Comments on: What Do You Want? http://recreationguy.com/what-do-you-want/ the ramblings and insights of a youth recreation professional Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:36:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Curt "Moose" Jackson http://recreationguy.com/what-do-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-387 Curt "Moose" Jackson Sun, 30 May 2010 19:35:42 +0000 http://recreationguy.com/?p=1007#comment-387 Hi Carol, it takes a lot of time and effort to put together a summer camp program. My hat's off to you. You should visit my other site <a href="http://SummerCampProgramDirector.com" rel="nofollow">SummerCampProgramDirector.com</a>. I think there is a lot of information you can get from it, and I'm adding more ideas and suggestions every week. Your playground evaluation program is very unique, very creative. Good luck this summer. Hi Carol, it takes a lot of time and effort to put together a summer camp program. My hat’s off to you. You should visit my other site SummerCampProgramDirector.com. I think there is a lot of information you can get from it, and I’m adding more ideas and suggestions every week. Your playground evaluation program is very unique, very creative. Good luck this summer.

]]> By: Carol http://recreationguy.com/what-do-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-386 Carol Sun, 30 May 2010 13:29:40 +0000 http://recreationguy.com/?p=1007#comment-386 Hi. I'm a homeschooling mom on a budget in Tampa, FL. I have lots of children (10) and grandchildren (3) and they all have friends. I want summer to be different from the rest of the year and can't afford to send everyone to summer camp (although I dearly loved it as a kid). Therefore I have created Rainbow Camp. I put out a schedule of themes, activities, and events for the summer. We do crafts, field trips, activities, etc. It's like a little day camp. Ages range from 3-17 with the older kids being my "CITs" and the youngest kids doing much shorter attention span stuff. On any day we have from 6-12 kids involved. I'm always interested in new activity ideas. New skit ideas are also fun. This summer we're doing a "playground survey". Each week we are visiting a different public playground--we have some really neat ones in the area. We will be evaluating each playground on variety of play equipment, use of water (in Florida, many playgrounds have water elements), uniqueness, overall "coolness", etc. Then we'll make out award certificates and have an awards ceremony for the parks. I'll be taking lots of pictures so we'll have a slide show running for the awards ceremony. Hi. I’m a homeschooling mom on a budget in Tampa, FL. I have lots of children (10) and grandchildren (3) and they all have friends. I want summer to be different from the rest of the year and can’t afford to send everyone to summer camp (although I dearly loved it as a kid). Therefore I have created Rainbow Camp. I put out a schedule of themes, activities, and events for the summer. We do crafts, field trips, activities, etc. It’s like a little day camp. Ages range from 3-17 with the older kids being my “CITs” and the youngest kids doing much shorter attention span stuff. On any day we have from 6-12 kids involved.

I’m always interested in new activity ideas. New skit ideas are also fun. This summer we’re doing a “playground survey”. Each week we are visiting a different public playground–we have some really neat ones in the area. We will be evaluating each playground on variety of play equipment, use of water (in Florida, many playgrounds have water elements), uniqueness, overall “coolness”, etc. Then we’ll make out award certificates and have an awards ceremony for the parks. I’ll be taking lots of pictures so we’ll have a slide show running for the awards ceremony.

]]> By: Curt http://recreationguy.com/what-do-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-379 Curt Sat, 15 May 2010 22:35:59 +0000 http://recreationguy.com/?p=1007#comment-379 We do the normal press releases as well, highlighting our programs. I do know that newspapers like stories, especially when they are accompanied with photos. I spoke with the editor of our local paper (which is something you may want to do with your local editor) and she suggested that you find a human interest story. Find a camper who was changed by his or her camp experience or a staff member who has a great story about what camp did for them. The editor also suggested that we write a short story about an extraordinary thing that will be happening at camp this summer. For example, last year we had a former Survivor contestant come and speak with the campers about what it was like to be on the television show Survivor. That would have been a great press release. Unfortunately, we didn't capitalize on it. I hope those suggestions help. We do the normal press releases as well, highlighting our programs. I do know that newspapers like stories, especially when they are accompanied with photos. I spoke with the editor of our local paper (which is something you may want to do with your local editor) and she suggested that you find a human interest story. Find a camper who was changed by his or her camp experience or a staff member who has a great story about what camp did for them.

The editor also suggested that we write a short story about an extraordinary thing that will be happening at camp this summer. For example, last year we had a former Survivor contestant come and speak with the campers about what it was like to be on the television show Survivor. That would have been a great press release. Unfortunately, we didn’t capitalize on it.

I hope those suggestions help.

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