5 Tips To Creating DIY Summer Camps

While COVID-19 is still very much changing how we enjoy the summer months, summer camps are taking a hit as well. A few are open in the Wake Forest/Raleigh area, however many are closed or at a limited capacity. Now that summer is well underway, most of your go-to ideas and safe adventures may now have run their course. Feeling the impact of a stay-at-home summer?

Here are a few tips to help you build out your own DIY summer camp for your family to enjoy. It’s all about balance, staying safe, having patience and enjoying each other’s company!

We’re all in this together!!

1. Create a schedule

Your DIY summer camp needs to have some structure to it. This will make it more fun for your kids and help you better plan out what you want to do. The best way to do this is by creating a schedule to follow throughout the week or months that you will have your summer camp. You can plan a theme around what you’ll be doing, such as a space theme or pirate theme, or you can get specific with each activity, such as a crafting day or field trip day.

2. Be flexible with your plans

Creating a DIY summer camp for your kids is meant to be a way for them to have fun! Make sure that you keep your plans a little flexible to ensure that the fun never stops. If your kids are having a blast doing a space week, consider extending it or replacing another activity with more space ones!

3. Balance indoor and outdoor time

The key to a great summer camp is to make sure you spend time both indoors and outdoors. While having all your activities outdoors can be fun, it can also get hot quickly and make your campers tired. However, keeping everything indoors can leave your children longing for time on the grass with the sun on their faces. For every indoor activity you have, make sure that you have at least one outdoor activity.

4. Plan things ahead of time

When planning your summer camp, you will likely need to make a schedule. While this is a great place to start, planning things ahead of time can make your experience better! Gather all of the supplies for your crafts ahead of time and take this opportunity to make sure you have all the activities printed out and ready to go. 

5. Take the camping to the next level

If you want things to feel like summer camp, consider letting your kids sleep in tents outside, or even sleeping away from their own bed. This can make it feel like a day or sleep-away camp, even if they don’t get to leave the house. Just be sure only to do this some of the time if you are planning on having a long summer camp experience for them.

You may need to make some adjustments based on your child’s age, but these ideas work well for nearly any child! You can even use these tips to extend your summer camp experience throughout the summer if you prefer!