Summer camps are a great way to keep kids active and entertained during the no-school days and get them outside enjoying all the sunshine! Planning a summer camp can feel overwhelming, but we’re here to make it approachable through a streamlined guide to help you get started, plus some summer camp rentals for a totally original experience!
Step-by-Step Guide to Planning a Summer Camp
You might be planning a summer camp for your church’s Vacation Bible School, for your school during the off months, or even just something you’ve always wanted to do! But let’s start with the basics: How do you go about planning a summer camp? Whatever your starting point, here are some simple steps to figuring out exactly what you want your summer camp to look like:
1. Determine the Scope
Just how big do you want your summer camp to be? How much space do you have (or how much space will you need) to work with? What ages will your summer camp cater to, and how many kids can attend before you cap the numbers? These are all questions you should ask from the very start to figure out exactly how big or small you want your summer camp to be.
2. Find a Venue
If you don’t already have a property large enough for your summer camp, you’ll need to search for a possible venue that can host it. Look at local campgrounds and retreat centers to see if they are capable of hosting your camp and find out the costs involved. Consider whether the site has features you need (water or electricity) or features that could be problematic depending on your goals (like fire pits or terrain issues, especially for little campers). And if you’re planning on an outdoor location, don’t forget the rain plan!
3. Hire a Team
You can’t do this alone! If you really want your summer camp to go off without a hitch, you’ll need more adults to make it happen. Some roles you may want to hire (or recruit volunteers!) for your summer camp staff include:
- Camp Director (this doesn’t have to be you!)
- Operations Manager
- Counselors
- Medical Staff
- Marketing Staff
- And other support staff and volunteers
4. Set It Up
Now that you have an amazing team at your back and a venue where the camp will come to life, it’s time to start planning and setting up your dream summer camp! This means figuring out exactly how you want to set up the space and what activities you want to have at your camp. Here are a few practical spaces you don’t want to neglect setting up before campers arrive:
- Drop-off area with a check-in table
- Lodgings for campers (unless it’s a day camp)
- Medical tent
- Kitchen and dining area (if meals or snacks will be provided)
- Staging area for preparing the next activity
- Sections for each activity or age group
- Pick-up location
5. Spread the Word!
Now that your summer camp is ready, you need campers! Start spreading the word throughout your community and beyond, sharing with parents all the exciting details about how your camp will be a fun and safe place for their children to spend a few days of summer, giving them a well-deserved break from full-time parenting!
Summer Camp Rentals by Age
No summer camp is complete without wild and fun activities to keep the campers engaged and entertained. At Fun Services Midwest, we have summer camp rentals for every age to keep the fun times rocking and rolling! Here is a breakdown of some of our top rentals for summer camps by age group:
Preschool and Kindergarten
Campers in this age range will typically only attend day camps, but that doesn’t mean their experience shouldn’t be just as fun as week-long overnight summer camps! We recommend rentals that require little to no structured planning, allowing the little ones to just have fun and explore their independence in a safe, supervised environment like a bouncy moonwalk.
Recommended Rentals:
- Turtle Belly Bouncer
- Noah’s Ark Moonwalk
- Fun Express
- Heavy Haulin’ Large Slide
- Lil Kahuna Wet/Dry Slide
Elementary School
Once kiddos reach elementary school, they’re ready for a lot more structured activity and challenging fun at summer camp. They may even be diving into their first-ever overnight camp away from home! A little friendly competition is good at this age, especially that which allows campers to challenge themselves and see what they’re capable of like obstacle courses and dual slides for racing to the finish.
Recommended Rentals:
- Treasure Island Obstacle Course
- High Voltage Dual Slide
- Dual Surf N’ Slide
- Bungee Run
- Hungry Hippo Chow Down
Middle School and Up
Older summer camp kids are ready for anything, and their competitive streak usually runs very deep! This is your chance to really put their boldness to the test and let them expel all that pent-up preteen energy on safe and energetic competitive games.
Recommended Rentals:
Fun Services: Your Partner for a Fun Summer Camp!
If you’ve ever been to a summer camp, you know it’s a place to make lifelong friends and memories. The best summer camps are the ones that balance educational lessons and opportunities with oodles of fun activities the campers will want to do again and again!
Are you looking for the perfect summer camp rentals to make your event worth remembering? Give us a call to book your rentals today!
