NJ Summer Camps are Filling Up, But They Still Need Workers

Getting your child a spot at a summer camp may not be so easy in May, as demand is through the roof for camps across the Garden State, but camps are still interested in getting your older children on board ... as employees.

Anyone 16 and older is eligible to work at a day camp; you need to be at least 18 years old to work at an overnight camp.

"We're looking at high school kids, we're looking at college students, we're looking at adults," said Andy Pritikin, owner and operator of Liberty Lake Day Camp in Mansfield.

Staffing is the top concern at the 60-acre camp, said Pritikin, who formerly served as the president of the American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey.

Pay at camps is getting more competitive, but at the same time, he said, they're dealing with rising costs from vendors and can't pass those costs on to families who booked a spot last fall for summer 2022.

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"There really is no better place to work for a high school or college student than at a summer camp, where they're going to be disconnected from technology, they can be outside, they can be learning leadership skills that are going to be important in their lives," Pritikin said.

Check here for available jobs at camps accredited by the American Camp Association.

Demand at both day and overnight camps is high throughout the Garden State. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, they've been receiving inquiries from many families who've never utilized a camp in the past but want their kids to have more face-to-face interactions with people of the same age.

"Many camps in New Jersey have waitlists," said Alicia Skovera, executive director of ACA NY & NJ. "We know that camp is childcare for New Jersey working parents, and even parents that are still working from home want their children to get outside."

New Jersey camps, as of now, have zero COVID restrictions coming down from the state for 2022.