Going to summer camps as a kid means learning that a garbage bag can make a very good raincoat, dancing your first romantic slow dance and getting to know different types of camp leaders. But among them, there is always one that holds our attention and our love and remains etched in our hearts for life (or at least two months after the summer camp). If you also want to obtain this coveted title of favorite animator of children, here are the tips to apply in order to conquer them. Be careful, however, this will not help you to obtain the title of exemplary animator, because some tips are incompatible. We can’t do everything either.
1. Prank them (lots of pranks)
Children are the best audience and they love to laugh (well, most of them). So you can go for the little jokes and pranks that will make them feel special and love you more. Yes, as surprising as it may seem, trolling children allows you to create a bond with them. Good on the other hand, do not cut their clothes with scissors either or bother a child who hates pranks of all kinds. We’re not in a business school hazing.
2. Troll other anims in front of them (respectfully)
Even more than being fooled, children love seeing anims bully each other. Well, we’re still not talking about anonymous calls and dead animals hiding under the sheets. But one of the little things to do between anim, in mutual respect, it’s always fun (and it’s good for team cohesion).
3. Play with them (all the time)
Be sure that if you stand on the edge of the field watching the kids kick the ball in the head during a bowl, you will never be their favorite. Them, they like it when the adults are on their team and fight alongside them to win (yeah, camp games aren’t fun lol). Better yet, they live to play against the anime. So do them this little treat as soon as you can if you want to earn a place in their hearts.
4. Don’t get trodden on (while being chill)
I’m not going to teach you about life, but to be loved by kids, you have to show maximum coolness… But not too much either! It’s all in the dosage. Too strict, you’ll bust their nuts and they’ll never want to be around you, too cool, they’ll make a victim of you and won’t follow any of your instructions. Of course, all of this is learned over time, but try to always aim, not for the moon, but for a happy medium between severity and negligence.
5. Give them a good bedtime (and not just tell them to shut up)
Bedtime is a privileged moment in camp that there is not in summer camp. So don’t hesitate to use it to really create a bond with toddlers. Many like to be told little stories before sleeping (yes, even the older ones), to be asked what they thought of the day or to be given a little autonomy to read a book. See with your room what she prefers and take a little time with your kids before reminding them for their fifth time that it’s no longer time to chat, because we get up early tomorrow.
6. Listen to their proposals (even when it’s shitty)
You may have 36,000 game ideas, each one more incredible than the next, but kids will often want to play different things. So yes, it’s very cool to introduce them to new games, but believe me, they will love you all the more if from time to time, you ask them what they want to do and you let them take initiative for activities. We are quickly surprised by their addiction to the American ball.
7. Tell them about your life (well especially the points that interest them)
If you refuse to tell your background, you will quickly lose interest. They want to know who your lover is, what you really do for a living, how old you really are and if you drive a Fiat Multipla. Of course, nothing prevents you from telling the truth. You can invent a relationship with a colleague for the duration of the stay and let them freak out about whether you are bluffing or not. Of course, you answer the questions you are comfortable with, it works both ways.
8. Spread secrets on your colleagues (preferably funny secrets)
As we said above, children love to think that they have a special bond with you and that they are your darlings. By throwing information about your colleagues at them, you ensure a special place in their hearts. Yes, we clearly shit on ethics at Topito. Afterwards, don’t go saying that your director is dating a facilitator in secret and that the lifeguard has crabs. But if you can tease your colleagues a little along the way, that’s all good.
9. Give them small rewards (to make them feel privileged)
Children are clearly venal and superficial beings who like to be rewarded. By giving them the bracelet you just made or the clue you just found during the treasure hunt, you can be sure that they will see you as their new favorite person in no time.
10. Always be determined (even when you’re really lazy)
So yes, indeed, when you only have 5 hours of sleep in your body, you can be too lazy to talk to kids and run after them during a Sagamore. But you yourselves are not motivated, you can imagine that they too will absolutely not want to discover this super nice new 4h30 game that your colleague spent all night preparing. If you manage to always motivate them (even when you’re faking it yourself), you’ll go straight to the top of the list of people they love the most in the world.
11. Teach them a bunch of little tricks on the way out
Children have a crazy passion for useless details and general knowledge (before forgetting everything when they are adults). Take advantage of this beautiful period to teach them everything you know cool, like how to distinguish the different animal droppings, how to make a three-leaf hat or how to fill out a tax form.
12. Share a maximum of moments with them (even if you hate them)
It’s fine to play with them but if you’re not there during the moments of life, you will clearly miss your chance for the role of anim favorite. In quiet time, in free time after the shower, in the canteen, at breakfast, spend time with them to find out how they are doing, how they are living the summer camp and what they want to do today. Even if you don’t give a damn, they’ll think they’re the apple of your eye and reward you with the title of Favorite Host.
13. Don’t give a damn about being the favorite host (yes yes)
From experience, children’s favorite anims are those who don’t give a damn about being the favorite anim. They make their life as an anim and make themselves loved without the slightest effort. Yes, it’s annoying. But when you think about it, it’s true that trying too hard to be appreciated by kids can be counterproductive (even borderline weird). So be yourself and you’ll get all the love you deserve, even if it’s someone’s.
14. Give them $10,000
Best tip to become their fav, frankly, don’t hesitate.