Camp Jobs & Chores

How twelve people keep camp running—everyone pitches in, nobody’s stuck, and the kids stay off their devices.

The Idea
Chain of Responsibility (and the call-out rule)
The Coffee Station
Breakfast Crews
The Snack Pantry
Meal Cleanup Schedule
Kid Jobs by Age
Daily Roles at a Glance

The Idea

A camp this size only feels relaxing if the work is shared, visible, and assigned. The goals:

Nobody carries the whole load (no single person cooking and cleaning all week).
Teens and kids stay involved—real jobs, away from screens, part of the team.
It’s fun, not a lecture—crews, rotations, and a little friendly competition.

🖨️ Print the Camp Jobs & Cleanup Chart and the Task Sign-Up sheets (for the jobs nobody’s claimed yet), and tape them to the Group HQ table so everyone can see the day’s crews.

Chain of Responsibility (and the call-out rule)

Shared chores only work if it’s clear who owns what and it’s okay to speak up when something’s being skipped.

The chain: each kid answers to their own parent / an adult auditor for their jobs; the daily crew leads own their station; an adult auditor signs off that each job is actually done.

The call-out rule (an Older Smith house rule): anyone may call out a person who’s ducking shared chores—but route it up the chain, respectfully. Notice a teen skipping cleanup? A quick, kind nudge first; if needed, mention it to their parent or the crew lead rather than starting a camp argument. The point isn’t to nag—it’s to keep everyone part of the team and off their phones.

Keep it positive. “Hey, we need a hand at the wash bins!” beats “you never help.” Catch people doing the work and call that out too.

The Coffee Station

Several adults run on coffee, and a stocked morning station sets the tone for the day.

Daily owner (rotates): one adult is “barista of the day.” First one up starts the pot.
Set up at Group HQ: percolator/pour-over + pre-measured grounds, hot-water source, creamer, sugar, kids’ morning drinks (milk, juice), cups, and a trash spot.
Keep it stocked: the owner refills water, grounds, and cups through the morning and packs it down before the day’s activity so nothing melts or blows away.
Restock cue: check coffee/creamer/milk levels each night so the morning owner isn’t short.

Breakfast Crews

There are 6 breakfasts: 3 hot, 3 cold. The hot ones have fixed crews from the food plan—one crew buys + cooks, a different crew cleans up. The cold ones are per-family (everyone brings their own). See the meal schedule.

A cooking crew owns the whole morning: fire up the griddles, cook, plate the kids first, then hand off to the cleanup crew.
Pair a parent with kids so little hands have real jobs (see Kid Jobs).

Morning	Buy + cook	Cleanup
Thu 7/2 🔥 eggs/bacon/hashbrowns/cinnamon rolls	Zuelke & Harris	Younger & Older Smiths
Fri 7/3 ❄️ cold	each family (own items)	each family
Sat 7/4 🔥 pancakes/waffles/bacon/eggs	Younger Smiths	Zuelke & Harris
Sun 7/5 ❄️ cold (cave day)	each family (pack lunches)	each family
Mon 7/6 🔥 biscuits & gravy/eggs/hashbrowns	Older Smiths	Younger Smiths
Tue 7/7 ❄️ cold pack-up	everyone (eat down leftovers)	everyone

On the Sat & Mon Smiths-cook mornings, all four families can pitch in if needed.

The Snack Pantry

A central, managed snack/drink pantry keeps grazing under control and the cooler chaos down.

Snack-pantry manager (rotating kids): put an older kid in charge each day—not the 1-year-old!—with an adult auditor double-checking.
The job: keep the snack bins and drink station tidy, sorted, and stocked; break down empty boxes; flag what’s running low.
Stock around the day’s plan:
- Before leaving for an activity: load the day bag/cooler with grab-snacks, fruit, and water.
- On returning: restock the bins, refill water, refresh ice.
Daily stocking checks: morning (pack for the outing) and evening (reset for tomorrow).

Meal Cleanup Schedule

The rule from Camp Cooking: the crew that cooks is not the crew that cleans. Rotate so it’s fair.

Two-bin dish system: a wash bin (hot, soapy) and a rinse bin; scrape first, air-dry on a rack/towel. Strain food bits to the trash—never dump greasy water on the ground or in the bushes.

Each meal’s cleanup checklist:

Leftovers sealed and back in the cooler (≤ 40°F)
Dishes washed, rinsed, air-drying
Stoves/griddles/air-fryers off, cooled, wiped
Table wiped; food sealed in bins
Trash bagged; recycling sorted; micro-trash picked up
Coffee/snack stations restocked for next time
Adult auditor signs off ✔

Meal	Cooks	Cleanup
Breakfast (hot)	Assigned cook crew	The assigned cleanup crew
Lunch	Self-serve, each family its own	2 set out · 2 put away (sign up)
Dinner	Host family brings + cooks	2 assigned people (sign up)

Kid Jobs by Age

Real jobs build real campers. Pair younger kids with an adult auditor.

Ages 6–8

Set out paper goods & napkins
Firewood stacker / counter
Trash & micro-trash patrol
Fill the drink jug (with help)
Tent-zipper monitor (bug patrol)

Ages 9–12

Run the snack pantry (with an auditor)
Scrape & dry dishes at the wash bins
Haul water, gather kindling
Help cook on the griddle (supervised)
Dog water & shade checks

Early teens

Lead a breakfast or cleanup crew
Manage the wash-bin station
Mind little kids during setup/teardown
Run the campfire s’mores
“Camp foreman” for the day—keep the chart moving

Make it worth it. A points chart, “camp bucks,” first dibs on s’mores, or just loud public credit—pick a reward that keeps the team motivated all week.

Daily Roles at a Glance

Assign these each evening for the next day (write them on the Camp Jobs chart or the Task Sign-Up sheet):

Role	Who
Coffee/drink station owner	_____
Breakfast crew (hot days)	_____
Lunch set-out (2)	_____
Lunch put-away (2)	_____
Dinner host (brings + cooks)	_____
Dinner cleanup (2 people)	_____
Snack-pantry manager (kid)	_____
Snack-pantry auditor (adult)	_____
Water/ice & trash runner	_____
Dog duty (Older Smiths)	_____

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