photo credit JotForm.com
In preparing for my own summer at camp this year, I’ve been thinking of how the people under my supervision organize themselves. Usually, I find a new supervisor spends the first 7-10 days of camp trying to figure out their “system” of organization. In the past, this system has taken on forms of binders, small notebooks, laptops or ipads, smartphones, writing on the back of the hand, or just trying to remember it all.
To combat this time drain of trial and error, this summer I’ll be presenting our young and/or new supervisors just 2 systems of how to best organize themselves; this includes ways to keep track of notes on campers, keeping track of a to-do list, and keeping schedules/bunk lists in order. Once a young supervisor has a system they’ve committed to, they are welcome to make alterations to it to make it their own system.
While I won’t impose my own “systems” on you, our friends at JotForm have shared with us their go-to forms/tools for helping camps best organize themselves for opening day and beyond.
Camp directors, take note — these tools are here to make your life easier.
JotForm — for quick and easy information gathering
Looking for a user friendly place for forms specific to your camp? JotForm summer camp registration forms aren’t just great for the initial gathering of information or for facilitating quick and easy payments.JotForm also makes it easy to share this data so your camp counselors have all the information they need when they need it.
Camper information can be easily converted through PDF Editors to create handouts for staff or name tags for participants. Come opening day, the last thing you want to worry about is hunting down those name tags because they’ve been lost in the digital abyss.
And because JotForm provides HIPAA-compliant forms for camps, parents can rest assured that their children’s personal and health information is secure.
Talmundo — to streamline the onboarding process
As with any job, summer camps require employee onboarding. This will likely happen before the camp actually opens. But when starting a summer camp, it’s an important process to keep in mind.
To be sure the process is smooth and efficient — and doesn’t run over into the first day of camp — use Talmundo.
Talmundo is a great way to destress and improve the onboarding process for all parties — both employers and employees. This digital platform comes equipped with all the bells and whistles to give employees a streamlined experience.
They get a rundown of the rules, their responsibilities, the camp itself, and more without you having to hold their hands and walk them through the process. This saves you time, freeing you up to tackle the big tasks coming your way on day one of summer camp.
Evernote — so you can keep your thoughts in order
There are hundreds of things going on inside a camp manager’s head: concerns about camper safety, what employees are doing (or not), and how to inspire your young charges.
Sometimes, the best ideas come to us in the weirdest of times, like when we’re in a budget meeting that never seems to end.
But with Evernote, you can easily take notes, create checklists, and make sure nothing gets lost or forgotten.
Everyone needs something to take them out of the craziness of it all — and this platform lets you relax your mind and focus your thoughts.
Evernote is an essential tool for a smooth opening day. You’ll be stressed, busy, and probably a little sweaty. But at least you can write it all down before you lose it to the void!
Trello — to keep everyone on track
Trello is a project management tool that lets you keep an eye on the status of all your open tasks, activities, meetings, and more.
Trello cards can be shared with employees for group tasks. But this tool is also great for keeping track of your own tasks.
Trello can help you break down a project into separate parts so you know what you need to accomplish, where you need to be, and what fires to put out before it’s too late.
And believe me, there will be fires.
Google Calendar — to make sure everyone knows when lunch is
Everyone has to eat, right?
Google Calendar is an easy, free, and intuitive platform that all camp employees are sure to understand.
It can be hard keeping everyone on track. And it can be hard to remember what task comes next and where the next meeting is.
Google Calendar keeps you accountable. And it keeps all of your employees ready to take the day by storm, making the first day at camp successful for everyone.
Thanks to our friends at JotForm for sharing their ideas – we’ve used all but one of the tools they’ve mentioned and I have to agree with them; there is a place for each of these tools in camp if you are searching for a better organizational method.
Campstaff Compass 