It's that time of year again - the summer holidays are fast approaching and parents are in full planning mode. We all want the summer holidays to be a time our children will look back on fondly, when kids get to be kids, and happy memories are made. However, this requires the makers of these memories - mom and dad! - to spend the next few weeks wrestling with the summer holiday calendar, trying to work out which activities to sign our kids up for over the holidays.

The logistical challenges of the summer vacation can feel overwhelming. Which camps would they enjoy joining? How will you get each child to their respective summer activities? Do the camps fit in with time away you might have planned? Are their friends going at the same time? And, of course, how much is all of this going to cost you?

Parents know these questions well - we ask them every year, and the summer holiday time never gets less complicated!

So why not take control of your kids’ summer right now, and design your own summer camp, right in your backyard? We have the 5-step plan to help you do it.

1. Pick the perfect time and place

What do you want summer camp to look like for your kids? The beauty of arranging it yourself is that you have complete control over when it happens, for how many hours, and what they will do during that time. You might want them to have one day a week of “camp” for the whole summer, or you might prefer to block out a single week (or a few blocks of one week). Whatever works for you!

2. Gather your group of happy campers

As you start planning the summer holiday calendar, you can be sure that your friends and the parents of your kids' friends are doing the very same thing. Think about which children would be a good fit with your own, in terms of ages and interests, and propose your summer camp idea to their parents.

3. Call in the perfect camp counsellor

If running a camp in your backyard sounds intimidating, relax - you don’t have to do it yourself! The great thing about the summer is that over the holidays, there are plenty of potential child carers who would be perfect for the task of leading your kids through their summer camp activities. At Good People we have a portfolio of experienced professionals - from trainee teachers to recent graduates to crafting experts to highly capable nannies - for you choose from according to your children’s needs. And the best part: the cost usually works out far less than most day camps.

4. Think up the themes

Although whoever you employ to run your summer camp may have some great ideas of their own, you can let your (and your children's) imagination run wild as you think up different themes for each day.

Perhaps they’ll have “Make-it Monday”, where they do an array of crafts or science experiments. Imagine “Treasure Hunt Tuesday”, where they go on a scavenger hunt in the local area and discover the neighbourhood.

Would they enjoy “Wet ’n’ Wild Wednesday” - a day at the local pool or beach (which might require parents to join as extra sets of eyes and hands for safety), or sprinklers and a slip ’n’ slide in the garden?

Maybe Thursday is Sports Day, where they have competitions in everything from egg-and-spoon races to hand-stands and pin-the-tail-on-the-mermaid. If Friday is the last day they could have a camp-out, where they put up tents, have their meals on picnic blankets and tell stories around the “camp-fire”.

The point is that the world is your oyster and your only restriction is your own imagination - and maybe the size of your property!

5. Let them run free

While structured fun is great for kids, free play is even more important. The combination of each other’s company and the great outdoors should be all they need to create wonderful summer memories (with the occasional ice cream thrown in for good measure). So don’t over-think, over-plan, or over-compensate. Summer camp in the backyard is a joy in itself, and your kids will remember it for many years to come.

At Good People we're passionate about making your life just a little bit easier, and finding the perfect people to support your family is what we do.

Contact us and let us help you design your children's perfect, memory-making summer camp, and find the people with the skills to bring it to life.

Good People is a domestic staffing agency specialising in introducing high quality household assistance. We provide a simple, fast and professional service to recruit trained and vetted staff who match your family values. To discuss what we can do for you, or to join the Good People Club, get in touch today.