Summer Camp Success: A Guide for Family Fun Centers

Running a successful summer camp at your family entertainment center (FEC) takes planning, creativity, and a smart marketing strategy. By outlining your camp’s structure early, crafting engaging attraction-based experiences, ensuring the highest level of safety, and promoting across all channels, you can launch a program that stands out in your community.

From themed weekly sessions to flexible drop-in options, your facility has everything needed to make this summer fun, profitable, and unforgettable for families.

Start with the Basics: Your Camp Blueprint

Before promoting your camp, establish a clear structure. Will you offer full-day or half-day sessions—or both? Determine how many campers you can safely accommodate each day and how you'll group them by age (e.g., ages 3–5, 6–9, 10–12).

Build out a weekly calendar with fun themes:

• Superhero Week
• Science & Slime Week
• Under the Sea
• Space Camp
• Princess and Pirates
• Jungle Safari
• Carnival Craze
• Rock N' Roll Rockstars
• Planet Power
• Color Wars

Include time blocks for your top attractions such as laser tag, bumper cars, trampoline time, ropes course, VR, indoor playgrounds, go-karts, bowling, skating, or arcade competitions. A well-organized and age-appropriate schedule makes planning, staffing, and promotion easier from the start.

Design Engaging Activities and Daily Flow

Structure your day to balance high-energy attraction time with creative and calm activities. Start with morning check-ins, followed by rotating stations that might include laser tag matches, ropes course challenges, arts and crafts, snack breaks, and cool-down time.

Create excitement with themed dress-up days, arcade tournaments, or surprise character visits. A predictable yet dynamic routine helps staff stay on track and keeps campers engaged from morning until pickup.

Prioritize Safety and Preparedness

Nothing matters more to parents than knowing their children are safe. Make safety a cornerstone of your summer camp plan. All camp staff should be CPR and First Aid certified, with emergency procedures clearly posted and practiced. Ensure your facility has an AED on-site if applicable and a secure check-in/check-out system in place.

We recommend that all children attending camp are potty trained. Be clear about behavior expectations and camper readiness in your registration materials.

Collect and store medical forms, allergy information, and parent waivers securely. Brief your team on how to handle medical issues or allergy-related incidents. Daily parent updates or secure camera apps can help build trust and keep families connected to their child’s experience.

Before launching, consult with your insurance provider, attorney, and state licensing agency to ensure your summer camp meets all local regulations, certifications, and permit requirements.

Price it Right and Offer Flexible Add-Ons

Pricing should reflect the value of your offerings and be easy to understand. Offer competitive full-day and half-day rates, sibling discounts, and bundled multi-week packages to encourage early commitment.

Boost revenue with optional add-ons like pre-packaged or prepred lunches, exclusive arcade credits, camp T-shirts, or early/late pickup options. Make it simple for parents to select add-ons during online registration.

Use Marketing That Gets Results

Families plan their summers early—so should your marketing. Start promotions in late winter or early spring using a multi-channel strategy. Google Ads and Meta ads with local targeting and “summer camp near me” keywords are effective for reaching nearby parents.

Use your social media to build excitement with countdowns, staff spotlights, behind-the-scenes setup, and previews of weekly themes. Email campaigns can share updates, early bird deadlines, and promo codes.

In-center marketing also works—think flyers, posters, table tents, and screens throughout your FEC. If you're using our Party Center Software Marketing Suite, we can help you build automated campaigns to boost registration and stay top of mind.

It’s Not Too Late: Offer Flexible Summer Options

Not ready for a full camp program? You can still offer engaging alternatives that bring families through the door. Think summer play passes, weekday specials, or themed drop-in activity days that showcase your most popular attractions.

You can also host special themed days during regular hours that don’t require a full camp structure. Host a Magic Day and bring in a magician. Plan an Animal Science Day and invite an animal expert with creatures to showcase. Or put on a Carnival Day with popcorn, cotton candy, and face painting. These high-impact events are easy to execute during your normal operations—charge extra or keep pricing the same, it’s entirely up to you!

Promote these experiences across social media, email, and in-facility signage to grab attention—especially from families looking for spontaneous fun or last-minute plans.

Your Summer Camp To-Do List

• Lock in your camp structure (full/half-day, age groups, themes)
• Choose your dates
• Build a schedule that features your key attractions
• Set pricing and create family-friendly add-ons
• Ensure waivers, allergy forms, and medical info are collected
• Verify certifications, insurance coverage, and state/local requirements
• Train staff in safety and emergency protocols
• Promote early using digital, social, and in-center marketing
• Offer flexible alternatives like drop-ins or special themed days
• Focus on memorable experiences that keep families coming back

Conclusion

Hosting summer camps at your FEC is a powerful way to engage your community, maximize facility usage during weekdays, and boost summer revenue. With thoughtful planning, a strong safety foundation, and experiences centered around your attractions, you’ll create something families will look forward to year after year.

Now’s the time to plan, promote, and make this summer one to remember—right inside your facility!