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Camp Frequently Asked Questions

Required items:

  • Bathing suit, already on!
  • Sunscreen, already applied!
  • Towel
  • Wear flip-flops / slides
  • Bring socks / sneakers (for tennis)
  • Full water bottle

Optional items:

  • Dry clothes
  • Hat
  • Tennis racket (we have plenty of extra, so no need to buy one!)

Please pack your child’s belongings into a bag or backpack. Bring a plastic bag for wet clothes if they change. Label EVERYTHING with their name.  Things will get lost.  Check the lost and found every day.  Siblings should each have their own bag as children are grouped by age and not by family.

Campers will rotate through the following activities:

  • Swimming activities and games
  • Diving and/or jumping activities  
  • Tennis-related games and activities (taught by NSJ Tennis Pro, Dave Gardner)
  • Group games on the grass and basketball court, under the hose, and other water games  
  • Snack time including self-selected crafts, group games, and board games

Please send your child wearing sunscreen.  If you would like your child to apply additional sunscreen, send it in their bag with their name on it.  Counselors will NOT apply extra sunscreen.

Campers will receive the following items each day:

  • One fruit or veggie (apples, grapes, baby carrots, watermelon, etc.)
  • One carb-based snack (goldfish, cookies, granola bar, chips, etc.)
  • 1 freeze pop

Campers will not be forced to eat anything they don’t want.

Please refer to the allergy FAQ for more information on allergy protocols.

Please be specific about allergies on your registration form!  A snack will be provided each day.  One fruit/veggie and one snack food such as Goldfish, pretzels or granola bars.  Snacks will be on the sign-in table each day for parent to review.  Please have a conversation with your child that day if they are not allowed to eat the day’s snack.  

What if my child can’t eat the snack?  You may drop off an allergy-free snack at sign-in (for that day ONLY). It will be tagged with their name and placed in the snack bag for the group.  The counselor will hand it to your child at snack time.  

Can I send a big box of snacks to share?  No.  Although we appreciate your generosity, it is too hard to keep 75+ kids with all different allergies safe.  It would just make everything more complicated.

Can I drop off a week’s supply of allergy-safe snacks for my child on Monday?  No, see above.  

My child is picky.  Can I drop off custom snacks? No, Camp is about trying new things.  Perhaps some positive peer pressure will encourage your child to try a grape or carrot.  Eat a big lunch or breakfast! 

YES! Our counselors are fun and engaging.  When kids are around peers having fun, it is amazing what small risks they will take. If your child looks reluctant, one of our interns will sit it out with them, chat or engage them in another activity. Maybe the next day they will try the activity!! They will never be made to feel embarrassed. 

Please list this information on your child’s registration form. Children are grouped by grade, so if they are in the same grade, it is likely they will be placed together.  On the first day at sign-in, ask to see the list.  If your request wasn’t honored, we will do our best to make a change. 

It’s unlikely that siblings will be grouped together unless they are twins in the same grade. 

If your child has special needs or is neurodivergent, we will absolutely honor all requests.  Please list this on your registration form and check in with Camp Director, Jen Johannes, on Monday’s sign-in.  If you’d like to discuss this before you register, email Jen at jennifer_johannes@hcpss.org.  

ALL children can have fun at Camp!

Please indicate this information on your child’s registration form, and we will do our best to honor your request.

When organizing our groups, we have to balance the counselors’ personalities and strengths with those of the campers, so requests CANNOT be guaranteed.

All campers will attend a diving rotation, with other children, all of which are in their grade.  Perhaps they will enjoy this rotation by jumping into the arms of a counselor while seated on the edge of the pool.  Or maybe they will just jump in from the side.  Or maybe they will just jump off the board.  No one will be made to dive, head first off the board…but you may be surprised by the end of the week by how brave they have become under the careful supervision of our Dive Coach and super fun counselors!

There is NO before care available.  Campers may be dropped off NO MORE THAN 5 minutes prior to the start of Camp.

There is NO after care available. Please pick up your child when camp is over. Jen, as well as our counselors and interns, all have other obligations and cannot remain at the pool to watch your child.

If there is a TRUE emergency, please call Jen’s cell phone (443-341-7044) and we will work with you on a solution. 

An intern will walk them to and from the bathroom, but once they are in the stall, it’s up to them!

Have a Question?

Do you have a question? Contact us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.

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