Hundreds of camps – we’ll find the one to suit you!

Wild Packs works with over 300 different camps across the USA and they are all approved by the American Camp Association, which is like the Ofsted of the camping world. These camps are all very similar in lots ways but will also have a number of their own traditions that make them special and unique. Camp sessions vary from 1-8 weeks in length and each session will cater for between 100-600 campers! Yup that’s a lot of kids, but there will be a huge amount of support!

Over Night vs. Day Camps

Most of the camps that hire international staff are known as ‘sleepaway camps’ which obviously means that the children will stay overnight and sleep in cabins or bunks. Staff will live in the cabins with the campers and provide round the clock care for them.

Day camps are a little different in the fact that the campers will go home in the evening and return the next day. At these camps staff will generally live together in shared accommodation.

Co-ed vs. Single Sex

The boys and girls you look after at camp will sleep in separate accommodation – even at coeducational (co-ed) summer camps – and in some cases will even have different campuses.

They will meet up for some activities but will generally remain in single sex groups when in activities during the day.

Single sex camps are generally designed to cater specifically for the different interests and individual needs of boys and girls. Their programs are often more focused on developing skills and campers generally thrive in this environment. Where there are separate camps for boys and girls in the same area, they will often get together for certain social events during the summer.

Many of the top camps in America are all boy or all girl environments and, if you’re given the opportunity to work at one of them, we would encourage you to consider accepting!

Traditional Camps

The vast majority of the camps that we work with fall into this category as they offer a wide range of ‘traditional’ camp activities including sports, outdoor adventure, performing & creative arts, aquatics and horseback riding.

Campers are given the opportunity to participate in all of these activities at some point throughout their stay, and they can often choose to focus on their favourites.

In addition to the daily activities, there will be a number of special events throughout the summer that really encompass the spirit and traditions that have evolved over the years.

Faith Based Camps

Some camps will be set up to cater for campers of a particular faith, usually Christianity or Judaism, and whilst they will still offer the same activities as traditional camps, they will also incorporate some religious practices as part of their program.

If you are a member of a particular faith and would like to work with campers who share your beliefs, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

It should be noted that a large proportion of the children that go to camp will describe themselves as Jewish, and some non-denominational camps will only serve Kosher food to cater for this.

Specialist Camps

Some camps will focus more specifically on particular activities such as the arts, outdoor adventure or sports.

We also work with camps that cater for campers – children and adults – with additional needs (such as learning, emotional, physical or mental disabilities).

These camps generally look for skilled and experienced staff members who can provide higher level instruction or care.

Non-Profit Camps

Whilst many camps will charge a large fee for campers to attend, there are some wonderful organisations out there that give children from less-privileged, inner-city backgrounds the opportunity to experience the magic for a much lower price.

These camps still offer many of the same activities as private camps; however they are generally smaller and may have slightly more rustic facilities.

YMCA Camps

No we aren’t talking about the song by the Village People! The YMCA is the largest camping organisation in the USA and they run some phenomenal camp programs for hundreds of thousands of children.

Girl Scout Camps

These camps pretty much do what they say on the tin, which is provide outdoor camping experiences for members of The Girl Scouts organisation.

As you might imagine, these camps are all female and generally focus on outdoor living skills and adventure.