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Season Settings: Activate and Set Up Sessions

By the end of this article, you'll be able to connect your session definitions to the current season, configure dates, grades, and constraints for each session, add programs, and control exactly what families see on the camper application.

Written by Christine Cassidy

This is your annual ritual. Your session groups, sessions, and programs are non-seasonal templates β€” you defined them once and they carry forward every year. What you're doing here is bringing them to life for this specific season: setting real dates, checking visibility, adding constraints, and hooking up programs.

Complete the Settings tab for each session group before starting this step.

What you'll learn:

  • How to add sessions to a session group and configure dates, grades, and visibility

  • How to use tag restrictions to control which campers see which sessions

  • How to add programs to sessions and configure day camp flexible scheduling

Video Walkthrough


Add Sessions to a Session Group

  1. Navigate to Admin > Camper Setup > Season Settings.

  2. Select the season from the menu at the top of the screen.

  3. Select a Session Group from the dropdown, then click the Sessions tab.

  4. In the field at the bottom left, start typing a session name to add it to this group. Only sessions you've already defined will appear. Alternatively, click the Show from list icon to browse all available sessions.

  5. Click the session to add it. It will appear at the bottom of the list and expand for editing.

    πŸ’‘ Tip: Once your session definitions are set up, you won't need to recreate them each season. Just add them to the group, update their dates, and check Show on App before launching your application.


Configure Each Session

  1. Click the gray arrow to the left of the session name to expand it.

  2. Enter Start and End Dates. For day camp sessions, also enter start and end times so parents know your hours. For residential sessions, leave the midnight defaults β€” there's a separate setting that controls whether times display to families.

  3. Use the Gender dropdown to limit the session to male, female, or both (default).

  4. Set the lowest and highest eligible grades using the Grade dropdowns.

    πŸ“‹ Note: If you'd prefer to constrain sessions by age instead of grade, contact Campminder Support to enable that setting.

  5. Add a Description and/or an Advisory if needed. Both appear on the camper application β€” but they display differently:

    • Description β€” plain text, shown without highlighting.

    • Advisory β€” highlighted in yellow, draws the parent's eye. Use this for prerequisites, requirements, or anything critical you need parents to actually read.

  6. Review the Dates & Rates display settings. These carry forward from your session definitions but can be overridden here.

  7. Check Show on App to make this session visible and selectable on the camper application. This must be checked before going live.

    πŸ“‹ Note: You can uncheck Show on App at any time to hide a session that's full or not yet ready β€” without deleting it.

  8. If you selected Basic Capacity in the Settings tab, enter the total capacity for this session here.

    πŸ“– Related: Set Up Itemized Capacity


Restrict Sessions by Tag (Optional)

Tag restrictions let you show or hide specific sessions on the application based on tags assigned to camper records. Use this for early registration access, prerequisite-based sessions, or blocking campers with outstanding balances.

  1. In the expanded session view, scroll to the Tag Restriction section and click Settings.

  2. For each tag, choose one of three options:

    • None β€” no impact. The tag has no effect on this session's visibility (default).

    • Show β€” only campers with this tag can see the session. Think of it as a prerequisite.

    • Hide β€” campers with this tag cannot see the session. Think of it as a prohibition.

    πŸ“‹ Note: If a camper has both a Show tag and a Hide tag for the same session, Hide always wins. The session will not display regardless of other tags.

    πŸ“‹ Note: Tag restrictions only apply to the camper application. As an admin, you can always manually enroll any camper in any session regardless of tag settings.

    πŸ’‘ Tip: If you're using Show tags for early or exclusive registration, communicate login information to families beforehand. A family that creates a duplicate account with a different email won't have the tag β€” and won't see the session.

  3. Click Set, then click Save on the Season Settings page.


🎯 Try it now: Go to Admin > Camper Setup > Season Settings, select your first session group, open the Sessions tab, and add at least one session. Set its dates, grade range, and check Show on App. Save and come back.


Add Programs to a Session (Optional)

Only complete this section if your sessions include programs. If parents simply choose a session and move on, skip this.

  1. Within the expanded session, type a program name in the Add a Program field at the bottom, or click Show from list to browse.

  2. Once added, set any unique constraints for this program β€” dates, grade range, gender, or capacity β€” that differ from the session's constraints.

    πŸ“‹ Note: Program dates must fall within the session's dates. Campers can only select one program per session. If every session in a group uses programs, every session must have at least one program assigned.

  3. Click Save.

    πŸ’‘ Tip: Not every session needs the same programs. For example, a CIT program might only attach to the Full Summer session β€” since CITs are required to be there for the whole season.


Day Camp Only: Configure Flexible Scheduling

If your day camp offers partial-week or flexible attendance options, use the Daily checkbox on each program to define exactly how parents make their selection.

First, create programs for each attendance option you offer β€” for example: Three-Day (Mon/Wed/Fri), Any Two Days, Minimum One Day, and Full Week. Always include a Full Week program even if you offer partial options β€” otherwise parents won't be able to select the traditional full week.

Video Walkthrough

  1. Expand a session and add your daily programs as described above.

  2. For each daily program, check the Daily checkbox.

  3. Choose the scheduling type:

    • All Days β€” specific fixed days that you define. The parent has no choice; the days are pre-set (for example, always Mon/Wed/Fri).

    • Any X Day(s) β€” the parent chooses exactly X days from the available options you set.

    • Min X Day(s) β€” the parent chooses at least X days, but can choose more. Think of this as Γ  la carte attendance.

  4. Check the boxes for which days of the week this program runs.

πŸ“‹ Note: For half-day or mini-day programs, the session's start and end times will pre-populate. Edit them for accuracy β€” incorrect times will affect billing.

πŸ’‘ Tip: For the Full Week program, don't check the Daily checkbox β€” parents are attending all five days and don't need to make a day selection.


🎯 Try it now: If you run day camp, go to Admin > Camper Setup > Season Settings and add your daily programs to at least one session. Set the scheduling type for each, check your day selections, and save.


Manage Session Display Order and Clean Up

The order sessions appear in the Sessions tab is the exact order families see them on the camper application. If you want Full Summer to appear before your weekly sessions, or if you offer multiple session groups with varying priority, get your order right before you go live.

  • To reorder: click and hold a session name, drag it to the desired position, and save.

  • To delete a session from a group: Click Delete Session at the end of the session row and save.πŸ“‹ Note: If a session is in use it can't be deleted. Uncheck Show on App to hide it from families instead.

  • To delete a program (but not the session): Expand the session, click Delete Program next to the program title, and save.

πŸ’‘Tip: click on the gif below to enlarge


Before you move on, check yourself:

  • Have you added all your sessions to the right session groups, with real dates and grade constraints?

  • Do you know the difference between a Description and an Advisory β€” and when to use each?

  • If you're using tag restrictions, do you understand the Show/Hide logic and how conflicts are resolved?


Ready for the next step?

πŸ’‘Tip: Click on the Gif below to enlarge.

  1. When you add a session, it appears at the bottom of the list and expands for editing by clicking the triangle to the left of the session name.

  2. Enter Start and End Dates with times if needed, or leave the default (12:00 a.m.) to omit times.

  3. Use the Gender dropdown to limit the session to males, females, or both (default).

  4. Set the lowest and highest eligible grades using the Grade dropdowns.

  5. If a description was added during session setup, it will appear here. Edits in the Session tab will override the original description.

    πŸ’‘Tip: You can enter HTML tags to style your description as it will appear on the camper app.

  6. Use the advisory textbox to add extra details for this session, like "We will be closed on Wednesday, July 4." This will appear as an info box on the online application. Leave it blank to hide it.

  7. Check Yes to make the session available on the application. This must be done before going live.

  8. Enter a capacity if you selected Basic Capacity in the Settings tab. If Ignore or Advanced Capacity was selected, this field will be uneditable and managed by those settings. For details on Itemized Capacity, see the section below.

  9. Check the box next to "Daily" to set rules for when sessions can be registered for and will run. (This doesn't apply to Adult/Family sessions). Choose the days the session will run by ticking the boxes for each day (defaults to your choices in the Setting tab).

    Under "Registration Options," pick an option:

    • All Days: Applicants must attend or pay for all session days.

    • Any β€˜X’ Day(s): Applicants choose exactly the number of days you set.

    • Min β€˜X’ Day(s): Applicants choose at least the minimum number of days you set, but can choose more.

  10. You can also constrain your sessions and programs by tag.

  11. At the bottom of the page, use the green β€œSave” button to commit changes; use the blue β€œReset” button to revert your Sessions tab to the last saved state.

πŸ“– Related Help Materials:


Day Camp Season Administration Features

Day camp features in Season Settings allow you to create flexible scheduling options, such as half-day, mini-day, or customizable multi-day programs, making it easy for parents to select the specific days their child will attend.

These tools ensure accurate registration and billing for various program choices, including daily, partial-week, or full-week attendance.

Video Tutorial: Season Settings, Day Camp Features


Add Programs

After you have entered constraints for a session, you can add programs to that session.

  1. From the Sessions tab (found under Admin > Camper Setup > Season Settings), click the arrow icon next to the session where you want to add a program.

    πŸ“–Related Help Materials:

  2. In the lower-left corner of the expanded session window, type the program name to add it to the group. Only programs set up in the Definitions menu (top right) will appear. Alternatively, click the Show from list icon to choose from all defined programs.

  3. After selecting a program, you can set unique constraints* that override the session's constraints, if they differ.

    Note: Program dates must fall within the session dates.

    πŸ’‘Tip: Click on the Gif below to enlarge

  4. At the bottom of the page, use the green β€œSave” button to commit changes; use the blue β€œReset” button to revert your Sessions tab to the last saved state.


Itemized Capacity

The Itemized Capacity feature allows for you to set custom capacities for sessions and programs based on gender and grade/age. Itemized capacity can be used on top of basic capacity (as an override), or it can be used on its own.

πŸ“– Related Help Materials:


Delete a session and/or program

You can easily delete a session or program from a Session Group.

  1. Navigate to Admin > Camper Setup > Season Settings. Select the season, Session Group from the dropdown menu, and click the "Sessions" tab.

  2. To delete a session, click Delete Session at the end of the session line and click the green Save button.

  3. To delete a program (but not the session), click the arrow to expand the session, then click Delete Program next to the program title. Save your changes with the green Save button.

    Note: If your session is in use, you won't be able to delete it. Just uncheck "show on app" instead.
    ​


Edit Session Display Order

It’s easy to edit the order in which sessions are displayed on the Camper Application.

  1. Navigate to Admin > Camper Setup > Season Settings. Select the season you would like to edit from the menu at the top of the screen (located just below the main navigation bar).

  2. Select the Session Group you would like to edit from the dropdown menu. Click the Sessions tab.

  3. You can drag and drop each session line. Hover over the session title, click and hold with your mouse, then drag to the desired position.

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