Counselors at the Sun Devil Kid’s Camp at the Student Recreation Center remember campers gathering for lunchtime as almost chaotic — even though the day was only half over.

“It is always super loud,” communications junior Brynn Marcinek said. “It’s really funny to see because the kids eat their food so fast. By the time half of the counselors get up there, [the kids] are ready to go and have free time.”

But that’s how it is at the camp for 10 weeks from May 26 to July 31, when a staff of safety-certified ASU students play host to more than 100 children a week.

There are 10 different sessions during the summer, one week each, and children can participate in as many as their parents sign them up for.

“There are 30 of them in each group, so they meet friends, and it’s a way to be more outgoing,” Marcinek said. “It’s better than school because you’re not required to learn anything — it’s like recess all day.”

But it’s not just a chance for the kids to have fun, management junior Nicole Seifert said.

The camp is also an opportunity for ASU students who are living in Tempe over the summer to find a job and a rewarding way to enhance their college experience.

“Just getting to know the kids and being able to create a relationship with them is so rewarding,” Seifert said. “At the end of the summer, you miss them, and you look forward to next summer. It’s amazing to see how much they change from the beginning of the summer to when they leave.”

The camp runs Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and kids ages 5 to 11 are invited to participate in dress-up days, Friday fun days and field trips — each week is a new adventure.

“Super-hero week is my favorite week of the summer,” Marcinek said. “Batman is my absolute favorite, and I think it’s a lot of fun for the kids.”

Other themes, like Parade of Nations Week and Going Green Week, are developed specifically to enhance the experience and build relationships between the campers.

“Interacting with the kids is the best part of it,” Marcinek said. “I love kids, and I want to work with kids when I get older, so seeing them happy makes it worth it. ... Just making those connections and seeing them every week is what it’s all about.”

The daily camp schedule includes open activities, snack times, free swim and age breakout activities. Though they draw a paycheck, the relationships created between them and campers allows employees to look at Kid’s Camp as more than just a job.

“There’s no way I could do it if it was just a job. It’s hard work, there’s no getting past that, but it’s fun and you’re active all summer long,” Seifert said. “It saves you from sitting around in a clothing store folding clothes all day.”

Reach the reporter at emiley.darling@asu.edu.