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Things To Know Before Your First Day Of Summer 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, GA, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, & VA must also download some super important state-required paperwork & return it before your first day of camp. Our lawyers told us so.

Northern California
Southern California
Colorado

Additional state-required paperwork must be submitted for every child before their first day of camp. Click here for the Colorado state required forms.

Georgia

Click here for Georgia-required forms that need to be filled out for every child before attending camp, as well as local paperwork FAQs.

Illinois
Maryland

Additional state-required paperwork must be submitted for every child attending camp in Maryland, before their first day. Click here for the Maryland state required forms.

Massachusetts

Additional state-required paperwork must be submitted for every child before their first day of camp: Click here for the Massachusetts state required forms.

Families attending our Boston location will also need to reserve their weekly sessions prior to their first day of camp, due to local regulations.

Minnesota
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Texas
Virginia

Additional state-required paperwork must be submitted for every child before their first day of camp. Click here to download a copy of the Virginia state required forms.

If medication must be administered to your camper at camp, you will also need to complete the Medication Authorization Form. Click here for a fillable pdf version and click here for a basic version of the Medication Authorization Form.

*All campers must update their paperwork fully this year and upload it directly to their S&K account.

Age and Identity Verification

In addition to completing & uploading your paperwork packet, the State of Virginia requires all campers’ age and identity are verified in-person to attend Summer Camp. In order to avoid lengthy check-in lines on your first day, we’re giving families the opportunity to have their records verified prior to camp. Reach out to schedule a time to come by a local coffee shop to meet with your director!

In order for them to verify your child’s identity, we ask that you bring your child(ren)’s birth certificate, passport, or school documents (stating your child’s age). Please note that we will not be able to accept any required paperwork at these verification appointments, and will only be confirming age and identity documents (birth certificate, passport, or school records). All other required state paperwork must be uploaded into your account prior to attending camp.

All campers must have their age & identity verified before their first day of camp. Please print this form, fill out everything up until the”signature of licensed child care provider” line. Please bring this, and your approved verification documents with you to your appointment time or your first day of camp.

 

LOCAL FAMILY PROCEDURES:

Washington
Washington D.C.

Virtual 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.

But 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.

The Three Camp Responsibilities

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. To get started, just log into your S&K online account, select the ‘Express Check In’ tab, and fill out a quick questionnaire including choosing your child’s lunch entree. Then bring your campers QR code, similar to a flight boarding pass, with you to camp. After completing ECI on your first day, you may print the QR code to bring with you each day, or take a screenshot and show us the QR code from your phone at check-in. Your child’s QR code can then be reused for the rest of the camp season. Just be sure to activate it each day by completing ECI before you arrive to camp each day. Daily ECI will be available at 6pm for the following day of camp.

 

Once a QR code is scanned and we confirm ECI is complete for that day, then the child can cruise into camp!

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.

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 from Camp 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.

Safety Precautions

Plan for Care of Mildly Ill or Injured Campers

All camp staff are trained in first aid and CPR. Staff will assess each mildly ill or injured camper. Parent/Guardians will be notified if symptoms or complaints warrant, or if the camper desires them to do so. The camper will be able to rejoin activities if symptoms/complaints and medical assessment allows.

Any injury to the head, face, neck, or genitals will result in an immediate call to parents as a precaution. Staff are trained in concussion signs and symptoms and will monitor campers closely.

Procedure for Emergency Care 

All camp staff are trained in first aid and CPR. The closest staff member to the injured camper will ensure the child is safe and not in any immediate harm, offering basic first aid if needed, and call the Camp Director. The Director will assess the injured camper and make a plan for emergency care treatment. If needed, they will designate a staff member to call 911 immediately and the Director or the Assistant Director will notify the parent/guardian of the emergency. If the parent/guardian cannot be reached the emergency contact person(s) listed by the parent/guardian on the camper’s registration will be called in order. If the situation does not indicate an immediate 911 call, the camp director or assistant director will call the child’s parents/guardians and emergency contacts until someone can be reached or until such a time as emergency transport is deemed necessary. The director or assistant director will accompany the camper to the hospital until a parent, guardian or care taker arrives.

Masks

Based on current COVID guidelines and recommendations across the country, masks will be optional for all campers & staff. While masks will not be required, we recommend wearing one indoors for 10 days following any known COVID-19 exposure. 

Mmmmmm. Food.

Lunch and snacks are included daily. This summer we’ll have cheese pizza, as well as Panera Cafe favorites like fresh sandwiches, soups, and bagels on the menu for most camp locations, as well as regional specials from local food purveyors. You can find your local camp menu on your local camp page. If you have any questions about your camp’s menu please reach out to your local director.

We’ll also have kid-friendly snacks like fresh fruit, natural yogurt, peanut-free butter pouches, & more, for campers to nosh on throughout the day. 

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. Each morning our check-in staff will review any food brought from home for products containing nuts or shellfish. Any products or food items containing these ingredients will be sent back home. Please make sure all food from home is ready-to-eat, as we do not have refrigeration or heating available on site.

Food Allergies:

We’ve carefully selected a menu of snacks and lunch entrée items that naturally adhere to as many of our campers’ allergies and dietary needs as possible. While no food items provided by camp contain nuts, or nut products. However, some products may have been packaged or prepared in a facility that has nut products.  Still, since all camp food is prepared and/or sourced off-site,we are unable to guarantee that snacks and lunches provided or ingredients used in food activities are safe for exposure to or consumption by children with severe food allergies. If your child has a severe allergy please be sure to bring all food from home ready-to-eat (since no refrigeration and heating are available), for your child each day.

Families may request to have their child sit separately from other campers during lunch for allergy safety by updating their profile in their S&K account or by calling our HQ Support line at 415-389-5437

To discuss allergy specifics, please reach out to your local director.

Daily Game Plan

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 whenever. For pick-up, anytime after 4:30pm is pretty common. If you come early, don’t be surprised if your child sends you home so they can stay longer!

Please be sure to check out your camp’s local drop-off & pick-up procedures, linked at the top of this page.

Ready For Pickup?

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 be asking every individual to show ID when they pick up.

Daily Express Check Out–New for Summer '23

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 10 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. Most camps have regular water activities (weather permitting), so it’s a good idea to pack a suit and towel–just in case.

If you’d like to pack extra layers of clothing, you’re welcome to do so, and we’ll have shelving available for storage. Add your child’s full name to the tag so we can return anything that gets lost. 

We generally encourage kids not to bring any personal items to camp (other than the ones mentioned above) so that they don’t get used or damaged by others who may think they are a camp item. 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). Meds 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.

Visitors On Campus

Any camp performers on campus (beyond our Curbside Check-in/out area) will be background checked and supervised by our team the entire time they are on campus. For the safety of all children in our care, parents, guardians, and any other adult visitors must check-in with our staff and be escorted while on campus. 

Lost & Found

Lost and 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.

Gender Identity & Bathrooms

At Steve & Kate’s, we want to support all of our campers and create an environment where campers feel safe and respected. As such, we stand behind and support the ability of campers to use bathroom facilities and pronouns that align with their Gender Identity. And since we have campers that attend Steve & Kate’s that don’t identify as either a girl or boy, we strive to provide gender neutral or private restroom options. If gender neutral bathrooms are not possible at some locations due to the physical limitations, we will work with campers and parents/guardians to determine a safe and comfortable bathroom option.

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 music recordings, camper-created 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.

Due to local regulations, families attending camp in Boson will also be required to reserve their weekly camp session(s) prior to attending. Once registered, Boston families can navigate to the “weeks reservation” tab within their account to reserve their weekly session(s).

Refunds

Any unused Day Passes will be automatically refunded in full. If we owe you a refund after the camp season, we’ll take care of that automatically 10 business days after our last camp closes, or sooner if you paid with an electronic check (ACH). Refunds will usually come back to you in the same method you paid. It’s as easy as that. If you need a paper check refund instead, just let your local director know before the last day of camp.

*Please note that refunds are not applicable to employer-sponsored Back-Up Care benefits, as we do not collect any money directly from families for use. Please reach out to Bright Horizons or your benefit team for questions regarding cancellations. 

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, 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.