Multiple Choice
During lunch, you overhear a group of campers whispering in a corner. One camper, Sam, suddenly bursts into tears and runs out of the lunch room because the others told Sam they "aren't allowed to sit at their lunch table anymore."
A) Force the whispering campers to sit with Sam at lunch immediately so they learn a lesson.
B) Comfort Sam privately to validate their feelings, give them a special job or alternate seating for that lunch, and address the whispering group privately later.
C) Tell Sam to ignore them because "kids will be kids" and middle schoolers always go through phases like this.
D) Announce to the whole cabin right then and there that anyone who excludes others will be sent to the Camp Director.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Comforting the hurt camper first de-escalates immediate emotional distress. Forcing immediate integration often causes resentment, while addressing the clique privately later allows you to appeal to their maturity without publicly shaming them.
A camper comes up to you and says, "I want to tell you a secret, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone else, not even the other counselors." * Statement: As a great counselor who wants to build trust, you should make this promise to the camper so they feel safe opening up to you. TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
Why it matters: Counselors can never promise absolute secrecy. If the secret involves safety, abuse, or self-harm, you are legally and professionally required to tell the Camp Director. Teach your CITs to say: "I want to listen, but I can't promise to keep secrets if it means keeping you or someone else safe."
You are leading a nature hike in the woods about 15 minutes away from the main camp buildings when a sudden thunderstorm hits. The sky turns pitch black, it starts pouring rain, and you hear loud thunder nearby. What do you do?
Do not panic: Keep your voice calm so the campers don't freeze or scatter.
Avoid high-risk areas: Immediately guide the campers away from tall, isolated trees, open fields, and bodies of water.
Communicate: Use your walkie-talkie or phone to alert the main office of your exact location and start heading back safely only when instructed or when there is a break in lightning.
Campers are screaming and talking over you during announcements. Instead of saying, "SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" what should you say/do instead?
Raise your hand silenty
or
"If you can hear my voice, clap once. If you can hear my voice, clap twice."
A camper is upset and venting to you. To show them you are listening intently and take them seriously, you should stand straight up, lock your elbows, cross your arms tightly across your chest, and stare directly into their eyes without blinking.
Answer: FALSE
The "What to Say/Do Instead" Lesson: Crossed arms and a rigid stance signal to a camper that you are angry, defensive, or judging them. Staring without blinking can feel aggressive or intimidating.
The Leadership Move: Use open body language. Uncross your arms, drop your shoulders, tilt your head slightly, and nod. If the camper is younger or sitting down, crouch down to their eye level so you don't look like a giant towering over them.
Jordan hides Taylor's favorite water bottle as a "joke." Taylor panics, accuses Jordan of stealing, and shoves Jordan when Jordan laughs it off. They are now shouting at each other. What should you do?
A) Step between them, firmly order them to stop and separate, and let them breathe for a couple of minutes before talking to them individually.
B) Immediately demand to know who started it while they are still arguing so you can hand out consequences.
C) Punish both campers equally by making them sit out of the next activity without asking what happened.
D) Let them yell it out for a minute so they can naturally vent their frustration.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Safety is the number one priority. Physically separating them and giving them a cooling-off period is essential because a furious middle schooler cannot process logic or conflict resolution until their adrenaline drops.
During a high-energy game of capture the flag, you notice a camper sitting by a tree crying quietly.
Statement: The best move is to walk over, blow your whistle loudly to stop the whole game, and walk the camper to the nurse immediately. TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
Why it matters: Blowing the whistle and stopping the entire game blows the situation out of proportion and publicly shames the crying camper, who might just be overwhelmed or frustrated. Instead, leave your co-counselor to run the game, walk over quietly, and check in with them one-on-one.
You are at free swim. A camper keeps running on the slippery pool deck. You have already asked them nicely twice to stop, but the moment you turn your back, they run again. How do you handle this?
Stop asking nicely; move to a firm, logical consequence. Pull the camper aside and say: "Running on the pool deck is a safety rule because you could slip and crack your head open. Since you can't keep your feet flat, you need to sit on the bench next to me for 5 minutes. When the timer is up, you can try again." (Never ignore repetitive rule-breaking at the pool; it’s a major liability).
A camper refuses to clean up their area. What should you say instead of "Clean this up right now or I'm taking away your pool time."
Use a calm voice and give them a choice.
"We need the cabin clean before we can head to the pool. Do you want to sweep the floor or pack up the board games?"
Putting your hands on your hips while correcting a camper is a great way for a teen CIT to show calm, friendly authority. TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
The "What to Say/Do Instead" Lesson: Hands on the hips is the universal "angry parent" or "strict boss" pose. To a camper, it instantly screams, "You are in big trouble." It triggers an immediate defensive reaction.
The Leadership Move: Keep your hands relaxed at your sides, or gently clasp them in front of you. If you need to use your hands to speak, keep your palms facing up, which subconsciously signals safety and honesty.
Your group is supposed to participate in a silly camp-wide dance. Maya refuses to get up, sits on the bench with her arms crossed, says, "This is babyish and stupid," and convinces two other campers to sit out with her. What is the most effective approach?
A) Get into a public power struggle and threaten to send Maya to the director's office if she doesn't dance.
B) Ignore Maya entirely for the rest of the day to show her that bad attitudes don't get attention.
C) Keep your energy high for the participating kids, then pull Maya aside quietly and offer her a face-saving leadership "job," like being the official co-judge.
D) Make the whole cabin sit out until Maya decides to participate.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Defiance in front of peers is usually a mask for insecurity. Giving Maya an alternative, mature role allows her to participate without feeling embarrassed, and avoids a public power struggle that would force her to double down.
You catch your favorite, most well-behaved camper throwing rocks at a tree—a major camp safety violation. They look terrified and say, "Please don't tell! I've never been in trouble before!"
Statement: Since this camper is normally perfect and promises never to do it again, it is okay to give them a "free pass" and not report it or enforce a consequence. TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
Why it matters: Favorites do not exist at camp. If other campers see one kid getting away with a safety violation, it destroys your authority and creates resentment. Rules must be enforced consistently and fairly for everyone, regardless of how "good" they usually are.
It’s lunchtime. One of your campers starts loudly chanting, "This food looks like dog barf!" and chanting gets caught by three other campers. The camp cook looks visibly upset, and the dining hall is turning chaotic. What do you do?
Shut down the chant immediately but calmly. Shutting it down doesn't mean screaming over them; it means walking up to the ringleader, making eye level, and stopping the rhythm. Say: "We do not insult the food or the kitchen staff. It is completely fine if you don't want to eat it, but we show respect in this dining hall.
Two campers are screaming at each other over a game.What should you say instead of "You guys are acting like total babies, stop it."
"Hey, take a breath. Separate for thirty seconds, and then we will figure out a fair solution together."
During a lesson, you notice a camper sitting in the back who is rolling their eyes, sighing loudly, and kicking the bench. Since they aren't screaming or hitting anyone, their body language can safely be ignored. TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
The "What to Say/Do Instead" Lesson: Non-verbal frustration is the "smoke before the fire." If you ignore eye-rolling, heavy sighing, or restless kicking, that camper is highly likely to disrupt the group or blow up entirely later.
The Leadership Move: Don't call them out in front of everyone (which shames them). Instead, transition the group to an activity, walk over to that camper, and check in quietly: "Hey, I noticed you seemed a little frustrated during the meeting. Everything okay?"
On day three of camp, Alex sits by the fence crying, refuses to join the soccer game, and demands to call home, yelling, "You can't make me stay here! I hate this place!" How should you handle this?
A) Tell Alex, "You're too old to cry about missing home, let's go play."
B) Promise Alex that if they play soccer for 10 minutes, you will personally let them use your cell phone to call their parents.
C) Validate their feelings, normalize homesickness, check on their physical needs (water/rest), and give them a small distraction task with a clear timeline to check back in.
D) Immediately walk Alex to the office and have the administrative staff call their parents to pick them up.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Normalizing homesickness prevents the camper from feeling ashamed. Keeping them moving with minor tasks distracts the brain, while making unauthorized promises about phone calls usually compromises camp policy and worsens homesickness.
You are loading 15 campers onto a bus for a field trip. You count 15 heads as they walk through the bus doors.
Statement: Because you counted 15 kids entering the bus, you are good to go and do not need to count them again until you arrive at the field trip destination. TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
Why it matters: You should always do a double-count once everyone is seated, and do regular headcounts throughout the trip. Kids shift seats, hide behind high backs, or sometimes slip off the bus to use the restroom right before the doors close.
A camper pulls you aside during arts and crafts and casually mentions something deeply troubling about their life at home, then immediately says, "But please don't tell anyone, I promise I was just joking." What is your move?
Do not investigate: Do not ask leading or probing questions; you are not a trained investigator and could compromise a report.
Reassure them: Say, "Thank you for trusting me with that. I hear you, and my number one job is to make sure you are safe."
Report immediately: The moment the activity ends (or right away if the camper is in immediate danger), go directly to the Camp Director or designated health supervisor. Do not log it or talk to other counselors about it. You are a mandated reporter.
A camper is crying because they are homesick.What should you say instead of "Don't cry, you're too old for that! Camp is so much fun!"
Validate their feelings, give them something to look forward to.
"I know you miss home, and it’s completely okay to feel sad. What's one thing we can do to help you get through the afternoon?"
If a camper is about to have an angry meltdown or a physical outburst, their body language will almost always change first (e.g., clenched fists, a rigid jaw, pacing, or breathing very shallow and fast). TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: TRUE
The "What to Say/Do Instead" Lesson: Campers rarely explode out of nowhere. Their bodies give clues before their voices do. If you see a camper clenching their fists or squaring their shoulders, they are entering a "fight or flight" mode.
The Leadership Move: Step in before the yelling starts. Create physical space between that camper and the rest of the group, and give them an active, low-stakes task to break the physical tension (like walking with you to grab water).
Whenever it is time to clean up the craft tables or wrangle the campers, your co-counselor Chris suddenly checks their phone, walks away to the bathroom, or starts chatting with other staff, leaving you with all the work. What is the best professional response?
A) Start complaining about Chris to the campers so they see who the "good counselor" is.
B) Use direct delegation before the chaos starts ("Hey Chris, can you hand out supplies while I take attendance?") and have a private, calm "I-statement" conversation later if it continues.
C) Do all the work yourself but give Chris the silent treatment for the rest of the week.
D) Text your other counselor friends during camp to complain about how lazy Chris is.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Middle school CITs must learn peer accountability. Proactively assigning roles prevents passive-aggressive resentment, and using "I-statements" privately addresses the workload imbalance professionally before involving a director.
A camper trips during a relay race, scrapes their knee badly, and is bleeding. They are crying and clutching their leg.
Statement: As a counselor, your immediate job is to clean the cut, apply antibiotic ointment, and put a bandage on it using the first-aid kit.
Answer: TRUE (with a catch!)
Why it matters: Standard first aid for minor scrapes is part of a counselor's job, but CITs must know their specific camp's policy. Some camps require all bleeding to go to the nurse, while others allow counselors to patch up minor scratches. Teach them: when in doubt, call the camp nurse or a senior staff member.
A group of campers invites you to sit with them and start asking you highly personal questions about your life. You want them to think you're cool and trust you. How do you respond?
Set a firm professional boundary immediately with humor and deflection. You are their counselor, not their teenage friend. Say: "Let’s talk about something way more interesting—who do you think is going to win the camp counselor relay race tomorrow?" Pivot the conversation back to camp-appropriate topics.
A camper keeps breaking a minor rule (like running on the grass). Instead of saying "How many times do I have to tell you to stop running?!" What can you say instead?
Remind them why the rule is in place. Give them a challenge to turn it fun again.
"Remember, we walk on the grass so no one trips on the tree roots. Let's see your best slow-motion walk to the next activity."
If you are listening to a camper talk about their day, but your body is turned toward the main field, your eyes are scanning the crowd, or you are glancing down at your phone/watch, the camper will still feel supported as long as you are saying, "Uh-huh, cool." TRUE OR FALSE?
Answer: FALSE
The "What to Say/Do Instead" Lesson: Middle schoolers and kids are experts at reading engagement. When your torso is angled away from them or your eyes are wandering, your body language says, "I have somewhere more important to be."
The Leadership Move: Face the camper fully (square your shoulders to theirs). Make comfortable eye contact, and put your phone entirely out of sight. Even 60 seconds of undivided, fully-faced attention makes a camper feel incredibly valued.