Day in the life of an outdoor adventure specialist at summer camp

Ever wondered what a typical day working at an American summer camp looks like? Brooklyn spent the summer of 2023 at Tyler Hill Camp in Pennsylvania, working as an outdoor adventure specialist.

Hi, I'm Brooklyn! I spent my summer at camp and I loved it. I applied at the end of January and got hired as the mountain biking and Rockwall specialist. Then I 'trained' for a few months before camp (lol), ready for the summer.

From early morning wake-up calls to evening games with the campers, here's what my average day at summer camp looks like.

8AM: wake up and get breakfast

My day begins at 8am when reveille sounds to wake camp up. At this point you get up, get dressed and make sure the boys and your co-counselors are up. Line up begins at roughly 8.15am, depending if we had a late wake up.

Breakfast usually starts from 8.30am – think waffles, pancakes, eggs, sausage – all the good stuff!

9AM: morning meeting by the lake

At 9am we head to the lake for our morning meeting with the Division Leader. Here we discuss any changes to the schedule and the different tournaments taking place. One of the kids then reads out the daily schedule.

After the meeting, it's time for morning morning clean up. We tidy our bunks and get ready for the day at camp.

9.30AM: setting up activities

I walk with Ben, another Rockwall specialist, across camp and over the bridge to the outdoor adventure area. I open the bike shed, take out and lay the harnesses and helmets out for the first period of the day.

Our team then discuss who is doing which part of the course X Y and Z and who is on the ground doing harnesses and the Rockwall.

10-12PM: outdoor adventure activity periods

Activity periods are varied but we motivate and support the kids to have fun and build confidence doing different things. The freshmen division have the most kids in camp and are the youngest so they require the most support.

Once the first two periods are over, we leave the adventure area and go to lunch.

12PM: lunch with the campers

You might be serving lunch or, if you served breakfast, you can eat your lunch at the counsellor table.

1PM: rest hour and afternoon activities

Once lunch is finished, the campers have a 'rest hour' but they can also do extra activities such as gymnastics or rollerblading.

At 1.30pm I have to go back to outdoor adventure to set up with the other specialists for the last three periods of the day.

2-5PM: afternoon adventure

We start with deciding who is on the course and who is doing the safety equipment. We then have one period, a short 15 minute snack break, and the final two periods of the day.

Once all the kids finish for the day, we tidy away the harnesses and helmets and do our daily debrief. We then return back to our bunks for a shower hour.

5-7PM: dinner and free play

After shower hour, it's time for dinner. The kids get different dinners such as Chick Hill A or food court. Then it's free play until 7pm

7PM: canteen and evening activities

In the canteen, campers can get candy or soda, which is good as they can run all the energy off in the evening activity. Evening activities can be anything from cooking to dodgeball and FFL (freshmen football league). There's a different one every night.

9PM: back to the bunk

Once the evening activity is complete, the campers return back to the bunk and get ready for bed. They get a story and would usually be asleep by 9.30pm.

I hope this gives you an insight into a day in the life of an outdoor adventure specialist at a large summer camp.

Making the decision to work at a USA summer camp will be an experience of a lifetime. While there are camp schedules and routines, no two days will be the same. If you're wondering how to make the most of your summer, find out more about the roles and how to apply for Summer Camp USA.