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What does a Camp Leader do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted Expert
Tom Rosenberg
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Camp leader responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real camp leader resumes:

  • Guide and nurture campers by accompanying them to and assisting with camp activities, and lead hiking and canoe trips
  • Acquire certificating in CPR and basketball referee at youth level.
  • Administer first aid mouth to mouth and CPR.
  • Research and implement compliance with ACA standards and procedures.
  • Provide small group instruction for students to strengthen reading and mathematics skills.
  • Deliver leadership, implement learning objectives, and facilitate strategic lesson plans.
  • Serve in consecutive positions of increase responsibility requiring strong interpersonal skills, extensive administrative, maintenance, and logistics backgrounds.
  • Provide assistance to camp counselors and administrative leadership by supervising campers at all times to ensure safety and enjoyment.

Camp leader skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Camp Leaders are proficient in CPR, Kids, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Flexibility, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Camp Leaders that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • CPR, 17%

    Certified in First Aid and CPR for protection of the people under my supervision.

  • Kids, 16%

    Directed and managed groups of up to twenty kids, ages 3-6, teaching them soccer, basketball, and t-ball.

  • Customer Service, 11%

    Provide excellent customer service, including welcoming program participants.

  • Child Care, 11%

    Volunteer positions held: Child care, arts camp leader, Habitat for Humanity, Delaware Food Bank.

  • Work Ethic, 11%

    Demonstrated teamwork and work ethic by leading small groupfundamental drills.

  • Core Values, 10%

    Followed given curriculum involving YMCA core values.

"cpr," "kids," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that camp leaders use at work. You can find even more camp leader responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a camp leader to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what camp leaders do because "recreation workers must be able to communicate well." Additionally, a camp leader resume shows how camp leaders use communication skills: "demonstrated leadership, teamwork and communications skills which can be used to succeed in the field of health education/promotion. "

Flexibility. Many camp leader duties rely on flexibility. "recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities," so a camp leader will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways camp leader responsibilities rely on flexibility: "demonstrated flexibility and creativity when developing age appropriate recreational activities and programs under short notice and encouraging all kids to participate. "

Leadership skills. This is an important skill for camp leaders to perform their duties. For an example of how camp leader responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a camp leader: "provided leadership to campers and acted as a role model in all areas of camp activities. ".

Physical strength. For certain camp leader responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical strength." The day-to-day duties of a camp leader rely on this skill, as "most recreation workers should be physically fit." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what camp leaders do: "worked with camp leaders to strengthen their leadership abilities. "

Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for camp leader responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of camp leaders all the time, as "recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills." An excerpt from a real camp leader resume shows how this skill is central to what a camp leader does: "managed behavioral issues and guided campers through conflict resolution. "

See the full list of camp leader skills

The three companies that hire the most camp leaders are:

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Compare different camp leaders

Camp leader vs. Recreation assistant

A recreational assistant is responsible for performing administrative support tasks while under the supervision of a recreational manager. Their duties revolve around planning various activities that align with the company's vision and mission, such as sporting events and other fun games. They also participate in arranging equipment and supplies such as tables and stages, facilitating programs, securing necessary permits and documentation, responding to calls and inquiries, and assisting participants. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all workers and adhere to company policies and regulations.

We looked at the average camp leader salary and compared it with the wages of a recreation assistant. Generally speaking, recreation assistants are paid $94 lower than camp leaders per year.Even though camp leaders and recreation assistants are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require cpr, customer service, and summer program in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between camp leaders and recreation assistant. For instance, camp leader responsibilities require skills such as "kids," "child care," "work ethic," and "core values." Whereas a recreation assistant is skilled in "mds," "recreation programs," "patients," and "rehabilitation." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Recreation assistants earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $29,963. On the other hand, camp leaders are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $30,879.recreation assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than camp leaders. In fact, recreation assistants are 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Camp leader vs. Activity coordinator

An activity coordinator is someone who creates and plans activities, outings, and events in various settings. Typically, they oversee creating programs, staffing events, and supervising the implementation of activities. They generally report to the activity director or community manager. One of their tasks is to collaborate with directors of studies to schedule the activities. Other tasks include coordinating staff with the activities and informing them of the decisions regularly. Also, they strategize, coordinate, and encourage the members to participate in the activities.

On average, activity coordinators earn a $4,175 higher salary than camp leaders a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both camp leaders and activity coordinators have skills such as "cpr," "customer service," and "leadership. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that camp leader responsibilities requires skills like "kids," "child care," "work ethic," and "core values." But an activity coordinator might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "memory care," "front desk," and "mds."

On average, activity coordinators earn a higher salary than camp leaders. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, activity coordinators earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $38,943. Whereas camp leaders have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $30,879.In general, activity coordinators achieve similar levels of education than camp leaders. They're 1.8% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Camp Leaders in the next 3-5 years?

Tom RosenbergTom Rosenberg LinkedIn Profile

President and CEO, The American Camp Association’s

In COVID-19, camp parents and camp staff are expected to undergo additional pre-camp screening, as well as frequent testing (where applicable), and daily monitoring and surveillance. Camps have been employing innovative technologies to assist with communicable disease prevention and management, and we see this trend continuing and expanding. In summer 2021, the improvement of PCR, antigen and antibody tests will increase in their efficacy, availability, and pricing; making them a very helpful nonpharmaceutical intervention. The ACA Field Guide for Operating Day and Overnight Camps in COVID-19 has a new chapter on Technology and Controls, as well as a new chapter on Testing. For many of these nonpharmaceutical interventions (or layers of protection), there continues to be new research on relative efficacies, technologies that will influence the development of innovations.
Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, medical technology and public health research science helped in the development of the ACA Field Guide for summer camp operations - available to all!
Computer programmers and tech professionals for virtual camps (especially among camps who serve immunity compromised camper populations). Between sessions of camps, we see camps continuing to offer supervised connected online programming for camp friends to enjoy together during the off-season. We expect to see considerable improvements in safety and security components of these platforms, as well as program innovations. Just today, I was on the phone with a VR technologist who is interested in helping camps creating VR experiences to help prospective campers taste camp activity experiences.
We have seen our camps who needed to operate their programs online or in a virtual format really make impressive innovations. Zoom, YouTube, social media and more, were just a few of the ways that camps were able to interact with their camper communities in unique ways. This was especially the case for camps in states and localities where their in-person camp programs were not permitted to operate due to public health official ruling OR for camps who served immune compromised camper populations. While most camps will likely shift back to in-person programs (albeit covid-19 adapted) in summer 2021, we see camps continuing to employ various online connectivity platforms to engage campers, families, and staff members in additive, year-round community building and learning through the use of these technologies for years to come.

Camp leader vs. Activities director

An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities. Since most activities directors work at a healthcare facility or elderly institution, they must also monitor the health of the participants by conducting therapeutic activities and evaluate the participants' progress for every program. The activities director must be a critical-thinker, as well as have excellent communication skills to coordinate with facilities personnel for successful activity completion.

On average scale, activities directors bring in higher salaries than camp leaders. In fact, they earn a $13,848 higher salary per year.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, camp leaders are more likely to have skills like "kids," "child care," "work ethic," and "core values." But a activities director is more likely to have skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," "resident care," and "home health."

Activities directors earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $41,547. Comparatively, camp leaders have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $30,879.activities directors typically earn similar educational levels compared to camp leaders. Specifically, they're 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Camp leader vs. Senior counselor

The responsibilities of a senior counselor will depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Most of the time, a senior counselor works with the youth, particularly children. They focus on facilitating recreational programs, ensuring a safe and fun experience for them. They may also assess the children's condition and needs, providing them with the necessary assistance and guidance. Furthermore, when a senior counselor must reach out to parents and guardians, they may inform them of any concerns or progress.

Senior counselors average a higher salary than the annual salary of camp leaders. The difference is about $96,271 per year.While their salaries may vary, camp leaders and senior counselors both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "cpr," "customer service," and "role model. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "kids," "child care," "work ethic," and "core values" are skills that commonly show up on camp leader resumes. On the other hand, senior counselors use skills like litigation, legal advice, legal issues, and excellent interpersonal on their resumes.senior counselors reach higher levels of education compared to camp leaders, in general. The difference is that they're 6.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 17.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of camp leader

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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