Are you ready to start your own swim camp? Adding a swim camp to your existing swim school can help you easily increase profits while attracting new clients to your business. Discover what you need to launch your own swim camp and start attracting new clients this year!

What’s Involved with Starting a Swim Camp?

When summer starts, parents want an easy solution to keeping their kids entertained and supervised, especially if they have to work. And kids just want to have fun! A swim camp is a solution you can offer that makes everyone happy: parents get their kids off the couches and supervised, and kids get to swim and play. 

Camps are run a little differently than swim lessons. There will be pool time, but your campers will have other activities, as well. 

Here are a few things to consider before launching your camp program:

Where Will You Hold Camp?

Your location will play a big role in your planning. You may have existing swim lesson times or pool schedules that need to be planned around. You’ll also want indoor activity rooms or outside activity areas for crafts and games (preferably in the shade). 

You can get creative with creating activity areas. A simple shade tent can instantly transform any area into an activity area for fun, crafts, and games! 

How Old Are Your Campers?

You may have campers in vastly different age groups, from young to older. Your activities, games, and curriculum should consider this age gap; a game that easily entertains six-year-olds might be boring or too easy for ten-year-olds. 

You may also consider separating big kids from littles when it comes to free play time in the pool. Older children who are stronger, more confident (and more rowdy) swimmers may need to be separated from the littles, who may need a calmer free-swim environment.

When you’re planning your camp structure and daily activities, segmenting older and younger kids can help make things go more smoothly.

What’s Your Curriculum and Schedule Look Like?

Pre-planning curriculum, activities, and schedule is an essential step before launching a swim camp. You don’t want to try and make things up as you go! Themes are a great way to plan your itinerary; you can have themed weeks, days, or even seasonal themes. 

Your camp day should include a mix of elements such as:

• Directed crafts and activities
• Swim time
• Counselor-lead pool games or activities
• Group activities and games (out of the pool)
• Free time and self-directed games and activities
• Swim time
• Snacks and lunchtime

However you plan out your camp curriculum, know ahead of time what the plan is, so you can have materials and supplies at the ready. 

Where Can You Find Swim Camp Templates?

The easiest way to plan your swim camp curriculum is with a pre-existing template. Makai Swim runs an effective swim camp out of our Napa, CA, swim school location. We have developed themed swim camp templates to help swim instructors and school owners successfully launch swim school programs!

Our ready-made swim camp kits can help you launch your own profitable swim camp quickly and easily, so you don’t have to waste time designing your own lesson plans from scratch. 

Learn more about our ready-made themed camp kits and order yours today.

How Will You Promote Your Camp?

Letting your current swim student families know that you’re launching a swim camp over summer or spring break is an easy way to promote your camp, but how will you get the word out to other families in your community?

Some of the ways you can promote your camp to the community include:

• Creating a page on your website
• Posting to your social media accounts
• Posting a print ad in a local paper
• Leave an information sheet at local elementary schools (with permission)\
• Emailing your existing list
• Creating a referral program for your existing swim families 

Start promoting your camp early. Many families start registering for summer break activities when it’s still wintertime! 

For more tips on starting your own swim camp program, sign up for Makai's free email course, Swim Camp Secrets, to have your most successful season yet!