Summer Day Camp

High Energy, Low Pressure

Summer should be about taking a break from the pressures of the school year. The Summer Day Camp is designed for children who thrive in an energetic and caring environment supported by skilled and committed staff members. To build a sense of community, we emphasize cooperation over competition. To integrate new campers comfortably and provide individual attention, we maintain small groups, with an average 5:1 camper to counselor ratio. To balance the new with the familiar, we include an extensive range of group-wide activities and individual electives, from art to archery, and woodworking to water games.

A Sample Day

Each day begins (and ends) with a camp-wide assembly in our amphitheater. This is a time when campers and staff gather to sing songs, share camp news (including swim awards), and enjoy skits and musical performances. After morning assembly, most campers re-group at their Home Base, which is an on-campus classroom campers use to store extra clothing, towels, etc., and is also a place groups can gather for quiet indoor activities and to prepare for the rest of their day. Then, along with their counselors, each group of campers begins their daily schedule (see sample schedule below), which they follow together as a unit until the afternoon elective period.

Sample Schedule for a Grade 4 Group, Summer 2007

Each day is comprised of five activity periods plus lunch. Campers go to two specialist-led activities each day where they enjoy age-appropriate, creative and enriching games and projects. Over the course of a week they will participate in archery (grades 2 and older), arts & crafts, ceramics, drama, digital photography (grades 4 and older), music, nature (grades 3 and younger), outdoor games and woodcraft. In addition to the specialist-led activities, campers also have a swim lesson and a free swim period each day.

In the afternoon, campers participate in an elective of their choice. Electives are special activities designed by our staff. Our elective offerings change from year to year based upon the special talents of our staff. In the past electives have included, but were not limited to, candlemaking, water basketball, soccer, puppet making, ultimate frisbee, jewelry making, dance, printmaking, recorders, watercolor, newspaper, juggling, kickball, mosaics, kites, Fimo fun, making mobiles, origami, macramé, sign language, digital photography and outdoor cooking.

In addition to our programmed activities, group time is also set-aside for campers and counselors to enjoy spending time together in an unstructured setting.

Weekly Themes

To make each week at camp special and unique, we design our weekly events based upon different themes in which campers (and staff!) are invited to participate. Hawaiian Luau, Red, White and Blue Celebration, Lost in Space and the Olympics are examples of possible weekly themes. The camp’s “Wacky Wednesdays” offer campers and staff an opportunity to dress up in accordance with our weekly themes. Fridays are devoted to special camp-wide activities, also based on the theme of the week. Campers always participate in these activities with their group and our goal for these special days is to create a strong sense of community among all campers and counselors. Please note that the camp day ends at noon on Fridays except for those campers enrolled in Friday Extended Day.

Special Events

Each summer there are many highlights to our camp season. However, two events in particular always seem to hold a special place in the hearts of our campers and their families. Our annual Swirlathon is a fundraiser for local charities where our campers swirl around the circumference of our lower pool creating a gentle whirlpool effect. Oftentimes, our lesser skilled “swirlers” take advantage of the current and glide around the pool, all the while with a huge smile on their face.

Each summer we also have a camper talent show, The Big Show, in which camp groups perform skits, songs and dance routines that are performed before the entire camp community. Parents are welcome to join us at the show!

Summer Day Camp is for ages 4 ½ - 15.

Additional summer camp options are available for 3 & 4 year olds at the Children’s Garden