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Types of Summer Camps

With well over 12,000 summer camps scattered around the USA, there is plenty of variety in the type of camp you may wish to work in. Broadly speaking there are two main designations of camp – day camp or overnight camp. Day camps, as the name suggests, are camps where the children take part in activities during the day, but go home at the end of the day. Overnight camps are where the children sleep and eat at the camp for periods of time (days, weeks, or even months).

Within these two main categories the camps are further broken down into specific categories such as religious camps, sports camps, camps that are run by specific organizations (such as the Boy Scouts), camps for boys or girls only, special needs camps, arts camps, music camps, and the list goes on. The ages of the children attending the camps vary from camp to camp. Some camps are more specialized in the age grouping whilst others cater for a wide range of ages. Keep this in mind when evaluating camps, as there can be a world of difference spending a summer dealing with inquisitive 8 year-olds versus dealing with rebellious 16 year olds. Of course, 8 year olds can be rebellious too.

If you have a particular skill, or preference for a particular type of camp, then chances are there will be a camp that will suit your needs. When choosing which type of summer camp to work at however you might want to consider applying to camps that you may not have thought of initially (like special needs camps for example). Expand your horizons and stretch your comfort zone a little and you might get much more out of your summer camp experience than you expected.