Camp America Expectations, Jobs & Experience (2026)

Camp America Expectations explained honestly, covering what camp life is really like, daily routines, responsibilities, accommodation, and what to expect before you arrive.

A few years ago now, I headed over to Long Island to work at a USA Summer Camp with the Camp America programme. There wasn’t much written about Camp America experiences those days so I had no idea what to expect. Here is a rundown of what YOU should expect as a camp councillor.

>> Heading to Camp? Check our best advice for getting a job or a typical day as a camp counsellor posts! <<

There are plenty of ways you can earn money while traveling and this is just one of a series from our Working Abroad Series.

Camp America Expectations, Jobs & Experience (2026)

Camp America Accommodations

When it comes to Camp America expectations, accommodation is the most popular question for those heading to work in a summer camp. This of course depends on your camp but generally, you will stay in a wooden or brick cabin with 12-15 children of the same gender as yourself as well as other co-counsellors.

Counsellors often get single beds but depending on space, you may end up with a bunk bed. I was lucky at camp, we had a large brick cabin with 4 large rooms for the children leading off one central living area and then 2 smaller rooms for the counsellors to stay.

Our camp had private shower cubicles and as the girls in my cabin were teenagers, they were pretty good at organising themselves with each other to plan when to shower at different times of the day.

Camp America Food

I was actually a vegetarian during this time of my life so eating at Camp was a bit of a pain. I believe that food options are more varied at summer camps nowadays but when I was there in 2011, there wasn’t much of a range of food to have, a shock during my Camp America expectations.

Breakfast: 3-4 different types of cereal were offered as well as scrambled egg. Each day varied but you would either have potato tots, bacon or rounded sausages. Fridays were often Pancake day. A friend who worked at camp last year said she had more breakfast burritos and french toast at her camp.

Lunch: A mixture of some of the following: chicken breasts, burgers, potato tots, fries, sausages, lasagne, cheese and ham rolls. Lunch was a bit more varied and a salad and fruit bar was also available during lunch.

Dinner: Again, a mixture of the following: Burgers, pizza, lasagne, pasta, Hot dogs, noodles and chicken. A friend of mine said her camp had different themed nights so one night she would have a Mexican night with fajitas and tacos and the next night she may have an Italian night with pizza and pasta available.

As I said, food really varies depending on what camp you are at. If you have any dietary requirements then make sure you notify your camp before arriving. If you are worried about food, you can always check the camp’s website before applying or accepting a job offer. Sample menus are often displayed on the website, if not then you can try the camp’s Facebook page.

Daily Routine

For your Camp America expectations, it’s important to understand daily routine at camp.

Generally, you will be with the children for the majority of the day between 7am to 10pm. This is structured so you have time for a shower and often have a short period of time away from the children to just get away from them for a bit!

Typical Day:

Time	What You’ll Be Doing
7:00–8:00am	Wake up, get dressed, and help campers get ready for the day, including morning routines and cabin checks.
8:00–9:00am	Breakfast in the dining hall with campers, followed by announcements and morning assembly.
9:00–12:00pm	Morning activity sessions such as sports, arts and crafts, swimming, drama, or specialist roles you’re assigned to.
12:00–1:00pm	Lunch with campers, supervision, and a short break if your schedule allows.
1:00–4:00pm	Afternoon activities, free swim, games, or special events depending on the camp schedule.
4:00–5:30pm	Rest hour or downtime for campers, giving counsellors time to relax, shower, or catch up with friends.
5:30–6:30pm	Dinner with campers and evening announcements.
7:00–9:00pm	Evening activities like campfires, talent shows, sports tournaments, or themed nights.
9:00–10:00pm	Cabin time, helping campers get ready for bed and settling them down for the night.
10:00pm onwards	Free time for counsellors or staff meetings, depending on the day and your role.

Camp America Weekly Routine

Some camps have a weekly rota; children will arrive on Sundays and head home on Saturdays. This is the type of camp I worked at which will change your Camp America expectations.

Other camps have children stay for a whole 2-3 weeks then those children go home and new children come whilst other camps may offer a whole summer program for children, with some children arriving for a few days, weeks etc during that summer.

However, after speaking to friends who have worked at a range of camps, I can give you a rough guide to your weekly routine at camp.

Example weekly routine:

Day	How the Week Connects
Monday	The week begins with a staff meeting, setting expectations and starting the regular activity schedule for the week.
Tuesday	Camp settles into its routine, with full activity days and an organised evening event building momentum.
Wednesday	Midweek brings higher energy, special events, or preparation for larger camp-wide activities.
Thursday	The week peaks with competitions, themed days, or big evening events involving the whole camp.
Friday	A celebratory end to the week with campfires, talent shows, or farewell activities for departing campers.
Saturday	A lighter day that allows counsellors some time off, optional off-camp trips, or relaxed camp activities.
Sunday	A slower reset day with rest, prep for the coming week, staff meetings, and personal downtime.

Induction to Camp America

Once you arrive at camp, you will likely have a week of induction with the other staff to prepare yourself for Camp America expectations. This week is often super busy, you will be getting your head about the structure of the camp day and week, be introduced to the various policies of camp and build friendships with those have just met but will be spending the next 9 weeks with.

During this week, you will also be taken to the local town to get your social security number and given a first aid course of some kind. This is your time to enjoy your time with fellow counsellors and get use to the layout of your camp. Trust me, there is nothing worse than getting lost trying to find the nature trail with a group of 15 children.

Camp America roles

There are so many different roles available at camps, perfect for planning and preparing your Camp America expectations. I worked as a drama instructor but was also a co-counsellor for a group of girls each week.

Here are just a few roles you could apply for at camp and understand Camp America expectations:

• General Counsellor – You will be assigned a group of children to spend all day with, assisting and supporting an activity leader with the session. Great for those who just love working with children.
• Sports or Horse Riding Counsellor – Pretty self-explanatory… Those who can lead a sports or horse riding session can go for this role. Camps often offer unusual sports and can, at times, even be led by a counsellor who has little experience in the sport. If you want to spend your summer playing games outside then search for roles of various sports and get applying.
• Adventure Counsellor – This is a great role for those who love adventure but are responsible to take care of children’s safety. You may end up teaching rock climbing, mountain biking or zip lining.
• Creative and performing arts Counsellor – For those with a talent for art, dance, drama, music, photograph and even videography, there are roles available for you to share your skills with children. Apply early as these roles do fill up fast!
• Religious Counsellor – There are a range of religious camps that accept all counsellors regardless of religion (a friend of mine worked at a jewish camp, she isn’t jewish and it wasn’t a problem). However, these camps do look for counsellors of a particularly religion to help organise and run religious focused events and activities through the summer.
• Lifeguards and Waterfront staff – There are so many positions for qualified lifeguards at camp. If you have a lifeguard certificate or experience as a swimming teacher, this is the ideal role for you.
• Special Needs Counsellor – For those with experience as a TA, a special need counsellor is a particularly rewarding role to apply for. Campers are can be aged between 8 up to 80 with various needs. You are given a smaller group of campers to care for but can really make a difference in others lives. If you want to apply for this type of role but have no experience then that is fine, support and training is given on arrival.
• Support staff – For those who want to travel and experience life in America but are not too sure how well they can work with kids, a support staff role may be the perfect fit for you. From drivers to cooks, cleaners to office works; camps look for seasonal support staff to help them during the busy summer. You still get the perks of free accommodation, you get more time off and you often get paid much more in your first year in comparison to a counsellor.

Camp America Rules

The main Camp America expectations, for you as a camp counsellor, is to look after the kids and make their experience at camp fun and enjoyable. Counsellors shouldn’t be or feel the need to tell children off and get angry with the children but instead set clear cabin rules and have a fun summer with them! There are some general expectations and rules that you will be expected to follow at camp:

1. No technology around the children – This one is a biggie for most camps. Camps should be about socialising with other children and enjoying nature. Therefore, mobile phones and laptops should be kept out of sight from the children and are only ever used in the staff areas.
2. Safety – Obviously children’s safety is an important factor of camp life. You need to follow camp policy with issues like bullying. If something arises and you’re not sure how to respond, speak to more experienced counsellors for advise.
3. Stick to the schedule – You will rub people up the wrong way if you are often late for activities throughout the day. Camp is full of hundreds of children, so stick to the schedule just to make everyones life a little easier.
4. Take part – No matter how silly or ridiculous an activity may be, it is important you give everything a try. It is often this ‘give it a go’ attitude that your camp will want to promote in children so you need to show you are giving things a go too.
5. Obvious rules – things like no drugs, no drinking and no smoking are givens. If you are under 21 then don’t bother trying to be served on evenings out. Remember that some of your co-counsellors have grown up at that camp and are likely to share information back to your camp director. That is not to say you can’t go out and have fun but just be cautious!

6. Follow appearance regulations – it may sound strict but often camps have very strict rules on dress code. Make sure you read it and follow the rules to avoid an early dismissal.

7. Run sessions – So this is often a big worry for those heading to work at camp. Depending on your role, you will likely have to run a session every day whilst at camp. During orientation you are given lots of guidance and training for this and can always use handbooks and the internet to help you prepare for your sessions.

I was a drama instructor so before heading to camp, I purchased a “fun drama games” book that gave me loads of ideas for games during my sessions. The children aren’t expecting professional athletes to teach them so don’t over think this part of your job, just mentally prepare lots of different activities you can use.

8. Have fun! – This sounds silly but working at a USA Camp should be a fun and exciting time. If you are worrying about things over there then stop! The people around you are there to help and support you, so seek support if you need it. I was so fortunate to have an amazing team of counsellors that cheered me up when I felt home sick and made my days so much fun.

Post-Camp America Travel

So camp is over, what should you do next? These Camp America expectations still need planning but can be the best part of your adventure.

One of the great things about working at a USA Summer Camp is that you then have some time left at the end of your contract and before your working visa ends. This is the perfect time to get travelling and exploring as much of your USA bucket list as possible.

Calum flew out to America and we travelled to a NYC, Niagara Falls and Washington before heading back for my final year at University. You can choose to travel with people you meet at camp or join a tour.

Camp America have a partnership with Camp America Treks who offer discounted tours around America for Camp Counsellors. Remember, you do not need to worry about travelling after camp and who you may travel with; most counsellors will travel with others they have met at camp or embrace the fun of traveling alone too!

Read some tips on how to plan like a PRO!

Creative Tip: You can opt for a flexible flight option with Camp America, meaning your flight home can be arranged two weeks before you fly home. So you can wait and see what happens at camp, choose your destinations with some fellow counsellors and book flights home for any airport around America.

Camp America Expectations FAQ