WEBVTT
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A lot of camp training focuses on emergencies, conflict, behavior management, big activities, major leadership moments.
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But so much of camp is actually shaped by the small moments.
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Join us as we dive into the little stuff.
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Running camp should be about people, not paperwork.
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Ultracamp helps you manage staff, registration, and communication in one place.
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So you spend less time on tasks and more on camp.
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Find out more at ultracampmanagement.com slash campcoat.
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Welcome to Camp Coat, a podcast for camp people who care deeply about building better staff, stronger culture, and more intentional camp communities.
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Gabrielle is here with me today, all the way from Camp Warro.
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And as always, before we get into the discussion, we'll begin with introductions.
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Gabrielle.
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Hey everybody, I am Colin from Camp Warro.
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I'm surrounded by snow.
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My name is Gaz.
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My pronouns are she, her, El.
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And at Woro, we practice creating a positive environment for girls and gender minorities.
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And we do that in French and English.
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Thanks, Gab.
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And I'm Beth Allison, co-owner of Camp Packer and GoCamp Pro.
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My pronouns are she, her, and today I'm enjoying currently a bit of sunshine and 21 degrees Celsius or 74 Fahrenheit.
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So I'm feeling spring, and that's exciting because I'm getting ready for trainings and all of that.
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Today is our very last episode of the season, and we want to talk about something that we think quietly shapes almost everything at camp, but that often gets way less training attention than it deserves.
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And that is this the in-between moments, the small interactions, the not big enough to be a crisis moments, the ordinary stuff.
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Because when we train staff, we focus on emergencies, behavior issues, conflict, activities, supervision, and all those big visible leadership moments.
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And yes, don't get us wrong, those really matter.
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But so much of camp culture is not actually built in the big moments.
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It's built in transitions, greetings, awkward pauses, waiting time, meal times, lineups, cabin downtime, walking between activities, and all the little interactions that happen in between the main things.
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And as staff don't know how to lead those moments intentionally, camp can become more chaotic, more disconnected, less inclusive, more reactive, and less emotionally safe.
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So today we want to talk about how to train staff for the in-between moments, because those small interactions often shape camper belonging, staff relationships, parent trust, and the emotional tone of camp more than we realize.
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So let's get into it.
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I'm gonna go first here.
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One of the most useful truths that we can teach staff is this camp is not mostly made up of big moments.
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Camp is mostly made up of repeated small ones.
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Yes, campers remember the campfire, the overnight, the theme day, the big game, and the talent show.
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But what often shapes whether they actually feel safe, connected, and known is much smaller.
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So things like who greeted them in the morning, whether somebody noticed that they were sitting alone, how a counselor responded when they were quiet, whether transitions felt chaotic or held, whether mealtime felt inclusive or stressful, whether awkwardness was ignored or guided, whether adults paid attention to the emotional temperature of the group.
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That is huge.
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Because a lot of camp success actually lives in the nothing special is happening right now moments.
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And if staff don't know that, they can unintentionally drift through the exact moments that matter most.
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Now, this is not because staff don't care.
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It's often because they've been trained to think the important parts of camp are only activities, discipline, emergencies, or when something big happens.
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So they unconsciously treat the in-between moments like filler or downtime or dead space.
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And dead space at camp rarely stays dead.
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It usually becomes one of these things: awkwardness, exclusion, dysregulation, weird social dynamics, unnecessary conflict, low-level chaos, or emotional disconnection.
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And I think this is one of the most powerful training reframes that you can give staff.
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Transitions are not empty.
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Waiting time is not empty.
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Downtime is not empty.
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Ordinary moments are not empty.
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They're where leadership lives, and that is a really powerful thing to teach.
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So I think these are the skills staff need for the in-between moments.
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If we want staff to lead these moments well, we need to train some very specific skills.
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So for me, I would say the big ones are noticing, initiating, including, regulating the energy, and using those small moments to build connection.
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So don't worry, I'll go through them all in detail.
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But first, we're going to hear from Gabrielle.
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Yes.
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Oh my gosh, I can't wait to hear all about that.
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I'm going to start with something very, very simple, but I think it's one of those things that sometimes at camp we forget to emphasize the importance on.
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And that's calling people by each other's names as often as possible.
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And most camps do have name tags or, you know, the little tree cookies where you write campers' names on.
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At our camp, you have to wear them for three days.
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That's your meal pass.
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If you want to get into the dining room, you need to have your name tag.
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And it has to be at a height that people can can see see the names.
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But typically, campers, and if you want to start with building connection, you want to start building trust.
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You want to start building those small moments using your campers' names over and over and over again, saying, Thank you, Jessica.
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Can you pass the milk, please?
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You know, Ebra.
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These are the type of things that helps campers start to feel like they're being seen.
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Younger campers also tend to have a really hard time remembering each other's names.
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So teach your staff members, instead of saying she did this or he or could you ask them to say the camper's name and normalize it's okay when we don't, when we forget each other's names, it's okay to ask if what people's names are.
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And then especially for counselors to consistently in front of campers use counselors' names.
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The amount of times that I've asked campers who their counselor is, and they sort of look at me with a blank space, they're like, this is the tall one with the curly dark hair.
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That typically those are your younger campers, but you can feel like you belong to something if you don't if to something special if you don't know people's names.
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So start with the importance and the value of uh of our campers' names and that that when we're calling campers' names on that first day that our that our staff members have practiced, that it's become part of their muscle memory to know their kids' names.
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And if they don't have that privilege, maybe sometimes I did work at a camp where we found out the day of who our campers were, and it just was the way it was, that that we that's what we're doing for the next three days is practicing and saying names, but make it part of your your mission to say each other's names.
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I love that.
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And when I was directing, they got their list the day before, and we had week-long sessions.
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So they had lots of different names all summer long.
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And they had to memorize their eight names on their list by staff meeting the next day.
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So we would often go around and say, Okay, Gabrielle, who are your campers?
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And they, because if you can memorize them initially, then all you're doing is putting faces to those names when those kids arrive.
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And I think that's just a little a little trick to make sure that you know who your campers are and that you're using your names.
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So it's that gap.
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Yeah.
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It's a safety thing, it's a connection thing, it's a sense of belonging thing, and it's it is uh overlooked often, but emphasizing in your staff training is going to make already a difference during the summer.
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Perfect.
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And make sure you're getting the names right because it's really kind of uncomfortable if somebody calls you by the wrong name over and over again.
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Yeah.
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All right.
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Well, we'll get into more of this after our ad from our great sponsors.
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And we are back.
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I want to talk about skill number one that I mentioned earlier, which is noticing.
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And this is where everything starts.
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And Gabs and I did a deep dive on this kind of thing a few episodes ago.
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So if you'd like more, go back and listen.
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But staff need to learn how to notice who is lingering at the edge, who looks unsure, who is left out, who is getting louder because maybe they're dysregulated, who is checked out altogether, who's trying to connect but doesn't know how, what the emotional temperature of the group is.
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That's camp leadership.
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Noticing is what allows staff to intervene early instead of waiting until a problem gets bigger.
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And I think this is one of the best things Camp can help teach young adults in general is pay attention to people, not just to the plans, not just to the schedules, but to people.
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That's such an important skill.
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Number two was initiating.
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So a lot of campers, and honestly, a lot of staff too, are waiting for somebody else to make the first move.
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And in between moments, that matters a lot because if staff don't initiate, you often get that awkward silence or that social clumping or exclusion, or you just get energy dropping off a cliff.
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So we need to teach staff that part of leadership is I will go first.
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So that could mean starting a conversation, inviting someone into the circle, suggesting a mini game, checking in with a quiet camper, creating structure when the moment needs it, breaking that social inertia.
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It's a very trainable skill.
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And you can practice this during staff training.
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So it's one of the biggest differences between staff who passively passively supervise and staff who actively shape camp culture.
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Number three was including.
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And this one is massive because so much inclusion work at camp does not happen in the formal conversations.
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It happens in the small social moments, like who gets invited into a game, who gets asked to sit with you, who gets included in a joke, who gets noticed during lineup, or who gets partnered up without panic, who gets left floating socially while everybody else clusters.
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So that's the real work.
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And staff need to understand that belonging is often built through tiny repeated actions, not grand speeches, not one be inclusive reminder, but tiny invitations like, hey, come with us, or do you want me to help you with this?
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Or you can sit here or want to walk with me.
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Let's make room for so and so.
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These little things change camp for kids and they're absolutely trainable.
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Number four is regulating the energy.
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This one I think is so important and so undertaught.
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The in-between moments often go sideways because the staff don't realize that they need to help shape the energy.
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So sometimes groups need more energy, sometimes less, more structure, more softness, more silliness, more calm, more direction, more connection.
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And the strong staff get better at sensing what does this moment need from me?
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That part is leadership, not what do I feel like doing, but what would help this group right now?
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And that is a really mature staff skill and one that makes a huge difference in camper behavior and transition smoothness and emotional safety and group culture.
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And finally, number five is using those small moments to build connection.
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The best staff know how to use ordinary moments to build relationships.
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And that can look like learning a detail about a camper while they're walking somewhere, like they love dinosaurs, or making space for a one-on-one check-in, or asking really great questions at lunch, not just how is your morning, using lineup to create belonging instead of just control, noticing a staff teammate who seems off, or turning nothing time into relationship time.
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And honestly, this is where some of the deepest camp magic actually happens.
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Not always in the giant program moments, but in the walking side by side or snack table conversation or the waiting in line jokes or quiet check-ins after a rough activity, or a tiny moment where somebody feels seen.
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That matters so much.
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And I'm gonna share more about what all those look like, but first we're going to hear some brilliance from Gabrielle.
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No pressure.
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Yeah, no, no, no.
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I know it'll be brilliant.
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I'm taking notes.
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I'm taking notes.
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That's what so I think I I want to go to centering your staff around the why we're at camp.
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And Beth and I often talk about our mission.
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And we often hear about camp magic.
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And Beth brought up like the sense of belonging.
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And we we've worked over the many years that we've been doing the podcast, we've been trying to define what camp magic means.
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And we sort of boiled it down to camp magic is belonging to something special.
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And you can't belong to something special unless you belong first.
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So the sense of belonging is the most important piece when it comes to campers feeling like this is their special place, home away from home.
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And so when we demystify camp magic, that's just not something that just poof happens, that staff members, the secret ingredient is the sense of belonging.
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It sort of gives them that compass when you're showing showing them, you know, best sort of touch touch points here that she was talking about.
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So so maybe starting with starting with that.
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When I'm looking at regulating energy, sometimes that's something that can be complex for staff members.
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You can see a bunch of kids laughing and giggling.
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And you might think that if you say if a bunch of campers are laughing and giggling, is is that is that good energy?
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Is that negative energy?
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And it always depends.
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So a way of looking at energy and a way of actually looking and observing a group is I like to look at two things.
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Is it calm or chaotic?
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That's one piece.
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And then the other piece is is there connection or disconnection?
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So sometimes when things are nice and calm, there's calm and there's connection.
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Because there's maybe a couple of kids reading a book, but you can sense the energy is connected.
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Sometimes when there's chaotic energy, but they're connecting because they're just riding around and having a great time, that feels good, et cetera, et cetera.
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But if it's chaotic energy and they're disconnected, sometimes it's one kid's being left out, other kids are making fun of that one individual camper, or one camper's trying to dictate to the rest of the campers how to play the game just the way she wants it to be played.
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There's a disconnect from each other and themselves.
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And so teaching staff members that sort of matrix of looking at calm versus chaotic, because we love chaos at camp.
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A little bit of chaos can be really good times.
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Are the campers connected in that moment?
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Are they connected to themselves and others, or are they disconnected?
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And those are the pieces when we're helping staff members with observation, noticing, and when we're looking at including and regulating energy.
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This is just a framework that you can use when you're talking to them about those, those type of things.
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I think also when we're we're also trying to have like those fun moments and we're trying to create that camp magic or a sense of belonging to something special.
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A lot of the times, uh, as Beth was mentioning, if we think about the the fireworks night or or the big game that you play at the end of the summer, I would challenge your staff members to try to get to the dining room or to the buses in a different way that they would typically go.
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And this is an exercise that that veteran staff know how to do with their campers, you know, sort of sneaking around a tree and pretending like nobody can see you or hopping like a bunny rabbit or, you know, whatever that might be.
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But during staff training, putting in these little moments and challenging some of your veteran staff to encourage your new staff members to do just walking from point A to point B in a fun and original way that is fun to their age group.
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So, yes, so those 17, 18, 19-year-olds, if it's fun for them, then it's going to be fun for the younger kids as well.
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So these are just simple things that you can put into your staff training when you're talking about these points that Beth is bringing up.
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And have your return staff share their best ideas.
00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:48.079
Exactly.
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That's a great way to get them involved in those kinds of conversations too.
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I had a staff member many years ago.
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She's now a mother herself, but she was given uh at junior co-ed camp a cabin full of eight seven-year-old boys.
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Now she had a male co-counselor, and so she slept in a different cabin, but she was with them all day long.
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And what she and they were hyper children.
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Yes.
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And she was a member of her yes, she was a member of her university track team.
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So Danny literally ran them everywhere.
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So you always knew what cabin was going by because you could see them just running and screaming and having the greatest time.
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But they would run from the beach to the arts and crafts building to the dining hall.
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They were just literally running as fast as they could go.
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And she wore them out by the end of every day.
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Yeah.
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But that was just what worked for that group of kids.
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So figure out what works with yours.
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Yeah.
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And I would say I would say the I learned at Camp Candler and I I can't remember who taught it to me, but I worked at uh a camp in Ontario for school groups, and I had a very similar high-energy group.
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And our first activity was canoeing.
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And I could I could tell you immediately I knew it was not safe for me by myself with this group.
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So I need to go find the camp director because we had to change programs because my group was not ready for going in the water.
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It was going to be safe.
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So he had he had shared running and yodeling and seeing how far you could get while you run and yodel.
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Well, a bunch of little boys, I'll tell you 12-year-olds running and yodeling was maybe the funniest thing that we and they were like, please can we run and yodel?
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Please.
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I was like, no, now we have to go do archery.
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That is just that it's like after archery, can we run and yodel?
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So and I'm I'm sure this was something that came just was a was just a fun thing that somebody came up with and then just shared it with the group.
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:55.519
But these are these are the little moments, Beth, that you're talking about, are they don't have to be run and yodel.
00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:58.319
They don't have to be, you know, this or that.
00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:06.240
But but carving out time during staff training to and encouraging and role modeling to them the different ways.
00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:11.519
Even think about your first day when you're doing a tour with your staff members and you're showing them the site.
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:18.799
How are you doing it in a way that is just creates those connections, that just creates laughter, that creates getting to know each other?
00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:19.839
How are you doing that?
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:21.599
And take pressure off of yourself.
00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.079
Get your returning staff members to come up with it.
00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.160
They've done the tour so many times, they're not paying attention anyways.
00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:31.279
So get them to come up with when we're going from point A to point B.
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:35.039
I want us to get there in a unique and different way.
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:36.319
I love that.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:37.119
I love that.
00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:37.759
All right.
00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:43.599
So I want to describe sort of what it looks like with each group of people at your camp.
00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:45.039
So let's make it concrete.
00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:48.480
So, what does this kind of thing look like with campers?
00:20:48.799 --> 00:21:15.119
So it might include teaching your staff how to greet them intentionally, to notice social isol isolation early, to create mini engagement during transitions, as we just talked about, to use waiting time for connection instead of chaos, to redirect energy before it escalates, help kids enter spaces more comfortably, or create low pressure opportunities for participation for those who need them.
00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:29.039
So it's great for campers who are missing home, or the shy ones, or the neurodivergent ones, or kids who struggle socially or who don't jump into things easily, or kids who are fine but are quietly drifting.
00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:34.799
And honestly, those are often the kids most affected by the in-between moments, not just the big program ones.
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.960
So if staff can get better at this, camper experience improves dramatically.
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:41.519
What does it look like with staff relationships?
00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:48.079
So these are just, you know, lists that don't have all the answers, but just some of them.
00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:59.680
So it it matters enormously for staff culture because a lot of staff community is built in transitions, in staff room moments or staff lounge moments, or lineup before responsibilities.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:05.519
Or cleanup or handoffs or quick check quick check-ins or low-stake social moments.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:11.519
And staff need to learn that they're also shaping each other's experience through these little interactions.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:30.079
So it means noticing when a teammate is overwhelmed or inviting someone in socially who maybe is new to staff this year or checking in after a moment you know is probably a little bit difficult, or not letting awkwardness just sit there, but using small moments to reset trust and connection.
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.319
A lot of great staff teams are not built through giant trust falls.
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:40.480
They're built through repeated little moments of inclusion and thoughtfulness, humor and attention.
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.240
And that's important to teach too.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:45.519
What does this kind of stuff look like with parents?
00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:47.680
Well, they matter just as much.
00:22:47.839 --> 00:23:11.200
So because parent trust is often built or weakened in tiny moments, so things like if you're a daycamp, the morning greeting, whether a parent gets eye contact from a staff member, whether staff look prepared, or whether a question gets brushed off or welcomed, whether pickup feels connected or rushed, or whether staff seems calm in transition spaces.
00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.960
Those are in-between moments too.
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:17.279
And they communicate a lot, sometimes more than the official parent communication does.
00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:28.160
So staff need to know that the small moments aren't neutral, that they are always communicating something to parents, to campers, to co-workers, to supervisors.
00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.480
And that's why this matters so much.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:34.319
So how would you train it experientially?
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:39.759
Well, honestly, this is one of the best topics to teach experientially because it lives in action.
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:41.599
So here are some of the best ways.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.640
Like walk staff through in-between moment mapping.
00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:48.319
Take a camp day and ask where are the transition points?
00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:50.000
Where is their waiting time?
00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:54.160
Where do kids tend to drift or get awkward or get dysregulated?
00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:57.039
Where where are the social vulnerability points?
00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.039
That alone is just really helpful.
00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:04.240
But you want to replay ordinary moments, not just big crises, which you have to do as well.
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:25.839
But practice greeting a camper who arrives very unsure and doesn't feel like they want to belong there, noticing and including somebody who's left out, handling those four awkward moments before an activity starts, walking a dysregulated group between those kinds of spaces, those activities, checking in with a teammate after a hard moment.
00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:27.440
So, so useful.
00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:33.440
So teach micro moves and give the staff a toolbox of little things that they can do.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:38.880
So again, this can come from your return staff and to get all their best pieces of advice.
00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:41.599
What are some conversation starters they could use?
00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:49.599
Or mini back pocket games or inclusion phrases or quick regulation strategies, low pressure connection moves?
00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:50.799
That will help a lot.
00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:54.079
And I would be debriefing invisible moments.
00:24:54.319 --> 00:25:02.240
So after training activities or, you know, scenarios and stuff, or that you're acting out, what happened in the in-between moments?
00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:04.559
Where did connection grow?
00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:07.440
Where did things start to unravel?
00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:10.640
Or what did strong leadership look like in those spaces?
00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:13.359
That makes the invisible visible.
00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:16.960
And finally, name this skill all summer long.
00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:21.279
So supervisors can say, that was really strong transition, Gabrielle.
00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:22.079
Way to go.
00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:26.079
Or you notice that camper early and that mattered.
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:31.440
You use that waiting time really intentionally, or that was a great inclusion move.
00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:34.559
If you name it, staff will start to value it.
00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:37.279
And when they value it, they'll do it more.
00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.359
Gabrielle, over to you.
00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.720
I love that.
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:42.000
Thanks for those tips.
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.799
I'm jotting those down from my staff this summer.
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:50.799
A lot of a lot of camps do a daily debrief with their campers at the end of the day.
00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:54.400
So my favorite is just roses and thorns and buds.
00:25:54.640 --> 00:26:03.839
Easy peasy, asking what of the days your rose, which is maybe a highlight of the day, your thorn, which is something that you weren't vibing with too much.
00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:06.480
And your bud is something you're looking forward to tomorrow.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.440
And I think the looking forward to tomorrow is really important.
00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:27.519
It gives staff members sort of a hint on, you know, making sure that that thing is happening, checking with the kid, I'm excited for you for this to happen and getting kids like connected to camp, but it also gives them so much information about what they are connecting with and what they're having a hard time with.
00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:29.759
And then teaching staff what to do with that information.
00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:41.359
I love Beth that you brought up the parent piece because when you do that, if you're seeing the parents or their or the kiddos adults once or twice a day, it's so great to be able to have that information.
00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:44.720
And I know at Day Camp life can get really, really busy.
00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:46.559
But just having that information.
00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:51.519
So if you do end up talking to a parent, you're able to say, yeah, they struggled with this a little bit today.
00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:52.960
That's what they shared with me.
00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:54.960
It shows that you already have a connection.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:27:01.599
So doing that with staff members during staff training, sometimes we only start these activities at the beginning of the summer.
00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:10.240
I am I have done that myself where poor staff members are first first evening, returning staff members are like, okay, Roses, Thorns and Buns.
00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:12.480
And poor new staff members are like, what is this?
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.759
I've never done it before.
00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:26.480
So the tools that we already use and build with connections with our campers, build those small moments of importance, do them during staff training, apply them to your staff members so that they can experience it.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:31.279
It also will work for them as well, and then they know what they're supposed to do with that as well.
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:37.039
I'm gonna share also Joe Richards, who who's a uh a pal of ours on Go Camp Pro.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:42.799
He's also a podcaster and a past co-host with myself on Camp Hacker.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:47.200
He did, he does this thing with his staff members where it's just a bucket of stuff.
00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:57.359
He basically picks up a bunch of random stuff around camp and then brings together a bunch of staff members and says, okay, you have 20 minutes, you have 15 kids, this is your stuff.
00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:59.119
I'm gonna come back in five minutes.
00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:01.759
Tell me the activity you want to do with your kids.
00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:06.000
And he says that typically they come up with the zeniest idea.
00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:08.880
He already has ideas that he would already do with these items.
00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:14.960
The other thing he says, a lot of the times they try to use all of the items, and then he comes back and says, Why use all of it?
00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:16.400
Why not just one item?
00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:20.960
Or why not use all of the items and challenges them to think a little bit differently.
00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:35.039
But he said by just doing that, it proves to themselves before the campers arrive that when there is those downtimes that you do want to build connections where the kids are calm, but it's not, they're not really connecting to themselves or to others.
00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:44.400
It proves to the staff members that they are creative, that they are able to say yes and and come up with great ideas just with the random stuff that is around them.
00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:46.079
I love it.
00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:46.720
I love it.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.559
Well, that ends us off, Gab.
00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:52.799
So we're ready for your famous recap one last time this season.
00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:55.759
Oh, recap, recap, recap.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.880
Hey everybody.
00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:58.880
Camp is about the little moments.
00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:01.039
And isn't life about the little moments as well?
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:01.599
Of course.
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.640
And at Camp, we are trying to teach life skills.
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:09.440
And for staff members, those little moments can be scary and inter and intimidating.
00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:10.720
What if I do something wrong?
00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:12.480
What if what I'm doing is not really fun?
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:14.160
What if the kids think I'm not so cool?
00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:17.359
This is all things that can be happening in a staff member's head.
00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:26.319
But we want to emphasize that our number one job is for making campers feel like they belong to something special and that belonging happens in the little moments.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:38.400
Let's start off with learning each other's names and showcasing that we know the names, using the names, and getting our campers to also practice saying names is the first step in making people feel connected so that they can then belong.
00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:44.160
Beth is also asking people saying, Hey, we got to notice the group dynamics that's going on.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.039
Let's pay attention.
00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:52.000
We've also talked in past podcasts that we can put up pictures and images and slideshows and say, what is happening in this picture?
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:53.920
What are we experiencing here?
00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:59.680
So teaching staff members that we are the ones that see make the invisible to become visible.
00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:03.039
We want them to take the first step when kids are not connected.
00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:11.359
Get staff members, even if there's three or four other staff members, if nothing has happened, you have the power and we're encouraging you and empowering you to take that first step.
00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:16.799
What we want at camp is also inclusion, and we want to regulate our energy and we want to build connections.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:21.680
Beth was also talking about having your staff members just brainstorm conversation starters.
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:26.720
Also, I love the idea of creating a map of where does transition happen at camp.
00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:28.559
And you know what happens in transition?
00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:29.519
Growth happens.
00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:33.599
Right now, I'm sitting in a bunch of snow, but I can see some grass popping up.
00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.480
It's springtime.
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:36.319
Transitions is part of growth.
00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:40.480
Emphasize that at camp and show all those growth moments to your staff members.
00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:48.079
And one of my favorite things that Beth said today was that invisible moments become visible when we talk about them.
00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:59.440
Create a carved out time for your staff members to debrief those invisible moments because only when we can give them praise and say, well done, keep going, then that will continue for the rest of your summer.
00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:03.519
And that's going to pass on to the staff members of this summer, to the staff members of next summer.
00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:06.880
And you're going to have less headaches on your hand, truthfully, because you're building connections.
00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:10.319
So the little moments is why Beth and I are doing what we do here with you.
00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:13.119
We hope you have a wonderful, wonderful season.
00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:17.920
We are so grateful to that you take the time and listen to us truthfully.
00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:20.480
It's it's it's very special the work that we get to do.
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:26.559
And we're so grateful for the work that you do and make this world a little bit better just by being you and running summer camp.
00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:32.160
It almost feels like the wrap-up to the podcast, but we're we do, we do.
00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:32.880
All right.
00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:41.920
So you can let us know any topics you would like us to discuss, or any guests you recommend we have on the show, or any great leadership training tips that you want to share.
00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:46.640
We would love for hearing from you, but we won't be doing any podcasting till the fall.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:50.000
So you got lots of time to get some ideas to us.
00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:58.160
Or if throughout the summer something happens and you think, oh, I would really use a podcast on this, shoot us an email and we'll put it on the schedule for season 13.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:58.960
All right.
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:02.240
So Gabrielle, how can they find you, please?
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:08.559
Well, you can check out where I work at warro.com and you can get in touch with me at info at warro.com.
00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:12.000
And Warrow is spelt O-U-A-R-E-A-U.
00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:13.839
Thanks, Gab.
00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:20.720
Our website is gocamp.pro, my email, Beth at GoCamp.pro, and I'm on threads at topaz underscore Fay.
00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:25.359
And for our next podcast, you will have to wait until the summer is over.
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:31.119
So we don't really have a best practice necessarily, but we do have a bit of a wrap-up for today.
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:37.599
So if I were teaching this particular skill in leadership training, I would probably end with something like this.
00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:42.240
Some of the most important leadership moments at camp will not feel dramatic.
00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:48.319
They won't always be the campfire or the skit night or the emergency or the giant breakthrough moment.
00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:54.160
Often the moments that shape camp most are the small ones, the in-between ones, the ordinary ones.
00:32:54.400 --> 00:33:04.480
How you greet someone, how you notice them, how you include someone, how you handle waiting time or how you respond to awkwardness, how you shape the emotional tone of a group.
00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:06.640
Those things matter a lot.
00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:11.680
Do not underestimate the power of small moments handled with intention.
00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:15.680
And honestly, that's such a powerful thing for camp leaders to remember too.
00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:24.720
Because if we want camp to feel connected and inclusive and calm and relational and emotionally safe, we cannot only train for the big moments.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:28.960
We have to train for the little ones too, because that's where culture lives.
00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:32.640
Camp Code is part of the Go Camp Pro Podcast Network.
00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:37.680
And you can check out all of our other podcasts at gocamp.pro slash podcasts.
00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:48.880
As you head into the summer, we just want to leave you with this be intentional with your words, with your time, with your energy, with the culture that you're creating every single day.
00:33:49.359 --> 00:34:00.400
The little things you do now, the conversations you have, the expectations you set, the way you welcome or coach or notice and lead your staff, those are the things that shape the summer more than you know.
00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:03.039
Not everything will go perfectly.
00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:05.359
Camp never works that way.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:10.400
There will be messy moments, unexpected challenges, and days that feel endless.
00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:17.360
But there will also be laughter and growth and connection and joy and the kind of magic that only camp can create.
00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:24.159
So trust what you've built, trust the people around you, trust the process, and trust that the work you're doing matters deeply.
00:34:24.559 --> 00:34:30.719
You're helping create an experience that staff and campers may carry with them for the rest of their lives.
00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:33.760
And we're cheering you on every step of the way.
00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:37.360
So have a beautiful, meaningful, memory-filled summer.
00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:39.360
And thanks for the listening, friends.
00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:45.039
Please remember, no other industry shares their best practices the way summer camps do.
00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:53.280
If you use an idea you heard on a GoCamp Pro podcast, please be professional and remember to give credit where credit is due.
00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:56.480
The Camp Code is brought to you by GoCamp Pro.
00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:58.880
Thanks for listening, friends.
00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:00.960
Camp Hacker.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:08.000
A lot of camp training focuses on emergencies, conflict, behavior management, big activities, major leadership moments.
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.240
But so much of camp is actually shaped by the small moments.
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.839
Join us as we dive into the little stuff.
00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:29.839
Running camp should be about people, not paperwork.
00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:34.799
Ultracamp helps you manage staff, registration, and communication in one place.
00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:38.159
So you spend less time on tasks and more on camp.
00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:42.799
Find out more at ultracampmanagement.com slash campcoat.
00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:54.960
Welcome to Camp Coat, a podcast for camp people who care deeply about building better staff, stronger culture, and more intentional camp communities.
00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:58.960
Gabrielle is here with me today, all the way from Camp Warro.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.359
And as always, before we get into the discussion, we'll begin with introductions.
00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:04.159
Gabrielle.
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.200
Hey everybody, I am Colin from Camp Warro.
00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:08.239
I'm surrounded by snow.
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:09.200
My name is Gaz.
00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:10.640
My pronouns are she, her, El.
00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:15.519
And at Woro, we practice creating a positive environment for girls and gender minorities.
00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:17.840
And we do that in French and English.
00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:18.879
Thanks, Gab.
00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:22.560
And I'm Beth Allison, co-owner of Camp Packer and GoCamp Pro.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:31.359
My pronouns are she, her, and today I'm enjoying currently a bit of sunshine and 21 degrees Celsius or 74 Fahrenheit.
00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:37.040
So I'm feeling spring, and that's exciting because I'm getting ready for trainings and all of that.
00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:49.599
Today is our very last episode of the season, and we want to talk about something that we think quietly shapes almost everything at camp, but that often gets way less training attention than it deserves.
00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:58.879
And that is this the in-between moments, the small interactions, the not big enough to be a crisis moments, the ordinary stuff.
00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:08.000
Because when we train staff, we focus on emergencies, behavior issues, conflict, activities, supervision, and all those big visible leadership moments.
00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:11.280
And yes, don't get us wrong, those really matter.
00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:15.520
But so much of camp culture is not actually built in the big moments.
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:29.680
It's built in transitions, greetings, awkward pauses, waiting time, meal times, lineups, cabin downtime, walking between activities, and all the little interactions that happen in between the main things.
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:40.879
And as staff don't know how to lead those moments intentionally, camp can become more chaotic, more disconnected, less inclusive, more reactive, and less emotionally safe.
00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:55.759
So today we want to talk about how to train staff for the in-between moments, because those small interactions often shape camper belonging, staff relationships, parent trust, and the emotional tone of camp more than we realize.
00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.280
So let's get into it.
00:02:57.439 --> 00:02:58.800
I'm gonna go first here.
00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:04.960
One of the most useful truths that we can teach staff is this camp is not mostly made up of big moments.
00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.479
Camp is mostly made up of repeated small ones.
00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:14.319
Yes, campers remember the campfire, the overnight, the theme day, the big game, and the talent show.
00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:20.879
But what often shapes whether they actually feel safe, connected, and known is much smaller.
00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:42.080
So things like who greeted them in the morning, whether somebody noticed that they were sitting alone, how a counselor responded when they were quiet, whether transitions felt chaotic or held, whether mealtime felt inclusive or stressful, whether awkwardness was ignored or guided, whether adults paid attention to the emotional temperature of the group.
00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:43.439
That is huge.
00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:49.919
Because a lot of camp success actually lives in the nothing special is happening right now moments.
00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:56.080
And if staff don't know that, they can unintentionally drift through the exact moments that matter most.
00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:58.639
Now, this is not because staff don't care.
00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:08.000
It's often because they've been trained to think the important parts of camp are only activities, discipline, emergencies, or when something big happens.
00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:13.840
So they unconsciously treat the in-between moments like filler or downtime or dead space.
00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.800
And dead space at camp rarely stays dead.
00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:28.959
It usually becomes one of these things: awkwardness, exclusion, dysregulation, weird social dynamics, unnecessary conflict, low-level chaos, or emotional disconnection.
00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:34.240
And I think this is one of the most powerful training reframes that you can give staff.
00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:37.199
Transitions are not empty.
00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:39.600
Waiting time is not empty.
00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:42.160
Downtime is not empty.
00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:45.120
Ordinary moments are not empty.
00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:49.199
They're where leadership lives, and that is a really powerful thing to teach.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:52.800
So I think these are the skills staff need for the in-between moments.
00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:58.399
If we want staff to lead these moments well, we need to train some very specific skills.
00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:10.000
So for me, I would say the big ones are noticing, initiating, including, regulating the energy, and using those small moments to build connection.
00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.399
So don't worry, I'll go through them all in detail.
00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:14.399
But first, we're going to hear from Gabrielle.
00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:15.040
Yes.
00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.600
Oh my gosh, I can't wait to hear all about that.
00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:27.120
I'm going to start with something very, very simple, but I think it's one of those things that sometimes at camp we forget to emphasize the importance on.
00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:32.000
And that's calling people by each other's names as often as possible.
00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:38.560
And most camps do have name tags or, you know, the little tree cookies where you write campers' names on.
00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:41.199
At our camp, you have to wear them for three days.
00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:42.240
That's your meal pass.
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:44.879
If you want to get into the dining room, you need to have your name tag.
00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:49.680
And it has to be at a height that people can can see see the names.
00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:56.800
But typically, campers, and if you want to start with building connection, you want to start building trust.
00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:04.079
You want to start building those small moments using your campers' names over and over and over again, saying, Thank you, Jessica.
00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:05.839
Can you pass the milk, please?
00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:06.959
You know, Ebra.
00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:12.800
These are the type of things that helps campers start to feel like they're being seen.
00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:17.759
Younger campers also tend to have a really hard time remembering each other's names.
00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:33.040
So teach your staff members, instead of saying she did this or he or could you ask them to say the camper's name and normalize it's okay when we don't, when we forget each other's names, it's okay to ask if what people's names are.
00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:38.399
And then especially for counselors to consistently in front of campers use counselors' names.
00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:48.000
The amount of times that I've asked campers who their counselor is, and they sort of look at me with a blank space, they're like, this is the tall one with the curly dark hair.
00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:57.279
That typically those are your younger campers, but you can feel like you belong to something if you don't if to something special if you don't know people's names.
00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:13.600
So start with the importance and the value of uh of our campers' names and that that when we're calling campers' names on that first day that our that our staff members have practiced, that it's become part of their muscle memory to know their kids' names.
00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:30.240
And if they don't have that privilege, maybe sometimes I did work at a camp where we found out the day of who our campers were, and it just was the way it was, that that we that's what we're doing for the next three days is practicing and saying names, but make it part of your your mission to say each other's names.
00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:31.360
I love that.
00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:37.600
And when I was directing, they got their list the day before, and we had week-long sessions.
00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:40.480
So they had lots of different names all summer long.
00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:48.079
And they had to memorize their eight names on their list by staff meeting the next day.
00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:51.839
So we would often go around and say, Okay, Gabrielle, who are your campers?
00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:59.360
And they, because if you can memorize them initially, then all you're doing is putting faces to those names when those kids arrive.
00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:06.000
And I think that's just a little a little trick to make sure that you know who your campers are and that you're using your names.
00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:07.279
So it's that gap.
00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:07.759
Yeah.
00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:19.759
It's a safety thing, it's a connection thing, it's a sense of belonging thing, and it's it is uh overlooked often, but emphasizing in your staff training is going to make already a difference during the summer.
00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:20.560
Perfect.
00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:28.079
And make sure you're getting the names right because it's really kind of uncomfortable if somebody calls you by the wrong name over and over again.
00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:28.720
Yeah.
00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:29.600
All right.
00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:34.559
Well, we'll get into more of this after our ad from our great sponsors.
00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:36.000
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00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:46.960
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00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.080
And we are back.
00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:28.799
I want to talk about skill number one that I mentioned earlier, which is noticing.
00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:30.159
And this is where everything starts.
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:34.559
And Gabs and I did a deep dive on this kind of thing a few episodes ago.
00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:36.639
So if you'd like more, go back and listen.
00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:53.759
But staff need to learn how to notice who is lingering at the edge, who looks unsure, who is left out, who is getting louder because maybe they're dysregulated, who is checked out altogether, who's trying to connect but doesn't know how, what the emotional temperature of the group is.
00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:55.120
That's camp leadership.
00:09:55.360 --> 00:10:00.879
Noticing is what allows staff to intervene early instead of waiting until a problem gets bigger.
00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:11.600
And I think this is one of the best things Camp can help teach young adults in general is pay attention to people, not just to the plans, not just to the schedules, but to people.
00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:13.519
That's such an important skill.
00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.759
Number two was initiating.
00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:22.320
So a lot of campers, and honestly, a lot of staff too, are waiting for somebody else to make the first move.
00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:34.879
And in between moments, that matters a lot because if staff don't initiate, you often get that awkward silence or that social clumping or exclusion, or you just get energy dropping off a cliff.
00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:39.759
So we need to teach staff that part of leadership is I will go first.
00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:54.000
So that could mean starting a conversation, inviting someone into the circle, suggesting a mini game, checking in with a quiet camper, creating structure when the moment needs it, breaking that social inertia.
00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:55.679
It's a very trainable skill.
00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.080
And you can practice this during staff training.
00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:06.080
So it's one of the biggest differences between staff who passively passively supervise and staff who actively shape camp culture.
00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:08.559
Number three was including.
00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:14.399
And this one is massive because so much inclusion work at camp does not happen in the formal conversations.
00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:31.840
It happens in the small social moments, like who gets invited into a game, who gets asked to sit with you, who gets included in a joke, who gets noticed during lineup, or who gets partnered up without panic, who gets left floating socially while everybody else clusters.
00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.279
So that's the real work.
00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:48.720
And staff need to understand that belonging is often built through tiny repeated actions, not grand speeches, not one be inclusive reminder, but tiny invitations like, hey, come with us, or do you want me to help you with this?
00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:52.720
Or you can sit here or want to walk with me.
00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:54.799
Let's make room for so and so.
00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:59.679
These little things change camp for kids and they're absolutely trainable.
00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.879
Number four is regulating the energy.
00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:06.399
This one I think is so important and so undertaught.
00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:12.720
The in-between moments often go sideways because the staff don't realize that they need to help shape the energy.
00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:22.720
So sometimes groups need more energy, sometimes less, more structure, more softness, more silliness, more calm, more direction, more connection.
00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:27.840
And the strong staff get better at sensing what does this moment need from me?
00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:34.639
That part is leadership, not what do I feel like doing, but what would help this group right now?
00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:44.559
And that is a really mature staff skill and one that makes a huge difference in camper behavior and transition smoothness and emotional safety and group culture.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:48.879
And finally, number five is using those small moments to build connection.
00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:53.360
The best staff know how to use ordinary moments to build relationships.
00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:18.639
And that can look like learning a detail about a camper while they're walking somewhere, like they love dinosaurs, or making space for a one-on-one check-in, or asking really great questions at lunch, not just how is your morning, using lineup to create belonging instead of just control, noticing a staff teammate who seems off, or turning nothing time into relationship time.
00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:22.639
And honestly, this is where some of the deepest camp magic actually happens.
00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:36.320
Not always in the giant program moments, but in the walking side by side or snack table conversation or the waiting in line jokes or quiet check-ins after a rough activity, or a tiny moment where somebody feels seen.
00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:38.240
That matters so much.
00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:44.559
And I'm gonna share more about what all those look like, but first we're going to hear some brilliance from Gabrielle.
00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:47.200
No pressure.
00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:48.559
Yeah, no, no, no.
00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:50.720
I know it'll be brilliant.
00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:51.919
I'm taking notes.
00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:52.639
I'm taking notes.
00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:59.679
That's what so I think I I want to go to centering your staff around the why we're at camp.
00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.159
And Beth and I often talk about our mission.
00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.639
And we often hear about camp magic.
00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:06.879
And Beth brought up like the sense of belonging.
00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:13.440
And we we've worked over the many years that we've been doing the podcast, we've been trying to define what camp magic means.
00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:18.879
And we sort of boiled it down to camp magic is belonging to something special.
00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:23.279
And you can't belong to something special unless you belong first.
00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:32.720
So the sense of belonging is the most important piece when it comes to campers feeling like this is their special place, home away from home.
00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:42.480
And so when we demystify camp magic, that's just not something that just poof happens, that staff members, the secret ingredient is the sense of belonging.
00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:50.320
It sort of gives them that compass when you're showing showing them, you know, best sort of touch touch points here that she was talking about.
00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.960
So so maybe starting with starting with that.
00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:59.600
When I'm looking at regulating energy, sometimes that's something that can be complex for staff members.
00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:02.320
You can see a bunch of kids laughing and giggling.
00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:08.480
And you might think that if you say if a bunch of campers are laughing and giggling, is is that is that good energy?
00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:09.840
Is that negative energy?
00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:11.840
And it always depends.
00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:21.759
So a way of looking at energy and a way of actually looking and observing a group is I like to look at two things.
00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:24.879
Is it calm or chaotic?
00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:26.159
That's one piece.
00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.320
And then the other piece is is there connection or disconnection?
00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:34.720
So sometimes when things are nice and calm, there's calm and there's connection.
00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:39.519
Because there's maybe a couple of kids reading a book, but you can sense the energy is connected.
00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:49.600
Sometimes when there's chaotic energy, but they're connecting because they're just riding around and having a great time, that feels good, et cetera, et cetera.
00:15:49.759 --> 00:16:04.960
But if it's chaotic energy and they're disconnected, sometimes it's one kid's being left out, other kids are making fun of that one individual camper, or one camper's trying to dictate to the rest of the campers how to play the game just the way she wants it to be played.
00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:08.159
There's a disconnect from each other and themselves.
00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:15.120
And so teaching staff members that sort of matrix of looking at calm versus chaotic, because we love chaos at camp.
00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:18.240
A little bit of chaos can be really good times.
00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:20.879
Are the campers connected in that moment?
00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:24.159
Are they connected to themselves and others, or are they disconnected?
00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:32.559
And those are the pieces when we're helping staff members with observation, noticing, and when we're looking at including and regulating energy.
00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:37.039
This is just a framework that you can use when you're talking to them about those, those type of things.
00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:46.720
I think also when we're we're also trying to have like those fun moments and we're trying to create that camp magic or a sense of belonging to something special.
00:16:46.960 --> 00:17:03.759
A lot of the times, uh, as Beth was mentioning, if we think about the the fireworks night or or the big game that you play at the end of the summer, I would challenge your staff members to try to get to the dining room or to the buses in a different way that they would typically go.
00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:16.240
And this is an exercise that that veteran staff know how to do with their campers, you know, sort of sneaking around a tree and pretending like nobody can see you or hopping like a bunny rabbit or, you know, whatever that might be.
00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:30.400
But during staff training, putting in these little moments and challenging some of your veteran staff to encourage your new staff members to do just walking from point A to point B in a fun and original way that is fun to their age group.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:37.279
So, yes, so those 17, 18, 19-year-olds, if it's fun for them, then it's going to be fun for the younger kids as well.
00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:44.079
So these are just simple things that you can put into your staff training when you're talking about these points that Beth is bringing up.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:47.519
And have your return staff share their best ideas.
00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:48.079
Exactly.
00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:52.079
That's a great way to get them involved in those kinds of conversations too.
00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:54.799
I had a staff member many years ago.
00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:05.119
She's now a mother herself, but she was given uh at junior co-ed camp a cabin full of eight seven-year-old boys.
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:11.200
Now she had a male co-counselor, and so she slept in a different cabin, but she was with them all day long.
00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:15.680
And what she and they were hyper children.
00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:16.400
Yes.
00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:24.079
And she was a member of her yes, she was a member of her university track team.
00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:29.119
So Danny literally ran them everywhere.
00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:35.759
So you always knew what cabin was going by because you could see them just running and screaming and having the greatest time.
00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:40.400
But they would run from the beach to the arts and crafts building to the dining hall.
00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:45.599
They were just literally running as fast as they could go.
00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:48.079
And she wore them out by the end of every day.
00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:49.200
Yeah.
00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:52.079
But that was just what worked for that group of kids.
00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:53.839
So figure out what works with yours.
00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:54.319
Yeah.
00:18:54.799 --> 00:19:05.680
And I would say I would say the I learned at Camp Candler and I I can't remember who taught it to me, but I worked at uh a camp in Ontario for school groups, and I had a very similar high-energy group.
00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:07.920
And our first activity was canoeing.
00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:13.200
And I could I could tell you immediately I knew it was not safe for me by myself with this group.
00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:20.640
So I need to go find the camp director because we had to change programs because my group was not ready for going in the water.
00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:21.759
It was going to be safe.
00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:26.960
So he had he had shared running and yodeling and seeing how far you could get while you run and yodel.
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:35.680
Well, a bunch of little boys, I'll tell you 12-year-olds running and yodeling was maybe the funniest thing that we and they were like, please can we run and yodel?
00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:36.160
Please.
00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.319
I was like, no, now we have to go do archery.
00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:41.839
That is just that it's like after archery, can we run and yodel?
00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:49.039
So and I'm I'm sure this was something that came just was a was just a fun thing that somebody came up with and then just shared it with the group.
00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:55.519
But these are these are the little moments, Beth, that you're talking about, are they don't have to be run and yodel.
00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:58.319
They don't have to be, you know, this or that.
00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:06.240
But but carving out time during staff training to and encouraging and role modeling to them the different ways.
00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:11.519
Even think about your first day when you're doing a tour with your staff members and you're showing them the site.
00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:18.799
How are you doing it in a way that is just creates those connections, that just creates laughter, that creates getting to know each other?
00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:19.839
How are you doing that?
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:21.599
And take pressure off of yourself.
00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.079
Get your returning staff members to come up with it.
00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.160
They've done the tour so many times, they're not paying attention anyways.
00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:31.279
So get them to come up with when we're going from point A to point B.
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:35.039
I want us to get there in a unique and different way.
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:36.319
I love that.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:37.119
I love that.
00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:37.759
All right.
00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:43.599
So I want to describe sort of what it looks like with each group of people at your camp.
00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:45.039
So let's make it concrete.
00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:48.480
So, what does this kind of thing look like with campers?
00:20:48.799 --> 00:21:15.119
So it might include teaching your staff how to greet them intentionally, to notice social isol isolation early, to create mini engagement during transitions, as we just talked about, to use waiting time for connection instead of chaos, to redirect energy before it escalates, help kids enter spaces more comfortably, or create low pressure opportunities for participation for those who need them.
00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:29.039
So it's great for campers who are missing home, or the shy ones, or the neurodivergent ones, or kids who struggle socially or who don't jump into things easily, or kids who are fine but are quietly drifting.
00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:34.799
And honestly, those are often the kids most affected by the in-between moments, not just the big program ones.
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.960
So if staff can get better at this, camper experience improves dramatically.
00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:41.519
What does it look like with staff relationships?
00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:48.079
So these are just, you know, lists that don't have all the answers, but just some of them.
00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:59.680
So it it matters enormously for staff culture because a lot of staff community is built in transitions, in staff room moments or staff lounge moments, or lineup before responsibilities.
00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:05.519
Or cleanup or handoffs or quick check quick check-ins or low-stake social moments.
00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:11.519
And staff need to learn that they're also shaping each other's experience through these little interactions.
00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:30.079
So it means noticing when a teammate is overwhelmed or inviting someone in socially who maybe is new to staff this year or checking in after a moment you know is probably a little bit difficult, or not letting awkwardness just sit there, but using small moments to reset trust and connection.
00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.319
A lot of great staff teams are not built through giant trust falls.
00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:40.480
They're built through repeated little moments of inclusion and thoughtfulness, humor and attention.
00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.240
And that's important to teach too.
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:45.519
What does this kind of stuff look like with parents?
00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:47.680
Well, they matter just as much.
00:22:47.839 --> 00:23:11.200
So because parent trust is often built or weakened in tiny moments, so things like if you're a daycamp, the morning greeting, whether a parent gets eye contact from a staff member, whether staff look prepared, or whether a question gets brushed off or welcomed, whether pickup feels connected or rushed, or whether staff seems calm in transition spaces.
00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.960
Those are in-between moments too.
00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:17.279
And they communicate a lot, sometimes more than the official parent communication does.
00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:28.160
So staff need to know that the small moments aren't neutral, that they are always communicating something to parents, to campers, to co-workers, to supervisors.
00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.480
And that's why this matters so much.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:34.319
So how would you train it experientially?
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:39.759
Well, honestly, this is one of the best topics to teach experientially because it lives in action.
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:41.599
So here are some of the best ways.
00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:44.640
Like walk staff through in-between moment mapping.
00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:48.319
Take a camp day and ask where are the transition points?
00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:50.000
Where is their waiting time?
00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:54.160
Where do kids tend to drift or get awkward or get dysregulated?
00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:57.039
Where where are the social vulnerability points?
00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.039
That alone is just really helpful.
00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:04.240
But you want to replay ordinary moments, not just big crises, which you have to do as well.
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:25.839
But practice greeting a camper who arrives very unsure and doesn't feel like they want to belong there, noticing and including somebody who's left out, handling those four awkward moments before an activity starts, walking a dysregulated group between those kinds of spaces, those activities, checking in with a teammate after a hard moment.
00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:27.440
So, so useful.
00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:33.440
So teach micro moves and give the staff a toolbox of little things that they can do.
00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:38.880
So again, this can come from your return staff and to get all their best pieces of advice.
00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:41.599
What are some conversation starters they could use?
00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:49.599
Or mini back pocket games or inclusion phrases or quick regulation strategies, low pressure connection moves?
00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:50.799
That will help a lot.
00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:54.079
And I would be debriefing invisible moments.
00:24:54.319 --> 00:25:02.240
So after training activities or, you know, scenarios and stuff, or that you're acting out, what happened in the in-between moments?
00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:04.559
Where did connection grow?
00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:07.440
Where did things start to unravel?
00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:10.640
Or what did strong leadership look like in those spaces?
00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:13.359
That makes the invisible visible.
00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:16.960
And finally, name this skill all summer long.
00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:21.279
So supervisors can say, that was really strong transition, Gabrielle.
00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:22.079
Way to go.
00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:26.079
Or you notice that camper early and that mattered.
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:31.440
You use that waiting time really intentionally, or that was a great inclusion move.
00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:34.559
If you name it, staff will start to value it.
00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:37.279
And when they value it, they'll do it more.
00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.359
Gabrielle, over to you.
00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.720
I love that.
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:42.000
Thanks for those tips.
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.799
I'm jotting those down from my staff this summer.
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:50.799
A lot of a lot of camps do a daily debrief with their campers at the end of the day.
00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:54.400
So my favorite is just roses and thorns and buds.
00:25:54.640 --> 00:26:03.839
Easy peasy, asking what of the days your rose, which is maybe a highlight of the day, your thorn, which is something that you weren't vibing with too much.
00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:06.480
And your bud is something you're looking forward to tomorrow.
00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:09.440
And I think the looking forward to tomorrow is really important.
00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:27.519
It gives staff members sort of a hint on, you know, making sure that that thing is happening, checking with the kid, I'm excited for you for this to happen and getting kids like connected to camp, but it also gives them so much information about what they are connecting with and what they're having a hard time with.
00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:29.759
And then teaching staff what to do with that information.
00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:41.359
I love Beth that you brought up the parent piece because when you do that, if you're seeing the parents or their or the kiddos adults once or twice a day, it's so great to be able to have that information.
00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:44.720
And I know at Day Camp life can get really, really busy.
00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:46.559
But just having that information.
00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:51.519
So if you do end up talking to a parent, you're able to say, yeah, they struggled with this a little bit today.
00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:52.960
That's what they shared with me.
00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:54.960
It shows that you already have a connection.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:27:01.599
So doing that with staff members during staff training, sometimes we only start these activities at the beginning of the summer.
00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:10.240
I am I have done that myself where poor staff members are first first evening, returning staff members are like, okay, Roses, Thorns and Buns.
00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:12.480
And poor new staff members are like, what is this?
00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.759
I've never done it before.
00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:26.480
So the tools that we already use and build with connections with our campers, build those small moments of importance, do them during staff training, apply them to your staff members so that they can experience it.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:31.279
It also will work for them as well, and then they know what they're supposed to do with that as well.
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:37.039
I'm gonna share also Joe Richards, who who's a uh a pal of ours on Go Camp Pro.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:42.799
He's also a podcaster and a past co-host with myself on Camp Hacker.
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:47.200
He did, he does this thing with his staff members where it's just a bucket of stuff.
00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:57.359
He basically picks up a bunch of random stuff around camp and then brings together a bunch of staff members and says, okay, you have 20 minutes, you have 15 kids, this is your stuff.
00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:59.119
I'm gonna come back in five minutes.
00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:01.759
Tell me the activity you want to do with your kids.
00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:06.000
And he says that typically they come up with the zeniest idea.
00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:08.880
He already has ideas that he would already do with these items.
00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:14.960
The other thing he says, a lot of the times they try to use all of the items, and then he comes back and says, Why use all of it?
00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:16.400
Why not just one item?
00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:20.960
Or why not use all of the items and challenges them to think a little bit differently.
00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:35.039
But he said by just doing that, it proves to themselves before the campers arrive that when there is those downtimes that you do want to build connections where the kids are calm, but it's not, they're not really connecting to themselves or to others.
00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:44.400
It proves to the staff members that they are creative, that they are able to say yes and and come up with great ideas just with the random stuff that is around them.
00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:46.079
I love it.
00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:46.720
I love it.
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.559
Well, that ends us off, Gab.
00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:52.799
So we're ready for your famous recap one last time this season.
00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:55.759
Oh, recap, recap, recap.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.880
Hey everybody.
00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:58.880
Camp is about the little moments.
00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:01.039
And isn't life about the little moments as well?
00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:01.599
Of course.
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.640
And at Camp, we are trying to teach life skills.
00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:09.440
And for staff members, those little moments can be scary and inter and intimidating.
00:29:09.599 --> 00:29:10.720
What if I do something wrong?
00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:12.480
What if what I'm doing is not really fun?
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:14.160
What if the kids think I'm not so cool?
00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:17.359
This is all things that can be happening in a staff member's head.
00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:26.319
But we want to emphasize that our number one job is for making campers feel like they belong to something special and that belonging happens in the little moments.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:38.400
Let's start off with learning each other's names and showcasing that we know the names, using the names, and getting our campers to also practice saying names is the first step in making people feel connected so that they can then belong.
00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:44.160
Beth is also asking people saying, Hey, we got to notice the group dynamics that's going on.
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.039
Let's pay attention.
00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:52.000
We've also talked in past podcasts that we can put up pictures and images and slideshows and say, what is happening in this picture?
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:53.920
What are we experiencing here?
00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:59.680
So teaching staff members that we are the ones that see make the invisible to become visible.
00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:03.039
We want them to take the first step when kids are not connected.
00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:11.359
Get staff members, even if there's three or four other staff members, if nothing has happened, you have the power and we're encouraging you and empowering you to take that first step.
00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:16.799
What we want at camp is also inclusion, and we want to regulate our energy and we want to build connections.
00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:21.680
Beth was also talking about having your staff members just brainstorm conversation starters.
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:26.720
Also, I love the idea of creating a map of where does transition happen at camp.
00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:28.559
And you know what happens in transition?
00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:29.519
Growth happens.
00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:33.599
Right now, I'm sitting in a bunch of snow, but I can see some grass popping up.
00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.480
It's springtime.
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:36.319
Transitions is part of growth.
00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:40.480
Emphasize that at camp and show all those growth moments to your staff members.
00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:48.079
And one of my favorite things that Beth said today was that invisible moments become visible when we talk about them.
00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:59.440
Create a carved out time for your staff members to debrief those invisible moments because only when we can give them praise and say, well done, keep going, then that will continue for the rest of your summer.
00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:03.519
And that's going to pass on to the staff members of this summer, to the staff members of next summer.
00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:06.880
And you're going to have less headaches on your hand, truthfully, because you're building connections.
00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:10.319
So the little moments is why Beth and I are doing what we do here with you.
00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:13.119
We hope you have a wonderful, wonderful season.
00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:17.920
We are so grateful to that you take the time and listen to us truthfully.
00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:20.480
It's it's it's very special the work that we get to do.
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:26.559
And we're so grateful for the work that you do and make this world a little bit better just by being you and running summer camp.
00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:32.160
It almost feels like the wrap-up to the podcast, but we're we do, we do.
00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:32.880
All right.
00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:41.920
So you can let us know any topics you would like us to discuss, or any guests you recommend we have on the show, or any great leadership training tips that you want to share.
00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:46.640
We would love for hearing from you, but we won't be doing any podcasting till the fall.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:50.000
So you got lots of time to get some ideas to us.
00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:58.160
Or if throughout the summer something happens and you think, oh, I would really use a podcast on this, shoot us an email and we'll put it on the schedule for season 13.
00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:58.960
All right.
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:02.240
So Gabrielle, how can they find you, please?
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:08.559
Well, you can check out where I work at warro.com and you can get in touch with me at info at warro.com.
00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:12.000
And Warrow is spelt O-U-A-R-E-A-U.
00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:13.839
Thanks, Gab.
00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:20.720
Our website is gocamp.pro, my email, Beth at GoCamp.pro, and I'm on threads at topaz underscore Fay.
00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:25.359
And for our next podcast, you will have to wait until the summer is over.
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:31.119
So we don't really have a best practice necessarily, but we do have a bit of a wrap-up for today.
00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:37.599
So if I were teaching this particular skill in leadership training, I would probably end with something like this.
00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:42.240
Some of the most important leadership moments at camp will not feel dramatic.
00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:48.319
They won't always be the campfire or the skit night or the emergency or the giant breakthrough moment.
00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:54.160
Often the moments that shape camp most are the small ones, the in-between ones, the ordinary ones.
00:32:54.400 --> 00:33:04.480
How you greet someone, how you notice them, how you include someone, how you handle waiting time or how you respond to awkwardness, how you shape the emotional tone of a group.
00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:06.640
Those things matter a lot.
00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:11.680
Do not underestimate the power of small moments handled with intention.
00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:15.680
And honestly, that's such a powerful thing for camp leaders to remember too.
00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:24.720
Because if we want camp to feel connected and inclusive and calm and relational and emotionally safe, we cannot only train for the big moments.
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:28.960
We have to train for the little ones too, because that's where culture lives.
00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:32.640
Camp Code is part of the Go Camp Pro Podcast Network.
00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:37.680
And you can check out all of our other podcasts at gocamp.pro slash podcasts.
00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:48.880
As you head into the summer, we just want to leave you with this be intentional with your words, with your time, with your energy, with the culture that you're creating every single day.
00:33:49.359 --> 00:34:00.400
The little things you do now, the conversations you have, the expectations you set, the way you welcome or coach or notice and lead your staff, those are the things that shape the summer more than you know.
00:34:01.200 --> 00:34:03.039
Not everything will go perfectly.
00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:05.359
Camp never works that way.
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:10.400
There will be messy moments, unexpected challenges, and days that feel endless.
00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:17.360
But there will also be laughter and growth and connection and joy and the kind of magic that only camp can create.
00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:24.159
So trust what you've built, trust the people around you, trust the process, and trust that the work you're doing matters deeply.
00:34:24.559 --> 00:34:30.719
You're helping create an experience that staff and campers may carry with them for the rest of their lives.
00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:33.760
And we're cheering you on every step of the way.
00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:37.360
So have a beautiful, meaningful, memory-filled summer.
00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:39.360
And thanks for the listening, friends.
00:34:39.679 --> 00:34:45.039
Please remember, no other industry shares their best practices the way summer camps do.
00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:53.280
If you use an idea you heard on a GoCamp Pro podcast, please be professional and remember to give credit where credit is due.
00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:56.480
The Camp Code is brought to you by GoCamp Pro.
00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:58.880
Thanks for listening, friends.
00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:00.960
Camp Hacker.
