Movies like The Parent Trap, Camp Rock and Wet Hot American Summer highlight the highs and lows of spending your summer sleeping in bunk beds and living on a lake. It might sound crazy if you’ve never been to an overnight camp but spending your summer at one isn’t that different from the movies. Going to camp isn’t something everyone gets to experience as a kid, but working at a summer camp as a counsellor is even better.Â
I spent three summers working at an overnight camp after being a camper there for nine years, and it will always be my home away from home. Summer camps bring people together from across the country, and even around the world. It’s the best job to get paid while having the time of your life. Here are seven reasons you should work at an overnight summer camp and why being a camp counselor is the ultimate summer job.
- Try new adventurous activities
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Want to try sailing, rock climbing, archery and guitar all in one day? Summer camp is the ideal place to try these activities, master them and teach them. You push yourself out of your comfort zone and get to make the most of the sunny weather. Some camps specialize in different activities, whether sports, music, acting or environmentalism.
Many camps run special trips like outdoor camping if you’re feeling extra adventurous. A couple of my favorite day trips from my camp days were to a canoe regatta and exploring thousand-year-old caves in a conservation area.
- Be a role model for campers
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Working with kids is something I think everyone should do at least once, and I must say it was the most profound experience I’ve ever had. When you get to spend the summer taking care of groups of campers, you have the chance to get to know them as individuals and more than just messy kids. They will come to rely on you and look to you for guidance.
It can be surprising yet inspiring how unique each camper is, and as they start to show you affection and love, you’ll grow to love them too. If working closely with kids isn’t your cup of tea, camps also hire staff to work in the kitchen and run other activities where you can still get involved.Â
- Experience camp traditions
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The traditions that every camp has are what make them so unique. Camp songs are one of the best traditions, and I still find myself singing them constantly. When I was a camper, a couple of counsellors actually started their own camp band, and even years after they left, we would sing their songs.
There’s also staff clothing which is a great way to stock up your wardrobe, but it might be hard not to spend your entire summer’s pay check on all the items. A camp tradition that I miss greatly is nighttime check-ins. Before going to bed, everyone in the cabin would answer the prompt given by the counsellor, with the classic Check-In being Rose, Bud, Thorn.
- Build skills for future success
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With all of the different tasks that being a summer camp counselor entails, you are bound to develop and strengthen your soft skills. Being a cabin counselor, you will have to step into a leadership role and learn to support, guide and build relationships with your campers.
You will also be a part of a bigger staff team, enabling you to work on your teamwork and other related skills. It’s the ultimate setting to become a better communicator, more organized critical thinker. Camp counselors have to be highly adaptable people ready to take on any challenge that comes their way.
- Learn about yourself
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One of the best parts of summer camp is that you can truly be yourself. Your life from home does not have to follow you there. Camp is a judgement-free environment where you can let go of some of your insecurities and let loose. There is no need to wear makeup or even dress to impress, only to dress for the weather. Spending all day with kids will have you acting like one in all the best ways.
Dressing up as different characters for games is not something I thought I would ever do in my adult life, but at summer camp, it’s a daily occurrence. There’s even a game where all the counsellors paint their entire bodies green and dress up like pickles for our classic Pickle Party.
- Connect with nature
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If you’re from a big city like me, the thought of spending your summer away from everything you know might be intimidating. There will be bugs, animals and poisonous plants to be cautious of. But having the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature can be refreshing. Chances are you won’t have phone reception which can serve as a much-needed break from our technology dependence.
You can even go old school and write letters to mail to friends and family. Hiking through the forest can be a chance to learn more about the environment and serve as an opportunity to connect with the nature around you. Sunsets on the lake will feel like they’re out of a movie scene, and stargazing late at night will be full of shooting stars and constellations.Â
- Make new lifelong friends
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There is nothing quite like an entire summer of fun to bring a group of friends together. After laughing, crying, playing, living together and having plenty of new experiences, the bonds created at summer camp are genuine ones I know I will cherish forever. Maybe it has to do with getting to be unapologetically yourself, but it can feel like no friends have ever known you better.
Getting paid to work with your friends and doing everything on this list together might just have you wanting to go back to work at camp the following year.
As we approach the end of winter, it might feel early to be making your summer plans, but it’s an important time of year to start applying to jobs. Most summer camps start their hiring process early, and having a job before the summer even starts is advantageous. If you want to spend your summer making memories and growing as a person, look no further than spending it at summer camp.Â