Home-Based Summer Camp

August 1, 2011

For parents who have been forced to cut back, how to keep the kids cared for, entertained and engaged this summer can be a real source of stress. While sending the kids off to camp may not be an option, hosting your own home-based summer camp may be an idea well within reach. Like with any successful camp, careful planning is involved when hosting a home-based summer camp.

To have a successful camp, first take your children’s interests into account and devise a theme for your camp. There are many possibilities like sports camps, arts & crafts camps, water fun camp and cooking camp.

Next, you’ll want to pick your camp dates and times. Select a week and structure your camp day. Break your day into segments that include time for activities, snacks and meals. Have a printed schedule ready that includes arrival and departure times, meal times and activity times.

A sample schedule may look like this: The Clark Family Arts & Crafts Camp – August 1-5, 2011 – 9 am – 1 pm

Day 1

9:00 am – Arrive
9:15 am – Design and Create Your Own Camp T- shirt
10:00 am – Snack
10:15 am – Clay Sculpting
11:00 am – Learning Time (read about an artist, learn about a craft, etc)
11:30 am – Lunch
12:30 pm – Directed Drawing
1:00 pm – Dismissal

Once you’ve solidified the theme and structure of your camp, you’ll want to gather your supplies. Your local dollar store, craft store and the Internet based Oriental Trading Company are great resources for affordable supplies.

To give your camp a more authentic feel, allow your child to invite a friend or two and see if their parents are interested in being co-counselors and co-supply contributors. You’ll also want have a special event the last day of camp. This could be an art show or backyard Olympics, depending on your theme. While it takes a little planning and work, hosting a home-based camp can be an affordable route to having a lot of fun.

Have you had to opt-out of camp this year? What are you doing to fill the void? Please share your stories and ideas with us in the comments section below.

With her background as an International Nanny Association Credentialed Nanny specializing in caring for multiples, Michelle has been partnering with parents in raising their children since 1994.

With her extensive experience in newborn, infant and child care, and with her passion for setting herself apart from her peers by providing top-notch service, Michelle is regularly called on by the most popular parenting magazines and websites to share her knowledge and expertise. She has been featured on Parents.com, Parenting.com, and BabyTalk.com and regularly contributes to ModernMom.com, Momtastic.com, and other popular parenting websites.

Michelle has contributed to TWINS Magazine and wrote a chapter for the best-selling Experts' Guide to the Baby Years. Michelle has also authored four books of her own entitled, Nanny to the Rescue!, Nanny to the Rescue Again!, Working Mom's 411 and A Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists. She also co-authored Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Official Guide to In-Home Child Care.

Michelle is an active member of the nanny and baby planner communities. In 2004, Michelle was honored as the International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year> and received accolades from President George Bush for her dedication to improving quality in-home child care. Michelle serves on the advisory board of the International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals and has served on the board of directors and as vice president of the International Nanny Association. She has also served as the executive director of the International Nanny Association and as a trainer for The Academy of Coaching Parents International.

Michelle currently serves as the editor in chief of Longhorn Leads, managing the content across their portfolio of care related sites including www.eNannySource.com, www.GoNannies.com, www.NannyPro.com, and www.4Nannies.com, in addition to serving as the executive director of Morningside Nannies, the company’s award-winning placement agency.

Michelle is a national speaker, bringing a message of hope and empowerment to moms groups across the nation. She and her husband Jeff, reside on Cape Cod with their daughter, Abigail, and their son, Luke.