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Things To Know Before Your First Day Of Camp

BUT FIRST–REALLY IMPORTANT SITE INFORMATION

Check out the links below for important dates, site details, and drop off and pick up procedures. Families planning to attend camp in CO, CT, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, & VA must also complete some super important state-required paperwork before attending camp. Our lawyers told us so.

Northern California
Southern California
Colorado
Connecticut

Families attending camp in Connecticut must complete & return this additional state-required paperwork prior to attending their first day of camp.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.

 

Georgia

Families attending camp in Georgia must complete & return this additional state-required paperwork prior to attending their first day of camp.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.

 

Illinois
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota

Families attending camp in Minnesota must complete & return this additional state-required paperwork prior to attending their first day of camp.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.
New Jersey

Families attending camp in New Jersey must complete & return this additional state-required paperwork prior to attending their first day of camp.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.
New York
Oregon

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.
Pennsylvania

Families attending camp in Pennsylvania must complete & return this additional state-required paperwork prior to attending their first day of camp.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.

 

Texas

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

Virginia

Families attending camp in Virginia must complete & return this additional state-required paperwork prior to attending their first day of camp.

*Please note: All forms must be completed in full, and uploaded directly into relevant S&K accounts.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

 

Washington

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

Washington D.C.

Local Camp Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures:

  • Local camp drop-off & pick-up procedures coming soon.

Virtual Camp Orientation

CAMP IS ALMOST HERE. GET PUMPED.

Camp life is needed more than ever—to make real-life connections, explore new interests, and create lasting memories. That’s why we’ve developed this guide to help sync families with everything they need to know before their first day of camp.

With great freedom comes great responsibility. Before we jump into all the details about camp, we recommend watching this video with your camper(s) to learn all about our camp responsibilities. We’ll also review these camp guidelines with children on a daily basis.

The Three Camp Responsibilities

Stay Home If...

In order to help ensure the well-being of our campers and staff, please follow the guidelines below as to when your child should stay home from camp. These also represent instances when we will require a child to be picked up if they become ill while attending. If county guidelines mandate additional quarantine, testing or a medical release to return to care, Camp will follow whichever is most restrictive. Directors are kept up to date with county and CDC regulations.

  • COVID-19: Children should stay home if they have, or someone in their household has, any COVID-19 symptoms including: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, chills, body aches, fatigue, headache, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, new loss of taste or smell or eye drainage or infection. If a child has been in close proximity (closer than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes, without wearing a face covering) to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting to receive test results, or are presumptively positive based on a health care provider’s assessment or symptoms we recommend that child use a mask while at camp for the 10 days after said exposure.
  • Contagious illness/parasitic infection: If your child has a contagious illness, even without fever, beyond a mild cold (for example: pink eye, a contagious skin rash), or if your child has head lice/nits, please do not send your child to Camp. If we believe that a child likely has a contagious illness or head lice/nits, we will contact the child’s parent/guardian and ask that they pick the child up from Camp. You may send your child to Camp with a doctor’s note if their condition has been treated such that it is no longer contagious.
  • Diarrhea/vomiting/Fever: If your child has experienced diarrhea or vomiting within 24 hours before camp, please keep them home. The Camp is only equipped to handle cases of diarrhea or repeated vomiting in emergencies until the child can be picked up from Camp by a parent/guardian. Children must be fever-free for at least 24 hours prior to attending Camp, without the aid of fever-reducing medication. Fever is defined when an oral thermometer reads 100.4° or less, or an ear thermometer reads 101.4° or less (Cleveland Clinic – fever). If our staff determine that a child has a fever, we will contact the child’s parent/guardian and ask that they pick the child up from Camp.

The Camp Day

Daily Express Check In

In order to streamline the check-in process at camp, we encourage all families to use Express Check In (ECI) prior to arriving at camp each day.

  1. Head to the ‘Express Check In’ tab of your S&K account, and select your camp location and daily lunch entree. Families must complete ECI for each child daily.
  2. Bring your campers badge/QR code, similar to a flight boarding pass, to camp. Once you complete ECI on your first day, you may print the QR code to keep in your car, or take a screenshot to store in your phone. Then just show our check-in staff your QR code(s) when you arrive to camp. Your badge/QR code may be reused for the entire camp season. Just be sure to activate it each day by completing ECI before arriving at camp.
    Daily ECI will be available at 6pm local time, for the following day of camp.
  3. Once our team scans your QR code and we confirm ECI is complete for that day, then the child can cruise into camp!

 

Daily Game Plan

We provide a unique camp experience where campers are free to design their own day by choosing from a variety of activities in real-time. Our campers have the freedom to tailor their day to their individual passions and curiosities, making each day at camp one-of-a-kind. Still, we follow a consistent daily schedule that provides clear time structure to different parts of the day.

Camp opens at 8am each morning and closes at 6pm, but you’re welcome to join & leave at any point during those hours.

For drop-off, there is no set time—feel free to roll out of bed and head to camp whenever. If you arrive after 10am, you may just have to ring a doorbell or call our office so we can meet you at the front. All campers will receive a tour of camp on their first day, that goes over activities, camp layout, and important details like where to find the restrooms & snacks.

In order to make sure children have support should any account issues arise, an adult over the age of 18 is required to drop campers off each morning. With that said, campers may check themselves out at the end of the day with adult permission.
*Please note that per Boston regulations, campers are not allowed to check themselves out of camp.

For the bulk of the day campers will choose from a variety of activities in real-time. All activities are available to all campers–regardless of age or experience level.

Lunch and snacks are included daily, and served between 12–1pm. You can find your local menu on your camp page. If you decide for whatever reason to pack a lunch or additional snacks, please leave out any products containing nuts or shellfish for the safety of other children who may have severe allergies. You can find our full lunch and allergy policy, on our Camp Guidelines & Guardrails page.

After lunch campers will head back to activities–continuing to design their day in real-time.

For pick-up, anytime after 4:30pm is pretty common. You are welcome to come earlier, but don’t be surprised if your child sends you home so they can stay longer!

For campers to leave, they must be picked up by someone who has been pre-authorized by the account holder to do so. You can add authorized pick-up people to your account or the primary account holder can call us at camp for assistance. To keep your kids the safest, we will ask every individual to show ID at time of pick-up.

Daily Express Check Out

In order to make the end of day as smooth as possible, we’ve added an Express Check Out (ECO) option to families’ accounts. Just log into your S&K Account, navigate to the ECO tab, and select your camper & authorized pick-up person about 15 minutes before you arrive to camp. Once ECO is completed, our team will notify your child and help get them ready to go. When you arrive to camp, please restate your child’s name and have your photo ID ready to show our team.

For more details on your camp’s drop-off & pick-up instructions, please be sure to read the local family procedures linked at the top of this page.

To Bring Or Not To Bring

We’ve got most things covered – lunch, snacks, water, limitless fun, and so on. We’d love it if you could send a labeled water bottle with your child, since it means less wasted plastic and a generally happier planet.

Keep an eye out for announcements at camp to see when we’re doing special activities, since they might call for special things to bring. During the summer, most camps have regular water activities (weather permitting), so it’s a good idea to pack a suit and towel–just in case. During the winter & colder months, (or summer in San Francisco) we recommend bringing a jacket for whenever outdoor play is possible.

We’ll have shelving available for storage for any campers bringing extra layers, clothing, or snacks. Just be sure to add your child’s full name to any item tags, so we can return anything that gets lost.

We generally encourage kids to leave any personal items (other than the ones mentioned above) at home, so that they don’t get used or damaged by others who may think they are a camp item. Similarly, please refrain from bringing any favorite, or difficult to replace items to camp.

We also don’t allow weapons, alcohol, illegal substances, or animals on campus at any time (unless a service animal or part of a featured show). Want more info about our policy around camper belongings? You can find that here.

Have medications?

Be sure to bring these in a labeled box/bag and in its original packaging. You’ll be asked to fill out a Medication Authorization form when checking in on Day 1 (if you haven’t already). Medication will be kept in HQ and provided by directors when needed. Make sure you complete the Medication Authorization form for any meds you are sending to camp*.
*Some states may require additional paperwork. Reach out to your local Steve & Kate’s if you have any questions about medication requirements.

Lost & Found

Lost & found items are kept on a clearly-marked shelf at camp. If you notice that your child has come home without a precious item, please contact your camp location immediately. To make it easier for everyone to find your kid’s stuff, be sure to label it. Items that have not been claimed by the end of the week are donated to a worthy cause the following Friday.

Online Account

Your online account is a hub for all things camp. In addition to updating your information and adding Day Passes, your account is also where you’ll find all of your child’s creations. All finished recordings, films, stop-motion animations, and images will be uploaded into your account for your viewing (and sharing!) pleasure. We also upload any action shots that were taken of your kid throughout the day. Grab a sneak peek while you are taking a break during the day, or wait until the evening for a grand viewing with the whole family.

Annual Equipment Sale

A while back, we had the crazy idea that we should use brand new equipment every summer. Innovation moves fast, and we didn’t think that kids could reach their creative potential using last year’s technology.
The good news for you? At the end of each summer, and sometimes in the spring, we sell off the bulk of our equipment, including iPads, chrome shelving, electronics, and more, to make room for next year’s inventory. We’ll send out an email to remind everyone once the sale is live. It’s a bonanza.

Not sure if you’re on our email list? Sign up here. It’s awesome.

Questions?

Still have questions about camp? Learn about our policies on our Camp Guidelines & Guardrails page, or check out our FAQs page for anything else. Alternatively you can always reach out to your local team to find time to chat!