The Camper Application is made up of several sections, each collecting a different category of information.
This article walks you through each one: what to show, what to require, and what to leave optional.
Before you start, confirm your General Settings are complete — including notification recipients and seasonal availability settings.
What you'll learn:
Configure the camper and household fields collected during registration
Enable optional fields for photos, bunk requests, and preferences
Add financial add-ons to the application through Additional Options
Camper Information
This is where you decide what essential information to collect from parents about their camper — from name and grade to T-shirt size, preferred name, and gender settings.
Video Walkthrough
Navigate to CampInTouch > Forms > Camper Application Settings and scroll to the Camper Information section.
Add optional welcome messages or instructions in the text boxes at the top of the section.
💡 Tip: Text boxes can be styled as a blue information block, yellow advisory block, or plain text.
Configure Lead Source (How did you hear about us?) — set whether to show it and whether to require it.
📋 Note: Lead Source only appears to new applicants, not returning campers.
Review your Gender field settings. If you've customized gender identity and pronoun options in Admin, those settings flow through here automatically.
📖 Related: Camper Application: Set Up General Settings and Control Registration Access — see the Gender Identity and Pronouns section
Configure Preferred Name and School — check Show and Edit to allow families to add or update these fields.
Configure T-Shirt Size — uncheck any sizes you do not offer.
📋 Note: T-shirt size is non-financial and seasonal — families select a new size each year.
Review Social Security Number — enable only if your camp has a specific operational need.
Configure Grade — check Disable grade for returning campers to prevent parents from changing the grade on file.
💡Tip: Grade can confuse families applying in advance. Add a clarifying message in one of the section text boxes (step 2) explaining how grade is calculated.
Enable Social Media fields if you want to collect camper handles. Most camps leave this off.
Click Save Changes.
📋 Note: Session Selection appears next as you scroll. It's covered fully in Sessions, Billing & Confirmation.
🎯 Try it now: Go to CampInTouch > Forms > Camper Application Settings, open Camper Information, and confirm which fields are showing and which are required. Save and come back.
Parent Information
This is where you set up what contact and household details you collect from parents and guardians — phone numbers, emergency contacts, and how multi-household families are handled.
Video Walkthrough
Navigate to CampInTouch > Forms > Camper Application Settings and locate the Parent Information section.
Add optional header and section messages for families.
Review Allow parents to change their name — enabling this lets parents update their name at any point during the application.
💡 Tip: Many camps leave this unchecked. An online name change without a staff alert can be missed if printed lists are in use.
Configure Family Home Phone — check Is Required if you need it. Leave Fax fields unchecked unless you have a specific reason to collect them.
Review Summer Address and Phone — enable for families who live at a different address during summer.
Configure Parent Work, Cell, and Other Phone — only require the numbers you actually need.
Review Parent Marital Status and Occupation — capturing marital status is recommended for managing household relationships over time.
Configure Emergency Contacts — make them required and add instructions clarifying who qualifies.
💡 Tip: Check your local and state regulations for required emergency contact information for summer camps.
Configure Household options — set whether a second parent or household displays by default or sits behind a link, and whether Household 2 receives camp mail and invoices.
📋 Note: Only members of the Primary Childhood Household can make online payments, regardless of invoice settings.
Configure Promo Codes if your camp offers discounts — set them up first under Admin > Financial Admin > [Season] > Discounts, then enable them here.
Click Save Changes.
🎯 Try it now: Review your Parent Information section and confirm your emergency contact field is set to required. Check that household settings reflect how your camp handles multi-household families. Save and come back.
Additional Options
This is where you enable purchasable add-ons — activities, camp store packages, and similar selections — that families can choose during registration. These must be configured in Financial Admin before they appear here.
📋 Note: Additional Options carry financial implications. Fully configure them in Financial Admin before enabling them here.
📖 Related: Financial Admin: Additional Options
Navigate to Admin > Financial Admin, select the Additional Options tab under the current season, and set up your options there.
💡Tip: click on the image below to enlarge
Return to CampInTouch > Forms > Camper Application Settings and scroll to the Additional Options section.
Add optional page header and section messages. Check Show on Additional Options Form to also display them on the standalone form in CampInTouch.
Check Additional Options Expand/Collapse to display options in an accordion format — useful if you have a long list.
Click Save Changes.
🎯 Try it now: If your camp uses Additional Options, confirm they're set up in Financial Admin first, then enable them on the application. Check whether the accordion display makes sense for your list. Come back when you're done.
Additional Information
This section covers the optional fields that go beyond the basics — camper photos, bunk and counselor requests, and bed preferences. None of these are required, but each one can meaningfully improve the camper and staff experience.
Video Walkthrough
Navigate to CampInTouch > Forms > Camper Application Settings and locate the Additional Information section.
Add optional page-level or section-level messages. A Bunk Information Header Message is also available if you're using bunk request fields.
Configure Camper Photo — check Show Field to enable it, and check Is Required if you want to require a photo before submission.
Configure Camper Cell Phone and Email if your program communicates directly with campers. Most camps leave these off.
Configure Bunk/Cabinmate Requests if your camp honors them. Set the number of requests families can submit, add any messaging, and optionally enable the Request NOT to bunk with field.
💡 Tip: Many camps collect bunk requests through a separate form sent later in the season rather than on the application.
📖 Related: How to Collect Bunk Requests
Enable Counselor Requests if your camp honors them. Add an optional message giving families context on how you use these requests.
Enable Bed Requests if your camp offers this option.
Click Save Changes.
🎯 Try it now: Go to Additional Information and confirm whether camper photo is enabled. Review the bunk and counselor request fields and decide which to show on the application. Save and come back.
🏕️ Camps in Action
A registrar at a camp with a significant blended-family population was fielding frequent calls about invoice delivery and payment confusion.
She configured Household 2 to receive invoices by default and added a note in the Parent Information header explaining that only the primary household can make online payments. Call volume dropped noticeably the following enrollment season.
Before you move on, check yourself:
Do you know which camper fields you're showing vs. requiring, and why?
Are your household settings configured for how your families are structured?
If you offer Additional Options, are they set up in Financial Admin before being enabled here?
Ready for the next step?
Sessions, Billing & Confirmation — configure which sessions display, set deposit rules, and control what families see at checkout and submission
Add Custom Questions to Your Application — build and configure custom questions using the question editor