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This handout bundle includes Dr. Thurber’s most requested handouts for camp owners, directors, and staff. A popular and economical alternative to purchasing the complete Thurber Handout Portfolio of 100+…

Inexperienced lifeguards are often poorly equipped, fail to scan properly, and neglect regular practice of emergency action plans. This life-saving handout reviews preparation for work, scanning for distressed or…

When experienced staff are promoted to supervisory positions at camp, they face the double challenge of having little formal management training and becoming a boss of their peers. This…

Hyperactive, impulsive, and distractible campers pose unique challenges for staff and campers alike. This detailed handout provides a clear set of effective strategies to use with young people who…

Day and overnight camps are powerful, positive developmental experiences for children. This honest handout explains how staff transition from focusing on themselves—at school or at home—to focusing on the…

Dispel common myths about bullying, including that bullies have low self-esteem, and teaches staff what to look for. Provides key facts on the causes and consequences of bullying, camp-specific…

Classic problem solving is a powerful way to use the group’s wisdom to find a solution that works for everyone. This handout explains the three-part fundamental conflict resolution skills…

Extend staff skills beyond the Classic Problem Solving rubric of identification and brainstorming. Ross Green’s Cooperative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) assesses others’ triggers, needs, and skills deficits to help solve problems…

Around difficult, confusing, evocative topics, children usually speak “in code.” The most powerful way to make every leader’s job easier is by learning the “decoding” skills essential for authentic…

Celebrating the differences among people introduces a new level of enjoyment to the experience of the day and overnight camp. It may be human to fear differences at first,…

When intractable homesickness strikes (as it does every summer in a few campers), you need a set of sensitive and ethical procedures to decide what to do. Developed with…

Teach staff how to recognize the causes and symptoms of homesickness, as well as eight ways to treat intense homesickness on-site. Also includes a concise explanation of risk and…

It is difficult to know whom to consult, and what decisions to make, about a young person suffering from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or psychosis. This clear flowchart provides…

Youth leaders can sometimes enter a grey area in which they over-share personal information, begin to use inappropriate physical touch, and let emotional connections creep beyond what’s professional. This…

Providing feedback to one’s colleagues is necessary for leadership development, but it can be intensely uncomfortable if done poorly. This advanced handout describes how to preserve relationships while providing…

Culled from the most up-to-date collection of best practices, this sensible set of strategies has sections on Safe Touch, Discipline, Reporting, Coverage of Activities, Group Living, and Staff Relations….

The biggest concern that every new camp staff has is that the children won’t listen and follow directions. This innovative handout illustrates the six prevention strategies to promote good…

Seven more prevention strategies and seven more intervention strategies make this innovative handout the perfect companion to Skillful Discipline: Part 1. Give your staff all the tools they need…

Campers’ minor, annoying misbehaviors can get under counselors’ skin and quickly burn them out.  This favorite handout provides easy alternatives to yelling and other energy-draining reactions by introducing seven…