How Much Should You Tip Camp Counselors (If Any)?

When you send your child to summer camp, you entrust their care to the camp counselors who work there. Camp counselors are responsible for the safety of their campers while also planning fun activities for them to enjoy.

At the end of summer camp, your child will have memories with their counselor that can last a lifetime. Tipping your child’s camp counselor is a way for you to thank them for the time they dedicated to keeping your child safe and entertained all summer, so how much should you tip?

First, Find Out if Your Camp Accepts Tips

Some camps accept tips while others do not, so you’ll need to determine your specific camp’s policy on this. You can find out if your camp organization allows camp counselors to accept tips by asking the camp director.

If the camp has a no-tipping policy, don’t panic! You can show your appreciation to counselors by giving them a small gift at the end of the summer, such as a gift card.

How Much Should You Tip Camp Counselors?

You will need to find out which camp counselors your child spent the most time with throughout the summer. Camp counselors and assistant camp counselors help take care of your child. The camp director will be able to tell you which counselor and assistant counselor your child was assigned to so that you know who to tip.

You can always tip more than the recommended amount, but these are the minimum recommended rates that you should tip camp counselors and staff:

• Camp counselors: $15
• Assistant camp counselors: $10
• Bus drivers: $10
• Other camp staff: $10

Tip sharing (where staff members split the total tip pool) is a common practice in the service industry. We recommend tipping each camp staff member individually, as providing a large tip to the camp itself may not end up in the hands of the staffers you intend it to.

Conclusion

We recommend always tipping your camp counselors and other camp staff members if the organization allows its parents to do so. Tipping camp counselors will help compensate them for the work they did to take care of your child throughout the summer.