Enrichment · Passion Projects

Ready before
the first camper arrives.

Camp safety is mostly preparation: enough counselors for the youngest campers, certifications that do not lapse mid-session, health forms and medications sorted, and a plan for heat, lightning and pickup. Add each session, and the checklist works out the staffing from the ACA ratios and flags what is missing.

Add a sessionWhat you get

Your sessions

The worked example is made up: a day camp for 64 campers aged 6 and up with a pool day and no lifeguard yet, and an overnight leadership camp. Saved on this device only; staff are listed by initials.

Loading the session form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Passion ProjectsFree

What you finish with
A record per session: kind, dates, campers, youngest age, counselors, swimming, each staff certification with its expiry and twelve preparation steps. Works out the counselors needed from the ACA ratio, counts certifications that lapse before the session ends and days to the start; flags short staffing, swimming without a lifeguard, lapsing certifications and no first aid coverage.
Who it is for
Camp directors, school and district summer program coordinators and youth program leaders.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per session. Prints one session, every session in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account and no sign-in. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the session with campers, the youngest age and counselors.
  2. Record each certification and when it expires.
  3. Work through the twelve steps.
  4. Fix staffing and certification gaps first.
  5. Run the drill before campers arrive.

Add a session

Staffing ratios

ACA staff-to-camper ratiosYoungest camperDay campOvernight campAges 4 and 51 to 61 to 5Ages 6 to 81 to 81 to 6Ages 9 to 141 to 101 to 8Ages 15 to 171 to 121 to 10ACA staff-to-camper ratiosAges 4 and 5Day camp: 1 to 6Overnight camp: 1 to 5Ages 6 to 8Day camp: 1 to 8Overnight camp: 1 to 6Ages 9 to 14Day camp: 1 to 10Overnight camp: 1 to 8Ages 15 to 17Day camp: 1 to 12Overnight camp: 1 to 10
Ratios count staff who supervise campers directly. State licensing rules can be stricter, and swimming and trips need more.

Lightning

The National Weather Service rule: when thunder roars, go indoors. Stay inside until 30 minutes after the last thunder. Know in advance which building each group goes to.

State rules come first

Many states license youth camps and set their own ratios, staff ages, health and inspection rules, sometimes stricter than ACA standards. Check the state agency that licenses camps where the session runs.

Sources

  1. American Camp Association. Accreditation Process Guide, standards on staff-to-camper ratios, health and aquatics (acacamps.org).
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heat and youth sports and activities and Food allergies in schools and camps (cdc.gov).
  3. National Weather Service. Lightning safety (weather.gov).
  4. American Red Cross. Lifeguarding and first aid, CPR and AED certification (redcross.org).

The worked examples are made up. ACA ratios are a widely used standard; state licensing rules may be stricter and govern where they apply. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.