How to Become a Camp Counselor

You may have attended lots of summer camps as a little kid and must have enjoyed the whole experience. Some may have enjoyed camping so much that they must be thinking of becoming camp counselors. Though it is really a great idea, one must understand that there is a lot of difference between attending a camp and becoming a camp counselor. You may have lots of fun with the kids as a camp counselor, but this time you will have lots of duties and responsibilities. So, if you are keen to work as a counselor, you really need to know certain important things on how to become a camp counselor.

What makes a Good Camp Counselor?
Most camp sites require the camp counselors to be more than 18 years of age. If you have not reached this age, you can look out for camps that have junior counselor programs. Apart from the age, there are also certain skills that you should have to become a good camp counselor.

• If you want to enjoy the experience of becoming a camp counselor, you should love the company of kids. This is the most important criteria to become a camp counselor. You have to remember that you would be spending 6-8 weeks with little kids who would have different personalities and attitudes. If you think that it would be really interesting to know children and their psychology, becoming a camp counselor would be the perfect job for you.
• Kid summer camps include various games and activities. This needs the camp counselors to be creative and innovative in building and developing new games and activities for the children.
• As most of the camp sites are usually outside the town or city, it would be difficult to gain medical aid immediately in case the children meet with some accident or fall sick. So it is important to learn first aid skills before becoming a camp counselor.
• A good camp counselor should be approachable and friendly. You must understand that children are staying away from their families and are likely to become home sick. It is the duty of the camp counselor to help them adjust to the camp settings. You may also find that some children are aloof and do not make friends easily. It would be your responsibility to make such children come out of their shell and mingle with other children through play.
• It is also important for a camp counselor to have good problem solving skills. You must able to solve problems that arise everyday at the camp site like fights between the children. It is also very crucial that you must treat all the kids equally even if you like some of them better than the others. This is necessary for you to gain love and respect of all kids and to be remembered as a good camp counselor.

Choosing a Camp
If you want to be a camp counselor, you can choose from a vast number of options. People who do not like the idea of staying away from home can look out for day camps near their place. However, if you are really interested in exploring new places, then a night out camp site is for you. You can check on the Internet for the different types of camp sites and send your resume to those you are interested in. You can also choose one that caters to specific skills. For instance, if you are a football champion, you can opt for a football camp or you if you are a musician, choosing a music camp would be great for you. Other options include church camps, cheer leading camps, etc. Research well before you opt for any camp to find whether it is accredited or not.

Important Things to Know
There are certain things that one must know before choosing to become a camp counselor. The pay for camp counselors would be different at each camp site. Some camp sites do not even pay the counselors. So, if you want to work because you need the money, you would have to search for camps that pay well.

Many camp sites do not give their counselors more than a day off in a week. Sometimes, you may not even get a break in the evening. This can become a little hectic and so you should be ready to face all these challenges if you want to become a camp counselor. You would also have to sacrifice your sleep and privacy.

This article must have given you a brief idea of how to become a camp counselor. As a camp counselor, you would be meeting different people and learning how to deal with them. It would also help in enhancing your planning, organizing and leadership qualities. Becoming a camp counselor would not only be a thrilling and fun experience, but would also be beneficial in developing skills that would aid you in your future endeavors.