Untitled DocumentHere are a few examples of schedules that will work for the director and campers alike!
Types of Schedules
1. Simple chronological scheduleThis type of schedule usually has only two columns. It is characterized by time periods in the first column and the corresponding activity listed in the second column. Although this is easiest to use when everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, it can be modified to accommodate a large number of activities in any given time period. Example:
| 12:00-1:00 |
Lunch |
| 1:00-1:30 |
Rest Time |
| 1:30-2:00 |
First Activity |
| 2:00-2:15 |
Go to Next Activity |
| 2:15-2:45 |
Second Activity |
Each counselor has a list of what his or her activities are and leads the campers to them. Campers may write what each activity is in their copy of the schedule. If there is no standardized daily routine in the schedule, many camp directors provide a separate schedule for each day.
2. The Modular ScheduleThe modular schedule is usually characterized by a matrix with time periods running along one edge and groups or cabin names along the other. Each group thus has a row or column to follow indicating specifically where the group should be at any given time. The campers follow the time over to the column or row representing their cabin to find their activity at that time period. Example:
Time |
Cabin 1 |
Cabin 2 |
| 12:00 |
Lunch |
Lunch |
| 1:00 |
Class |
Swim |
| 2:00 |
Swim |
Quiz |
| 3:00 |
Quiz |
Sports |
The problem with this commonly-used schedule is that campers often find it confusing. Counselors may simplify this type of schedule by marking through the columns or rows that do not apply to their cabin or highlighting the columns or rows that do apply to their cabin.
3. Hybrid SchedulesSome camp directors choose to combine the two types mentioned above into a hybrid schedule. They reason that some activities involve all the campers (such as lunch). They see no need to repeat that information for each cabin or group. These camp directors use a chronological schedule where it is best suited and a modular one when the children will be involved in different activities.
Some camps have a single schedule, which is repeated for every day of the week. More often, however, the first and last days of camp require a special schedule, while the remaining days follow one pattern. Still other camps have a different schedule for each day. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of schedule. Select the one that best fits your camp purposes.
Scheduling Guidelines- Be sensitive to the characteristics of your campers in designing your camp schedule. Remember, young campers need to alternate strenuous activities with more sedentary ones.
- Consider the climate in planning your schedule. Many children do not have an opportunity to swim when they are not at camp. They may be easily sunburned. Perhaps swimming in the early morning or late afternoon would be more healthful than in the heat of the day. Some ideas for mid-day activities are enjoying cooling snacks, using air-conditioned facilities, going on field trips, attending classes, and watching movies.
- Keep schedules sufficiently busy to avoid too much unstructured time. Free time can lead to cabin raids, homesickness, and restlessness at night.
- Routine in the camp schedule is not necessarily bad. Children need some predictability in their lives. A schedule that is constantly changing may produce unnecessary anxiety, particularly in younger or first-year campers. This anxiety can manifest itself as irritability, discipline problems, general uncooperativeness, or homesickness.
- Schedule free time for counselors during the day. DonÕt wait until the campers are asleep. Counselors will need to be asleep then too. Schedule times when other workers supervise the children, so your counselors can relax. If you provide these breaks, you can rightfully expect your counselors to spend the rest of the time with their campers.
- Wise camp directors have a 'bad weather' schedule ready to go.