As a camp director, coming up with unique and creative gift ideas for the holidays is always a challenge. Your temporary staff worked so hard to make camp a special and memorable experience for your campers and you want to remind them how much you appreciate them.
Sending a small, yet thoughtful gift, to these staffers who you don’t see everyday is a great way to not only remind them of your appreciation, but as recruiting season kicks into full swing, it can be a great way to put your camp front and center with prospective counselors and crew for next summer as well.
We have compiled a list of gift ideas you can give to your staffers to remind them just how much they mean to you and your camp.
#1 – Reusable Water Bottles
Encourage environmentally friendly choices through a gift that will bring your staffers a little joy. If you go the reusable water bottle route, you can utilize a unique design from last summer’s theme, pre-drop a hint in the design of next year’s theme (taking a play out of Taylor Swift’s book), or, of course, go with the timeless use of your camp logo which will likely provide the most direct marketing benefit. Any route you go will be a conversation piece amongst the staffer and their friends and family. Quality Logo Products is a great resource for purchasing reusable water bottles in bulk. They have many styles to choose from and even better, many of their bottles are customizable.
#2 – Journals
Young staffers are always in need of a journal and this can be a very thoughtful gift and help them chronicle their life and what they are thankful for, hopefully starting with you and your camp for the opportunity and experience you provided them. To further promote your camp, you can purchase journals with your camp logo, or other design to represent your camp. Including a personal note in each journal can be a nice touch . Amazon has many options for purchasing journals in bulk.
#3 – S’mores Kits
S’mores kits are a fun and creative gift for your staffers to enjoy. Help them relive all the sweet moments of summer camp through a fun s’mores kit. One of the downsides of sending s’mores kits in bulk is that they can be expensive. If your staff isn’t too large, it may be more affordable to purchase and package the s’mores kits yourself and provide a very personal touch. However, if you have the budget, this simple s’mores kit available for bulk purchase is totally worth checking out.
#4 – Bracelets
For staffers, bracelets are a fun gift to receive. You can customize bracelets with your camp logo, camp saying, or a fun chant. The creativity is in your hands. These are a great conversation piece and can help your camp stay top of mind during the off season. If customizable silicone bracelets are your thing, Reminderband has countless customizable bracelets to choose from.
#5 – Mugs
Staffers love their coffee mugs, especially as temps are getting cooler and they are cramming for finals. Sending a unique mug with your camp’s logo, or something simple to represent your camp is a great gift. You can include a note letting them know you’re thinking about them and hope it helps them get through finals. Discount Mugs is a user-friendly website for creating a personalized mug for your staffers. With seemingly endless options to choose from, you can customize and purchase mugs in bulk.
#6 – Stickers
Stickers are an affordable and easy way to send your campers a little gift. If you choose to gift stickers, including a fun note with the gift is a great addition. Stickers are a great stand alone gift, but they also pair well with other small gifts too. If you send your staffers a reusable water bottle, stickers let them decorate their water bottles. Bulk stickers aren’t hard to find and there are many websites where you can purchase customizable stickers, or stickers that are already complete. This is a great website for purchasing bulk stickers that are customizable to fit your vision.
#7 – Postcards
Postcards are a simple way to remind your staffers of the amazing memories they made at camp and the impact they had. When creating your postcards, if your camp uses Waldo for photo and video management, you can visit the Member Connect area and easily send holiday postcards to your staffers with a great photo of them from the summer. If your camp doesn’t use Waldo yet for all of its photo and video management, you can send Waldograms here without a Photo Manager account, though bulk discounts are available for Photo Manager subscribers, so check that out as well.
#8 – Fidget Spinners
Fidget spinners are still in and great for college staffers in the midst of their studies. With a wide variety of fidget spinners to choose from, you’re sure to find the right fidget spinner. Amazon is a resourceful place for purchasing fidget spinners in bulk.
#9 – Card Games
A simple card game is a fun gift idea for your staffers to enjoy with their friends or family during the holidays. Uno and SkipBo are classic card games, but the choice is yours! Send one of your favorites and your staffers are sure to have a good time playing together. There are several options for purchasing cards in bulk, but if you’re interested in Uno specifically, here is a great option. If you order stickers as well, you can brand the deck with your camp’s logo to make it more personal and stay top of mind.
We hope you found these gift ideas helpful. You can’t go wrong with a thoughtful gift for your staffers who gave so much to make last summer a success. Spread some joy and keep your staffers returning to your camp each year and recommending your camp to their peers and younger friends who look up to them.
