January = Summer Day Camp Sign Up Time!
After years of signing up my 3 kids for summer day camps, I've learned that the key to getting into camps your kids want to attend AND that fit into your schedule is to sign up as soon as you can!
It’s January 26, 2025 and it’s time to sign up for summer day camps! Yep, I said SUMMER DAY CAMPS😊 I posted on my Type A Mom Instagram about this, but on Monday, January 6th I received at least 10 emails from camps telling me when sign ups would be – and they’re all in January or the first week of February! It was intense to receive those emails on the first Monday of 2025 when my kids were still on their winter break…
But, I know that I can’t ignore those emails – I have three kids and I learned many years ago with my first kid that if I don’t enroll when those day camp sign ups open then the camp will most likely be full… After missing out on those camps, I realized that I need to pay attention to those emails no matter how early it seems, so I decided to figure out a camp sign up plan that worked for me.
After years of planning a Summer Day Camp Schedule for my kids (they are 5, 8, and 10) I’ve figured out a simple system to plan and sign up for the camps. I’ve used this simple camp system to successfully sign up for camp many summers in a row and I thought that I’d share it now since the time to enroll is now!
(one quick note – the following camp sign up tips are for summer DAY camps. This coming summer is my first time sending a kid to a longer sleepaway camp, and as I prep for that I will keep you updated, but that sign up was in the fall so it’s all handled. If you’re looking for sleepaway camps please investigate asap to see if there are spots available!)
This is how I’m signing up for summer camps this January/early February:
STEPS I FOLLOW WHEN SIGNING UP FOR SUMMER DAY CAMPS
CREATE A SUMMER SCHEDULE
I create (hand write) two copies of a simple “summer schedule” that lists the weeks of the horizontally and then each child’s initial vertically. One is a rough draft that will be a working document, and one will be the final draft of the Summer Schedule.
The first step I do for both schedules is I add in any dates already confirmed – dates like when school ends and begins, any family trips or events, etc.
RESEARCH AND GATHER CAMP IDEAS
The next step I do is research camp ideas. I look at camps my kids have gone to in the past to see what they’re offering, I ask their current after school activities if they’re offering camps, I reach out to friends with the same age kids and also friends with kids one to five years older to see what they’ve liked, and I also search online for any specific types of camps my kids might like.
There are a few things I keep in mind when deciding what to add into my summer schedule, including:
If I’m looking at different camps for each of my 3 kids then the drop off and pick up timing and locations need to work well together - this is a big component of how I plan our weeks!
If it’s the middle of the summer then my kids may need to have air conditioning so I look for camps that offer that (camps at a school campus or a YMCA offer indoor time so are a good option for this).
If my child is starting a new school, I try to find a camp that is on that campus so they can get used to the school. Even if the camp isn’t related to the school at all my child will learn where the bathrooms are, where the playground is, and may meet other children attending that school in the fall.
Below is a list of in-person day camps to reach out to, and resources to contact, in your search for camps for your kids:
Day Camps Offered in Many U.S. Locations
US Sports Camps - NIKE Sports Camps
Summer STEM Camps, Tech Camps & Art Camps Nationwide (lavnercampsandprograms.com)
Unforgettable Summer Camps | Galileo Learning (galileo-camps.com)
Day, Overnight and Summer Camp Programs | YMCA
Kids and Teens Summer Cooking Series | Sur La Table
Camp Invention® | National Inventors Hall of Fame®
Bike, Swim, & Trail Summer Camps for Kids | Pedalheads Summer Camp
Science Summer Day Camp for Kids | Destination Science
iD Tech | Summer Coding Camp & Online Tech Programs for Kids & Teens
Local Resources to Research
There are places that you may not have thought about that offer summer day camps right in your town! Take a look at this list and search your local option’s website to see what’s offered:
· Local Preschools: Often local preschools offer camps that are not just for their students.
· Local Public Elementary Schools: Camp companies often use public elementary school campuses for their camp location – call the school and ask if there are any camps using their facilities for the summer and get that information to contact the camp.
· Local Private Elementary Schools: Private Elementary Schools often offer summer day camp to anyone who wants to attend – you don’t have to be a student at the school to go to camp.
· Local Colleges: Camps often use college campuses for their camp campus – call the main college office and ask if they know about camp companies using their facilities for the summer.
· Local churches and temples: Churches and temples may offer camps during the summer. Some may offer camp just one week but that can be helpful if it’s a week you need!
· Recreation Department/Parks Department: Rec departments usually have different programs available during the summer.
· YMCA: Local YMCAs usually offer options for kids day camps during summer (and school days off during the school year).
· Follow the Community Services Departments for your town on Instagram: Community Service Departments usually list summer camp and activities on their page, and you can always DM them to find out what options they know about in your area.
· Tennis Clubs/Golf Clubs/Country Clubs: Clubs often offer sports camps for both members and non-members.
· Museums: Both big city and small town museums usually offer camps during the summer.
· Zoo: If you have a zoo nearby they usually offer a summer camp.
CAMP IDEAS WORKSHEET
After I’ve done my camp research I write down each camp idea that appeals to my kids and me, the dates it’s available, and any other information that is helpful like the length of the day that the camp runs, which days of the week the camp is held, if there are any sleepover nights during the week, the cost of the camp, if special equipment is needed, etc.
I then map out a schedule of what could work well for our summer on our Summer Schedule Rough Draft. For some weeks I will write down a couple of options for each kid because that way I can have a backup if I don’t get into one of the camps, or if I run the budget and the overall camp cost is out of our budget so I need to substitute in some less expensive camps.
CAMP BUDGET TRACKER
The next step I do is assess the cost of each camp and whether or not it fits into our overall Summer Day Camp Budget. To track this, I use a digital spreadsheet – this is the only step I do digitally. Once I see how the rough draft schedule fits (or doesn’t) into my overall summer camp budget, I can adjust as needed.
I use a simple spreadsheet that tracks each kid’s weekly camp cost, the overall cost, and where I am in my overall Summer Day Camp budget – click here, or click the button below, if you’d like to purchase the Google Sheet I made for $2!
SIGNING UP FOR CAMPS
Once I’ve taken into account all that research and decided which camps I want to send my kids to, I find out exactly when sign ups open. Then I add those sign up dates and times into my digital calendar (click here to learn how to set up a free family digital calendar) with an alert set for 5 minutes before sign ups begin. I also make sure to add the link to each camp sign up into that calendar “notes” record so it’s easy to access where to sign up right when enrollment opens (no need to scroll through my emails searching for a link when I’m under time pressure to get signed up!).
Also, for each camp I’d like to sign up for, I check if the camp requires forms filled out before you can enroll – some camps need full medical history and emergency contact information filled out before signing up and I’ve learned that if I wait until the enrollment time to fill those out I may lose camp spots if I spend my time filling out those forms at the moment of sign up.
Then, when my calendar alert goes off to sign up for camps, I do something very “Type A” – I sign onto the site for camp sign ups a few minutes early and I continuously refresh the page until it lets me in. That’s how I know I am getting into sign ups as soon as I can😊
FINALIZING THE SUMMER SCHEDULE
Once I’ve signed up for a camp and received confirmation, I do two things:
1. I fill out our Final Summer Schedule:
I list each camp very simply with the name of the camp, the time it runs, and which days of the week it runs.
This is what I show the kids and hang next to our weekly schedule all summer so they can see what camp is coming next in the summer.
2. I add the camp into the family digital calendar with all the information:
I input the exact days and times of the camp.
I list any special equipment/clothing needed to attend camp in the “notes” section of the calendar record so I can easily access it when preparing to attend that camp.
I check to see if there are any “end of camp” special activities for families to attend and add those in so we don’t miss them.
This is how my husband and I keep track of the details of each camp, and how we can see what’s happening during the entire summer.
This method of signing up for summer day camps is what has worked best for me and my family for many years. I hope it can help you alleviate the stress that planning the summer camp schedule can bring!
❤️, Amanda, your Type A Mom friend
PS - January is also a time of snow and ski trips. If you’re looking for the best kid snow clothes, after years of trial and error with my 3 kids, I compiled this list of snow clothes that are durable, warm, and that my kids love - click here to see the items - hope this helps as you prep for fun snow times!