Check in/Check out
A parent arrives to pick up their child but lacks any form of identification. What do you do?
Ask them politely to show proof of any ID. Call phone number listed on approved pick up list. If they are not compliant then call coordinator or supervisor
Counselor arrives 10 minutes late to camp and claims that they were stuck in traffic. What do you do?
Discuss with the counselor the importance of arriving on time to prep for camp. Notify coordinators if this happens multiple days in a row.
Explain to campers to stay away from the poison ivy and tell them why we don't want to touch it. Direct the line on a different route or turn around and go back the way you came.
Your bin arrives to the park and is lacking several supplies you had been counting on having for the day. What do you do?
Call coordinators and ask them to bring the supplies that are needed. Plan additional activities until the supplies arrive.
A child is registered as 11 years old (they have to be under 12 to participate) but later claims to really be 13 years old. What do you do?
Call coordinators first to verify the birthdate of the camper. If the camper is too old then have a discussion with the parent regarding the camper continuing to participate in camp.
A parent arrives to camp claiming that their child is signed up but their Childs name is no where to be found on the camp roster. What do you do?
Ask them to check their email. Call coordinator so they can check the roster and verify that they are/are not on the roster. If they are not compliant, coordinator will come to park to assist.
A counselor is getting way into a dodgeball game, saying their team is the best and playing aggressively and campers are getting frustrated. What do you do?
Calmly approach the counselor and remind them that all campers having fun is the upmost priority. Make sure they actively recognize that while they are allowed to have fun, the campers having fun is an important aspect of camp. If this is a repetitive behavior notify coordinators.
You notice an injured bird by a tree while playing a game with the campers in the same area as the tree. What do you do?
Quickly move the game to another area without the kids seeing the bird. We do not know if the bird carries any diseases that could potentially harm the campers. Notify coordinators of the bird so that it can be removed.
After moving to a new area to play a different game with your campers, you notice one of your campers is missing. What do you do?
Send a counselor to search for the missing camper. After locating the camper, make sure to explain the importance of staying with group at all times and write an incident report if it was due to poor camper behavior. Make sure that you are aways counting how many campers you have at the beginning of the day and repeat constantly throughout the day to make sure that you have all of your campers.
Two older campers don't get along, eventually one tries to punch the other. What do you do?
Separate the two campers and try to address what started the conflict. Make sure to go over the rules of the camp with the campers and explain how violence is never tolerated at camp in any form. If a camper hit or punches another camper or counselor they will be sent home for the day and an incident report will be filled out.
A child runs to their parents car after immediately arriving in the parking lot. Parent claims you were not watching their child. What do you do?
Politely tell parent that we have specific check out procedures in place to ensure the safety of the children. Kindly apologize to parent and let them know that the safety of the child is our priority. If it is a discipline related issue, write an incident report and notify coordinators after camp.
Counselor shows up in athletic shorts and a tank top. (not appropriate work attire) What do you do?
Ask if they have their uniform in their car. Make sure to let them know that they have to wear proper camp attire in the future. Notify coordinator if they don't change attire before camp starts.
You notice a deer is getting very close to your campers and does not seem to be afraid of people. What do you do?
Try to move campers to another area. DO NOT let campers touch or go near the deer, it could be sick or injured. Please use a rally point and make sure you have all your campers. Notify coordinators immediately.
A mom arrives to pick up her 5 year old son, but you cannot find him. After looking around, you discover he has been crying alone in the bathroom for about 5 minutes. His mother is clearly upset. What do you do?
Make sure to immediately apologize to the parent and reassure them that their kids safety is the upmost importance to the park district. Make sure you recognize that the camper was not following directions and address the rules of the camp with the camper.
You notice that a camper is consistently getting upset when they are not picked to be the lead role in a game. They often cry and refuse to play the game. What do you do?
Make sure to explain to the camper that all campers must be given the opportunity to be the lead role in a game. Reassure the camper that they will be given the opportunity to be a lead in another game sometime during the camp day. To help the camper you can have them select a game to be the lead in from the planned list of games for the day.
A babysitter come to pick up a child after camp but he/she is not on the approved pick up list. What do you do?
Call parent that is on the list and get approval from the parent(s). If they do not answer, call all of the phone numbers including emergency contact list for that child. If no one answers call coordinator, and have them come and assist.
Counselor is on their cell phone and not paying attention to the campers or the activities they are doing. What do you do?
Ask them politely to put their phone away in the phone bin and remind them that their personal phones are only used in emergency situations. If this is a repetitive behavior, notify coordinator.
You are playing a game and look into the field and see there is a fox walking around in the direction of the children. It does not look harmful, but it is getting closer. What do you do?
Immediately stop playing the game and head over to rally point. Have two counselors assess whether the fox is harmful or not. Notify the coordinators.
A counselor opens the binder and does not see the roster for the week and it is almost time for camp to start. What do you do?
Call coordinators immediately so that they can bring you correct roster. Have parents write down their phone numbers and the name of their child, just in case. Sign them in when you get the roster.
A camper only wants to play at the playground everyday and does not seem interested in any of the games. What do you do?
Redirect their attention from the playground to the games with everyone else. Try to limit playground time to 15-30 minutes a day. Explain to the camper that we come to camp to play games and do a craft and they can play at the playground when they are not at camp.
A parent arrives to check out and claims that the counselors were sitting around and not playing any games with their kids. What do you do?
Discuss all of the games you played with the kids that day. Reassure the parents that you have a planned list of games and activities for the camp day. Explain to the parent that there is a 5-10 minute gap between games and activities.
A counselor is constantly using foul language, degrading other counselors, and consistently complains about coordinators. You notice that because of this the camp morale is low. What do you do?
Kindly discuss why their comments and foul language is not appropriate for the camp and poses a poor picture of what our camp is supposed to be. Immediately notify the coordinators and set up a meeting with coordinators and supervisor to discuss the situation and develop possible solutions.
You notice there are two dogs off leash and their owners are with them while they wildly moving around. The owners are throwing bread on the ground. A counselor approaches them and politely asks them to put their dogs on a leash. One of the owners starts to yell and argue at the counselor. What do you do?
Take the campers to one of the rally points. Try to calmly talk to the owners. If they are not compliant, call coordinators immediately. Call the non-emergency sheriff if the owners threaten the safety of either the counselors or the campers.
Campers are playing on the playground and one camper who is 8 years old decides to climb into the baby swing and gets stuck. What do you do?
Call coordinators immediately to notify them of the situation. Call the non-emergent line and let them know your location and the situation. They may call the fire department to assist. Remind campers to never climb into the baby swings.
You notice that a camper gets upset and cries whenever a boy tags her in a game. She runs away from them whenever they come towards her. What do you do?
Reassure the camper that nothing bad will happen to them and they aren't going to hurt her. Notify coordinators about the situation immediately. Coordinators will look into see if it is a potential case of abuse.