Helpful Tips for 5th Grade Camp Councilors

Almost every fifth grader looks forward to one thing during the whole year: fifth grade camp! With the memories they create alongside their friends, or with all of the fun they have camping, many students remember their fifth grade camp counselors for a myriad of different reasons. Many of the kids remember their counselors because they helped make the experience fun, but what happens if the counselors begin to not be involved? Not having effective camp counselors might lead the fifth graders to boredom or a lack of interest in what they could be doing for their few days at camp.

The most important responsibility of a counselor is to make sure the kids stay safe. If a child gets an injury, multiple complications may occur as a result. Along with safety, counselors must remember to keep the kids occupied–make sure they have fun! Even while simply sitting around and waiting for the next activity, find a game for the kids to play that won’t involve a lot of moving. The common game of “I Spy” is a good choice for keeping children occupied. Try and get the kids to laugh when they look upset. Get involved with the kids and not with the people you already know.

Another important aspect of being a counselor is to participate in the activities with the kids. A lot of FAHS students go to the camp to be a counselor, but that doesn’t give them the right to talk to your fellow councilors exclusively and not think about the kids. Any other day, you can talk to your friends, but these 5th graders have one chance to spend three days with their class at this camp. Try to help the kids with making memories rather than socializing with your friends.

Electronics pose another big concern. Try and stay away from your cell phone! If you’re a frequent texter, you could be viewed as self-centered. Don’t worry about socializing with people who are not even there to help out. The 5th graders in the group could go and run off without you even noticing. Along with cell phones, iPods can also become a major problem. If you can’t see–or hear!–the kids in your group, you might as well not be at camp at all.

A reminder: you are there for the kids! This is their class activity. Make it fun. Try and do something different than you usually do. This may be like babysitting, but you have a lot of activities there that you would not normally do. Try and think more about the kids than yourself. Think of ideas to do with the kids and just have a lot of fun.