Here’s a way to keep campers thinking — and talking — about your camp even after it’s over and everyone’s back in school: Include them in your program activity planning for next summer now.
Send an email or letter to your list (you can target just last year’s campers or previous years, too). Tell them you’re already gearing up to make summer 2013 the best season ever, but you need their help, creativity and ideas for fun new activities, skits, adventures, etc. for camp next year.
You could turn this into a contest, and even kids to work together in teams (they’re all connected via social media these days anyway, so even a past camper living in New York can work together with one in Denver) to develop the best activity, and the team (or teams) coming up with actual activities you use at camp next year gets a prize. Don’t you think all these kids would want to come back to see the activity THEY created in action? You bet!
And you might even incorporate a PR element, alerting your local newspaper or blogger you’ve got this great new program going where kids pick activities for the future summer, and would they mind helping you spread the word.
I’ve had this idea for a long time, but never had the chance to implemented. I think I’ll do it this year and hope you do, too 🙂