Running a Successful Five-Day Summer Camp
Multi-day youth camps are a highlight of the year and a logistical challenge. How to make them shine.
The ActivityRoster Team · 2 October 2026 · 1 min read
A five-day summer camp can be the most memorable week of a child's year — and one of the most demanding weeks of yours. Great camps are built on planning, structure and energy.
Plan the week as an arc
Design the five days as a journey — building skills, confidence and friendships towards a finale on the last day. A camp that peaks well leaves children desperate to return.
Balance sailing with fun
Young sailors need variety. Mixing on-water sessions with games, shore activities and downtime keeps energy up and prevents burnout, especially with younger groups.
Group by age and ability
Sort children into sensible groups and keep youth and adult provision clearly separate. The right grouping makes teaching easier and keeps everyone appropriately challenged and safe.
Staff for supervision and safety
Camps need enough instructors and safety cover not just for teaching ratios but for the pastoral care of children all day. Plan staffing generously.
Communicate with parents
Clear joining information, daily timings, kit lists and end-of-week updates make parents your allies — and turn a great camp into next year's rebooking.
This article is general guidance for RYA centres and clubs. Schemes, awards and requirements change — always check the latest official RYA guidance and your recognition paperwork before acting. ActivityRoster helps you run the rostering, qualifications and safety-cover side of all of this in one place.
Run your centre the easy way
ActivityRoster handles rostering, certs, safety-cover checks and more — purpose-built for RYA sailing and watersports centres.