ACA Home Forums Resident Camp VS. Day Camp

I think that I'm done with Resident Camps. Last summer was really aweful and I'm realizing that a lot of resident camps have too much drama. I know that day camp will have some drama but you get to go home at the end of the day.

So I'm thinking about just doing day camp but my house instead of going away this summer some place.

Which do you like better Resident Camp or Day Camp?
I love Resident Camp but this summer I think I just want to hang around where I live instead.

I've done residential camps for so long, couldn't imagine doing a day camp at this point. Something about being away from the real world every day and night is just really cool about residential camp....it's like we're in our own little world. A day camp would just seem like a normal job to me.

Drama is going to be everywhere, especially in camp situations when a lot of staff are still young adults. I personally just try to put things in respective and realize, its not that big of a deal...whatever the drama or whatever is. At the end of the day, it's just summer camp....which is a saying we sort of use to keep things in perspective.

camps will have drama-- no matter what type of camp it is-- day vs residential, non for profit vs profit vs government ( like park districts etc). If I go to a camp this year, It will be a residential camp-- like DTP, I love being away from the real world, even if its for a week like what I did last summer.

I've worked both day camp and resident camp. Both have their pros and cons. I prefer the resident camp because the day doesn't feel as rushed as at a day camp. Another thing I disliked about the day camp was that attendance varied each day. Sometimes the camper or their parent would decide not to come one day for whatever the reason. Just like at school, when just one person is absent, it throws every thing off.

What I did enjoy about day camp was that I had my evenings off. I lived on camp, but I was able to go out to eat, run some errands, hang out with non-camp friends, and so on. Also, at day camp there was a lot less homesickness because the campers knew they were going home at the end of the day.

I think in general, day camp or resident camp, it depends on the staff. That's who you'll be spending most of your time with. The staff at both types of camps need to be willing to get a long and work for the greater good. And yes... all camps have drama.

- Teenster :cool:

I've never been to a day camp but as a residential camper since I was 8 and now at 21, a counselor, I could not imagine working at a day camp. I'm so attached to the girl scout camp I've been going to for over ten years...

I have been to residential camps for so long myself-- 14 years-- wow I cant believe I just said 14 years-- I been a staff or volunteer for so long now. I have always done residential camps, that I can not image not doing a residential camp. I think it would be too rushed

I've only ever worked at residential camps. I prefer residential because you're really involved with camp day and night. You get to spend your summer having a positive impact on kids 24 hrs a day. It's amazing to watch them grow while you have them. I think day camp is probably a great experience, but it's often rushed, campers come and go quickly, and I don't think I'd make as many connections as I have at resident camp. I love being able to immerse myself in the camp life. It's nice to go home on weekends and be in the real world, but I'm always ready to go back to camp after the weekend is over. It's my favorite place to be and I wouldn't change it for the world. Camp drama will happen no matter where you are day/resident, co-ed/single-sex, etc... Camp is a place where there will always be gossip, people mad at others, etc.. I think the easiest way to deal with it is to not get involved with all the drama. It's better to stay away from it as much as possible and be a good example for others by accepting everyone regardless of who they are.

Also my experience is that at a residential camp you get to have campers from different areas, and staff tends to come from around the country and the world even-- you do not get that at day camps-- with day camps, you may have campers who literally may be your next door neighbor or live near you-- especially with day camps that are run by your local park district.

I have done both resident and day camp. I love resident camp-Day camp is fine to but the thing with day camp is I think it lacks the traditions that resident camps offer- and like Marty says with the over sea staff you do not get that in most day camp settings and you have kids in your own area. I like them both for different reasons, now that I am older I like that I can have some what of a camp experience each day and go home at night-but I do miss resident camp.

I'd definitely have to agree that they each have their pros and cons. There are great things about res camp of course, like the deep traditions and close bonding, but that's not everything.

Sure days are rushed, but they are full of fun and then the kids go home. That's right- approximately 12 hours off every... single... day... :) No bed wetting, :)

Especially if you are in your own neighborhood that can be a great thing. Sure you might not get as attached to the kids and staff and have all the same weird inside jokes, but teaching is fun, day care work is fun. It might not be as much traditional camp, but it's got it's own value. It's spending time in the out-of-doors sharing all sorts of great activities and love of nature and fresh air with children. They still say the darndest things; they still love when they hit the target at archery or conquer their fear of the water during swimming or boating, and they still love mealtime just as much as the overnighters!

There will still be some drama I'm sure, but the bonus is that you get to get away from each other every night, or just some nights, so you're only coworkers and not sharing a room with no privacy and potentially a bunch of children. I feel like this would help prevent/diffuse so much drama.

Even though each has its Pros and Cons, I loved the Resident camps more-- I was able to live and work in states I would not normally visit. I had some great experinces both on the job and during my time off-- like 1 camp during my days off I visited Washington DC-- which I would not have done otherwise. I also visited some other cool places that I would not have done such as Busch Gardens in Virginia.

I started out in over night camp for over 5 years. I ended up getting a job running a day camp at a YMCA that also had over night.

Both have their upsides and downs.

With over night you can really get to know the kids and do more camp things.

With day camps you get the nights off. You will find day camps can be a much faster pace with less down time during the day.

It really comes down to personal opinion on which one you like.

I agree, Luke that it's about personal preference. I also think it depends a lot on where you are in life. I LOVED resident camp (and still do!) but it's not something I can do at this stage of my life. One of my fellow staff members (also my CIT director!) worked camp until age 35 or so. She eventually stopped and I hear that in part it was because she found that there was a lot more laziness among the other seasonal staff, and perhaps because the age gap. Also, it's lovely to be able to do other things over the summer.

I worked on a very young staff a few years ago where I was closer in age to the directors (at 24 and 28, I believe, while I was 23) than I was to the VAST majority of the staff. Most of them were 18 or 19 and only about 4 were above 21. I've also been more on the "mature and responsible and rule follower/grown-up pleasing" side of life as long as I can remember so it was rough working with such a young staff. With an overnight camp you live and work with them constantly (we also didn't have a lot of time off that we could physically get off the camp property). With a day camp they are just your coworkers and you can leave them to do their thing every evening and you can go do your own thing or hang with your school year friends since you're likely still in that area!

My camp does 1 cookout every week of day camp and some weeks offers an overnight option to the older day campers for 1 night where they go camping out in the woods of camp (not staying in a cabin) so there's still a little possibility for that.