INFO

Before Camp: Parents, please consider the following preparation:

Involve in Planning: Show pictures and info from the website of Camp Grizzly. If necessary, reach out and set up a meeting with the Camp Program Manager. Let the camper help pack their own bag so they know where everything is.

Practice Independence: Arrange sleepovers with friends or family to build confidence.

Set Expectations: Discuss that missing home is normal but focus on the excitement of activities and new skills they will learn and friends they will make.

Avoid “Rescue” Deals: Do not promise to pick them up early, as this encourages giving up.

Stay Positive: When saying goodbye, express confidence in their ability to have fun.

Focus on the Journey: Remind them that camp is a short, exciting experience that builds independence.

During Camp: Counselors and Staff help Campers by:

Stay Busy: Encourage participation in activities ie: archery, swimming, arts & crafts, games, and nature hikes to keep their mind engaged.

Connect with Staff/Peers: Encourage the camper to talk to counselors or make friends with cabin mates, as peer support is highly effective.

Comfort Items: Pack familiar items, such as a favorite stuffed animal, pillowcase or family photos to decorate their cabin.

Camper Write Letters: Encourage daily journaling or writing letters home to process emotions.

Parent Send Supportive Mail: Send encouraging, positive, and short letters from home. Avoid detailing exciting things they are missing to prevent feeling left out.

Separation anxiety is real for parents too. This may be your first time sending your child to camp. If you are concerned, or have questions, please email us while at camp at CampGrizzly@norcalcenter.org and we can provide you with your child’s update as necessary.

A typical, well-balanced summer camp day runs from roughly 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, featuring a mix of high-energy activities, structured learning, and downtime. A standard day includes morning reveille, Flag with announcements, breakfast, morning group scheduled activity periods (sports, arts, crafts, archery, drama), lunch, camp rest, followed by a relaxing afternoon all swim period, dinner and special evening activity, cabin meetings, then preparing for bed rest. See sample camp schedule below:
7:00 to 8:00am Morning Reveille (prepare for the day)
8:00am FLAG / CIT’s Core Value / Line Games
8:15 to 9:00am BREAKFAST / Announcements
9:15 to 10:30am 1st Activity Period (Archery, Arts/Crafts, Drama, and
Field Games)
10:45 to 12:00pm 2nd Activity Period (Archery, Arts/Crafts, Drama, and
Field Games)
12:15pm to 12:30 FLAG / Announcements / Line Games
12:30 to 1:15pm LUNCH/ “Ask Grizzly”
1:15 to 2:15pm Camp Rest / Cabin clean up
2:15 to 3:30pm 3rd Activity Period (Archery, Arts/Crafts, Drama, and
Field Games)
3:45 to 5:15pm 4th Activity Period (Swimming, canoe, beach games)
5:15 to 5:45pm Cabin (change clothes)
5:45 to 6:00pm Lower FLAG / CITs Core Value / Cabin Announcements
6:00 to 7:00pm DINNER / Mail
7:00 to 7:15pm Cabin clean up, get jackets & flashlights
7:30 to 9:00pm Evening Activity Period: Specialized Activity (ie: Talent show, Game Night, Movie night, Counselor Hunt, Campfire, Olympic Dance, etc.)
8:30 to 9:30pm Cabin Meeting, Highs/Lows & Get ready for bed
9:30 to 10:00pm Quiet time/Lights Out

Being a summer camp counselor is incredibly rewarding. On top of being selected for this unique position, you can inspire children to pursue a healthy body and a healthy mind. Whether you’re teaching golf at a sports camp or becoming a counselor at Camp Grizzly sleepaway summer camp, you will develop valuable skills and make memories to last a lifetime. At the same time, it isn’t a walk in the park. Before you pack your bag, you should know these ten things:

1. NO SUMMER CAMP COUNSELOR GETS ENOUGH SLEEP

Summer camp schedules every minute of the day to be very busy and active, that may not be your everyday normal, which can be exhausting. You may probably only get 6-7 hours of sleep each night at best, but it all depends on how you spend your time. Be ready to be tired in a good way and embrace it as part of the camp counselor’s summer camp experience. An adventure of a lifetime.

2. PREPARE ICE BREAKERS FOR CAMPERS

Sleepaway camp can be scary for children. One of the most intimidating parts of it is requiring some children to be away from home for the first time, forcing them to make new friends. We know making friends at Camp can last a lifetime. But if the ice is never broken, they won’t even last a day. So, make sure that you prepare icebreakers for the kids: it can go a long way towards helping them make new lifetime friends.

3. MEMORIZE YOUR CAMPERS’ NAMES

Adults don’t like to have their names forgotten. When children have their names forgotten by an authority figure, it can be heartbreaking. That’s why it’s absolutely vital for you to memorize the names and faces of your campers. If you aren’t good with names, you just need to put twice as much effort into it. A failure to memorize can make your cabin group feel unimportant. Speak to your campers with kindness, so they know they matter.

4. BREAK UP CAMPER CLIQUES

As a summer camp counselor, you want the kids to make friends. But you also want them to broaden their horizons. When cliques form at camp, it could make others feel excluded by the same groups to dominate every event. So, we need to create opportunities for them to make new friends. Mix up the groupings at camp events. In the long run, people will make a lot of awesome new friends.

5. REMEMBER THE PLAN

Flexibility is an important part of being a summer camp counselor. You should be able to cancel an outdoor event because it rains, for instance. But while you shouldn’t want to be rigid, you should want to function from a place of order. Knowing the schedule and plan will actually help you adjust to any potential deviations that happen. Camp counselors have a lot to deal with. Don’t make it worse by spending a day wondering what comes next. Review the camp schedule daily and any changes from the Camp Director to share that information with your campers.

6. ENFORCE DISCIPLINE TO KEEP YOUR CAMPERS SAFE AND HEALTHY

Discipline is an important part of summer camp. While camp is supposed to be a fun event, if you fail to have a disciplined group, things can get dangerous. Have rules and stick to them. This is particularly true if your campers are doing something unsafe. Children often make the wrong choices. As a counselor, it’s your job to be the adult in the room and make sure things don’t get out of hand. It may not be easy, but enforcing discipline is a part of keeping the children as safe as they can be. Review Camp Group Agreement (Want Circle) and Camp/Cabin rules and refer to them as needed.

7. MEMORIZE THE HEALTH NEEDS OF YOUR CAMPERS

Some campers may have medical conditions. Some may take medications to keep them healthy and needs to be taken as prescribed. You will need to be sure to take them to the Camp Nurse as scheduled. Also, knowing what if any allergies they may have can have different consequences. If somebody has a minor allergy that just causes bloating, it’s still important to prevent it. But some of them can be far worse. If you have a camper with a bee sting allergy, for instance, you need to memorize this information. If this person comes into contact and gets stung by a bee, they can go into anaphylactic shock and may need an epi-pen and need a trip to the hospital. Make sure you care for each child’s special needs if you want to keep them safe. Additionally, everyone needs sustenance and fluids to maintain energy levels and hydration
during a warm busy active schedule. Ensure you observe that every child in your care is healthy overall.

8. BE AN ACTIVE PARTICPANT

Camp Counselors do not sit on the sidelines or allow themselves to be distracted from the group. Counselors participate with their campers in all activities to have fun, to build relationships, to mentor, guide and lead activities and group communication, problem solve and most importantly to listen.

9. BE A ROLE MODEL

The most important thing that you can do as a summer camp counselor is to be a positive and safe role model. For a period of one week, you will be the primary adult these kids interact with. This puts your role somewhere between that of parent, teacher, and referee/coach! If you want to use it wisely, you should act with respect, honor, integrity, and dignity. Being a counselor is important. Treat it that way when you’re with your campers and everyone at camp.

10. BE FRIENDS WITH OTHER COUNSELORS

Everybody needs friends. As a summer camp counselor, it can be easy to get burnt out. Luckily, there will be plenty of others at the camp in the same boat as you to lean on to support one another. Make friends with the other counselors on your trip. In the long run, this will help you become a better counselor and person. Plus, these friendships will last a lifetime.

Our CIT program is a leadership development experience for teens (typically ages 16-18) designed to bridge the gap between being a camper and a staff member. CITs learn leadership, child supervision, and safety skills by assisting counselors with activities, mentoring younger campers, and gaining behind-the-scenes, hands-on experience.

Key Components of a CIT Program

• Leadership Development: Training focused on roles/responsibilities, communication, conflict resolution, goal setting, and teamwork.

• Hands-on Mentorship: Assisting counselors with daily schedules, managing camper groups, leading games, and organizing special events.

• Skill Building: Learning essential, practical skills such as safety protocols, activity planning, and first aid.

• Structure: Often includes, scheduled training sessions, workshops, or meetings with CIT Leaders and/or Camp Director, mixed with practical application.

• Role Transition: Acting as a positive role model while navigating the responsibility of assisting staff.

Typical Expectations & Requirements

• Age: 16-18 years old.

• Role: CITs are often considered participants rather than paid staff and may pay tuition to attend.

• Responsibilities: Helping with check-in, lunch, clean-up, and supervising campers during recreation, etc.

• Application: Requires a specialized application process, such as submitting a resume/application, questionnaire. or completing an interview.

Benefits

Participants gain valuable experience for future job opportunities, develop personal confidence, enhance communication skills, and build a strong, supportive community.

(Mark all personal items with your child’s full name on it. NorCal Camp Grizzly is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal items. We do not provide or loan any sleeping bags, pillows, shoes, clothing or toiletries or batteries for back up.)

CLOTHING and SLEEPING GEAR:
(Clothing must be in good repair, fitted to child’s size with modest coverage):
[ ] 1 Sleeping bag (or one fitted sheet and blanket)
[ ] 1 Pillow with pillow case
[ ] 1 Bath Towel & 1 Washcloth & 1 Swim towel
[ ] 5 T-Shirts or tank tops (Each child will receive one Camp Grizzly with logo Shirt)
[ ] 6 pairs of underwear
[ ] 6 pairs of cotton socks
[ ] 2-3 pairs of pants/jeans (fit to size, not loose or baggy)
[ ] 2-3 pairs of modest shorts (no short shorts, must cover bottom)
[ ] 1-2 Light jacket, sweater or sweatshirt
[ ] 1-2 pairs of Pajamas
[ ] 1 Swim-suit/shorts (modest, no thongs or strings)

TOILETRIES:
[ ] Soap (in soap container), Small bottle of Shampoo/Conditioner & Body Lotion
[ ] Toothbrush & Toothpaste
[ ] Hairbrush or Comb
[ ] Deodorant
[ ] Sanitary Products (as needed)

**MANDATORY ITEMS:
[ ] 1- Large Water Bottle (preferably stainless steel or hard plastic, not disposable)
[ ] Chapstick/Lip balm
[ ] Sun Block (50 SPF or above recommended)
[ ] Flashlight with Batteries
[ ] Sneakers (tennis shoes) & 1 pair of aquatic shoes (flip flops ok at the beach)

RECOMMENDED ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
[ ] Small backpack
[ ] Insect (mosquito) repellent
[ ] Costume/Accessories for the dance (optional). Theme: “Masquerade Ball”
[ ] Chargers or batteries for your hearing aid or cochlear device

MEDICATIONS: (All prescription medications and over the counter medications must be secured with the Healthcare Manager station upon check-in where they will remain available to be taken at the time indicated on the medication container.)

All medications must be in its original container with clear instructions printed on the bottle. Please place medicine items in a large Ziplock bag with your child’s name written on it.

OPTIONAL ITEMS TO BRING:
Watch (not Apple watch), Cameras (not cell phones). Books for quiet time, sketch pad/ coloring book/crayons and Playing cards.

WHAT NOT TO BRING:
NO Knives, guns, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vape, matches, lighters or pepper spray. Possession of any of these is grounds for immediate removal from camp with no refund.
NO Food, candy, or gum. Meals and snacks will be provided. (No food is allowed in the cabin.)
NO clothing or items that advertise/imply alcohol, tobacco/smoking, drugs, sex, violence, weapons, gangs and profanity.
NO display of undergarments, short shorts, tight or loose baggy clothing, must fit to size and modest dress and coverage.
NO Electronic devices, such as Cell phones, iPad, iPod, hand-held video game players, Mp3, Radios, etc