activities, to the presentations, to the departure, every moment should be considered to help parents understand why your camp is right for their child.Seem a little daunting? Have no fear, The Day Camp Pod is here! For this topic, Andy, Ehren, Sam are joined by the mysterious “H” Rothenberg from Camp Coach and Triple C Day Camp to give you the inside scoop on how to get the “yes” and the “wow” from families at your visiting day.Tune in to this episode to find out about:Why do these visits? What’s the point?How can you make these happen at different points of the year?How do you manage the visit if they happen mid-camp day?What are some tips to put your best foot forward when parents are on site?What are the nitty gritty details that you might not think about, but what you need to do?How do you wow your families at visitor days? Let us know in the comments below! DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy: Ugly Shorts Day with special rituals for winners!Ehren: Involving parents and visitors with Colour WarSam: Sponge-strip balls for water dodge ballsH: Rock-throwing rangeYOUR 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 ProjectEhren 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 - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA Illinois “H” Rothenberg, Camp Coach and Director - Triple C CampSPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textWhy Free Play at Day Camp Makes SenseOne of the challenges of a typical day at day camp is trying to pack every single moment with magic and fun. The consequence of that is that they whole day can become very regimented and schedule driven.Now, please put your hands down. Yes schedules are good. Yes you need to know generally what happens when. We aren’t going to ask you to get rid of your schedules in favour of free and unstructured play.However, take a second to consider this. When we turn over the responsibility of the fun-creation to the campers, we get to truly engage their creativity and help them work out the part of their brain that they desperately need for the future. If we regiment every single moment, we don’t allow for a the moments of magic that you, as an old (okay, more experienced…) camp professional could have NEVER thought of!To help us give some concrete ideas, to a jello-like topic, Andy, Ehren, Michael Brandwein (again!) are joined by Dr. Kelly Jones, co-founder of Outpost Summer Camps. Outpost Summer Camp is focused on relationship building around unstructured play and they make free play work well with 150+ kids. WOW.Tune in to this episode to find out about:Why do Free Play? Why do kids need it?What are some of the unfounded fears that people think about when it comes to free play?What kind behaviours do you want your staff to show to get the most out of unstructured play?What are some different ways that camps implement free and unstructured play?How can you begin to implement free and unstructured play THIS SUMMER?How are you going to bring in some free play to your program this summer? Let us know in the comments below! DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Michael: G3 - Great Greeting Group - Create a council of 2 or 3 staff who create a creative greeting every day.Andy: Three Team Colour War Ehren: Safari - Kids get to be both the animals AND the tour guidesSam: Think Outside the Tie-Dye BoxKelly: Group Sneaking - Surprises & Hilarity EnsuesYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past presidentACA NY/NJEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park DistrictMichael Brandwein - Speaker, Trainer - www.michaelbrandwein.comKelly Jones - Executive Director and Day Camp Director - Outpost Summer Camps  SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textMichael Brandwein Thinks You Can Meet BetterWe get it, your day camp is busy. You’ve got busses coming in, going out, kids going left and right, meals to cook and knees to un-scrape. The last thing you want to do is book time for a meeting with your staff.And you know what? If your meetings are only about going to be about giving information, or telling the staff where they need to improve, then we wouldn’t want to be there either!Say it with us, “WE CAN BE BETTER”.Not only can we make our meetings better this summer, but if we want our camp to be a place where everyone is on the same page, the Day Camp Pod is here to help you completely revamp how people talk and listen to each other at your camp.Joining Andy, Ehren and Sam is the one, the only Michael Brandwein! Michael has literally written the book on leadership, camp management, staff training and equipping all levels of staff with skills to make the camper experience the best it can be.We are so grateful to Michael for taking the time to share his best info-giving practices to the entire camp world. You do not want to miss what he has to say. Thank you, Michael!Tune in to this episode to find out about:What’s the whole point of meeting, if not just giving information?What can you do to make your meetings more intentional?How do you model your meetings to not only give information, but teach and lead by example?What tech/non-tech solutions do you do to keep everyone in the know in the day to day?How can you incorporate things like rituals, teachable moments, segments and theatrics to make your meetings (and information) memorable?You can do it! We can’t wait to hear about the awesome things that you are going to do when it comes to communication this summer. What are you going to do? What do you already do? Let us know in the comments below! DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy: Tug-of-war in a new medium, every year (mud, pudding, jello!?)Sam: Funyak, Power Paddlers, Corcls - Kid-friendly Kayaks.Ehren: Music Clump - Scattergories, but with songs!YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past presidentACA NY/NJEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park DistrictMichael Brandwein - Speaker, Camp Legend -www.michaelbrandwein.com SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textBecause every kid deserves a camp experience.Would you agree that the world would be a much better place if everybody went to camp?Of course! We know what camp does for kids. To have a place among a positive community is something that every single kid, no, person desperately needs.Now, when we say EVERY kid, we mean it! No matter a child’s ability, background, race, gender, sexual orientation, personality or whatever else makes them unique, they deserve the transformative power of a camp experience.Inclusion programs are becoming more and more prominent in the Day Camp industry, but we need to make sure that we’re doing it right. An inclusion program that is intentional, well thought out and comprehensively welcoming is not easy, but it’s not as hard as you might think.Cue the Day Camp Pod! On this episode, Andy, Sam and Ehren are joined by THE Sari Grossinger from Camp Robin Hood. Together these Day Camp Pros offer advice and tips and tricks to both the prospective and the full-on inclusive day camps.Tune in to find out about:Why do, don’t and should camps have an inclusion program?What are the benefits of an inclusion program?How do we hire and train staff to have be inclusive and work with campers with differing abilities?How do we work with families who may know a lot, or a little about their child’s needs at camp?What are the small, easy, adjustments that you can make to make your camp more inclusive?We hope that this episode empowers you to get your inclusion on this summer! What do you do (or want to do) this summer to make your camp more inclusive for all kids? Let us know in the comments!DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy: L.A.R.P. - Live Action Role PlaySam: Tennis/BaseballEhren: Chair BasketballSari:  Welcome to Holland Poem and Sequel - staff training - empathy buildingYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park DistrictSari Grossinger - Co-Owner and Director - Camp Robin HoodBONUS CONTENT - BECAUSE YOU READ THE SHOW NOTES, AND YOU’RE AWESOME.Sam’s presentation on creating a culture of inclusion. (Thanks, Sam!)SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible!American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textGo Big And Campers Won’t Want To Go HomeCamp is full of WOW moments. From drop off to pick-up, we do our best to inject that WOW into every part of the day. However, we, as camp pros, know where we can dial it up to 11.Special Event Day. Evening Program. Special Afternoon. Whatever you call it, what you do in this 1-7 hour time block can really make that camp session memorable.Joining our triumphant trio, Andy, Ehren and Sam is the man, the legend, Curt “Moose” Jackson from summercamppro.com to share his insights from pages and pages AND PAGES of blogs and roundtables from him, and other camp pros. Tune in to hear about:How easy it can be to program for 300+ kidsHow to start the magic of a special day as soon as kids step on the busThe best prizes to give for special event days (psst. the best prizes don’t cost money!)Getting the whole staff team involvedHow to do ALL of this and not break the bankYou better believe that this episode is chalked FULL of nuggets. Have a pen and paper handy, because you’ll need it!-Did you get something from this episode? It’s all about sharing! Let us know in the comments, and please, make sure you give credit to those who are being radically open with their ideas.DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy: Look-a-Like ContestSam: Everyday Heroes!Ehren: Diorama DelusionMoose:  Hide the Smurf! - Stump the CounsellorsYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park DistrictCurt “Moose” Jackson - Summer Camp Programming and Patchwork MarketplaceBONUS CONTENT - BECAUSE YOU READ THE SHOW NOTES, AND YOU’RE AWESOME.Sam’s FULL ON SPECIAL EVENT LAYOUTS!!! (Thanks, Sam!)Photos from Crystal Lake’s Special Events (Seriously, Sam, you rock!)SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible!American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textThe Communication THESE Parents NeedNo matter what type of camp you are, you want to move forward. Especially if it means providing an even better customer service experience for our parents, we need to always be re-evaluating even our most habitual practices.Communication with our parents during the summer is definitely one of those things. As the boomers and the gen-xers are moving away from our core parent age, our millennial parents have different communication preferences that we should consider before simply saying “nope, we only call”.One size definitely doesn’t fit all and especially when you consider WHO is making those calls/emails/texts and WHY you are making those calls/emails/texts, and WHEN you are making those calls/emails/texts, you have to do it strategically.Sharing their way through this changing landscape is the brilliant Matt Kaufman from Camp Ramaquois. Matt joins Andy and Sam to share their techniques, best practices and strategies for in-summer communication. Thanks for joining us, Matt!What do you think? Do you believe that a radical change in our communication strategy is in the works? Let us know in the comments below!-DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy - Puppy ProgramSam - Minute to win itMatt - Service Projects For CampersYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park DistrictMatt Kaufman, Associate Director - Ramaquois Day Camp SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible!American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textMake your first impressions, your best impressions.Welcome back to the Day Camp Pod!Whether you’re joining us in our beginning season, or if you’re reading this in the vast nethers of the future, we’re so glad you’re here!Open Houses are time and time again, one of the best ways to get the final “yes” from potential camp parents. If done well, parents will register their child, if done REALLY well, they will tell their friends, family and friend’s family that your camp is the place to be this summer.However, the intentionality required to pull off a great camp open house should not be underestimated. Here to help you steer the ship toward the shores of success are our Day Camp Pod Pros, Andy, Ehren and Sam! Tune in to this episode to hear answers to:What’s the goal of your Open House?What guideposts do you use for your open houses? Camp Fairs? Price Breaks?How can you make an Open House an event all in itself?Who are you marketing your camp Open Houses to? How can you specifically recruit them?What are you going to do to make your tour stand-out?How do you train your staff to give the best tour ever?How do you intentionally end your tour?What is your client follow-up process like?Get your pens, paper and Evernote documents out, because this one if FULL of ideas you can implement this season!Do you have any Open House hacks? Let us know in the comment section!-DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy - Learn to Ride Bike ElectiveEhren - Sing your Heart Out Staff EventSam - Service Projects For CampersYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park DistrictSPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible!American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Send us a textWelcome to the Day Camp Pod!Welcome to The Day Camp Pod! A podcast that focuses purely on the best practices of the Day Camp industry.On this first episode of The Day Camp Pod, we start with a sampler of the types of questions that matter to the Day Camp Industry. This episode we’ll hear great questions (and even greater answers) to topics surrounding capturing the overnight camp experience, into our day camps. You’ll hear more about…How to get past the “excuse” of not being an overnight campHow can we embed traditions into our Day Camp Programs? What traditions would you create if you started a camp from scratch?How do we introduce “Free Play” or “Free Choice” into the short days of day campWhat are the big special moments or programs do you inject into your programs?These ideas, and more, all from your Day Camp Pod Hosts, Andy Pritikin from Liberty Lake Day Camp, Ehren Gluckstein from Camp Robin Hood and Sam Thompson from Crystal Lake Park District!We hope you enjoy this NEW Podcast, brought to you by Go Camp Pro.What do you think? Have an idea for another show? Let us know in the comments below!DCP - DAY CAMP PROGRAM IDEA OF THE WEEK - LEVEL UP YOUR DAY CAMP!Andy - Bees at Camp!Ehren - The Bus Challenge - An every day challenge on the bus ride to and from camp.Sam - Fear Factor ChallengesYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park District BONUS LINKS & RESOURCES! - BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO READ THE SHOW-NOTES ARE THE BEST!Moose, Summer Camp Programming blog about Day Camp/Sleepaway SpiritSome games from Crystal Lake’s minute to win it challengesCrystal Lake’s Food Fight Set Up: