Summer is almost here, and families are searching for fun activities for the kids. Look no further! We’ve got a complete line-up of summer camps in Minecraft, Roblox, and esports. We’ll be diving into Arts, Community experiences, Esports, Exploration, and Technology. Camps fill fast, so sign up now!
We often talk about the content of summer camps, but counselors are actually the key to a fantastic experience! Connected Camps has the highest standards for counselors for our tech and Minecraft camps. We hunt for unique individuals who blend technical skills with engaging personalities and an ability to remotely engage kids to actively participate in programs.
Here are insights from a few of our key leaders about being a good counselor, relating to campers, and providing fun camps for learners.
What Makes a Good Summer Camp Counselor
Randy, a lead counselor at Connected Camps, is a college student majoring in marketing. Like all our leaders, his charisma and positive energy make him a good counselor, as well as his ability to build a connection with kids. He said he also allows the kids to teach him, rather than always teaching them. Kids love to be an expert!
Jaye, lead counselor II, is studying secondary biology education in college. She says she’s a great counselor because she’s so relaxed. “I’m a very go-with-the-flow type of educator, one with lots of flexibility. So, I work with the campers to make sure that while we’re learning, we’re still having fun. I don’t mind adapting my lesson or completely reworking it (on the spot, sometimes) to make sure that they have a good time. After all, learning shouldn’t be boring.”
Especially in a summer camp, that’s really important! Angela is a lead developer and counselor who is in college studying public health. She emphasizes fun too, saying: “I have the ability to think on my feet and come up with engaging activities/events for the kids. I can read their energy levels to decide what kind of activity we should do on that day. I also can take the more abstract lessons from our courses and apply them to real world applications in a fun way.”
Minecraft and Roblox are fantastic environments for 3D exploration of complex ideas! For example, kids can learn about matter, movement, and physics in our Roblox camp. Or, they might learn astronomy or cell biology in Minecraft. With the combination of the skills of our counselors and the ability to play in their favorite games at the same time, your kids will love our summer camps!
Relatability: counselors who “get” their campers
Kids love to learn from others who are near their own age. There’s so much relatability and empathy! When the counselor is close in age, kids tend to feel comfortable. Camp feels less formal to them and because of that, they can relax and open up more. Read this blog post for more; we wrote here about the importance of youth tech experts in the development of children. In our camps, that shared love of technology helps build connection and a positive experience.
Jaye said, “I always look forward to introducing campers to the idea that learning can happen in more ways than the traditional method of listening to a lecture, writing notes, and taking exams.” In our camps, kids definitely get creative while they’re building and exploring!
Jaye added that she’s able to relate to campers with exceptionalities while setting an example for all kids. She said, “I’m neurodivergent, so I know how to connect with students who have exceptionalities (like me!). They feel understood, and they get to see someone just like them in a leadership role. Hopefully, I can inspire those students to do great things. I want to help them (and all kids) realize that we’re more than our diagnoses.”
New Friendships
“My fondest memories are from summer camp when I was a kid. Playing and meeting so many kids is something I will cherish forever,” said Randy. “I love that I can provide that environment to kids now; I want to make sure it’s the best it can be.”
Jaye noted: “Campers love to interact with others of a similar age from all over the country (over the world, sometimes! I’ve had students from Shanghai before). There’s an added perk of them having the same interests. So in a sense, they get a class full of people their age who like the same things, but who all have different experiences. This can result in them making long-lasting friendships and developing new views on the world. Also, they really like being able to play games with other people, especially when they can beat the counselor!”
Angela agreed that campers love playing Minecraft with friends. “A lot of kids love to game but don’t have anyone to play with them; our camps provide a lot of opportunities to socialize.”
Parents agree that our counselors are great! Here’s a small sampling of our thousands of 5-star reviews:
★ The teacher was terrific. She did an amazing job connecting with everyone in the class.
★ This was a great course that my son really enjoyed and got a lot out of. The instructor was very knowledgeable, patient, and kind.
★ My son loved this class! He met other nice students and we always felt that the teachers were fun and communicated well.
★ My child really enjoyed the class. They had loads of fun interacting with the other children.
★ My 11-year-old son (who is a massive Minecraft fan) absolutely loved this course. He said it’s the best one he’s ever done, and he’s done quite a few! Teacher was very engaging, the content interesting, and there was plenty for him to learn.
Here at Connected Camps, we can’t wait for summer to arrive and camps to start! Check out the full line-up here. We’re prepping material and getting the servers ready. The counselors are training and eagerly awaiting their chance to connect with kids to build their own great summer camp memories. Don’t miss out, sign up today!