Before you attempt to order whimsy from Amazon, listen to this week’s episode for better ideas! Curt and Chris discuss ways to make your camp a bit more magical without breaking the bank! From Tree Sharks to Fairy Gardens to Glitter on every leaf of every tree at camp…ok, maybe not that last one!
Chris’s second favorite thing behind TikTok, Pinterest! This week’s podcast talks about some of the awesome things Chris has pinned on his Pinterest board. Maybe you had a Pinterest at one time and have given up, or you’ve never even started. Well. it’s a great time to get on there again and starting pinning epic ideas for your summer camp!
From Go Bags last week to Escape Bags this week, the guys are apparently doing a bag theme! (Fingers crossed for Sleeping Bags next week!) Escape Bags are little, portable escape rooms that make for a great activity! Curt and Chris have both created several that they will talk about plus give some tips about creating your own for your camp.
This week’s episode focuses on Go Bags! The bags you keep handy with all the necessities. Your SCamp Life Podcasters give their two cents on what directors, program directors and counselors need to keep in them. Check out this week to see if you agree, disagree, or have completely different stuff in your bag!
After a 2 month hiatus, the boys are back! Boys? What about Kelie? Hmmm...
Need some unique ideas for winter camp? What about off-season events? Then have we got a show for you! If you already host or are planning to host a winter camp, Curt and Kelie have some great ideas for activities. If you are unable to host an entire camp but want to do some winter events, then Chris has a bunch of unique ideas that would make awesome events. Either way, this episode is great for adding a little extra camp this winter season!
The trio look at a very interesting article about phrases great leaders never say. Listen in this week to see if you happen to say any of these phrases and why you should stop.
We all can be better directors. This week’s episode focuses on how we can better supervise the staff we are in charge of!
If one great idea from the Scamp-Life trio is awesome, then what is two great ideas mashed up into one activity? I’ll tell you, it’s pure brilliance!!! (Well, pretty close at least.) This week, the group combines fun programming at camp into fresh, new programs! Check it out for great games and activities for kids, or unique staff training ideas, or even something incredibly dangerous that Chris is doing! If you have your own camp’s version of a mash-up, be sure to share it with us for a possibl...
The crew welcomes Laura Kriegel of Camp Stomping Ground to the show. Laura talks about the start and evolution of Camp Stomping Ground, from renting a camp to buying their own property...and some of the odder things like pulling the plug to drain the lake. What?!
If you’ve never presented at a conference before and are wanting to get some great tips, or you’re a seasoned pro who just wants a few extra ideas, then this episode is for you. Kelie, Curt, and Chris talk about things they do while presenting, or things they wish presenters would do at classes they attend. As we are quickly nearing conference season, this episode will help you prep to be the best presenter you can be!
If your camp has a Food Service Director, or if you’re the one in charge of figuring out meal times, then this is the episode for you…them…whoever makes decisions about food! The group talks all about unique meals from various foods to eat to even mealtime programming! Be sure you don’t listen to this episode on an empty stomach though, because you’re gonna get hungry!
The ScampLife Trio discuss their favorite camp books this week! By listening to this episode, you will have a list of 21 great reads to get you through this winter and well-prepped for next summer.
It seems like summer camp just ended! That means it the perfect time to start planning for next summer! After a couple years of craziness, the trio has some great ideas to help you make Summer 2022 amazing! Before you start prepping your budget for the coming year, listen to this episode for some stuff you may want to add to it! (some of the ideas won’t cost you a dime!!!)
You know em, You’ve seen em! Red Flags! The trio this week talks about some red flags to look out for when accepting a job at a camp as well as some red flags to look out for when hiring someone at your camp! Our 3 hosts go over some of the flags they ignored and ended up learning from. If you’re currently on the lookout for a new camping job, or maybe you’re looking to hire, be sure to listen to this episode for some possible red flags you need to be aware of!
If you are a camp that does programming/activities year-round, this episode will be a good help on some retreat ideas for you! The group talks about different events they have done (or seen done at other camps) that have been successful!
Whoa! What a summer it has been. While camp pros kept hearing things like, "Aren't you happy to be running camp again?", many of us had possibly the worst summer ever, filled with camper behavior issues, parent complaints, low staff numbers, etc. Yet, some camps did just fine. In this episode, the crew talk about their summer experience...the good, the bad, and the ugly.
No the podcast has not changed to a travel show. We are comparing two places as metaphors for summer camps. There is definitely differences in both of these theme parks and we want you to think what kind of “theme park” your camp is! How can your place strive to be better and thought of by others as the Disney World of Camps? Check out this week’s episode to get you thinking about improving your place!
Well since the Trio talked about Camper Recognition in the last episode, they decided they should probably talk about Staff Recognition as well! What are some ways you show appreciation to your camp staff? The Scamp-Life crew have some unique ways they do it at their camps or have seen done at other places. Whether it’s special apparel, or appreciation cards, or Dunkin coffee, you’re sure to find several great ideas for your hardest workers of the summer!
From the words of a very wise person, Mr. T: “You better recognize fool!”. And if Mr. T wants us to do it, then we better do it! This week’s episode talks all about Camper Recognition from awards to prizes to buttons to just some nice words. Looking for ways to make your campers feel just a bit more special while at your facility? Give this podcast a listen!
How does your camp celebrate National Sleepy Head Day? Or National Hammock Day? Maybe you celebrate International Ax Throwing Day. No? Well then it’s time to start! Incorporating these odd holidays into your summer can really add some magic to your camp! Check out some ideas the trio have on creating camp programs around odd holidays in this week’s episode!
How do you make your hikes better? Just add a dash of scavenger hunts, 2 teaspoons of outdoor education, 1 liter of story times, and a pinch of games! Looking to spice up hiking time at camp? Check out this week’s episode for some new ideas!
The OGs (Original Goobers) are back by themselves this week discussing a topic they love to talk about, well besides camp! Puzzle Races! Don’t know what puzzle races are? Think fun programming for your clever campers! If you’re looking to be well rounded in your games and activities, be sure to add some of these fun, brainy, activities to your camp!
Happy Birthday to you! We got you a present: an episode dedicated to unique ideas for birthdays, mail calls, and attention getters! Does your camp have any fun traditions for these? Looking to change up what you currently do? Check out this week for something different! Also, there should be a receipt in the bag if you want to return your present!
Curt, Chris and Kelie each share 3 very unique and different ideas that you can add to your summer camp. If you’re looking for something a little bit different that many other camps do not have, check out this episode.
This week’s podcast focuses on customer service! This is such an important topic for camps. Learn some great tips and ideas as well as how you can teach customer service to your camp staff! “Do what you do so well that they will come back, and tell their friends!” – Walt Disney
The Summer Camp Life Trio are back this week with some interesting thoughts on teaching skills to the campers. What does teaching skills to campers look like? What skills should I teach? Who is teaching? Why is my car on fire? If you’ve ever asked yourself those questions, then check out the podcast this week!
While you may still be on a Counselor Hunt for hiring, these hunts are all about the hide-and-seek game that’s played during the summer with the campers! All three of our hosts definitely have differing ideas of the best way to play this game, so check it out for a variety of ideas on this fun camp pastime!
Chris and Kelie are in the middle of their own staff training at their camps and therefore know how tedious it can be! During this episode, they give some fun and easy-to-add ideas to help make those Training Weeks better. Just some simple things that you can quickly add to your agenda to take Staff Training from blah to yeah!
The Scamp Life Podcasters have a very timely 2-part episode all about Social Distancing Activities. These two episodes are a perfect listen for you program staff and counselors. We recommend sending the link to this episode to those staff members or saving it to listen to during staff training this year!
