The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro

Go Camp Pro

Business

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/16d. Total Eps: 166

The Day Camp Pod is for day camp leaders who want real answers and practical advice. Each episode covers how to build a resilient camp, face daily challenges, and support every camper. Our hosts and guests are experienced camp directors who believe in problem-solving, teamwork, and helping staff grow. We talk about staff training, making camps more welcoming for everyone, and building strong connections with parents. If you want to learn how empathy and creativity make camps better, and how to keep your camp strong during tough times, you’ll find new ideas here twice a month from Actober to May.

The Day Camp Pod, from Go Camp Pro. Bringing you the best ideas, strategies and discussions in the Day Camp Industry.

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https://crs4rec.com/
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http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp
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Turn Around Strategies: Managing Leadership Transitions - with Heath Levine and Jonathan Gold - The Day Camp Pod #127

Episode 127

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 • Duration 01:04:52

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/turn-around-strategies

When a day camp starts to lose its spark, what does it take to bring it back to life? In this episode of the Day Camp Pod, the hosts sit down with Heath Levine from Shibley Day Camp and turnaround expert Jonathan Gold to unpack what really goes into reviving an underperforming camp. From rebuilding a positive culture and engaging the community to tackling staff retention and marketing hurdles, they share real stories and strategies that have helped transform struggling programs into thriving ones.

Highlights:

03:50 Heath Levine's Camp Journey
08:39 Jonathan Gold's Turnaround Insights
11:18 Establishing Camp Culture and Values
27:06 Marketing and Community Engagement
32:17 Flexible Work Schedules and Expectations
32:45 The Relevance of Face-to-Face Interaction
33:23 Marketing Strategies for Camps
34:00 Resurrecting Tamarack: Challenges and Strategies
34:57 The Importance of Community Engagement
40:51 Balancing Tradition and Innovation
52:51 Staff and Camper Retention
58:12 The Emotional Challenges of Leadership

Episode Links:

Camp’s Golden Metric

Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change

Your Hosts:

Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp
Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District
Jordanna Grossinger, Director - Camp Robin Hood

With:

Heath Levine, Director - Shibley Day Camp
Jonathan Gold, MBA, PhD, Camp Owner/Director - the Arbor Group of Camps

Sponsors:

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:

Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)
- Looking to elevate your camp experience? For over 25 years, Commercial Recreation Specialists has been transforming camps with water inflatables, Splashpads, playgrounds, and more! Boost your programming, drive registrations, and attract more campers. Our team of Recreation Specialists is here to help you design the ultimate space. Let’s take your camp to the next level – because we’re serious about FUN! Find out more at https://crs4rec.com/
Campminder
- Campminder has the most robust offerings of features out there. But more importantly, every feature works together to create a full, seamless system that helps camps run more efficiently. Visit them today at campminder.com
Camptivities
- Building the perfect camp schedule takes experience — and when a key staff member leaves, that knowledge can disappear. Camptivities protects your institutional camp knowledge and makes sure every camper gets the schedule you promised. Built by camp people, for camp people. Learn more at camptivities.c

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Capturing the Sleepaway Spirit Vol. 8 - with Dan Johnson and Dan Weir - The Day Camp Pod #126

Episode 126

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 • Duration 57:09

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/sleepaway-spirit

What makes sleepaway camp feel so special and how can day camps capture that same magic? In this episode of the Day Camp Pod, hosts Andy Pritikin, Sam Thompson, and Jordanna Grossinger are joined by camp pros Dan Johnson and Dan Weir to unpack exactly that. Together, they explore creative ways to bring community, connection, and spontaneous fun into the day camp environment.

Episode Links:

Camp Robin Hood’s Hands are Strong Sing-a-Long

Liberty Lake Spirit Calendar

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

Center for Nonviolent Communication

Your Hosts:

Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp

Sponsors:

The Journey of a New Owner - with Jason Samuel - The Day Camp Pod #117

Episode 117

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 • Duration 57:22

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/new-owner-jason

Want to own your own camp? Here is the perfect case study from Jason Samuel!

We've had a series of awesome podcasts this season with inspiring stories about making the jump to being a director or even an owner operator. Since we shared the Jonathan Gold podcast with our friends Howie and Kelly on the Camp Owners Pod, they're sharing back another great podcast with Andy’s former camp sidekick Jason Samuel, who recently found his way to becoming a camp owner operator himself.

We're proud of you, Jason! This is the Day Camp Pod.

Highlights:

00:00 Introduction to the Episode
00:30 Podcast Overview and Sponsors
02:25 Introducing Jason Samuel & Jason's Journey into Camping
07:27 The Appeal of Day Camps
09:07 Purchasing The Nature Place
15:30 Networking and Finding Camps for Sale
21:56 Financing the Camp Purchase
30:53 Navigating Lease Agreements
34:23 Making Improvements and Investments
37:26 Transition Challenges and Communication
46:42 Lessons Learned and Advice
52:46 Rapid Fire Questions

If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It’s SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp

Your Hosts:

Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - &

Sponsors:Please review and subscribe!

The Sleepaway Camp Spirit - pt. 3 - with Sam Borek and Gordon Josey - Day Camp Pod #43

Episode 43

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 • Duration 01:00:05

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/sleepaway-spirit-pt3

“The Mont-sters of Day Camp” are here for our annual episode on harnessing the spirit of overnight camp at your day camp!

If YOU have experienced both day camp AND resident camp, agree that a great day camp captures the “Sleepaway Camp” Spirit- This episode, our third annual episode on this topic, attempts to solve the riddle of WHAT IS the Sleepaway Camp Spirit, and what can we do in our meager little day camp setting between the limited hours, staff going home every night, and kids ratting us out to their parents- The answer, we can do a whole lot.

In this episode, we cover:

What do people who don’t know day camp, not understand about the culture?
What are we even talking about - sleepaway camp spirit?
What concepts are we able to “bring over” from the overnight camp experience?
What cool things our camps do to give that vibe
Challenges to achieve this - Staff that go home at night, parents who interrogate their kids every afternoon, etc.

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It’s SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp

Day Camp Tip of the Week

Andy: Games like capture the flag and other wide games that kids sometimes don’t get to do in a day camp experience.

Sam T: Find a giant cardboard distributor - backdrops, cardboard regatta, photo boards, the possibilities are ENDLESS!

YOUR HOSTS:Please review and subscribe!

Mini-Pod - Teen Camp Art Projects - with Cricket Snearing - The Day Camp Pod

Tuesday, December 1, 2020 • Duration 24:09

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Here are some art projects that teens will actually enjoy!

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On this mini-pod, Sam sits down with Cricket to tell you about some of their favourite art projects that are winners with teens!

And since it’s hard to do an audio-only show of crafts, here is a write-up of the crafts!

Thanks, Sam and Cricket!

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It’s SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp

YOUR HOST:

Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA Illinois

GUEST:

Cricket Snearing, 30 years as Administrative Director and Rockwood Adventures Teen Travel Director at Sesame, Current Summer Ceramics Teacher at Camp Walden, NY

SPONSORS:

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:

Please review and subscribe!

2021 Staff Recruitment and Retention - with Kim Aycock and Jolly Corley - Day Camp Pod #42

Episode 42

Tuesday, November 24, 2020 • Duration 01:02:42

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Find full notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/2021-staff-recruitment-and-retention

We’re not exactly sure what the summer of 2021 will look like, but we know we’ll need a great team of staff! Here’s how to get them on board, and keep them around!

As we navigate the pandemic waters, the staffing landscape has skewed a bit. Some might say that potential staff are more available than ever. But are they willing to work at camp? Are their parents willing to allow them to work at camp? And how has the proposition of working at day camp changed.

We have tremendous benefits over most any other summer jobs, and our challenge continues to be figuring out how to translate the camp experience into a language that neophytes can understand and appreciate.

We welcome Kim Aycock and Jolly Corley to the Pod to help share some best practices with our listeners.

In this episode, we cover:

Recruitment: what advantages do we have within/coming out of a pandemic?
Internships and travel abroad cancelled or limited
Utilizing alumni connections
How to get people back to your camp in 2021, when your camp didn’t run in 2020?
Staff Culture = Camp Culture
Panic & being “stuck” is real
So many questions, so few answers
Importance of communication/transparency
Be a Stress Detective
Return to Your Values (before, current, ideal)
Why reinvent the wheel - look to great leaders in times of crisis (Winston Churchill) for guidance “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” — Winston Churchill
Frame the Summer, Invoke Destiny, Define Victory/Success, Redefine Hardship

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

Day Camp Tip of the WeekYOUR HOSTS:

Mini-Pod - A Historical Woman in Camping - Eleanor Eells and the 50 Year Anniversary of Title Twenty - with Gordie Kaplan - The Day Camp Pod

Tuesday, November 17, 2020 • Duration 14:44

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Find more at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/eleanor-eells

Celebrating a foundational Camp Professional. Tune in to learn about Eleanor Eells and her legacy in camping in part, through Title XX funding.

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Eleanor P. Eells was a leader and inspiration within the field of camp throughout her life. She was an active participant in the Settlement House and Social Service Agency camp movements and a pioneer in therapeutic camping. She was one of the founders of the Fund for Advancement of Camping and served as its director through FAC's formative years.

Eleanor Eells had an equally important influence on the American Camp Association. She worked with FAC to support programs such as ACA's 1970s standards research and rewrite; the pilot Camp Director Certification Institute; the Camping Unlimited/Intergrouping Project; ACA's last reorganization; and securing government funding for campership use.

Her greatest contribution was helping individuals and camps start new programs. When these programs were operating, she shared results with countless others.
Eleanor Eells' life was an example for the camp professional. The first recipient of ACA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, Eleanor Eells passed away in her 94th year in Calgary, Alberta.

We’re so excited to welcome Gordie Kaplan to this mini-pod to discuss an extremely important figure in the camping industry, Eleanor Eells!

Tune in to hear about:

1. How did you end up working with Eleanor?

2. What was the societal problem that the two of you were trying to remedy that led to Title XX?

3. Describe Tittle XX?

4. Title XX in the COVID year, how we adapted program’s to still serve campers.

YOUR HOST:GUESTS:Please review and subscribe!

Bonus Episode - The Women of Go Camp Pro Podcasts

Monday, November 16, 2020 • Duration 34:24

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/blog/women-of-gcp-podcast

What do you call it when you gather a bunch of female camp and podcasting pros in a room? You call it AWESOME.

In today’s special crossover episode, Beth Allison from Camp Code hosts a conversation with several of the women who podcast with Go Camp Pro. Today’s episode features Rachel Kent and Cassie Bloy from Beyond Camp, Sam Thompson from the Day Camp Pod, Kelly Schuna from The Camp Owner’s Podcast, and Ruby Compton from Camp Code and Gabrielle Raill from CampHacker and Camp Code.

Listen in as these women discuss their mentors who inspired them in the industry, challenges women face working at camp and advice for new camp pros. Interestingly, all of these women have also attended the Women in Camp Summit in previous years. During the episode, they discuss some of their biggest takeaways from the event as well as what they are most looking forward to for this year’s Live Virtual Summit taking place December 2-3. Find out more about the Women in Camp Summit Live Virtual event at https://www.womenincampsummit.com.

Gabrielle announced this year’s Summit will also feature the first of the “Becoming Allies” series with an event titled “Becoming Allies: Supporting Women in Camp” on December 4. Folks who want to participate in the Allies event can register through this link: https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-4051965

The Women in Camp Summit needs your support! Love this episode?On This Episode:

Creating a Day Camp from Scratch - The Day Camp Pod #41

Episode 41

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 • Duration 48:14

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Find show notes and links at - https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/day-camp-from-scratch

Post-COVID, the world is going to be in need of more connection than ever. What better way is there to connect than at camp? Here’s how to start your own!

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If only one out of every six American children attends summer camp programs, there’s a whole lot of potential campers out there, just waiting for YOU to create a day camp closeby to their neighborhood.

So now what? How do you go from that great little idea to a fully functioning day camp that’s signing up campers, hiring staff, and getting ready for opening day? Stay tuned- and we’ll let you know.

In this episode, we cover:

Location location location!
Business, marketing and branding plans
Quick and easy camper registration.
Set up open house- “Meet the Director” events- Zoom, in-person, etc.
Create YouTube/Facebook/Instagram videos- Tell them who you are, why you’re doing this, and how awesome it’s going to be!
How do you ingratiate yourself with the local community and become a partner
How do you position your proposition? What does the local community need?
Who is the oversight in your area? DCFS, Health Department, ACA?
And much much more!

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It’s SUPER easy, too! Just head to

Day Camp Tip of the WeekYOUR HOSTS:Please review and subscribe!

Mini-Pod - Day Camp Kitchen - with Sam Borek - The Day Camp Pod

Tuesday, November 3, 2020 • Duration 30:47

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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/day-camp-kitchen

Happy Kitchen - Happy Camp. Here are some best practices for camp kitchens of all kinds!

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Running a food service at your day camp is not typical, and it certainly isn’t in the talent wheelhouse of most camp directors.

But for those who can pull it off, it can be an awesome perk for your camp families- while hopefully not being a huge financial or managerial burden upon you.

We’re joined today by Sam Borek, who honed his kitchen skills at resident camp, and who actually enjoys managing the ins and outs of the day camp kitchen.

Tune in to hear about:

Determining Menu
Choosing food vendors
How do the kids ORDER their meal each day?
How is it served, non-pandemic, during pandemic (next summer)
Desserts
Allergies
Healthy
Not Healthy- Snacks, Ice Cream/Ice Pops

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It’s SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp

YOUR HOSTS:

Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp

GUESTS:Please review and subscribe!

The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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