Transitions are going from one activity to the next with your group and are extremely important to ensure you are not wasting all your camp time in between activities. Here are some tips for successful transitions.
1) Always be thinking ahead. Once your activity begins, start to think about how you are going to wrap it up, clean up and get the group to the next one.
2) End the activity with enough time to clean up. Get the campers in the habit of cleaning up each space quickly after every activity.
3) Use tactics like whistles, chants, claps, and hand signals to make sure kids are attentive, listening and paying attention to avoid wasted time getting them organized.
4) Have your campers lined up and ready to move to the next space a minute or two before time is up.
5) When you get to the next activity do a quick overview of the activity and then start the activity as soon as possible to maximize your time.
Streamlining your transitions will result in less down time for your campers to get in trouble or be bored, will maximize the time you have available for each activity throughout your day, and create more fun for your campers.
About the Author:
Jason Schaitz is a Parks and Recreation Director with over 15 years’ experience coordinating youth programs, camps, sports, and recreation activities. He also created and manages The Summer Camp Source with the goal of providing free high quality resources for any type of camp, youth recreation or childcare program. Take your program to the next level by visiting our website for free resources and education!
Website: www.thesummercampsource.com
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