Young Women Camp- General Store

If you are looking for ideas for Young Women Camp - you have come to the right place.  This post is about the Young Women Camp General Store we hosted at camp this year.  


YW Camp General Store.

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This year at Young Women camp, we continued a fun tradition that we started last year- The General Store! Think of it as part camp snack bar, part reward system, and all heart. The girls loved it. Not only did it add a little sparkle of excitement each day, but it also gave us leaders a chance to reinforce positive behavior, ministering, teamwork, and spiritual growth in a tangible (and snack-filled!) way.

Young Women Camp General Store


I was in charge of the general store this year and I wanted it to look like a fun party tent.  I started with my easy up tent.  Then decorated it with a General Store sign that was made from fabric and fabric paint.  The YCL's and I used white twinkle lights, a sewn banner (see instructions in this post) a bunch of party fans, and disco balls.  



Young Women Camp General Store.


How The General Store Worked:


Each girl had the opportunity to earn tickets (like this) throughout the day. The adult leaders were given the tickets and had discretion on how to hand out the tickets to each of the young women they worked with.  Whether it was doing their jobs without complaint, helping a fellow camper, volunteering for extra duties, being a kind friend, or participating enthusiastically in activities, they were rewarded for the good they were already doing. These tickets could then be spent at our General Store!

Things we stocked in the General Store:


Most of the items in the general store were donated by a sister in our stake that works for a non-profit.  We had some REALLY good stuff!  

  • Snacks (goldfish, cookies and fruit snacks)

  • Hygiene goodies (make up, chapstick, hair brushes, hair ties)

  • Art supplies (art kits, pens, notebooks, journals)

  • Camp necessities (headphones, fidget toys)

  • Fun surprises (friendship bracelet kits, room decorating kits, small toys, purses, wallets, jewlery, bluetooth speakers)


General Store Set Up:


The YCL's (youth camp leaders) and I worked together to set up the store.  


General store and young women camp.



We organized the items in bins and priced them with small signs that said how many tickets each item was worth.  We had posted times that the store was open.  



general store at yw camp.

It was amazing to see the girls light up when they saw what was available and how proud they were to "shop" with what they had earned. Beyond the fun of snacks and goodies, the General Store became a place where we celebrated effort, attitude, and spiritual growth. It gave us leaders a way to say, “We see you. We appreciate you.” And for the girls, it created motivation and memories that lasted far beyond the end of the week.


Stake President at yw camp.

Our Stake President camp to camp with his wife for one evening.  He walked around and spent time with the youth at camp.  He even jumped behind the tables and manned the general store for a while.  


If you're planning a future Young Women camp, consider adding a General Store. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just thoughtful. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our week and reminded us that even small rewards can inspire big smiles.