Seven years ago (!) when I was first offered my position as Camp Art Lady, I dove in eagerly, not knowing what to expect. Over the years, I've learned a lot of little tricks, that have been so helpful to me, and, lucky you, I'm going to share some of those tricks right here...right now!
1. Camp lasts for only 8 weeks, but planning your program is a year-round job. Expect to be researching ideas, materials and projects constantly.
2. The internet is your best friend. I am able to find inspirations and project ideas all over the internet. How budget friendly!
3. I look for inspiration in fashion trends and pop culture. I stalk
ETSY for other crafters ideas and then look for ways to convert them to camp friendly.
4. My favorite products are:
Aleene's Tacky Glue,
Fiskars Scissors,
Mod-Podge Decoupage Medium (please don't call it "MODGE PODGE"),
Sculpey Polymer Clay. Accept NO Substitutes!
5. No need to plan projects for different age campers. Offer the same project to every age group, sometimes making adjustments for older children. It makes your planning simpler, and I promise you, campers always do well.
6. We see campers of all artistic abilities. Arts and Crafts is not Fine Arts. I'd rather keep projects simple, and allow campers to find success than make things so complex that they get frustrated.
7. Always plan projects in advance, and take the time to "work out" how a project is presented before you see your group. Inevitably, adjustments will need to be made.
8. Order Tempera Paints, they can be used for a variety of purposes. We also have smaller amounts of Acrylic Paint on hand for painting directly on wood surfaces.
9. Everything is better with Glitter. Seriously. Some campers will finish projects very quickly, and say..."I'm done!", but you still have lots of time left in your class session. Have plenty of glitter, gems, rhinestones, puffy paint available. Stretch your projects out with lots of embellishing!
10. I always try to have "back pocket" crafts ready to go. You never know when you get a rainy day, or a disruption in the schedule and you need a quicky little craft to present with little notice.
Oriental Trading is a great resource for "decorate your own" type crafts that require very little preparation.
11. If you run an all Camp Tie Dye at an overnight camp...be wary of the LAUNDRY! You don't want campers ruining other laundry by throwing a freshly dyed shirt into the general laundry!
12. If wood projects or plaques will need to be hung up on the wall, make sure you provide the proper hardware for campers parent to easily hang them in their home.
13. Of everything your campers do at camp, Arts and Crafts projects are the only thing they get to really share with their parents. Their work is very tangible evidence of their parent's summer financial investment, not to mention, an enormous source of pride for everyone.
14. Be flexible! If there's one thing I've learned in my years at camp, is that no day is typical or predictable. We always have surprises, and the way we respond to those surprises defines us.
Happy Crafting!
