Skip to content

Free template · Health and safety

Head count and buddy check log

A sheet for recording head counts at every transition and buddy checks at swim, so staff can confirm every child is accounted for.

Download PDFWord version

What's in it

What the head count log covers

At the top: Count every time the group moves: leaving and arriving at each area, getting on and off the bus, and before, during and after swim. If the count is off, stop, recount and tell the director right away.

Group

  • Group
  • Date
  • Children on today's roster
  • Staff with the group

Counts

Table: Time · Location or transition · Count · Matches roster? · Staff initials · Notes

Swim buddy checks

Table: Time · Buddy pairs called · All pairs found? · Lifeguard initials

Free to use and change, but not legal or medical advice. Check your state's licensing rules and your insurer's requirements, and have a lawyer review any consent or waiver language.

Tips

How to use it well

  • Use names, not just numbers, when you count at the bus and the pool.
  • Update the roster number when a child arrives late or leaves early.
  • Train staff on your missing child procedure and practice it before the first day.

Rules on ratios, medication and reporting vary by state. See your state in our state-by-state rules for youth programs.

FAQ

Questions, answered

How often should camps do head counts?

At every transition: leaving and arriving at each area, getting on and off buses, and before, during and after swim. Many camps also count at set times.

What is a buddy check?

At swim, campers are paired. When the lifeguard calls a check, buddies grab hands and hold them up so staff can see every pair quickly.

More free templates

Authorized pickup formLists every adult allowed to pick a child up and anyone who isn't, with the program's pickup rules. Keep a copy with each roster.
Medical and allergy formCollects the allergy, medication and medical details staff need, plus emergency contacts and consent for emergency care.
Incident and accident reportA staff form for recording injuries, illnesses and behavior incidents the same day: what happened, first aid given, who was told and what you'll change.
Medication authorization formParent permission for staff to give a child medicine: the medicine, dose, times and dates, signed before the first dose. Use it with the medication log.
Allergy action planA plan for one child with a serious allergy: what the child is allergic to, signs of a reaction, what staff do for mild and severe symptoms, and the doctor's sign-off.
Swim test recordA lifeguard's sheet for recording each camper's swim test, the swim level or band they earned and where they may swim.
Camp registration softwareCollect these forms online when families register, with payment plans, waitlists and pickup PINs. Free for nonprofits.
All templates58 free forms, logs, policies and plans for daycares, camps, after-school programs and classes, as PDF and Word files: registration, pickup, medical and more.

Open registration
with BackPR

Free for nonprofits. No long-term contract. We set you up and import your data at no cost.

Get startedBook a demo