The best thing to take is the right attitude.
I worked as a counselor through my summers at university, then worked as an interviewer for Camp America and in my 30s I spent a couple of summers working in a management position so I have a lot of experience from all sides!
First and foremost you are there for the children, not your social life. The “you time” comes after camp. A lot of counsellors initially struggle with the lack of freedom. One day off a week, a couple of nights off, and an hour in the day It’s just not possible to accommodate everyone’s friendships when allocating time off. Please just accept that it has been done for good reason (usually activity scheduling) and not to deliberately annoy you. Most camps will provide transport to get you off camp, but it’s best to make good friends with an American with a car!!!
The rest of the time you are on duty. Usually sleeping in a bunk with the children at night (although some camps have an attached room for counsellors). Children can be demanding. They will look up to their counsellors as big brother / sister figures and want to be their best friend or annoy them accordingly.
If you are under 21 then PLEASE don’t drink alcohol. It’s illegal and the police in these rural communities don’t have anything better to do than bust underage counsellors drinking. You will be immediately fired from camp and sent home (at your expense as your visa expires when you are no longer employed). This applies to drinking off camp too, although nobody should have alcohol on camp. Also, please don’t get in a car with someone who has been drinking. Every year counsellors are injured or even killed (yep, happened at another local camp) by drunk drivers. I don’t want to be the person calling your family at 4am to tell them.
Very few camps allow their counsellors to have their phones with them when on duty. You should be given somewhere safe to store them and be allowed to pick them up for your time off. They invariably won’t work though as you won’t have any reception. Honestly, calling home is best done by landline - get a phone card from AT&T or similar. WiFi can also range from non existent to iffy. Don’t rely on it being available.
Please arrange set times when you will get a message to your parents that a) you have arrived and b) later in the summer that you are still alive. Every summer we would get panicked parents calling about their adult child not being in touch. Not cool.
Be prepared to make an absolute fool of yourself and step outside your comfort zone. There’s a lot of singing and performing, but also don’t forget that children will pick up on your vibe. If you look like you’re having fun then they’ll want a slice of the action too.
Honestly, if you follow the rules and throw yourself into everything and make the children your priority then you will have the BEST summer. Hardest job you’ll ever love!!