While American summer camps vary tremendously in many ways, what follows below is a typical camp schedule that most camps might use.

07.30 Wake Up
The type of wake up will depend on your camp. Older, more traditional camps could have a bugle, horn or bell whereas more modern camps may play music over the PA system.

08.00 Flag Rising
Many camps have a group flag rising each morning. Please be respectful even though it is the Stars And Stripes being raised and not your nation's flag.

08.15 Breakfast
You will find sweet and savoury, crunchy and sloppy, toasted and chilled... every kind of food available ready to fuel your day! Many camps will have songs or breakfast chants to get the kids excited for the day ahead.

08.50 Cabin Clean-Up
Everyone heads back to their cabin or tent after breakfast to tidy up. You will be expected to help and oversee the clean-up of cabins. The clean-up will involve sweeping, taking out trash, putting wet clothes out to dry and generally making the cabin neat. Camp may run an inspection (possibly with prizes) each day.

09.30 First Activity Period
The children will go to their scheduled activities while you either teach your specialist activity, or if you are a general counselor, you will take an assigned group of children to their next activity.

10.30 Start of Second Activity Period
The children will move on to their next assigned activity for the day. If you are an activity specialist then you will receive a new group of children. If you are a general counselor you will be assigned to a group of children to take to an activity.

11.30 Free time
Free time is a good time for the kids to head back to the cabin and spend some time together getting to know other people in their cabin. It is also a good time to write letters home and read. Many camps may expect you to be in your cabin at this time, as it is a great chance for you to get to know your cabin early on. You can become a role model for how you expect the children to behave in the free time. Take this chance to write your own letters home, while keeping an eye on the dynamics of the children in the cabin.

12.15 Lunch
Again... food...and possibly singing! Food... singing... food... singing!

13.0 Rest Hour
It will soon become apparent to you that rest hour is the greatest idea of all camp ideas! The combination of the early start, the hectic morning and the belly full of food may put you in the mood for an afternoon rest. Again, set your expectations early. If you want to sleep make it clear from the start that you need a quiet cabin. Your neighbouring counselors will love you for keeping a quiet cabin too!

14.20 Start of Third Activity Period
Wake up and back to activities. Activity specialists teach in their activity areas and general counselors circulate with campers.

15.30 Start of Fourth Activity Period
Another activity session following the same format.

16.40 End of Fourth Activity Period
More free time. Some camps may hold an all-camp afternoon activity in the afternoon, whereas others have 4, 5 or even 6 activity periods a day with some rest time shortly before dinner.

18.00 Dinner
Yet more food and more singing!

19.15 Evening activity
Evening activities are great fun and a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. Campers and counselors alike can integrate with people from other cabins and age groups. Evening activities range from themed dances, all-camp competitions, camp fires, talent shows... the list goes on and on!

20.30 Evening Activity Ends
Camps may serve an evening snack, and then everyone heads back to the cabins to talk about their day, wind down, and spend some time catching up as a cabin.

21.00 Quiet time, prep for bed
Time to get settled, brush teeth and get your pyjamas on.

21.30 Vespers*
This is a good time to read, write home and generally relax and wind down.

22.00 Lights out. Time to Sleep
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

22.15 Free Time (Staff not on duty)
If you are not on duty you will be free to leave your cabin and go and spend time with counselors at the staff lounge or other designated staff-only area. The restrictions and rules for after lights out will vary from camp to camp. You may be allowed to leave camp but are likely to have a curfew.