2027 Summer Camp Games Specialist
Job Description
Snipes Farm Day Camp sits on 80 beautiful acres of a 7-generation, regenerative farm and is a part of the 501c3 nonprofit of Snipes Farm and Education Center. It is a vibrant place to spend a summer on a working farm with nature all around. This is our 19th season.
All the nooks and crannies of the farm with creeks, gardens, the meadow, and orchard are amazing places for learning and discovery. Campers gain life skills as they tend a garden, care for animals and harvest berries, fresh veggies and herbs to make farm fresh recipes. The weekly program includes art, games, cooking and science with learning around every bend. Lasting friendships are made, and a special community is built together with staff, campers, and families through summer adventures on a farm.
A Games and Team Building Specialist at Farm Camp designs and facilitates cooperative games and team building activities for children and youth ages 6-15. These experiential activities foster collaboration, good communication, inspire confidence and compassion, lift spirits, develop trust and cultivate joy! These can be icebreakers, problem-solving, and recreational games, tailored to the specific needs of a group.
Ideally, the games and team building specialist assists with staff training, teaching counselors and CITs new games as we also practice tried and true games already loved by campers from years’ past. The specialist leads 2 45-minute sessions with different age groups from 10:30am-12:30pm M-F throughout the season. They will also use our 4- element low ropes course for team building with older campers. This position is 25 hour per week.
Job responsibilities and duties:
● Program Development: Design, plan, and implement creative and engaging games and team building sessions for morning activity sessions.
Facilitation: Lead participants through framing the objectives and rules, the play of a game and managing group dynamics.
Instruction & Coaching: Teach skills related to cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution during activities.
Logistics & Setup: Prepare venues, including setting up equipment, audio/visual gear, and materials before sessions.
Facilitation: Lead participants through framing the objectives and rules, the play of a game and managing group dynamics.
Instruction & Coaching: Teach skills related to cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution during activities.
Instruction & Coaching: Teach skills related to cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution during activities.
Logistics & Setup: Prepare venues, including setting up equipment, audio/visual gear, and materials before sessions.
Safety & Supervision: Ensure the physical and emotional safety of all participants during activities.
Debriefing & Reflection: Lead reflective discussions after activities to help participants apply lessons to their daily work environment or group dynamics.
Customization: Adapt activities to different age groups, ability levels, and team sizes.
Rainy Day Plan Development: help staff to prepare for fun, engaging indoor activities.
Required Skills and Qualifications
Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to build rapport, motivate diverse groups, and facilitate open communication.
Leadership & Group Management: Experience in teaching and managing groups.
Creativity & Flexibility: Ability to create unique, engaging activities appropriate for each age group and pivot on the fly to address group needs.
Problem-Solving: Capability to resolve conflicts and address challenges during sessions.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written skills for delivering instructions and debriefing.
Organization: Detail-oriented with ability to manage logistics and equipment.
Experience: Previous experience in recreation, education or organizational development is required.
A love of the outdoors: this is a nature based camp and all activiites happen under the shade of trees, in playing fields and under the shade of a pavilion.
Sensitive: as an inclusive camp, we are attentive to the needs of children’s emotional wellness from diverse backgrounds and an array of needs.
Enthusiastic: bringing fun steady positive energy to camp and play.
Example Activities:
Icebreakers and energizers
Problem-solving challenges
Field days or recreational sports
Cooperative games including: name games, silly games and strategy games, games from around the world, games for younger and older campers, games with combined ages, games with the whole camp and some traditional sports such as soccer or kick ball (but whenever possible with a silly or cooperative spin-rubber chickens helpful with this). Team building that fosters leadership development.
Important information:
Snipes Farm Day Camp 2027 season: June 21- August 13, 2027
Work hours: M-F; 9am-1:00pm
Salary: $20-25 per hour, 25 hrs/wk
To Apply
Camp Staff are caring mentors who make a difference in the lives of children helping them to thrive and grow. Creating a supportive and welcoming community is a gift that we give to each other through collaboration, play, singing, adventures, and friendship. For 17 years Snipes Farm Day Camp has provided training and life experience for its staff that has influenced many careers including: primary education, environmental education, environmental science, social work and psychology.
Please submit your resume and cover letter to: Melanie Douty-Snipes, Camp Director: melanieds@snipesfarm.org
Snipes Farm and Education Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability.
If you are excited and interested in working at Snipes Farm Day Camp please send your resume and cover letter to our Camp Director Melanie, Email: melanieds@snipesfarm.org