How much time do counselors get off?

The biggest factor in this question is the length of the camp you are working at. For an example, at a seven-week camp staff often receive five days off throughout the summer as well as a number of nights off throughout the week.

Time off often comes at night, after evening activity. It differs between camps, but typically each counselor will spend a few nights a week “on” in a camper bunk getting campers ready for bed so they’re ready for whatever the next day brings. On nights ”off” counselors are often free to go to town for late night meals, hit up the store for essentials, etc. The time off at night gives a few hours to counselors to unwind after long days.

In addition to time off at night, counselors usually get 5-6 days off during a full season. When a day off begins is determined by the camp you are working at, but most head counselors will allow an early leave time if a counselor or group of counselors wants to drive to a location or city further away than a couple of hours. During days off, counselors are typically free to explore the area around their camp, going on hikes, going to a beach, or exploring nearby towns or cities.

Finally, most staff will have a period off during the day when they can go set up a hammock, go to the staff lounge for a break, and for some it is a great time to get work done on any summer classes being taken.

Each camp will have different policies on time off, and it is a question that can be asked in an interview and is often listed in FAQs on camp websites for prospective counselors.