So your child is signed up for a session during the summer? What next?
This page will talk about a couple points that will be helpful for first time parents in preparing paperwork, packing and other items that will be helpful to consider before making the journey to camp.
Mandatory Forms
After enrolling, the next step that we would suggest taking some time to do are the mandatory forms. These forms consist of the medical forms, one of which you can fill out yourself, but the second must be completed by the physician to sign off on, and the camper profile form. The camper profile form is a great tool to be used by counselors and our division directors because it gives some insight into the camper's personality before meeting them on arrival day.
Both of these forms can be found through your CampInTouch account and can even be completed and submitted online! (Except for the physician form because you need the signature of the physician on the document, you'll have to send that to us in the mail or upload that one through your CampInTouch account).
Once these mandatory forms have been completed, the next item to tackle can be packing.
What do I pack for camp?
For packing, we have a packing list available that is a great template to use for beginning the process of picking out clothes, toiletries, etc. The one thing you want to keep in mind is the AMOUNT of things you want to pack or bring with you. For example, in a 2 week session, you aren't going to need 14 pairs of shirts or socks or shorts. We do have laundry once a week to wash soiled clothes so take that into account for what amount you would want to bring. Keep in mind that it is summer camp, so you wouldn't necessarily want to bring the nicest shirt in the closet. We want the kids to get active, be involved, so older clothes are preferable.
The other thing to keep in mind is the evening activity schedule for the time frame your child will be at camp, too. There are theme days, evening activities, etc. that your child may want to dress up for. Use that schedule to get an idea of what is going on and you can then make any adjustments or get any props that your child may want to bring to camp then. Really consider this point because the more involved your child is, the more fun the experience will be on the whole.
Consult our Packing List for a good start on what to pack and how much as you begin.
Camp Bank
Okay, so you have done the mandatory forms and you've completed your packing. Wait, there's more!?
It's not a big point of concern, but one that will be helpful to address. That is camp bank. Sometimes parents confuse camp bank with the Canteen Fee that is associated with the tuition for your child. That is incorrect.
The camp bank is something different and something that you control entirely. Camp bank is a separate fund of money that you can set aside for your child that they can then use at the canteen to buy a shirt or use on a trip like our Railrider Baseball Games. This is not mandatory to set up and any money that is not used will be returned to the camper at the end of the session.
