Hiring camp staff: a job description, interview questions and training.
A counselor job description you can copy, questions to ask, topics to train and the checks to run.
Facts checked on official pages, November 4, 2026.
Camp counselor job description template
Copy it, then fill in the parts in brackets. Check your state’s rules before you set ages or duties.
Camp counselor at [camp name]
About the role
- You lead a small group of campers through each camp day.
- You keep them safe, included and having fun.
What you will do
- Supervise your group at all times, including meals, rest and moves between places.
- Count your campers every time the group changes place.
- Lead games, crafts, sports and other planned activities.
- Help campers with sunscreen, water breaks and shade on hot days.
- Follow the camp’s swim and water safety rules.
- Help at check-in and pickup, and release campers only to approved adults.
- Tell the director about injuries, illness and concerns the same day.
What you bring
- Time with children, such as coaching, tutoring or babysitting.
- Patience, energy and good judgment.
- First aid and CPR, or a plan to finish both before camp.
- A cleared background check before your first day.
- The minimum age your state and our camp set.
Schedule
- [Dates], [days] from [start time] to [end time].
- Staff training runs [training dates], before campers arrive.
Interview questions
- Tell us about a time you cared for a group of children.
- A camper refuses to join an activity. What do you do?
- Two campers start to argue during a game. How do you respond?
- How do you keep track of every child on a field trip?
- A camper says they feel sick or too hot. What are your first steps?
- How would you include a camper who seems left out?
- An adult you do not know arrives for pickup. What do you do?
- Describe an activity you could lead with no supplies at all.
- What does a safe swim time look like to you?
- Which problems would you tell the director about right away?
- How do you handle a camp rule you disagree with?
- Which dates and hours can you work?
Training topics
Cover these before campers arrive. Your state may require its own topics, so check its page.
- Supervision and head counts at every change of place.
- Water safety and the camp’s swim rules.
- Heat, sun and drinking water.
- First aid, CPR and when to call 911.
- Allergies, medicines and camper health forms.
- Check-in, pickup and the list of approved adults.
- Behavior support and including every camper.
- How to report suspected abuse or neglect under your state’s law.
- Emergency plans for storms, fire and a missing camper.
- Campers who had swim lessons still need close and constant watching in and around water.Source: Preventing Drowning
- Staff watching swimmers should avoid distractions like reading or using a phone.Source: Preventing Drowning
- Young children rely on others to keep them cool and drinking water on hot days.Source: Infants and Children and Heat
Ages, hours and background checks
Federal rules first. Your state may set its own ages, ratios and checks for camp staff.
- Workers who are 14 or 15 may work only outside school hours, for limited hours.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- In a week with no school, they may work up to 40 hours.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- From June 1 through Labor Day, they may work as late as 9 p.m.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- Federal law sets no hour limits for workers who are 16 or 17.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- Certified 15-year-olds may lifeguard at regular swimming pools and water parks.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- Lifeguards at lakes, rivers or beaches must be at least 16.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- When federal and state youth work laws differ, the stricter one applies.Source: Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations
- The Justice Department’s public website searches sex offender registries for all 50 states.Source: Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
Follow your state’s own background check rules too. Open your state’s camp page below.
| State | Day camps | Overnight camps |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State permit | State permit |
| Arizona | Depends on the program | State license |
| Arkansas | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| California | Depends on the program | State camp rules |
| Colorado | State license | State license |
| Connecticut | State license | State license |
| Delaware | State permit | State permit |
| Florida | No state license | State permit |
| Georgia | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| Idaho | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| Illinois | State license | State license |
| Indiana | Depends on the program | State camp rules |
| Kentucky | State permit | State permit |
| Louisiana | State permit | State permit |
| Maine | State license | State license |
| Maryland | State certificate | State certificate |
| Massachusetts | State license | State license |
| Michigan | State license | State license |
| Mississippi | Depends on the program | State license |
| Missouri | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| Montana | Depends on the program | State license |
| Nebraska | Depends on the program | No state license |
| Nevada | Depends on the program | State license |
| New Hampshire | State license | State license |
| New Jersey | State certificate | State certificate |
| New York | State permit | State permit |
| North Dakota | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| Ohio | State registration | State permit |
| Oregon | State license | State license |
| South Carolina | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| South Dakota | Depends on the program | Depends on the program |
| Tennessee | State permit | State permit |
| Texas | State license | State license |
| Vermont | Depends on the program | State license |
| Virginia | Depends on the program | State permit |
| Washington | Depends on the program | State registration |
| West Virginia | Depends on the program | State permit |
| Wisconsin | Depends on the program | State license |
Each state’s page lists its official sources and the day they were read.
Run a program in your area? Bloomily handles enrollment, billing, check-in and family messages. See how it works
Keep reading
- How to start a summer camp
State camp rules, safety and staff for a day camp.
- Camp medical form
A free printable form for each camper.
- Incident report
A printable form for injuries and incidents.
- Camp packing list
A printable list to send families.
Questions, answered
What goes in a camp counselor job description?
The role, the daily duties, what the person brings and the schedule. This page has a template you can copy.
How young can camp staff be?
Federal law lets 14- and 15-year-olds work limited hours. Your state may set its own ages for camp staff.
How do I check camp staff before they start?
Follow your state’s rules first. The Justice Department’s public website searches sex offender registries for all 50 states.
What should camp staff training cover?
Your state may set required topics. This page lists topics to cover, from head counts to water safety.
Official sources
- Fact Sheet #43: Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Checked November 4, 2026.
- Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, U.S. Department of Justice. Checked November 4, 2026.
- Preventing Drowning, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked November 4, 2026.
- Infants and Children and Heat, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Checked November 4, 2026.
About this page
Facts checked on official pages, November 4, 2026.
Each fact links to the official page it came from.
This page sums up official pages. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice, and rules change.
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