Do camp counsellors get days off at a summer camp in America?

Yes, and knowing how it works makes the whole season easier to picture

Somewhere in the planning, most people hit the same thought: "Hang on, if I'm living at camp for about ten weeks, when do I actually get to switch off?" It's a fair question, and a good one to ask before you commit. Nobody wants to spend their New Zealand winter feeling like they've signed up for a ten-week shift with no exit.

The short version

Time off at a summer camp in America is built into the schedule, but it looks different from a normal job. Instead of a Saturday and Sunday, you get a mix of daytime breaks, nights off and a small number of full days away. The exact pattern depends on the camp, and that is worth knowing upfront. Your camp will tell you its own policy, and our team can talk you through what's typical.

Breaks during the day

Most counsellors get a stretch off during the day, often while campers are in an activity run by another staff member or a specialist. It might be an hour or so, and it's exactly as glamorous as it sounds. Think a hammock, a cold drink, a quick phone call home or a proper sit-down while the kids are busy elsewhere.

Don't expect to disappear for the whole afternoon. It's a reset, not a holiday. But on a hot July day with a cabin full of ten-year-olds, an hour of quiet is worth more than you'd think.

Nights off

A lot of camps run a rotation, where you're on duty in the cabin some evenings and off on others. On a night off, you can usually head into the nearest town with your new friends for dinner, ice cream or a wander round a shop that sells eleven kinds of peanut butter. It's often where the first proper friendships form.

Camp is usually in a rural spot, so how far you can go varies. Some camps are a short drive from a town, others are a bit more remote, and a lot of staff car-pool on nights off.

Full days off

Full days away are the bigger prizes, and camps handle them differently. Industry sources suggest that counsellors typically get around one to two days off a week at some camps, while others give a smaller number spread across the whole summer, such as five days over a seven-week session. That's a wide range, so treat any single figure with caution.

On a full day off, counsellors head to the beach, a national park, a nearby city or just sleep in properly. Some camps let you leave the evening before, which opens up a proper overnight trip. This is a big part of what makes a US summer camp such a good fit for a working holiday USA style adventure, without the cost of a full year away.

What you don't need to worry about on a day off

Food and accommodation are provided by your camp, so your day off isn't spent stressing about rent or a grocery shop. That leaves your money for the fun stuff, whether that's a road trip, a ballgame or another ice cream. Standard counsellors earn a guaranteed minimum of $2,250 USD per season, and Premium counsellors with a specialist skill earn a guaranteed minimum of $2,350 USD.

It's also worth asking your camp early about how you'll get around. Not every camp is near public transport, so making friends and sharing lifts becomes part of the fun.

Will the season feel like too much?

It is a full-on job. Early starts, a lot of energy and not much time to yourself. But the people who've done it tend to remember the balance more than the tiredness.

Jamie Hynes, in a verified Trustpilot review, said the team "have helped give me the best summer I've ever had." Gina added: "Had a fantastic time doing AmeriCamp this summer, couldn't have asked for a better experience." Neither is talking about a slow summer, they're talking about one where the work and the downtime fit together.

What to ask before you say yes

When your camp options come up, it's worth having a few questions ready. How many days off do counsellors get across the season? Are nights off rotated? Can you leave camp on your day off, and how do people usually get around? Asking is completely normal, and camp directors are used to it.

You don't need to have every answer sorted before you apply. The application is free to start, you'll have an AmeriCamp Interview that's a 20-minute conversation rather than a test, and we'll help match you with a camp based on your skills and what you're after. Placement isn't guaranteed, as every applicant goes through interview and screening, but time off is a totally normal thing to raise along the way.

Ten weeks of summer camp USA style is a lot of hard work, a lot of laughing, and a few very well-earned days off. If you're the kind of person who wants to be a camp counsellor and still see a bit of America, that's a pretty good deal.

AmeriCamp NZ is run out of Auckland by the NZ AmeriCamp team - International Working Holidays. We're backed by over 24 years of placing New Zealanders at summer camps across the USA. The application is free to start and our NZ team is with you every step of the way.

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