Preparing your Childcare Summer Camp Program

*Updated April 2025

Summertime brings warm weather, longer days, and a much-needed break from the routined school year. However, for working parents, this break creates a need for structured activities that are both fun and enriching for their children. As a childcare provider, offering a summer camp program is a fantastic opportunity to generate additional revenue, support families, and engage children in meaningful and engaging learning experiences while utilizing your facility during the summer months.

However, with more than 12,000 summer camp programs in the U.S. and upwards of 26 million children and families looking for a summer camp each year, standing out and ensuring strong enrollment requires strategic planning.

If you’re ready to create a successful summer camp within your daycare, here’s how to make your summer camp a top choice for families in your community.

1. Streamline the Registration Process

An easy-to-use registration process is critical for increasing summer program sign-ups. Parents should be able to find your childcare business online, quickly access camp details, and complete registration with minimal effort.

• Create a dedicated webpage for your summer camp program with details about camp activities, schedules, pricing, and parent testimonials.
• Optimize for search engines using keywords like “summer camp programs 2025 [your area].”
• Include a clear call-to-action with an online registration form.
• Use childcare management software to simplify registration, payment processing, and communication.
  • Learn how Lillio’s Center Management Software can help you to manage online waitlists and registration forms for your summer camp!

With 86% of camps having a website, failing to offer online registration puts your childcare center at a disadvantage.

2. Hire and Train Exceptional Staff

Your camp staff members play a crucial role in the summer camp experience. According to the 2020 North American Summer Camp Trends Report, 30% of parents say that the camp staff is what they love most about a program.

To ensure a high-quality experience, hire educators who:

• Have experience working with school-age children and a passion for creating fun summer activities.
• Are trained in first aid, emergency management, and behavioral guidance.
• Can handle field trips, transportation logistics, and outdoor activities.
• Exhibit patience, problem-solving skills, and strong communication abilities.

Since summer schedules vary, always have on-call staff to cover unexpected absences to maintain proper ratios. Investing in staff training through programs like Lillio Academy can also ensure your team is prepared.

3. Offer Small Group Sizes for a Personalized Experience

One of the most effective ways to enhance your day camp is by maintaining small group sizes. This allows for:

• Closer supervision and individualized attention.
• Stronger relationships between campers and educators.
• More opportunities for teamwork, socialization, and skill-building.

If your budget allows, maintaining a lower child-to-staff ratio can significantly improve the summer camp experience and drive word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied families.

4. Plan Engaging and Enriching Activities

The success of your summer program depends on the quality of your camp activities. A mix of on-site and off-site experiences keeps children engaged, helps them develop new skills, and ensures they have a blast.

On-Site Activities

1. Color Exploration – Hands-on Science Fun with Colour Mixing

This activity introduces young campers to the science of colour mixing while strengthening fine motor skills.

Materials Needed:

• Clear plastic cups or bowls
• Water
• Food colouring (3-5 colours)
• Pipettes or droppers
• White paper or paper towels for observing colour changes

Instructions:

1. Fill three to five clear cups with water and add a few drops of food colouring (one colour per cup).
2. Give each child a pipette or dropper and an empty cup.
3. Encourage them to combine different coloured water to create new colours (e.g., red + blue = purple).
4. Place a white paper or paper towel underneath the cup to observe how the colours change.
5. Discuss primary and secondary colours, asking questions like:
   • “What happens when we mix red and yellow?”
   • “Can you create a new colour by combining two or more? What colour did you make?”

Extension Ideas:

• Freeze the coloured water into ice cubes and let children explore melting and colour blending.
• Use coffee filters to create tie-dye patterns by dropping coloured water onto them.

2. Yoga for Kids – Encourages Mindfulness and Movement

Yoga helps young children build strength, flexibility, and self-regulation skills in a fun, engaging way.

Materials Needed:

• Yoga mats. If using blankets or towels, place them on a carpeted surface to prevent slipping.
• A quiet outdoor or indoor space
• Soft background music (optional)

Instructions:

1. Begin with a short breathing exercise: Have children sit cross-legged, close their eyes, and take deep breaths.
2. Introduce simple yoga poses with playful names to engage children:
   • Tree Pose (balance on one leg, bring the foot to the opposite thigh, and stretch arms up like branches).
   • Downward Dog (hands and feet on the floor, hips lifted to form a triangle shape).
   • Butterfly Pose (sit with feet together, gently flap knees like butterfly wings).
   • Cat-Cow Stretch (on hands and knees, alternate arching and rounding the back).
3. Encourage kids to hold each pose for a few seconds and take deep breaths.
4. End with a short relaxation session, where kids lay down, close their eyes, and listen to calming music.

3. Saltwater Density Experiment – Teaches Early STEM Concepts

This simple experiment introduces kids to the concept of density and why some objects float while others sink.

Materials Needed:

• 2 clear cups filled with water
• Salt
• Spoon for stirring
• Small objects to test (grapes, Lego pieces, coins, small plastic toys, etc.)

Instructions:

1. Fill two cups with equal amounts of water.
2. In one cup, add several spoonfuls of salt and stir until dissolved.
3. Drop a small object (e.g., a grape) into the plain water—observe if it sinks.
4. Drop the same object into the saltwater—observe if it floats.
5. Explain that salt increases water’s density, making it easier for objects to float.

Discussion Questions:

• “Why do objects float in saltwater but sink in plain water?”
• “What happens if we add even more salt?”
• “Can you think of places where this happens in real life?” (e.g., Oceans vs Lakes)

4. Water Balloon Scavenger Hunt – Combines Problem-Solving with Outdoor Play

This high-energy, outdoor activity encourages teamwork and problem-solving while engaging with the summer elements. 

Materials Needed:

• Water balloons (pre-filled)
• Buckets or containers to hold balloons
• Small prizes or treats (optional)
• Written clues or picture clues for younger children

Instructions:

1. Before the activity, hide water balloons in different spots of your outdoor playground (e.g., under a slide, behind a tree, in a sandbox).
2. Give the children their first clue, leading them to the first hidden balloon.
3. Collect the balloons in a basket as a team. Each hidden balloon location will then contain a new clue, leading them to the next spot.
4. The final location can have a small prize, a treat, or a chance to throw water balloons at a wall or drop them on the ground and see what happens. Be sure to not let children throw water balloons at their peers or teachers. If you do not want water balloons breaking, be sure to only fill them with a little bit of water. 

5. DIY Ice Cream Science – A Delicious Way to Learn About Chemical Reactions

This activity teaches kids how salt affects ice and how liquids can transform into solids.

Materials Needed:

• 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Ice cubes
• ⅓ cup salt (rock salt or table salt)
• 1 gallon-sized zip-top bag
• 2 sandwich sized bags

Instructions:

1. In one of the sandwich sized zip-top bags, combine heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Push all of the air out and seal tightly. You might want to double bag to avoid spills. 
2. Fill the larger zip-top bag halfway with ice cubes until it is about half full and then add the salt.
3. Place the smaller bag inside the larger bag and seal the larger bag tightly.
4. Shake vigorously for about ~10 minutes. 
5. Watch the salt and ice melt together to get the creamy liquid inside the bag super cold and slowly turn into ice cream!

Discussion Questions:

• “Why do we add salt to the ice?” (It lowers the freezing point, making the ice colder.)
• “How did the liquid turn into a solid?” (The cold temperature causes the milk mixture to freeze.)

Off-Site Field Trips

• Visit a local aquarium or zoo.
• Explore a farm and pick seasonal fruit.
• Take a trip to a science museum or library.
• Tour a fire department for a behind-the-scenes experience.
• Plan a movie day for a relaxed outing.

A well-structured schedule with camp themes can make each week feel fresh and exciting for campers.

5. Prepare for All Weather Conditions

Weather can be unpredictable, so it’s essential to have backup plans for rainy days. Consider:

• Ensuring all children bring rain gear (jackets, boots, umbrellas).
• Scheduling indoor activities like storytelling, arts and crafts, or science experiments.
• Taking advantage of indoor venues like museums, trampoline parks, or movie theaters.
• Using rainy days as an opportunity to teach about the water cycle and weather patterns.

Many young children enjoy playing in the rain, so don’t shy away from outdoor puddle jumping or simple water-based fun! Just be sure to ask families to bring extra clothes, socks, indoor shoes and rainboots!

6. Prioritize Health and Safety

Nothing is more important than the safety of the children in your care. Before launching your summer camp program, ensure that:

• All staff members are trained in first aid and CPR.
• Educators carry a fully stocked first aid kit and have emergency contact numbers on hand.
• All activities are age-appropriate. 
• You have a clear incident reporting system for tracking accidents or concerns.

With proper preparation, your childcare program will provide a safe and memorable experience for every child.

7. Market Your Camp Effectively

To maximize enrollment, use a multi-channel marketing approach:

• Leverage Social Media: Share photos, testimonials, and activity sneak peeks.
• Use Email Marketing: Reach out to parents early with discounts and early-bird specials.
• Encourage Referrals: Offer incentives for families who refer new campers. Since 34% of new campers come from word-of-mouth, this is one of the most powerful tools you have.
• Advertise Locally: Post flyers in community centers, libraries, coffee shops and schools.
• Highlight Your Unique Selling Points: Whether it’s small group sizes, exciting camp themes, or experienced staff, make sure parents know why your day camp is the best choice.

Running a successful summer camp within your early childhood program requires careful planning, strong staff members, and engaging camp activities. When done right, a summer program at your childcare center can provide a memorable experience for children, peace of mind for parents, and an additional revenue stream for your childcare business.