How to Grow a Kids’ Camp Program at Your Gym

Six activities to build a gym camp program for kids that generate revenue, referrals, and create parent super fans!

In the current times, it is important to find ways to maximize spaces in your gym with revenue-generating programs and referral opportunities. We frequently hear from gym operators that they are focused today on building community. No segment of members builds community faster than parents, and below are six programs that do just that.

Parents’ Night Out

Parents will be excited to have a dinner out without a kids’ meal. Gyms get the opportunity to utilize Kids Club during quiet times. Craft Night, Movie & Pajamas, Game Night, and Camping themes (think build-your-own tent and smores without the fire) will inspire kids to stay off their iPad and bring a friend (or potential member) too! Digital check-in software, like Alaris, allows you to easily add any necessary digital waivers at check-in and retrieve a report of guests to prospect.

Birthday Parties & Room Rentals

No jungle gym structure or indoor playhouse? No problem! Parents often just need a space to congregate their toddler friends that isn’t their own city apartment or living room. Easy activities like Seek & Find Scavenger Hunts, Birthday Child Trivia, and Bubble Dance Parties can keep guests entertained between playtime, cake, and presents. To keep crowds at a minimum and show off your gym, let parents workout during the party. This is also a great opportunity to work with local bakeries and restaurants for discounted catering and a member referral partner (employees and customers) for your gym.

Camp

Although the most considerable undertaking of the activities on this list, camps also offer a big reward. Gyms can answer parents’ calls for reliable, fun, and active childcare during Spring, Summer, and Winter school breaks. Since camp fees are more significant than the typical Kids Club charge, gyms have the opportunity to create a substantial profit center while utilizing rooms during down-times and any outdoor spaces as well. Non-member parents are more likely to choose camp as a gym-outsider than most activities, making camp an awesome referral source for the gym and ancillary programs, such as swim lessons. Gyms with minimal space and resources can offer mini fitness camps to provide a couple of hours per day for kids to hang out and stay active. Registration software like Alaris can make sign-up a breeze for managers.

Pool Parties…are not just for birthdays!

Pool time is coveted these days, but you will likely find interest in a quick hour or 1.5-hour time slot. Advertise quieter pool times to book Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts get-togethers or school and neighborhood friend groups who need to burn off some energy in the winter. Be sure to supply beach balls, noodles, and giant floaties to keep them laughing in the water.

Homework Help

Is there a time or a room in your gym that can become a quiet space? Set up homework sessions that allow parents the opportunity to fit in exercise after work, which tends to be a busy time for families. Designated homework helpers, peers, and space away from the distractions at home can be a welcomed sight for those kids too old (and busy) to be in the Kids Club. For consistency in staffing, offer monthly recurring days. Use a platform like Alaris to make check-in easy, pulling all registration information straight from ABC.

Youth Fitness Club

Late afternoon is often quiet in the gym and the perfect opportunity to welcome 9 – 17-year-olds the opportunity to become life-long gym-goers. Make HIIT and body-weight workouts fun, giving kids, especially those who may not enjoy team sports, a new outlet for fitness and friends. Begin teaching gym etiquette and proper form to your future members. Try throwing in the occasional “Kids vs. Parents Challenge” to keep families moving together and an easy intro to your personal trainers.

 

 

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Looking to add revenue-generating gym camp programs for kids like these at your gym but don’t have the resources to manage registration? Alaris offers solutions for everything from your member-facing registration to check-in and reporting.

Camps by Alaris provides a beautiful and highly customizable website platform to market your programs. Integrated with ABC Fitness Solutions, Camps by Alaris keeps billing in one place and manages program capacities, as well as all your options for days, times, sessions, and ages.

Alaris Kids Club & Program Check-in solutions keep paper out of your check-in process. All of your unique workflows (like a special health agreement and authorized adults for pick-up) are built inside Alaris. There is no longer a need to look for a parent in the gym, utilizing Alaris’ Text Message feature. Alaris also provides Reservations and Digital Forms features to ensure paper, clipboards, and scanning are a thing of the past.

Additionally, Alaris helps your leadership teams optimize staffing and hours of operation through dynamic reporting for average occupancy and peak check-in times for Kids Club, camp, and programs, as well as the gym’s classes and adult activities that drive Kids Club usage.

Contact your ABC Account Executive to learn more about ways Alaris can support your gym.